What Is Contact Dermatitis?
Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema caused by exposure to substances in the environment. It is one of the two most common types of eczema (
atopic dermatitis is the other).
Contact dermatitis can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity.
Types of Contact Dermatitis
Irritant Contact Dermatitis
Irritant contact dermatitis is the more common type of contact dermatitis. It is a non-allergic inflammatory skin reaction caused by exposure to irritating substances that actually damage the skin. Not everyone develops
allergies, but everybody's skin can become irritated if abused.
Contact with strong irritants, such as acid or lye, can result in blisters, erosion, and ulcers within minutes or hours. For weaker irritants, such as soaps or detergents, exposure over days or weeks may be necessary before eczema develops.
Any substance can act as an irritant (even water) if it is concentrated enough and if the skin is exposed to it long enough.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis results from the skin's reaction to a substance (allergen) to which it has become sensitized, or allergic. Normally, the skin doesn't react the first time it meets up with an allergen. Sometimes it occurs with the second exposure. But in other cases, it takes years and many exposures for hypersensitivity to a particular substance to develop. Once sensitized, the skin will usually become inflamed within hours or days after contact.
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