It is common knowledge that itchy irritated skin can leave some people scratching their heads trying to determine the cause of this bothersome condition.

What did they touch? Is it just dry skin gone awry? Are they allergic to something in their home or workplace? The answers to these questions could require not only a little detective work, but the help of a dermatologist who can diagnose and treat the most likely culprit - contact dermatitis.

Speaking today at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Joseph F. Fowler, Jr., MD, FAAD, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., presented the most common allergens that can cause contact dermatitis, including treatments and preventative measures that can be taken to improve this skin condition.

Contact dermatitis is characterized by a rash that can occur anywhere on the body (most commonly the hands and face) and is caused by something that comes into contact with the skin, leading to an allergic reaction. Irritated skin becomes dry and chapped and eventually red, scaly and inflamed. In many cases, these types of skin rashes require evaluation and treatment by a dermatologist who can determine the source of the rash and recommend the best treatment.

"In our everyday lives, we come into contact with a host of different substances and environmental elements that can have an adverse effect on our skin," said Dr. Fowler. "Sometimes when we have an allergic reaction to something, we might not be able to determine the source of the problem or it could take several days from the point of contact for a reaction to occur on our skin, which makes tracing the source extremely difficult."
 
Metals

Perhaps the most common form of contact dermatitis is metal allergy, with nickel being the most prevalent of all metal allergens. Dr. Fowler explained that almost every metal contains some amount of nickel, with costume jewelry and cell phones among the leading causes of allergic reactions.

"A person with sensitivity to nickel may not be able to wear jewelry that contains nickel or may find that holding a cell phone up against the ear will result in a rash and irritation where the device comes into contact with the skin - in which case a hands-free device, such as a plastic earpiece, or covering the metal with a plastic case will help," said Dr. Fowler. "Even gold is a fairly common allergen and can cause an adverse reaction in some people. The key is to identify the source and avoid contact with these products."