Summary
A rash is an area of irritated or swollen skin. Many rashes are itchy, red, painful, and irritated. Some rashes can also lead to blisters or patches of raw skin. Rashes are a symptom of many different medical problems. Other causes include irritating substances and allergies. Certain genes can make people more likely to get rashes.
Contact dermatitis is a common type of rash. It causes redness, itching, and sometimes small bumps. You get the rash where you have touched an irritant, such as a chemical, or something you are allergic to, like poison ivy.
Some rashes develop right away. Others form over several days. Although most rashes clear up fairly quickly, others are long-lasting and need long-term treatment.
Because rashes can be caused by many different things, it’s important to figure out what kind you have before you treat it. If it is a bad rash, if it does not go away, or if you have other symptoms, you should see your health care provider. Treatments may include moisturizers, lotions, baths, cortisone creams that relieve swelling, and antihistamines, which relieve itching.
Start Here
- New Itchy Skin Rashes in Adults (VisualDX)
- Rash Decisions: How to Deal With Itchy, Red Skin
(National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- Rash Evaluation (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
- Skin Rashes and Other Skin Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- What to Do About a Skin Rash (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Scratching the Surface on Skin Allergies (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) – PDF
Specifics
- Breast Rash (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Contact Dermatitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Dyshidrosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Heat Rash (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
- Lyme Disease Rashes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Nickel Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Preventing Hot Tub Rash (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- When Is a Drug Rash More Than Just a Rash? (Harvard Medical School)
Images
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis (VisualDX)
- Drug Eruption (VisualDX)
- Dyshidrotic Dermatitis (VisualDX)
- Heat Rash or Prickly Heat (Miliaria Rubra) (VisualDX)
- Irritant Contact Dermatitis (VisualDX)
- Pityriasis Rosea (VisualDX)
- Viral Exanthem (VisualDX)
Test Your Knowledge
- Skin Allergy Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dermatitis (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dermatitis, Contact (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Diaper Rash (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Exanthema (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The management of imatinib-associated severe skin rash in gastrointestinal stromal tumor:…
- Article: Treatment Satisfaction, Efficacy, and Safety of Delgocitinib Ointment for Atopic Dermatitis-Induced…
- Article: External Application of a Xiaozhen zhiyang Decoction for Facial Rash Related…
- Rashes — see more articles
Find an Expert
- Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
Children
- 12 Common Summertime Skin Rashes in Children (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
- Chronic Itchy Skin Rashes in Children (VisualDX)
- Common Baby Rashes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Diaper Rash (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
- Diaper Rash (Irritant Diaper Dermatitis) (VisualDX)
- Drug Eruption (Pediatric) (VisualDX)
- How to Treat Diaper Rash
(American Academy of Dermatology) - New Itchy Skin Rashes in Children (VisualDX)
- Rash or Prickly Heat (Miliaria Rubra) (VisualDX)
- Rashes (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
- Viral Exanthem (VisualDX)
Patient Handouts
- Contact dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Diaper rash (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Hot tub folliculitis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Pityriasis rosea (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Rash – child under 2 years (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Rashes (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
Topic Image
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Contact dermatitis
- Diaper rash
- Erysipeloid
- Erythroderma
- Hot tub folliculitis
- Pityriasis rosea
- Rash – child under 2 years
- Rashes
Related Health Topics
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on Rashes is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
Disclaimers
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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.