Common Skin Rashes

Rashes are one of the most common reasons people see a health care provider. Eczema alone affects millions of children and adults, and most people will have hives or contact dermatitis at some point.

• Eczema (atopic dermatitis): dry, itchy, inflamed patches that come and go, often in skin folds; linked to allergies and asthma.
• Contact dermatitis: a red, itchy rash where skin touched something irritating or that you're allergic to, such as poison oak, nickel, fragrance or soaps.
• Hives (urticaria): raised, itchy welts that move around and often fade within a day; triggered by allergies, infections, medicines or unknown causes.
• Psoriasis: thick, red or darker patches with silvery scale, often on the elbows, knees, scalp or lower back; a long-term immune condition.
• Fungal rashes (tinea, "ringworm," athlete's foot, jock itch, yeast): itchy, ring-shaped or red patches, often in warm, moist areas.
• Shingles (herpes zoster): a painful, blistering rash in a band on one side of the body, from the chickenpox virus waking up.
• Seborrheic dermatitis: flaky, greasy scale on the scalp, eyebrows or sides of the nose (dandruff).
• Rashes from medicines or viral infections.

• Allergies (foods, medicines, insect stings, plants, metals, fragrances)
• Irritants like soaps, detergents, cleaning products or frequent hand washing
• Dry skin, hot showers and dry weather
• Infections from viruses, bacteria or fungi
• Long-term conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, often running in families
• Heat, sweat and friction
• Stress, which can trigger flares
• A weakened immune system or diabetes (more fungal and shingles rashes)

• Itching, burning or pain
• Redness or color change
• Bumps, welts, blisters or scaling
• Dry, cracked or thickened skin
• Oozing or crusting
• Fever or feeling sick along with the rash (can mean infection or a more serious reaction)
• At your visit, your provider looks at the rash's shape, color, pattern and location, checks your whole skin including scalp and nails, presses on spots to see if they fade, and checks for fever, swollen glands and signs of infection. They'll ask about new medicines, products, foods and exposures.

Most rashes are diagnosed by how they look and your history.

Sometimes your provider may order: a skin scraping (KOH test) to look for fungus or a skin biopsy, both done in our office; a skin swab or culture for infection; lab allergy panels; or blood tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), a comprehensive metabolic panel, thyroid tests, or allergy blood tests (IgE) depending on the type of rash.

Treatment depends on the cause:

• Gentle skin care: lukewarm showers, mild fragrance-free soap, and thick moisturizer right after bathing (key for eczema).
• Avoiding triggers: identify and stay away from irritants or allergens.
• Anti-itch care: cool compresses; oral antihistamines for hives.
• Prescription creams or ointments, such as steroid creams for eczema and contact dermatitis. Use them as directed.
• Antifungal creams or pills for fungal rashes.
• Antiviral medicine for shingles, best started within a few days of the rash.
• For psoriasis or severe eczema: stronger creams, light therapy or medicines that calm the immune system, often with a dermatology partner.
• Don't scratch; keep nails short to protect the skin.

Many rashes clear up in days to weeks with the right care. Long-term conditions like eczema and psoriasis can come and go, but treatment can keep them under control.

Results vary depending on the cause.

Your primary care team at Moaddel Medical can diagnose and treat most common rashes, order tests when needed and review your medicines for possible triggers.

We do skin biopsies and KOH scrapings in our office. We don't do patch testing; when allergy skin testing is needed, we refer you to immunology in our same building. We refer you to a dermatology partner for hard-to-treat rashes or advanced treatments.

We're at 7230 Medical Center Dr, Suite 100, West Hills, CA 91307.