Contact allergy

As the name suggests, contact allergy is an allergic reaction when the skin comes into contact with an allergen. Other names are allergic contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis. In this case, an excessive defense reaction of the immune system to a substance that is actually harmless takes place.

About 8 percent of adults suffer from allergies that manifest themselves as skin rashes. Some occupational groups, such as hairdressers, beauticians and bakers, are particularly affected.

Occupational allergies account for as much as 10 percent of all occupational illnesses.

Every day we come into contact with many different objects and substances that do not bother healthy people, but can cause itching and redness of the skin in allergy sufferers. Common triggers of a contact allergy are:

• Nickel
• Cobalt
• Latex
• Cosmetic products
• Fragrances
• Preservatives
• Essential oils
• Cleaning agents
• Detergents
• Textiles
• Chemical substances
• Adhesive on plasters
• Medicines
• Plants (eg. E.g. chamomile, arnica, grasses)

Excessive hygiene, by the way, can favor that a contact allergy develops. By strong sweating comes it also more often to allergic reactions of the skin. Other risk factors include environmental pollution, an unhealthy diet, smoking and alcohol consumption.

The first allergy symptoms usually appear about 24 hours after contact with the allergen, directly at the site of skin contact. In the case of an allergic reaction to costume jewelry, these are, for example, the wrist, neck or earlobes. There it comes to:

• Itchiness of the skin
• dry, scaly skin
• redness
• burning of the skin
• skin rash
• blistering
• hives 
• nodules
• swelling
• formation of eczema

However, the rash often becomes noticeable only up to three days after skin contact, which is why it is often not easy to locate the allergy trigger. If, for example, the wrong detergent is used permanently, the allergy can start insidiously and intensify over a longer period of time.

If the skin contact persists permanently, it develops into a chronic contact eczema, which leads to keratinization and groove formation of the skin.

If you suspect a contact allergy, you should consult a doctor. This is because he can determine the allergen that triggers the symptoms through an allergy test. Sometimes it is a special ingredient that you would not have suspected or whose name you have never heard before.

To treat the acute symptoms, the dermatologist prescribes medications such as ointments, creams or tablets. Proven themselves depending upon diagnosis Antihistaminika, with strong complaints also tablets with cortisone-similar active substances can provide fast relief. Cooling gels also eliminate the unpleasant itching. However, do not experiment on your own with creams and ointments, as they may make the allergy even worse.

What you can also do if you have a contact allergy:

• Check care products and cosmetics for their ingredients and replace them with natural cosmetics that do not contain fragrances and preservatives.
• Replace chemical cleaning agents and detergents with organic cleaning agents.
• Better tolerated than costume jewelry with nickel is real silver or gold jewelry.
• Be careful of belt buckles, buttons and zippers: Also here hides in the metal part like nickel.
• Wear protective clothing and gloves at work, so that the skin has no direct contact with the allergenic substances.
• Generally, the following applies: Avoid the allergens! Because only in this way can the symptoms improve.

If the contact with the allergen is avoided, the symptoms subside within a few days to weeks. Through therapy with medication, the rash usually improves again quite quickly. However, the contact allergy persists and can break out again the next time the allergen comes into contact. Therefore, you should permanently avoid coming into contact with the triggering substance. If you have to deal with the allergens again and again in your job, you should think about a change of job in the long term.