Your skin is your body’s first line of defense against injury, germs, and other potential harm. Throughout a lifetime, it takes quite a beating, weathering countless scrapes, cuts, and injuries. As if that weren’t enough, nearly every person suffers from a handful of rashes—bouts of irritated, puffy skin.

Rashes can come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the trigger. Viruses, fungi, parasites, medications, chemicals, allergies, and heat can cause the skin to become red, lumpy, dry, cracked, itchy, blistered, or tender. Most rashes are mild and go away on their own, but some require medical treatment, and a few may be signs of more serious diseases, such as Lyme disease.

One of the most common rashes, contact dermatitis, causes patches of raised, red bumps. It occurs when the skin comes into contact with an irritating or allergy- causing substance, such as soap, laundry detergent, poison ivy, rubber products, and metals in jewelry. Dermatitis usually disappears on its own after exposure to the irritant ceases. Another frequent skin condition is eczema, which leads to dry, itchy, scaly, and blistered skin. Although scientists aren’t sure of the exact cause, the ailment tends to affect those with a family history of allergies or asthma. Over-the-counter or prescription cortisone creams treat eczema.

Hives, or urticaria, is another type of rash that’s brought on by stress, allergies, perspiration, or extreme heat or cold. The skin responds to these factors by producing the chemical histamine, which causes inflammation of the skin. Most frequently, outbreaks appear as pale bumps surrounded by redness. Since there are a variety of other potential causes of rashes, it’s best to see a dermatologist, who’ll try to pinpoint the exact reason and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Why does scratching an itch feel so good? Neurobiologists say that scratching creates a slight pain, which overrides the itchy sensation.
  2. For people with very sensitive skin, vigorous touching can trigger the release of histamine, causing swelling at the site. In one such condition, called dermatographia, lightly scratching the skin results in a pattern of raised, red lines that look like writing.