Dermatitis

Diagnosis

Your doctor will probably ask you about your symptoms and examine your skin to see if you have dermatitis. A small piece of skin may need to be removed (biopsied) for laboratory analysis, which aids in ruling out other illnesses.

Patch testing

Patch testing on your skin can be advised by your doctor. Small amounts of various substances are put to your skin during this test, and you are then covered. During visits over the following several days, the doctor examines your skin to check for signs indications of a reaction. Patch testing can be used to identify the precise allergies that are causing your dermatitis.

Treatment

The cause of your dermatitis and your symptoms will determine the best course of treatment. Dermatitis treatment may entail one or more of the following in addition to the lifestyle and home remedy suggestions below:

• Using corticosteroid creams, gels, or ointments to apply to the affected skin.
• Using lotions or ointments that have an immune system-altering effect (calcineurin inhibitors) on the affected skin.
• Phototherapy, which involves exposing the affected area to controlled levels of natural or artificial light.
• Treating severe illness with oral corticosteroids or injectable dupilumab.
• Wet dressings, a medical procedure for treating severe atopic dermatitis that entails putting a corticosteroid on the affected area and covering it with wet bandages.