Dermatitis

Dermatitis is a general term used to describe a number of inflammatory skin conditions. Although they may be similar in appearance (red, itchy and inflamed areas of skin) the causes and treatment may vary depending on the type of dermatitis and how severe it is.

Topical corticosteroids can be used to treat symptoms of inflammation associated with non-infectious dermatitis skin conditions.

Some common types of dermatitis include:

Atopic dermatitis — another name for this type of dermatitis is eczema. It’s thought to be an inherited skin problem, commonly seen in children and causes red, dry, itchy patches of inflamed skin.
Contact dermatitis — this is where skin becomes red and inflamed after reacting to something it has touched. There are two types of contact dermatitis:
- Allergic contact dermatitis where an allergic reaction is triggered by something that most other people do not react to, e.g. nickel jewellery, a perfume or a preservative.
- Irritant contact dermatitis is where the skin reacts to an irritating chemical usually after it has been in contact with it for prolonged periods of time e.g. cosmetics, dyes, rubber or certain plants.
Seborrheic dermatitis — is a form of eczema and is found mainly on the scalp, face and chest. Cradle cap in babies and dandruff in adults are types of seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis has been linked to an inflammatory reaction to a form of yeast called Malassezia.