Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSkin ConditionsOther Bacterial InfectionsViral InfectionsDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Skin Conditions
Other Bacterial Infections
Viral Infections
Diagnosis
Treatment
Skin redness or discoloration (a change in skin tone) is a common symptom with many potential causes. Sunburn, exposure to an irritant, and medication use are just a few. Most cases ofskin redness or discolorationare easy to diagnose and treat.
Sometimes callederythemaor flushing, red skin can sometimes be a sign of a health condition like lupus or scarlet fever. It can also be a symptom an infection or a chronic disorder that could benefit from treatment, such aspsoriasis.
Sunburn
Even if it’s overcast, you can still get a sunburn. Along with red or discolored skin, you may have:
You can helptreat mild sunburnswith home remedies such as applying aloe vera gel and taking frequent cool baths. If you have severe blisters on a large area of your skin, see your healthcare provider. You should also seek medical care if you feel dizzy or disoriented after a sunburn.
Iuliia Burmistrova / Getty Images
Irritant Contact Dermatitis
Common offenders include:
Symptoms may include:
To help ease symptoms, avoid the substance that caused irritation, and use moisturizers to protect the skin and allow it to heal.Seek medical care for any rash that won’t go away or that keeps coming back afterat-home treatment.
PansLaos / Getty Images
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
You can also have a skin response after you come in contact with something you are allergic to.
If you regularly handle chemicals or metals, you may develop an allergy over time. This condition is called allergic contact dermatitis.
Jewelry workers, for example, may become allergic to nickel.Chemicals in the dyes that hairstylists use can also cause allergic reactions. Skin discoloration or redness can be part of your body’s immune response.
See a dermatologist if you have skin redness and these symptoms:
DermNet New Zealand
Medications
Herbal supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and prescription drugs can all cause allergic reactions and otherunwanted side effects, including red skin.
Drugs that can trigger red rashes or hives include:
Specific skin-related side effects of some medications may include:
Allergic reactions to drugs can range from minor to severe and life-threatening. They typically occur within an hour after taking a drug. Some symptoms—such as a rash—may not appear until hours, days, or weeks later. Signs of a drug allergy to look out for include:
Seek medical attention immediatelyif you or your loved one have symptoms of anaphylaxis, including:
Drug reactions can be serious. They can sometimes cause death. Any time you have a rash after you’ve taken a medication, call your healthcare provider right away.
DermNet NZ
Eczema
Eczemais also known as atopic dermatitis. It causes dry, sensitive skin with itchy darkened, hyperpigmented, or red patches that fade and flare up from time to time.
Eczema can occur at any age. It’s common inbabies and children, but they can outgrow it in time.
Eczema looks different depending on a person’s skin tone. Eczema typically appears red on lighter skin tones, and grey, dark brown, or purple on darker skin tones.
If you think you may have eczema, see a healthcare professional or dermatologist. Allergy testing can show you what triggers to avoid. Your healthcare provider can recommendtreatment for eczema, which may include prescription medications to calm your immune system and reduce inflammation.
-aniaostudio- / Getty Images
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis—better known as dandruff or, in infants,cradle cap—is a common skin condition that affects the top of the head. It can also affect other parts of the body that have sebaceous (oil-producing) glands, such as the face, upper back, and chest.
Anyone can have dandruff, but it’s more common in infants and adults ages 40 to 60.It can clear up and flare up from time to time. Seborrheic dermatitis is not contagious. It has nothing to do with how clean you are.
This condition can cause:
Often, a dandruff shampoo with selenium sulfide can help resolve this condition. (If treating a child, speak to their pediatrician first.) See a dermatologist if it doesn’t help or if you have symptoms of infection, such as:
delectus / iStock / Getty Images
Rosacea
A red or discolored rash on your face may indicaterosacea. This inflammatory skin condition can flare up when you’re feeling stressed or after spending time in the sun.
Potential symptoms include:
See a dermatologist when you first notice symptoms. Early treatment can keep symptoms from becoming severe.
Lipowski / iStock / Getty Images
Psoriasis
Psoriasisis a chronic skin condition that causes your body to produce skin cells too rapidly. This rapid growth makes red patches flare up now and then.
Symptoms of psoriasis may include:
It’s important to see a dermatologist if you think you have psoriasis. Once you have the right diagnosis, you can find treatments that resolve or reduce your symptoms. Treatment may need to be adjusted over time.
P. MARAZZI / Getty Images
Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune conditionscause the body to attack itself. These conditions often cause symptoms that affect the whole body, such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and joint pain. Some common conditions also affect the skin, including:
If you have an autoimmune condition, you will probably need medications to treat the full range of your symptoms. In addition to seeing arheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in these issues, you may want to include a dermatologist on your treatment team to help you with your skin symptoms.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoDermNet NZ
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Folliculitis
Folliculitisis an infection in a hair follicle on your skin. When the hair follicle is infected, the skin around it can redden or darken. It may also swell slightly. Sometimes it looks like white-tipped pimples.
Folliculitishappens when bacteria or fungus get inside your hair follicle. Using a hot tub that isn’t clean can cause the problem. So can shaving, plucking hairs, or applying coal tar to your skin.
You should see a dermatologist if folliculitis keeps coming back. You may need antibiotics to clear the infection. And getting early treatment can prevent scarring.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoHengDao / Getty Images
HengDao / Getty Images
Cellulitisis a common, potentially life-threatening bacterial skin infection. It causes a discolored or red, swollen, and tender rash. It happens when a break in your skin allows bacteria to enter your body.
Cellulitis often affects the lower legs, but it can also occur in other places, such as your face or arms.Cellulitis can cause severe complications if left untreated. Seek medical care right away if you or your loved one have:
If you notice these symptoms, seek medical care right away. The infection can spread and even cause death if left untreated.
If you have scarlet fever, a bright red or discolored rash appears a day or two after the sore throat. It may start in one spot and spread across your body. People with scarlet fever might also have fever and headaches.
Many viruses cause red skin rashes:
Some of these viruses are very contagious. Some can be prevented with a vaccine. If you think you may have a viral infection, talk to a healthcare professional. It’s especially important if you also have a fever.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoSmith Collection / Getty Images
Smith Collection / Getty Images
Diagnosing Skin Redness
In many cases, your healthcare provider can pinpoint what’s causing the discoloration or redness. Be prepared to talk about when the redness started and how it’s changed over time.
Your healthcare provider will need to ask about:
They may be able to diagnose the problem after speaking with you. However, you may needallergy tests, blood tests, or a skin biopsy (a tissue sample is removed and examined under a microscope) to be sure.
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider if your skin condition is contagious. If it is, you’ll need to know how to avoid spreading it to others.
Treatment for Skin Redness
Depending on the cause, self-care may be the best way to deal with discolored or red skin.
Try these strategies to calm redness and protect your skin:
To ease mild discomfort and itching, try:
If the issue doesn’t get better, contact a healthcare provider to rule out other causes.You may have an infection or another health condition, in which case you may need antibiotics, antihistamines, medications that calm your immune system, prescription ointments or creams, light therapy, and more.
Summary
Skin redness or discoloration is a symptom of many conditions. It can mean that you’ve come in contact with something irritating, you have an infection or allergy, you’re having a drug reaction, oryou have an underlying illness.
To find out exactly what’s causing redness, see a healthcare professional. It’s important to find the cause, especially if you’re also having symptoms like blisters, fever, swelling, or itching.
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Skin Cancer Foundation.Sunburn and your skin.MedlinePlus.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Itchy rash could be contact dermatitis.Tramontana M, Bianchi L, Hansel K, Agostinelli D, Stingeni L.Nickel allergy: epidemiology, pathomechanism, clinical patterns, treatment and prevention programs.Endocr Metabol Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2020;20(7):992-1002. doi:10.2174/1871530320666200128141900American Academy of Dermatology.Rash 101 in adults: when to seek medical treatment.Albin S, Agarwal S.Prevalence and characteristics of reported penicillin allergy in an urban outpatient adult population.Allergy Asthma Proc. 2014;35(6):489. doi:10.2500%2Faap.2014.35.3791Chiricozzi A, Maurelli M, Calabrese L, Peris K, Girolomoni G. Overview of Atopic Dermatitis in Different Ethnic Groups.J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2701. Published 2023 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/jcm12072701Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Invest Dermatol. 2015;3(2). doi:10.13188%2F2373-1044.1000019National Eczema Association.Types of eczema: seborrheic dermatitis.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Rosacea.Unissa R, Kumar PM, Pasha M, Begum S, Maheswari B.Psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Asian J Res Pharm Sci. 2019;9(1):29-. doi:10.5958/2231-5659.2019.00005.5Kumar RR, Jha S, Dhooria A, Dhir V.Butterfly rash: hallmark of lupus.QJM-Int J Med. 2019;112(11):877-. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz091American Academy of Dermatology Association.Acne-like breakouts could be folliculitis.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for scarlet fever.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Scarlet fever: all you need to know.Kang JH.Febrile illness with skin rashes.Infect Chemother. 2015;47(3):155-66. doi:10.3947/ic.2015.47.3.155MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.Rash evaluation.
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Skin Cancer Foundation.Sunburn and your skin.MedlinePlus.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Itchy rash could be contact dermatitis.Tramontana M, Bianchi L, Hansel K, Agostinelli D, Stingeni L.Nickel allergy: epidemiology, pathomechanism, clinical patterns, treatment and prevention programs.Endocr Metabol Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2020;20(7):992-1002. doi:10.2174/1871530320666200128141900American Academy of Dermatology.Rash 101 in adults: when to seek medical treatment.Albin S, Agarwal S.Prevalence and characteristics of reported penicillin allergy in an urban outpatient adult population.Allergy Asthma Proc. 2014;35(6):489. doi:10.2500%2Faap.2014.35.3791Chiricozzi A, Maurelli M, Calabrese L, Peris K, Girolomoni G. Overview of Atopic Dermatitis in Different Ethnic Groups.J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2701. Published 2023 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/jcm12072701Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Invest Dermatol. 2015;3(2). doi:10.13188%2F2373-1044.1000019National Eczema Association.Types of eczema: seborrheic dermatitis.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Rosacea.Unissa R, Kumar PM, Pasha M, Begum S, Maheswari B.Psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Asian J Res Pharm Sci. 2019;9(1):29-. doi:10.5958/2231-5659.2019.00005.5Kumar RR, Jha S, Dhooria A, Dhir V.Butterfly rash: hallmark of lupus.QJM-Int J Med. 2019;112(11):877-. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz091American Academy of Dermatology Association.Acne-like breakouts could be folliculitis.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for scarlet fever.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Scarlet fever: all you need to know.Kang JH.Febrile illness with skin rashes.Infect Chemother. 2015;47(3):155-66. doi:10.3947/ic.2015.47.3.155MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.Rash evaluation.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Sunburn and your skin.MedlinePlus.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Itchy rash could be contact dermatitis.Tramontana M, Bianchi L, Hansel K, Agostinelli D, Stingeni L.Nickel allergy: epidemiology, pathomechanism, clinical patterns, treatment and prevention programs.Endocr Metabol Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2020;20(7):992-1002. doi:10.2174/1871530320666200128141900American Academy of Dermatology.Rash 101 in adults: when to seek medical treatment.Albin S, Agarwal S.Prevalence and characteristics of reported penicillin allergy in an urban outpatient adult population.Allergy Asthma Proc. 2014;35(6):489. doi:10.2500%2Faap.2014.35.3791Chiricozzi A, Maurelli M, Calabrese L, Peris K, Girolomoni G. Overview of Atopic Dermatitis in Different Ethnic Groups.J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2701. Published 2023 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/jcm12072701Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Invest Dermatol. 2015;3(2). doi:10.13188%2F2373-1044.1000019National Eczema Association.Types of eczema: seborrheic dermatitis.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Rosacea.Unissa R, Kumar PM, Pasha M, Begum S, Maheswari B.Psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Asian J Res Pharm Sci. 2019;9(1):29-. doi:10.5958/2231-5659.2019.00005.5Kumar RR, Jha S, Dhooria A, Dhir V.Butterfly rash: hallmark of lupus.QJM-Int J Med. 2019;112(11):877-. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz091American Academy of Dermatology Association.Acne-like breakouts could be folliculitis.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for scarlet fever.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Scarlet fever: all you need to know.Kang JH.Febrile illness with skin rashes.Infect Chemother. 2015;47(3):155-66. doi:10.3947/ic.2015.47.3.155MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.Rash evaluation.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Sunburn and your skin.
MedlinePlus.Contact dermatitis.
Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Itchy rash could be contact dermatitis.
Tramontana M, Bianchi L, Hansel K, Agostinelli D, Stingeni L.Nickel allergy: epidemiology, pathomechanism, clinical patterns, treatment and prevention programs.Endocr Metabol Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2020;20(7):992-1002. doi:10.2174/1871530320666200128141900
American Academy of Dermatology.Rash 101 in adults: when to seek medical treatment.
Albin S, Agarwal S.Prevalence and characteristics of reported penicillin allergy in an urban outpatient adult population.Allergy Asthma Proc. 2014;35(6):489. doi:10.2500%2Faap.2014.35.3791
Chiricozzi A, Maurelli M, Calabrese L, Peris K, Girolomoni G. Overview of Atopic Dermatitis in Different Ethnic Groups.J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2701. Published 2023 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/jcm12072701
Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Invest Dermatol. 2015;3(2). doi:10.13188%2F2373-1044.1000019
National Eczema Association.Types of eczema: seborrheic dermatitis.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Rosacea.
Unissa R, Kumar PM, Pasha M, Begum S, Maheswari B.Psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Asian J Res Pharm Sci. 2019;9(1):29-. doi:10.5958/2231-5659.2019.00005.5
Kumar RR, Jha S, Dhooria A, Dhir V.Butterfly rash: hallmark of lupus.QJM-Int J Med. 2019;112(11):877-. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz091
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Acne-like breakouts could be folliculitis.
Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for scarlet fever.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Scarlet fever: all you need to know.
Kang JH.Febrile illness with skin rashes.Infect Chemother. 2015;47(3):155-66. doi:10.3947/ic.2015.47.3.155
MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.Rash evaluation.
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