Contact dermatitis test & diagnosis

How to test and diagnose contact dermatitis

Dermatologists or allergy specialists use patch testing to determine which irritants or allergens cause contact dermatitis on an individual. A patch test involves applying up to 30 different types of allergens for several days onto the patient’s skin, usually the back or arms. The doctor uses the results from this controlled testing environment to determine what causes a reaction to the patient’s skin.