Red Skin: Overview and More

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Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping

Red skin, also known as erythema or flushing, is a common symptom with a slew of potential causes from sunburn to a reaction to a new fabric softener. Typically, skin redness doesn’t indicate underlying disease and is easy to diagnose and treat.

Still, it’s understandable if you’re feeling worried about what might be causing red blotches on your child’s skin, a rash on your face, or itchy bumps all over. Sometimes, red skin can be a sign of a severe allergic reaction or a chronic skin condition.

Here, learn what you need to know about red skin, including a breakdown of different conditions and symptoms, how to cope, and when it’s time to see a doctor.

Red Skin Symptoms

Although common, red skin can be a distressing symptom. To begin sorting out what might be going on, consider some of the most common reasons for skin redness.

Sunburn

Even if it’s overcast, you can still get a sunburn if you spend an extended period of time outdoors without protecting your skin.

Along with red skin, symptoms may include:

A surface-level burn on your skin
Pain, tenderness, and swelling
Dry, peeling skin
Deeper burns and blisters with increased sun exposure

Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a skin reaction that flares up after you’ve come into contact with an irritant or allergen.

Symptoms at the site of exposure may include:

A red rash
Red, itchy bumps
Skin blistering
Itching or burning sensations

Medication Side Effects or a Drug Allergy

Man itching arm with hives — Chokchai Silarug / Getty Images

Herbal supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and prescription drugs can all cause unwanted side effects or allergic reactions due to abnormal immune responses. Drug allergies can range from minor to severe and life-threatening.

Side effects of medication may include:

Acne
Red, scaly skin
Dark red or purple rash
Blisters or hives
Pimple-like rash
Purple areas on skin

Allergic reactions to drugs typically occur within an hour after taking a drug. However, certain symptoms—such as a rash—may not appear until hours, days, or weeks later.

Signs of a drug allergy to look out for include:

Red skin rash
Hives
Fever
Itching
Itchy, watery eyes
Swelling
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Runny nose
Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a rare but life-threatening allergic reaction to a drug that causes widespread bodily dysfunction. If you or your loved one have the below symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:

Difficulty breathing
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or confusion
Nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea
Rapid heartbeat
Loss of consciousness

Shingles

If you’ve had chickenpox before and you have a particularly painful red rash, you may have a viral infection known as shingles (herpes zoster). While you can have shingles at any age, your risk goes up as you get older.

Here are the symptoms to look out for:

A very painful red rash that may tingle, itch, or burn
A red rash with a stripe-like pattern (often on the torso but can appear anywhere on the body or face)
Fluid-filled blisters
Fatigue
Low fever and chills
Headache

Eczema

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, causes dry, sensitive skin with itchy red patches that can fade and flare up over time. Eczema can occur at any age, though it’s common in babies and children (some of whom outgrow it over time).

Symptoms of eczema may include:

Dry, scaly skin
Itching
Flushed skin
Reddish to brownish-gray skin patches or rashes which often appear on the hands, feet, neck, chest, inside elbows, behind knees, and, in infants, on the face and scalp
Small, fluid-filled bumps that release clear or yellowish liquid
Increased redness, swelling, and itching after scratching or rubbing irritated skin
Skin thickening
In severe cases, broken skin with oozing or weeping sores
Skin infections

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis, better known as dandruff in people of all ages or “cradle cap” in babies, is a very common skin condition. It primarily affects the top of your head as well as other parts of the body with sebaceous (oil-producing) glands such as the face, upper back, and chest.

While anyone can have seborrheic dermatitis, it’s more common in infants and adults ages 30 to 60 and tends to clear and flare up over time. This condition is not contagious or associated with poor hygiene.

Seborrheic dermatitis can cause any of the following symptoms:

Red, oily, or swollen skin
White or yellowish scales that form a thick crust
Flakes on the surface of the skin that easily fall off
Fluid-filled blisters
Other changes in skin color

Rosacea

Worried about a red rash on your face? If you find yourself blushing increasingly often, you may have rosacea.

Potential symptoms include:

Easily flushing or blushing, especially when you feel stressed or too warm, eat spicy foods, or drink alcohol
Occasional, chronic, or permanent redness on your forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin
Visible blood vessels on your face
Redness that spreads to your scalp, ears, neck, upper chest, or back
Oily skin with breakouts that resemble acne
Sensitive, easily irritated skin that may burn or sting when exposed to lotion, face wash, or the sun
Swelling or bumpy skin on the forehead, cheeks, or around the eyes
Thickening skin on nose, cheeks, or forehead
Swollen eyelids or irritated, watery, dry, or bloodshot eyes

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes your body to produce skin cells too rapidly, triggering intermittent red patches of skin.

Symptoms of psoriasis may include:

Dry, crusty, red blotches on skin, often on the scalp, elbows, or knees
Silvery scales
Fluid-filled lesions
Itchy skin
Dents or pitting on nail bed

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a common, potentially life-threatening bacterial skin infection that causes a red, swollen, and typically tender rash after a break in your skin allows bacteria to enter your body. Typically, cellulitis affects the lower legs, but it can also occur elsewhere, such as your face or arms.

Cellulitis can cause severe complications if left untreated, so seek medical attention immediately if you or your loved one has the following symptoms:

Red, swollen rash that spreads rapidly
Red skin tender and warm to the touch
Pitted or blistering skin
Fever and chills

Causes

The potential causes of red skin can vary vastly and multiple factors might be at play depending on your individual situation. Here are a few common reasons for skin redness to consider.

Contact With an Irritant

Think back: Did you recently purchase a new soap, lotion, or laundry detergent? Go on a recent hike and rub up against lots of greenery? Any number of irritants or allergens can cause a flare-up, from a rash on your face to hives down your legs.

Common offenders include:

Skin and hair products such as soaps, shampoos, shaving lotion, cosmetics, and perfumes
Bug bites
Plants such as poison ivy, oak, and sumac
Metals like nickel found in some jewelry
Sunlight and skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays
Sweat gland blockage due to heat
Latex gloves
Topical medications
Increased water exposure

Medication

While any medication can cause side effects or allergic reactions, some drugs are more likely to cause red skin. Generally, drug allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a drug as a harmful intruder and develops an antibody (or specialized proteins) to combat it.

Drugs that could commonly trigger red rashes or hives include:

Antibiotics like penicillin
Pain relievers including aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin IB)
Medications for epilepsy or autoimmune conditions
Chemotherapy drugs

Autoimmune Conditions

Red skin might also be a result of an autoimmune condition such as psoriasis. In this case, your body mistakes healthy tissue for a threat such as a virus and in turn shifts into attack mode.

Underlying Skin Conditions

Many skin conditions including eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and rosacea can cause cyclical bouts of red skin, along with other symptoms. While the exact cause of these conditions remains unknown, they likely occur due to a combination of your genetics and environment.

Triggers such as stress, weather changes, and harsh soaps or cosmetics can cause symptoms to emerge or recur.

Viruses

A viral invader could also be to blame for your red skin. In particular, shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella-zoster virus). If you’ve had chickenpox before, you can develop shingles when the virus reactivates after spending years dormant (inactive) in your body.

Diagnosis

In many cases, your healthcare provider can determine what’s causing your red skin after discussing your symptoms with you and performing a physical exam.

Be prepared to talk about how your symptoms may have emerged or changed over time, your medical history (including medications you’re currently taking), your family history, and any recent exposure to potential irritants or allergens.

Depending on your individual case, your healthcare provider may be able to give you a diagnosis based on the information you provide and your symptoms. However, you may need additional tests such as allergy tests, blood tests, or a skin biopsy in order to confirm a diagnosis .

Be sure to ask your doctor whether or not your skin condition is contagious and how to avoid spreading it to others.

Treatment

Depending on what’s at the root of your skin redness, you may be able to alleviate your symptoms with self-care, over-the-counter remedies, or prescription medications.