If your skin reacts to something and your dermatologist suspects you’re having an allergic reaction, your dermatologist will try to find what’s causing the reaction. To a dermatologist’s trained eye, this may be obvious in some cases like a rash from poison ivy or an e-cigarette.

Other causes can take time to find. It is also possible that you have developed an allergic reaction to one or more than one substance.

In Silk Dermatology we provide skin allergy (patch) testing for more than 85 most common allergens. If you are interested about patch testing, here’s what to expect:

1. Your dermatologist will place small amounts of allergens (common substances which triggers allergic reaction) as stickers (not needle perks) on your skin and cover each allergen with a patch. The purpose is to see if any of the allergens cause your skin to react.

2. You will leave the patches on your skin for 48 hours. If your skin reacts during this time, it may feel itchy or sore. It is essential to keep the patches on your skin so that you can get accurate results unless the reaction is intolerable. If you remove the patches, loosen them, or get them wet, you’re likely to get inaccurate results.

3. After 48 hours, you will return to your dermatologist’s office. Your dermatologist will remove the patches and note the reactions accurately. If your skin reacted to any of the allergens, your dermatologist can tell you what caused the reaction.

4. After 4 to 7 days, you will see your dermatologist again for a second read. It’s essential to keep this appointment because it can take time for your skin to develop an allergic reaction.

5. A unique account will be created for you with not just the name of the allergens but an accurate list of safe personal care products to use including but not limited to: detergents, soaps, washes, moisturizers, sunscreens and make ups.

If patch testing reveals that you have one or more allergies, your dermatologist will create a treatment plan. You may need to apply medication to help the rash heal after the test.