How to treat & soothe allergic reaction on face & itchy red rash naturally? (Causes, Symptoms & Testing)

How to treat & soothe allergic reaction on face & itchy red rash naturally? (Causes, Symptoms & Testing)

 

What are the causes of Face Allergies?

 

Allergies are caused due to your body’s immune system overreacting when defending itself from allergens, i.e. a foreign substance affecting the body.

Typically, severe allergic reaction and mild allergic reaction can occur when you touch or breathe in the allergen.

It can also occur after ingestion of a particular beverage or food or even from medical injections at times.

Some examples of allergies are hay fever, asthma, hives and eczema.

You can also get allergic reactions to certain food types, pollen, or your body’s reaction to the sting of certain insects like bees and wasps.

Even though allergic reactions can occur anywhere on a patient’s body, it is when such reactions take place on the face that the patient gets most concerned.

 

Causes of face rash & Types of face rashes

 

In fact, the human face is the most common area for allergic reactions.

Typically, rashes on the face due to allergies are caused by certain fragrances, cosmetics, metals or even cellular phones.

Facial allergies (facial allergic contact dermatitis) can occur in many forms. They may be flat, red, dry and bumpy or flaky, scaly and itchy.

These tend to be extremely distressing for the patient. It is all the more challenging for a doctor to figure out what caused this allergy.

This could be an allergic reaction to one of countless chemicals, ingredients or products that people get exposed to on a daily basis.

These can be caused by anything ranging from cosmetics, shampoos and fragrances to metals like gold, nickel or cobalt.

 

The allergic reaction will continue as long as the source is unknown and is touching or is being applied to the patient’s skin.

 

What are the symptoms and effects of face allergies?

 

The patient will get itchy red rash on the face, typically around the mouth. He may also get a runny nose, dry eyes and his ears will be ringing constantly.

Hay fever can lead to facial symptoms, such as watery, red, swollen and itchy eyes.

Sometimes a severe attack results in allergic conjunctivitis, which is an infection of the eyes, specifically the conjunctiva membrane.

In the event of an individual being allergic to cats, dogs or other furry animals, the patient is likely to become congested and keep sneezing.

This allergic attack at times results in hives or bumps on skin which can appear on a patient’s face and their neck.

Insect stings and bites also lead to welts and hives. A patient may get hives or a red rash on their face in case they have inadvertently touched anything which might be an allergen.

This condition is called contact dermatitis. Allergens can range from laundry detergent to a food which was eaten to poison ivy.

Since people touch their face innumerable times during a day, contact dermatitis usually occurs near a patient’s mouth or eyes.

Allergies to certain food also affect an allergic individual’s face. Some people may develop a swelling near their lips or a rash on another part of their face.

 

What is Anaphylaxis?

 

An extremely serious reaction to a food allergies is anaphylaxis, which is a reaction wherein a patient’s windpipe and tongue swells up leading to serious trouble breathing.

Anaphylaxis is one of the most dangerous allergic reactions that a person can get. This leads to anaphylactic shock, when the patient’s body starts to shut down leading to imminent death.

Some symptoms of anaphylaxis are:

• Tightness in chest and throat
• Swelling in lips, throat and areas of the face
• A red rash in areas of the face and other parts of the body
• Severe wheezing and trouble in breathing
• face either becoming extremely pale or alternately bright red.

 

In case of the above symptoms, speed of access to medical professionals is essential to ensure that the patient does not die.

 

Common forms of face allergies

 

Eyelid dermatitis

 

Scaly skin, itching or redness can appear on lower or upper eyelids or both. Generally, such an allergy can happen as a result of contact with make-up, conditioner or shampoo which does not suit the patient.

This can also happen as a result of the skin reacting with Nickel from contact with tweezers or eyelash curlers.

Other reasons are:

# The direct application of eye make-up or eye creams.

# The indirect application can occur due to an allergen transmitted via fingers, such as nickel which may attach to a person’s hand from the keys or door handles.

These in turn ends up around the area of the eyes in case the person rubs their eyes.

 

Lip rash

 

Itchiness or scaly skin can occur around the lip area or on the lips. The most common causes are Nickel or fragrances and this can occur either from direct or indirect application of a product.

 

# The direct application can happen from toothpaste, lip gloss, lipstick, sunscreen, mouthwash or metallic products like dental instruments or in some cases jewelry as well.

 

# The indirect application can occur from allergens transmitted as a result of the hands coming in contact with the lip area.

 

Runoff patterns allergies

 

These are allergic reactions caused by products used on a person’s scalp, like hair dye, shampoo allergy, conditioner, perm solution and the like. 

After being rinsed off from a person’s scalp, these run down the face, and end up causing an allergic reaction on the face and at times other parts of the body.

Typically, rashes can occur on ears, upper forehead, sides of the neck and the face and at times on the chest as well.

 

Face allergy caused by cellular phones

 

In some cases a rash appears on the cheek or in front of the ear on a particular side of the face. Such a rash may be caused due to an allergic reaction from Chromium or Nickel found in certain cell phones.

Studies have noted that a lot of cases of cellular phone nickel-induced face allergy have occurred due to usage of flip phones and not other types of smart phones.

Yet there have been reports of allergic reactions occurring as a result of a smart phone cover or a case which contained silicone.

In the cases where a cell phone is suspected to be the source of an allergie nickel, the doctor needs to test the patient’s phone to check if Nickel is present.

It is imperative for patients to know what it is about a particular phone which is causing rashes.

Once they get to know, they can replace either the entire phone or a part of it.

 

How can you get to know what kind of allergies you may be vulnerable to?

 

You’ll need to go to a doctor who will prescribe certain tests for you to go through. These tests are broadly of two kinds:

 

1) Skin Allergy Tests

 

Doctors may recommend skin tests to identify what kind of allergens would affect you.

Such a test is simple and involves either scratching the skin or giving an injection just below your skin.

Doctors can use this procedure to observe the reaction of your body to various types of allergens.

Even though this skin test is not comprehensive enough to classify all allergies, it does cover most major categories, like food allergies, respiratory system allergy, insect stings and penicillin allergies.

 

2) Blood Tests for allergies

 

Doctors may recommend allergy blood tests in certain circumstances, some of which are:

=> In the case of babies or very young children, since a single needle prick for allergy blood testing is better than carrying out several allergy skin tests.

=> You may be taking a particular medicine, which may interfere with skin testing. However, stopping or changing this medicine may not be an option for you.

=> You may be suffering from a skin disease like psoriasis or eczema.

 

Which method of allergy testing is the best?

 

Allergy blood test vs skin test

 

Skin testing gives quicker results and generally cost lesser than blood tests for allergies.

However, babies and young children do not like skin testing and administering this test to them can be a challenge.

Some medications may interfere with skin test results.

Allergy blood tests are comparatively simpler to administer as they involve only one prick of the needle.

Medicines do not interfere with skin test results. On the negative side, it takes longer to get results of blood tests which are also more expensive than skin tests.

 

Each method of testing has positives and negatives

 

The main thing to keep in mind is that test results (from either blood tests or skin tests) need to be interpreted side by side with the medical history of the patient.

Children of individuals who have an allergic disposition generally have a greater chance of developing allergies themselves. 

Doctors learn about a particular patient’s allergies after going through personal and family medical records.

Based on this along with the test results, the doctors make the final diagnosis.

 

How to soothe allergic reaction on face?

 

Traditional Allergy treatment involves usage of hydrocortisone 1% ointment or cream, which is available over the counter.

In some serious cases, patients may need a doctor who will prescribe a topical steroid cream.

But a lot of people prefer to go the natural remedy route and we have shortlisted some natural remedies for you to consider:

 

a) Olive Oil for Face

 

Application of extra-virgin olive oil facilitates skin healing, acts as a fabulous moisturizer and brings about skin renewal since it is rich in antioxidants as well as vitamin E.

Extra-virgin olive oil is very good as a skin moisturizer, as it facilitates healing and promotes skin renewal, being rich in vitamin E and antioxidants.

It also soothes your skin and reduces itching.

How to use it?

Olive Oil Recipe

 

All you have to do is rub the olive oil or a combination of equal parts of honey and olive oil on the face rashes a few times on a daily basis and the rash will go away soon.

 

b) Usage of Baking Soda

 

Usage of baking soda dries out any face rashes. It also relieves the inflammation and itching that face rashes end up causing.

 

Baking Soda Recipe

 

Add the baking soda to water and apply on the rashes. Wash the mixture off after some time and follow this process for three or four days until the rashes go away.

Caveat – Don’t leave the baking soda applied on your face for long since it may result in more irritation.

 

c) Usage of Oatmeal

 

Oatmeal’s anti-inflammatory and soothing properties are great for reducing skin inflammation and irritation on your face.

 

Oatmeal Face Mask Recipe

 

Grind the oatmeal in a coffee grinder or a blender. Then mix a cup of this oatmeal with warm water and soak a cloth in it.

After that, apply the cloth on the rash on your face for around 20 minutes. Do this on a daily basis until you see the rash is not there.

 

d) Usage of Aloe Vera

 

Aloe Vera is a fabulous treatment to remove face rashes. This is because of its anti-fungal, antibacterial, emollient and anti-inflammatory properties.

It heals the skin of your face, brings a soothing effect, brings down redness and gives relief from itching.

 

Aloe Vera Recipe

 

Take an aloe Vera leaf and extract its gel to apply on the face rashes. Rinse it off after 20 minutes.

Repeat this process thrice daily until the rash goes away. Aloe Vera extract can be used in case you don’t have ready access to the fresh aloe Vera gel.

 

e) Use of Cold Compress on the affected area

 

Application of cold compress is helpful in bringing down face rashes caused by insect bites, shingles, poison ivy or heat.

This helps reduce inflammation, swelling and itching. This is especially useful in the event of an existing rash beginning to turn into blisters.

 

f) Usage of Chamomile

 

Another useful natural remedy is Chamomile which has anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant properties. Using it reduces inflammation, relieves itching, soothes the affected skin on your face and helps in healing.

Also, its antiviral, anti-fungal and antibacterial effects are useful in helping patients heal quicker.

 

Chamomile Recipe

 

Take the pot of chamomile tea and soak a clean piece of cloth in it. Subsequently take the cloth and use it as a compress on the rashes on your face.

Leave this on for around 15 minutes and do this up to three times daily until the rash goes away.

 

g) Usage of Neem

 

Neem (known as margosa or Indian lilac) is extremely useful in treating various skin ailments such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and rashes etc.

 

Neem Recipe

 

Take a handful of leaves of the Neem plant and let them simmer in water for around 20 minutes. Allow the solution to cool after straining it.

Then, dip some cotton in the solution and place the soaked cotton on the rashes on your face for around 15 minutes.

Repeat two times a day for some days until the rashes go away.

 

h) Use of Calendula

 

Calendula is a great herb used to soothe rashes, skin irritations, eczema, ulcers and dry skin.

The herb has a special healing effect because of its astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

 

Calendula Recipe

 

Apply the Calendula oil on the rashes on your face and leave on for a few hours at a time. Ensure you do this twice a day until the rashes go away.

Another option is to buy some Calendula lotion, ointment or cream, which you can apply a few times a day.

 

i) Usage of Coriander

 

Coriander is an excellent natural remedy for itchy skin and face rashes. This is because of its soothing, anti-irritant, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

 

Coriander Recipe

 

Apply ground coriander leaves directly on the face rashes, leave on for 30 minutes and then rinse it off.

Be sure to do this a couple of times a day for some days and see the miraculous result.

 

Conclusion

 

Apart from using any of these natural remedies, be sure to follow some additional measures.

These are exposing the rash affected area to air, avoiding exposure to direct rays of the sun, and ensure proper cleaning of the rash with warm water.

Also, do not scratch the problem area or you can end up making it much worse. Consult a doctor in case the face rashes do not disappear within a few days.

Allergies can be either irritating or even life threatening if not treated properly.

Be sure to take appropriate steps to ensure that you get to know what is causing your allergy and then subsequently get treated. 

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