A skin rash is when your skin becomes red, with or without blisters, and can be on one part or all over your body. It may also be accompanied by dry skin, pain, or itching (also called pruritus).
Itching often makes people want to scratch, which can damage the skin and make the rash worse.
Skin rashes and itching can be caused by many things, including allergies, cancer, or cancer treatments.
To find out what is causing your symptoms, you may need to see a skin doctor (dermatologist). He or she will look at your skin and ask you questions like:
- How do you care for your skin and what products do you use?
- Which areas are affected?
- How long have you had these skin problems?
- Do the symptoms get worse or better during the day?
- Are you dealing with any ongoing health issues?
- Have you got any skin diseases?
- What medication have you taken in the last 12 days?
Sometimes, a blood test or a skin test may be needed.
There are three ways to deal with itching: treat the underlying cause, avoid things that make it worse, use the right medication.