Pharmacie Kennedy Mulhouse

Contact eczema: preparing for patch tests and follow-up readings

Patch tests investigate contact allergens. Prepare your product list and arrange the reading appointments with your allergist.

Editorial illustration of a health discussion; it does not depict the pharmacy’s actual premises.
Editorial illustration — Kennedy Pharmacy Mulhouse

General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.

For contact eczema, your doctor may suggest patch testing. It investigates delayed skin reactions to selected substances.

Describe toiletries, medicines and activities. The location of patches and how they vary help guide which substances are tested.

Substances are usually placed under dressings on the back for forty-eight hours. A healthcare professional carries out the test.

The first reading takes place at forty-eight hours. Further readings may be needed, sometimes up to seven days depending on the allergen.

Before application, clarify instructions about creams used on your back. Do not improvise preparation using instructions for a different test.

Arrange all reading appointments and ask how the result will be compared with your symptoms. If an allergen is identified as responsible, request a list of products to avoid.

Sources

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