The medical term for an allergic skin burn is contact dermatitis. A mild irritation may occur or redness and open sores may develop on your skin, depending on the extent of your sensitivity to whatever caused the "burn." This condition happens when your skin encounters something that irritates it or causes an allergic reaction. There are ways both to treat the irritated area and to soothe a skin burn.

Types

The most common type of contact dermatitis is irritant dermatitis. This is due to contact or overexposure with irritants such as detergents, chemicals, solvents, acids and soaps. Typically, a burnt-looking area appears with this type. Allergic contact dermatitis is due to sensitivity to a product you have allergic reactions to or have just developed sensitivity to. This is the second most common type. The symptoms of this type of dermatitis may develop 24 to 48 hours after exposure, so it can be hard to identify what exactly triggered the irritation. The symptoms range from mild irritation to an open sore sore. Another type of dermatitis--over-treatment dermatitis--can occur as a result of treating other skin disorders. This can be caused by antibiotics, over-the-counter anesthetics or other skin medications.

Treatments

Sometimes your skin may need no treatment. Sometimes simply washing the area thoroughly with lots of water to remove the irritants is all that is necessary to calm the irritation. Anti-pruritics or lotions that dry up the area of inflammation are helpful, especially in cases of skin burn due to poison ivy or oak. These anti-itch and drying treatments are available over the counter. For severe cases, contact your doctor. He may prescribe an ointment or cream to clear up the irritation or recommend an over-the-counter corticosteroids.

Warning

Normally contact dermatitis will clear up within two or three weeks. Seek professional advice if the area does not respond to home treatments or gets worse. If it reoccurs, and you cannot figure out the cause on your own, you may need to see an allergist to pinpoint the cause.

Source:

Medline Plus: Contact Dermatitis

More Information:

Merck Manuals: Skin Disorders