315: What Is Contact Dermatitis? (Triggers, Testing + Treatment You Need To Know) w/ Dr. JiaDe (Jeff) Yu

The Healthy Skin Show

If you've ever wondered, "what is contact dermatitis?" -- you're in for a treat because this episode is going to blow your mind!

My guest Dr. JiaDe (Jeff) Yu lectured on contact allergic dermatitis at the Eczema Expo 2023 hosted by the National Eczema Association, and I found his presentation so valuable that I invited him here to share the ins + outs on the topic.

We covered a ton of information, but what I can say is that contact dermatitis is complex!

Allergic contact dermatitis isn't like a traditional allergy in specific ways (especially when it comes to using antihistamines to get things under control).

There's unfortunately a significant issue with both false positive AND false negative results from testing. AND how to treat contact dermatitis will vary depending on several factors (like whether it's a topical problem versus a systemic one).

If you aren't familiar with Dr. JiaDe (Jeff) Yu, he's an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and a dual board-certified adult and pediatric dermatologist practicing at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. He is the Director of Occupational and Contact Dermatitis Clinic and the Associate Director of Clinical Trials. He has a niche interest in pediatric allergic contact dermatitis and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis in leading dermatology journals. He has received numerous research grants from the Dermatology Foundation, American Contact Dermatitis Society, and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance to better understand the biomedical underpinnings of allergic contact dermatitis. Dr. Yu is the President-Elect of the American Contact Dermatitis Society and has been invited to lecture nationally and internationally on his areas of expertise.

Have you had any personal experience with contact dermatitis? I'd love to hear your story, comments + questions on this topic in the comments below!

In this episode:

• What is contact dermatitis (and is it genetic)?
• Contact dermatitis compared to food or environmental allergies
• Which antihistamines don't work for contact dermatitis
• Top contact dermatitis allergies
• The antibiotic that's a common allergy
• If you're reactive to medical gloves...
• Crazy "hidden" sources of contact dermatitis allergens
• Testing for contact dermatitis (beware of your results)

Quotes

"When you do get a cut or a scrape, the skin barrier is physically damaged, therefore allowing the introduction of new allergens into the skin. So when you put on a triple antibiotic, which includes three different antibiotic components, neomycin, bacitracin, as well as polysporin, you give your body the opportunity to learn about these allergens and then become allergic to them. " [10:03]

"Disperse dyes are the most common thing that causes contact dermatitis in clothing- specifically disperse blue dyes. " [20:50]

"Vitamin B12 is very high in cobalt because vitamin B12 is also known as cobalamin and in the middle of it, there's a cobalt molecule. So, people who have high doses of vitamin B12 can actually get a rash due to the ingestion of cobalt if they have cobalt dermatitis." [24:39]

Links

Follow Dr. Yu on Instagram | Twitter

Dr. Yu's clinic: The Contact Dermatitis & Occupational Dermatology Clinic