• Chemicals in elastic, latex, and rubber products
• Cosmetics, soaps, and detergents
• Dyes and other chemicals in clothing
• Poison ivy, oak, or sumac

Seborrheic dermatitis is a rash that appears in patches of redness and scaling around the eyebrows, eyelids, mouth, nose, the trunk, and behind the ears. If it happens on your scalp, it is called dandruff in adults and cradle cap in infants.

Age, stress, fatigue, weather extremes, oily skin, infrequent shampooing, and alcohol-based lotions aggravate this harmless but bothersome condition.

Other common causes of a rash include:

• Eczema (atopic dermatitis)- tends to happen in people with allergies or asthma. The rash is generally red, itchy, and scaly.
• Psoriasis- tends to occur as red, scaly, itchy patches over joints and along the scalp. Fingernails may be affected.
• Impetigo- common in children, this infection is from bacteria that live in the top layers of the skin. Appears as red sores that turn into blisters, ooze, then crust over.
• Shingles- a painful blistered skin condition caused by the same virus as chickenpox. The virus can lie dormant in your body for many years and re-emerge as shingles.
• Childhood illnesses such as chicken pox, measles, roseola, rubella, hand-foot-mouth disease, fifth disease, and scarlet fever.
• Medications and insect bites or stings.

Many medical conditions can cause a rash as well. For example:

• Lupus erythematosus
• Rheumatoid arthritis, especially the juvenile type
• Kawasaki disease

Skin Rashes Symptoms and Signs

Most rashes tend to be itchy. Rashes can be further subdivided into itchy or non-itchy.

Types of itchy rashes

• hives (urticaria)
• bug bites
• scabies (mite infestation)
• eczema (skin allergy)

Non-itchy rashes (although these may at times also be itchy)

• rosacea
• psoriasis

Rashes come in many different colors, sizes, shapes, and patterns. Most rashes tend to be red because of skin inflammation. Rashes may be described as: