Q. I am a 24 year old female and have had clear skin all my life but suddenly after this wedding season I have broken out into a rash on my face. My skin feels itchy and bumpy all over . There are also some red spots and over all my face feels swollen. I feel all this has something to do with all the make-up I have been applying lately especially since I dont normally wear any and the products used were not know to me since I got it done at a parlor. Please help me get rid of this problem.

Ans. This is a simple case of what is know as Contact Urticaria .In other words your skin is sensitive to some chemical which was present in the make-up hence you have to be extremely careful of the quality of products you use. Contact Urticaria is an episodic, usually self -limiting skin reaction characterised by local skin reaction.

The typical features of this type of urticaria are distinct raised wheals surrounded by redness. This usually occurs within a few minutes to half an hour of contact with certain agents. This affects people with a family history of skin disease more often since they are more susceptible to this phenomenon. The sensitivity can be anything like cosmetics, plants, weeds, metals, plastic etc..

This defect of the skin is nothing but a tendency to over-react to foreign substances such as in your case a cosmetic. Homoeopathic medicines have the power to revert the skin back to its original form and remove the damage done by the offending agent.

COSMETICS

Cosmetics applied to the skin, although more rarely a cause of urticaria in the technically advanced countrie , are still a source of much disease in developing countries. Perfumes and preparations containing tar, formaldehyde are increasingly incriminated. In technically advanced countries deodorants are a common cause of urticaria.

In the hair industry acid perms is the most common allergen. Hair dyes are being purified and now they are said to be relatively safe however again in a developing country like ours the dye may not be that pure and can cause acute urticaria , often first affecting the eyelids and other aspects of the face before showing much evidence of urticaria of the scalp.

SHOE URTICARIA

This is commonly due to chrome or to rubber additives present in some shoes. Adhesives and dyes may also be responsible. It should be considered in every person with eczema of the feet. It often spares the area between the toes as this is the part at which the shoe is not in contact with the skin.

Modern footwear has plasticized toecaps and fails to absorb sweat. Increased sweating encourages shearing strain on the skin, particularly in an athletic child.

PLASTICS

A new and increasingly frequent cause of skin eruptions is from acrylic and epoxy polymers or resins. Acrylic is found in adhesive tape, spectacle frames, dentures , hearing aids, artificial finger nails , printing plates etc..

PLANTS AND WOODS

Sensitivity to plants and woods accounts for an enormous worldwide morbidity and occasional mortality. Some plants release their allergen only when bruised, others when lightly touched and others by airborne pollen. Some produce a contact non-allergic urticaria that is immediate stinging as with nettle or cowhage; others cause an allergic urticaria or even photosensitivity .

Avoidance of the plant may be impossible in those perons whose job depends on contact with it and is a bigger problem where the environment contains it as a common weed. This accounts for mortality in the region of Pune where there is such a weed (Parthereum Hysterophorus).

METALS

Nickel is used in various metal alloys, electroplating, enamels, and glass. It is easily absorbed through the skin and its presence in earrings, buttons, and clips probably accounts for the high incidence of metal urticaria in women.

OCCUPATIONS AT RISK

Hairdressers - The hands of a hairdresser suffer from the very abnormal wear and tear of frequent shampooing and are in contact with many other types of chemicals.

Bakers - Dough , sugar, and peels are irritants and in susceptible people there is considerable skin damage from these.

Builders - Cement is highly irritant and the skin quickly hardens.

Homoeopathic medicines have the capacity to improve the bodies vitality and vital force (thereby increasing the immunity level). These drugs act to make the sufferer less susceptible to allergens and helps to control the reactivity or response to the offending agent. Once the immunity of the body is increased with the help of these medicines the severity and frequency of attacks of urticaria decrease.

As each individual is unique we treat everyone on the basis of their peculiarities with their constitutional remedy. But certain drugs have been found to be very effective in treating contact urticaria.

APIS

This remedy is effective when the is marked swelling and redness especially around the eyes . There is a lot of burning and stinging pain . The also gets affected and is red , swollen and the patient complaints of sharp pains like that of an insect bite.

These individuals are worse by heat in any form . They cannot tolerate being in heated places and are averse to being touched. They are always relieved by cold in any form like cold water splashes and being in open air.

Apis 30 5 pills 4 times a day should take care of the symptoms.

URTICA URENS

As the name suggests this remedy works wonders for patients suffering from this disorder. The main symptoms are red, itching blotches . These blotches burn and itch violently.

This remedy also helps when there is a case of a rash which has been suppressed by strong medication and local applications. This is especially good in cases of nettle rash. Here the patient comes with a different complaint , most likely some joint pain , and on digging deep into the past history you find out about the rash.

Here Urtica Urens 30 5 pills 4 times a day will sort out the damage done.

ARSENIC ALBUM

This remedy gives excellent results in cases of contact urticaria. Here the person suffers with burning, itching, swelling and eruptions but there is also marked restlessness which is most marked. Arsenic eruptions are mostly dry, rough and scaling.

These patients are worse from cold and they always feel that their hands and feet are icy cold to touch. They feel more comfortable in warm weather and heat .

Arsenic Alb 30 5 pills 4 times a day will help heal the eruptions from within.

BOVISTA

This drug has been proved to act as an antidote that is to counteract the harm done by coal tar applications. These coal tar preparations are found in many cosmetics especially eye-liners , kajal etc.. Hence this is a remedy used more often for women.

Another peculiarity is that this urticaria is also associated with joint pains, palpitations and diarrhoea. Here the patient cant stand warmth as it causes more icthing.

The rashes are worse in the morning and after having a bath.

Bovista 30 5 pills 4 times a day will antidote the damage done by coal tar applications.