A rash is a general term for a change in the color, or texture of area of your skin. Rashes can have a number of causes, including allergies, irritants, or illness. To help determine the cause of the rash, your health care provider will look at the rash and take into account other symptoms you might be experiencing such as itching or fever. It is important to know where on your body the rash started, where it spread, and when it first appeared.

Scaly and Itchy

At any time in your life you might develop a skin condition known as eczema which causes scaly, itchy red rashes. Eczema can occur in anybody at any age and for many different reasons, however eczema is made up of several types of skin conditions including atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis.

Dry skin Rash

The most common skin rash among adults is the dry skin rash. Having dry skin could cause one to develop skin rashes because of the dryness. Dry skin is easily irritated, especially during cold and dry seasons. However these are just triggering factors. Skin becomes extremely itchy and inflamed, causing redness, swelling, cracking, weeping, crusting and scaling. This type of rash comes and goes, even with out medication. However when skin is subjected to too much scratching, skin may become infected.

Ringworm

Ringworm is a circular rash with a raised border. It is usually just one and it is causes by a fungal infection, not by a worm. It can occur anywhere on the body and anyone can get one. Ringworm is contagious. Dogs and cats can be carriers. There are over-the-counter medications for ringworm, but see your doctor if it gets worse or spreads or occurs on the scalp which can cause hair loss.

Adult Chicken Pox

Chicken pox or adult chicken pox is an illness that affects the skin and is caused by the varicella zoster virus. This type of virus belongs to the herpes family of viruses. Most people acquire chickenpox when they are children, but this skin problem can also occur during adulthood. chicken pox is more likely in tropical countries. Over 90 per cent of people worldwide will become infected with the chicken pox virus during their lifetime, unless they are vaccinated against it.

Rash in Newborns

Although we tend to think of babies having "perfect" skin, in fact, rashes are very common in newborns (babies less than one month old). They can be bumps, blisters, or scaly patches; they can appear on the scalp, face, body and diaper area. Most rashes are not cause for concern, but some rashes need a doctor's attention.

Eczema, or dermatitis (its medical term), is a group of skin conditions which can affect all age groups. Up to one fifth of all children of school age have dermatitis, along with about one in twelve of the adult population.