I am suffering w/an unknown rash

I have had a rash for a little over two years now, since August 2007 and it never went away.The rash is on my inner arm (the opposite side of my elbow). My rash has been itching for over two years now and there is never a day that goes by when my rash doesn't itch. The rash has a lot of little bumps surrounding it and when my rash gets dry the little bumps turn white. By the way, the rash appeared a couple of days after I was exposed to the sun. What could this rash be? Could it be serious? Please help me.


This discussion is related to Rash and redness for almost two years know..

[tunnellight]

It sounds like it could be excema. There are types of excema that are photosensitive so if it first appeared after being in the sun, that could be a possibility. Has it spread at all or has it been roughly the same size for the past two years?

[Jessica1111]

Thank you so much for your help. Well my rash got bigger within the two years and it got much rougher than it was before. It also got more red. No matter how much I moisturize, it still  feels extremely dry. At first it had little white bumps and now the bumps are red and very very scaly. Also, I never use sunscreen, but my makeup includes sunscreen and my face never got a rash. This rash has not spread at all, but just this year during SUMMER, a scaly dry spot formed on my chest and neck, well I can't see the scaly dry spot but I can feel it, it feels dry and scaly. As of the horrible rash on my inner arm, it looks horrible, it is red and it is very itchy. I am extrememly worried and I don't have any time to see a doctor.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The symptoms are suggestive of eczema. Eczema is a form of chronic dermatitis (rash).Allergic reaction is one of the important causes of eczema.

Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps. For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide). Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If still the symptoms do not improve then please get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.