Red patches of dry, non-itchy skin.

About two and a half months ago, I noticed two small, red patches of skin on my upper right thigh, near my pantyline. I noticed them in the shower and wrote them off as ordinary scuff marks. They have not disappeared by now, and more little spots of the same kind of thing are spreading over my upper thighs, a few on my stomach and lower back, and one on the back of my left knee. The skin is red and slightly raised and feels like dry skin but doesn't itch. They also seem to be aggravated by hot temperatures, since the redness flares up when I take a shower. What could this be?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Without examination,confirming a diagnosis is tough but this dry skin can be due to sweat dermatitis,allergic contact dermatitis(a delayed hypersensitivity reaction (the reaction to the allergen occurs 48–72 hours after exposure) or eczema(a form of chronic dermatitis).

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.Apply plenty of hypoallergenic moisturizer on the dry skin at regular intervals.

If still the symptoms persist then pls consult a dermatologist as topical steroids may be needed.

I hope that helps. Please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.