Skin Rash
By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed Next review due Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.
Key facts
A skin rash is any change in the skin's appearance, colour, or texture. Rashes can be itchy, painful, or painless and vary widely in cause — from allergic reactions to infections to chronic skin conditions.
Most often affects:ChildrenPeople with eczema/atopyThose with allergiesHealthcare workers
What commonly causes skin rash
- Allergic reaction (contact dermatitis) — new soap, detergent, or jewellery
- Eczema (atopic dermatitis) — chronic, often hereditary
- Fungal infection (ringworm, athlete's foot)
- Viral infections (chickenpox, measles, hand-foot-and-mouth)
- Heat rash (miliaria) — blocked sweat ducts
- Psoriasis — thick, scaly patches
- Bacterial skin infection (cellulitis or impetigo) — hot, spreading, painful skin
- Shingles — a painful blistering rash on one side of the body
- A reaction to a new medicine
- Scabies — intense itching, worse at night
What helps at home
- Keep the affected area clean and gently pat dry
- Calamine lotion can soothe an itchy rash. Ask a pharmacist before using 1% hydrocortisone cream — do not put it on broken or infected skin, do not use it on the face or genitals without asking first, do not use it for more than 7 days, and do not use it on a child under 10 unless advised to.
- Avoid scratching — keep nails short and consider cotton gloves at night
- Use fragrance-free, hypoallergenic moisturisers (emollients)
- Wear loose, breathable cotton clothing
- Take an antihistamine (cetirizine) for allergic rashes
When to get help
These three levels are different. Getting the level right is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Non-urgent advice: see a GP if
- The rash has not improved after 2 weeks of self-care
- The rash keeps coming back
- It is itchy enough to disturb your sleep
- Blisters, open sores or weeping skin have developed
- You want help identifying what is triggering it
Urgent advice: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if
- The skin around the rash is hot, swollen and spreading, or there are red streaks
- You have a high temperature and feel unwell with the rash
- The rash is spreading quickly across your body
- A painful blistering rash has appeared on one side of your face or body
- The rash appeared soon after you started a new medicine
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Rash with difficulty breathing or throat swelling (anaphylaxis)
- Any rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it — with or without a fever
- Rash covering entire body with blistering and peeling (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
What to do next
Not sure whether skin rash needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.
Questions people ask about skin rash
Reducing the chance of it coming back
- Moisturise daily to maintain the skin barrier
- Patch-test new skincare products before full use
- Wear gloves when using cleaning products
- Shower after swimming or sweating heavily
Conditions this can be part of
Listed alphabetically, not by likelihood — this page does not tell you which one you have.
- Eczema
- Fungal infection
- Hives
- Psoriasis
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
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