What should you know about warm rash?

Heat rash tends to appear where sweat and clothing trap moisture. Contact dermatitis follows exposure to an irritant or allergen. Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis can create inflamed, itchy areas, while intertrigo affects skin folds. Ringworm may form a scaly expanding edge, and scabies often causes intense itching with a characteristic distribution. A drug rash can begin after a new medicine, so timing is useful information.

Keep the area cool and dry, wear loose clothing, and wash with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser. Avoid scratching and stop any newly introduced product that seems to worsen the rash. Do not apply leftover steroid or antibiotic creams without advice, because they can obscure the appearance or aggravate some infections. Photograph changes and record new medicines, products, heat exposure, and symptoms.

Get urgent help if a rash comes with trouble breathing, swelling of the lips or tongue, faintness, blistering, skin peeling, or painful involvement of the eyes or mouth. Seek prompt assessment for fever, rapidly spreading warmth, marked tenderness, pus, or a rash that follows a new medicine.

Ask whether the rash looks more like heat rash, dermatitis, infection, psoriasis, or a drug reaction, and whether any medicine or cream should be stopped.