Dermatitis: Investigating What Irritates The Skin
Dermatitis simply means inflamed skin — but there are several different types, each with its own story. We take the time to differentiate them and investigate what may be driving the irritation.
What Is Dermatitis?
Dermatitis is a broad term meaning inflammation of the skin. Because it covers several distinct types, one of the most useful things we can do is help you understand which pattern best fits your experience — and what that might mean for the investigation.
Atopic dermatitis overlaps closely with eczema and often has an inherited, allergic tendency. Contact dermatitis appears where the skin has met an irritant or allergen. Seborrhoeic dermatitis tends to affect oily areas such as the scalp and face. Occupational and hand dermatitis are frequently linked to repeated exposures at work or home.
Whichever type is involved, our philosophy remains the same: we investigate the history, the environment, the diet and the internal picture rather than treating the surface in isolation.
You Are Not Alone
Dermatitis can be uncomfortable and persistent. Patients commonly describe:
Redness and irritation
Inflamed, sometimes swollen skin that feels sensitive to touch.
Itching and burning
A combination of itch and stinging, particularly on the hands.
Dry, flaking skin
Scaling and flaking, especially in seborrhoeic patterns on the scalp and face.
Cracked hands
Painful cracking that makes work and everyday tasks difficult.
Recurring exposure
Flares that return whenever a particular product, material or environment is encountered.
Workplace impact
For many, dermatitis directly affects their ability to do their job comfortably.
Respecting Established Care
Conventional care is valuable and should continue. Common management includes:
- Topical corticosteroids to settle inflammation.
- Emollients and barrier creams to protect and repair the skin.
- Medicated shampoos for seborrhoeic dermatitis.
- Patch testing to identify contact allergens.
- Avoidance advice and medical review.
We describe these approaches without criticism or comparison. Our role is to add the investigative layer that asks why the skin is reacting and what may be sustaining it.
Looking Beyond The Surface
The conversational, investigative style is central to how we approach dermatitis. We explore several connected areas:
Clinical History
When symptoms began, what changed beforehand, and the full story leading up to today.
Food
Possible dietary contributors, food additives, and highly individual responses — never assumed, always investigated.
Environment
Exposures at home, at work and in daily life that may play a contributing role.
Digestive Health
The relationship between gut health and skin health, explored in detail.
Immune Health
How the immune system may be responding, and what may be influencing it.
Stress & Life Events
The months and years before symptoms appeared, reconstructed as a timeline.
Previous Illnesses & Medications
Antibiotic history, infections, surgeries and medications that may be relevant.
Family History
Patterns across the family that help complete the clinical picture.
Recovery Capacity
Your body’s individual ability to repair, rebuild and rebalance over time.
Where food appears to be part of the picture, we use a non-invasive computer controlled food intolerance screening system to help identify and eliminate likely trigger foods quickly — always interpreted within the full context of your history. See how we investigate.
The Conversation That Reveals The Story
These are examples of the kinds of questions we explore together. They gently demonstrate how a consultation actually works.
Which type of dermatitis have you been told you have, if any?
Where does it appear, and does it match particular activities or exposures?
Does it relate to your work or to specific products at home?
When did it begin, and what was happening at the time?
How is your digestion and general health?
Have antibiotics or other medications been involved?
Does anything reliably make it better or worse?
Insights From Three Decades
These are observations developed through more than 65,000+ consultations. They are shared as clinical experience — never as diagnosis or certainty.
We frequently observe hand dermatitis in people with repeated occupational exposures.
Many patients report contact dermatitis linked to a specific product they had not suspected.
In our clinical experience, seborrhoeic patterns often fluctuate with overall wellbeing.
We often see atopic dermatitis alongside a personal or family history of allergy.
Many patients benefit simply from understanding which type they are dealing with.
One Possible Contributor — Never The Whole Story
Depending on the type of dermatitis, food and environment are explored as possible contributors — always individually, never assumed.
- Environmental exposures and irritants encountered at work or home.
- Food additives and processed foods relevant to some individuals.
- Possible food intolerance considered within the wider picture.
- A personalised assessment rather than blanket restriction.
Dermatitis — Your Questions Answered
The terms overlap. Atopic dermatitis is essentially the medical name for the most common form of eczema. “Dermatitis” is a broader term that also includes contact, seborrhoeic and occupational types. Part of our work is helping you understand which pattern fits you.
It may, for some people and some types of dermatitis. Responses are individual, so we investigate rather than assume. Contact dermatitis, by contrast, is usually about something touching the skin.
Hand dermatitis is often linked to repeated exposures — water, soaps, gloves, chemicals or materials at work. Identifying and understanding those exposures is a key part of the investigation.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis often fluctuates with overall health and wellbeing. We explore diet, digestion and lifestyle as part of the wider picture rather than focusing on any single cause.
No. Please continue your medical care and discuss any changes with your prescriber. Our approach works alongside conventional treatment.
A consultation helps clarify this by exploring where it appears, when it began, and what it relates to. Where appropriate, medical assessment and patch testing can also help.
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Ready To Understand Your Story?
Book your consultation today and begin a thorough, unhurried investigation into what may be contributing to your skin.
This page is educational and does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. Always maintain the care of your GP and dermatologist, and seek immediate medical attention for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.