What to do if your clothes make you itchy or give you a rash.

Written by Dennis Newman

• What Causes It?
• What Are the Symptoms?
• Who Gets It?
• How Can I Prevent It?
• How Do I Know What Causes My Rash?
• When Should I See My Doctor?
• How Is It Treated?
• More

If a wool sweater makes you itch, or if polyester pants give you a rash, you may have what’s called textile or clothing dermatitis. It’s a form of contact dermatitis. Your skin is reacting to the fibers in your clothes, or to the dyes, resins, and other chemicals used to treat what you wear.

Since clothing is in close contact with your skin most of the day, it’s no surprise that your shirts, pants, and undies can cause skin problems.

Any kind of fiber can bring on a rash, but you’re more likely to get textile dermatitis from clothes made with synthetics such as polyester, rayon, nylon, spandex, or rubber. They don’t breathe as well as natural fibers, and they make you sweat more.

Often the source is the dye or other chemicals in the clothing. Formaldehyde resins used to make garments wrinkle-free or dirt-repellent can cause problems. So can dyes, glues, and chemicals used to tan, or create, leather. If you’re allergic to nickel, you might get a red, itchy reaction where your blue jeans button touches your skin. It has its own name: nickel dermatitis. Jewelry with nickel can cause it, too.

The combination of tight-fitting fabric and sweat can irritate your skin as it rubs against you. Doctors call this less common condition irritant dermatitis. It may look a lot like textile dermatitis, but the cause is different.

Look for redness, scaly skin, or itchy areas. Sometimes they pop up within hours after you put on your clothes, or they may take days or weeks to appear. Some people can wear the same item for years before a rash breaks out.

Symptoms often begin in the folds of your skin or other areas that make contact with your clothes and what’s in them. That includes:

• The crooks of your arms
• Behind your knees
• Armpits
• The groin
• Any place where your clothing is tight

Women are more likely to have it because they more often wear tight-fitting clothes. So are obese people when they overheat and sweat. People with atopic dermatitis, a skin disease that affects mostly children, are also more likely to get textile dermatitis.

Where you work also matters. People with jobs in hot and humid places, like a bakery, have greater odds of dermatitis. If you wear latex gloves on the job, your hands may get irritated (which would be irritant dermatitis) or you may become allergic to the latex itself. That’s allergic contact dermatitis.

The first thing is to stop wearing the item that bothers you. Your skin will most likely clear up within a few weeks. You can also:

• Wear natural fibers and loose clothes to help cut how much you sweat.
• Choose light-colored garments with less dye in them.
• Avoid items labeled “wash separately.” They’re more likely to bleed dye.
• Don’t wear clothes that say wash and wear, permanent press, no-iron, or dirt repellent. They’re likely to have chemicals that irritate your skin.

It isn’t easy to figure out if your skin problem is caused by irritation or an allergy, if it’s your clothes or the chemicals on them. Some clothes are made from a mix of fibers. They may be treated with several kinds of dyes and chemicals. But in general, the rashes and redness look alike and are hard for most people to tell apart. The location of the rash can be a clue to what’s causing it. If it’s on your waist, you could be allergic to the latex in your underwear elastic.

Your doctor may use a special skin patch to test these sources and find out which ones bother your skin.

If your skin doesn’t clear up in a few weeks, or if the problems come and go, it’s time to talk to your skin doctor. Also check with the doctor if the rash covers a large area, is really painful, raw or intensely itchy, or seems to be spreading instead of getting better. They can make sure you don’t have an infection on top of the dermatitis.

If you know what clothing causes your rash and you stop wearing it, the rash usually goes away by itself and you don’t need medications.

But if you’re miserable, the doctor may treat you with antihistamines, moisture creams, or steroids to give you some relief while your rash goes away. Try an oatmeal bath to soothe your skin. More severe cases of dermatitis may be treated with oral steroids like prednisone and wet dressings.

Top Picks

What to do if your clothes make you itchy or give you a rash.

Written by Dennis Newman

• What Causes It?
• What Are the Symptoms?
• Who Gets It?
• How Can I Prevent It?
• How Do I Know What Causes My Rash?
• When Should I See My Doctor?
• How Is It Treated?
• More

If a wool sweater makes you itch, or if polyester pants give you a rash, you may have what’s called textile or clothing dermatitis. It’s a form of contact dermatitis. Your skin is reacting to the fibers in your clothes, or to the dyes, resins, and other chemicals used to treat what you wear.

Since clothing is in close contact with your skin most of the day, it’s no surprise that your shirts, pants, and undies can cause skin problems.

Any kind of fiber can bring on a rash, but you’re more likely to get textile dermatitis from clothes made with synthetics such as polyester, rayon, nylon, spandex, or rubber. They don’t breathe as well as natural fibers, and they make you sweat more.

Often the source is the dye or other chemicals in the clothing. Formaldehyde resins used to make garments wrinkle-free or dirt-repellent can cause problems. So can dyes, glues, and chemicals used to tan, or create, leather. If you’re allergic to nickel, you might get a red, itchy reaction where your blue jeans button touches your skin. It has its own name: nickel dermatitis. Jewelry with nickel can cause it, too.

The combination of tight-fitting fabric and sweat can irritate your skin as it rubs against you. Doctors call this less common condition irritant dermatitis. It may look a lot like textile dermatitis, but the cause is different.

Look for redness, scaly skin, or itchy areas. Sometimes they pop up within hours after you put on your clothes, or they may take days or weeks to appear. Some people can wear the same item for years before a rash breaks out.

Symptoms often begin in the folds of your skin or other areas that make contact with your clothes and what’s in them. That includes:

• The crooks of your arms
• Behind your knees
• Armpits
• The groin
• Any place where your clothing is tight

Women are more likely to have it because they more often wear tight-fitting clothes. So are obese people when they overheat and sweat. People with atopic dermatitis, a skin disease that affects mostly children, are also more likely to get textile dermatitis.

Where you work also matters. People with jobs in hot and humid places, like a bakery, have greater odds of dermatitis. If you wear latex gloves on the job, your hands may get irritated (which would be irritant dermatitis) or you may become allergic to the latex itself. That’s allergic contact dermatitis.

The first thing is to stop wearing the item that bothers you. Your skin will most likely clear up within a few weeks. You can also:

• Wear natural fibers and loose clothes to help cut how much you sweat.
• Choose light-colored garments with less dye in them.
• Avoid items labeled “wash separately.” They’re more likely to bleed dye.
• Don’t wear clothes that say wash and wear, permanent press, no-iron, or dirt repellent. They’re likely to have chemicals that irritate your skin.

It isn’t easy to figure out if your skin problem is caused by irritation or an allergy, if it’s your clothes or the chemicals on them. Some clothes are made from a mix of fibers. They may be treated with several kinds of dyes and chemicals. But in general, the rashes and redness look alike and are hard for most people to tell apart. The location of the rash can be a clue to what’s causing it. If it’s on your waist, you could be allergic to the latex in your underwear elastic.

Your doctor may use a special skin patch to test these sources and find out which ones bother your skin.

If your skin doesn’t clear up in a few weeks, or if the problems come and go, it’s time to talk to your skin doctor. Also check with the doctor if the rash covers a large area, is really painful, raw or intensely itchy, or seems to be spreading instead of getting better. They can make sure you don’t have an infection on top of the dermatitis.

If you know what clothing causes your rash and you stop wearing it, the rash usually goes away by itself and you don’t need medications.

But if you’re miserable, the doctor may treat you with antihistamines, moisture creams, or steroids to give you some relief while your rash goes away. Try an oatmeal bath to soothe your skin. More severe cases of dermatitis may be treated with oral steroids like prednisone and wet dressings.

Top Picks

In what cases can clothes cause allergies?

• Main
• All about allergies
• Allergy manifestations
• Fabric allergy: in which cases can clothes cause allergies?

Table of Contents

Which tissues are more likely to cause skin reactions?

If your skin becomes red after wearing tight clothes, or if wool clothes cause itching and polyester clothes cause a rash, you may be allergic to one type of fabric or another. It is also called textile dermatitis. The latter is a form of contact dermatitis. It occurs when the skin reacts negatively to the fabric itself or to chemicals that are used in the manufacturing or processing of clothing.

There are natural (cotton, linen, silk, wool), synthetic (viscose, polyester, rubber, nylon, fiberglass and spandex) and combined fabrics. Natural tissue reactions are considered to be less common. In particular, there is evidence that there is currently no evidence to support an allergy (hypersensitivity types I and IV) to wool fibers. However, the large diameter of this fiber may contribute to skin irritation, while finer yarns are better tolerated.

Rare are allergic reactions to cotton. Although such clothing can also cause itching and redness, this is usually due to skin irritation.

Somewhat ambiguous situation with silk. On the one hand, according to some reports, silk can even alleviate the symptoms of dermatitis, on the other hand, there are sporadic data on immunological contact urticaria that occurred after wearing clothes made of silk.

Clothing reactions are much more common due to allergies to polyester (polyester) and latex. They are one of the most common causes of textile dermatitis. Other culprits include rayon, nylon, spandex, and rubber. Compared to natural fibers, which tend to be breathable, these fabrics are tighter, causing more perspiration, which tends to increase the backlash.

For example, 6% of the population is known to be allergic to latex or spandex.

In addition, contact dermatitis can be caused by chromium, cobalt and rubber found in some textiles.

Although rubber gives the fabric elasticity, it contains a number of allergic substances: thiuram, black rubber, carbine compounds mercaptobenzothiazole and mercapto compounds. The ankles, wrists, and feet are common sites for rubber reactions.

Individual items of clothing, such as nickel-plated buttons or fasteners, can also provoke allergies. Nickel allergy is believed to be one of the most common causes of clothing-related reactions.

What else causes a reaction to clothing?

Textile allergic contact dermatitis is not mainly caused by the fabric itself, but by substances that are used to impart certain properties or characteristics to the material.

First of all, we are talking about the so-called biocides , which are used to protect clothing and fabrics during their production or transportation. These include triclosan, dichlorooctylisothiazolinone, dimethyl fumarate and silver particles.

formaldehyde belongs to the leading substances in terms of the ability to cause allergic skin reactions through clothing. Its resins make fabrics resistant to wrinkles (that is, the fabric does not wrinkle so much), but the skin from their exposure may turn red and begin to itch.

Formaldehyde is a preservative used on heavy pressed fabrics. Rash caused by formaldehyde, as a rule, appears in areas that are closely adjacent to the body. That is, where excessive friction can occur: on the back, sides, waist, neck, and hips.

Formaldehyde and chromates are associated with the majority of occupational dermatitis among those working in the leather and dye industries.

flame retardants (dibromopropyl, phosphate, dibromocresylglycidyl ether) may also cause a reaction. These substances have antiseptic and flame retardant properties and can be used in the production of children’s pajamas, bedding and plush toys. They can cause contact dermatitis and some of them can be toxic and have a detrimental effect on future health.

Various dyes may also remain on clothing. Somehow benzanthrone and sulfites (the latter are used in bleaching).

According to various sources, the incidence of allergic contact dermatitis caused by textile dyes ranges from 0.05 to 15.9% of the total population of a particular country.

Different colors are used for synthetic and natural fibers. The overall rate of sensitization to reactive dyes used to dye natural fibers is very low. According to one study, among patients who underwent special testing, only 18 out of 1813 (0.99%) showed positive reactions to them within 1 year.

Another thing is disperse dyes which are used for dyeing synthetic textiles, polyester, nylon and fiber blends.

They are based on azo and anthraquinone. These dyes give the fabric rich dark (blue, brown, green) shades. Some of these substances have been linked to allergies to phenylenediamine hair dye. Therefore, people who react to hair dye may also react to clothes in saturated colors.

Dispersion dyes account for more than 20% of all dyes produced in the world.

Approximately 60% of all dispersion dyes are azo dyes. They are cheap and easy to use and can render the entire gamut of colors.

Azo dyes are associated with most occupational dermatitis in textile workers.

Approximately 25% of disperse dyes are anthraquinone dyes. The rest is quinophthalon, methine, naphthalimide, naphthoquinone and nitro dyes.

Virtually all disperse dyes bind partially to textile fibres. Therefore, small lipophilic molecules can easily migrate to the skin. Within the EU, certain disperse dyes (mainly azo dyes) are classified as allergenic and their use is restricted.

The prevalence of contact allergy to disperse dyes varies by country and by type of substance. According to some reports, prevalence rates range from 0.4 to 6.7%.

An allergic reaction can also be provoked by para-phenylenediamines, which are used to dye fabrics and fur.

In addition, various adhesives, detergents and perfumes can also cause allergic reactions in some people.

Fabric Allergy Symptoms

Women who like tight-fitting clothing and people with eczema or a tendency to sweat excessively are more likely to suffer from various clothing reactions. This may be facilitated by the peculiarities of working conditions, for example, work in kitchens, bakeries, laundries, etc.

Textile contact dermatitis is usually characterized by delayed reactions. Those that appear through redness and peeling of the skin.

In addition, contact dermatitis causes a very itchy rash that can lead to small red bumps and even blisters.

Symptoms may appear within a few hours after exposure, but sometimes a reaction may not be observed until several days later.

As a rule, allergic reactions occur in places that are most often in close contact with clothing: on the arms, buttocks, back of the head, in the armpits, etc.

In some situations, the rash may become secondarily infected with fungi or bacterial organisms.

But, basically, the symptoms of textile dermatitis are similar to eczema: the skin becomes red, dry, begins to peel and itch .

In most cases, these manifestations are temporary, that is, they can go away on their own. However, sometimes the reaction can extend beyond the skin. Other symptoms of an allergic reaction to tissue include:

• breathing problems, including shortness of breath;
• conjunctivitis;
• inflammation in the area of ​​hair follicles;
• abdominal pain
• runny or stuffy nose.

Some people may develop a more severe systemic reaction called anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• swelling and redness of the skin, lips, tongue or throat,
• shortness of breath (with or without wheezing),
• low blood pressure,
• dizziness.

If you experience these symptoms, call an ambulance immediately.

Prophylaxis

The best way to avoid unwanted tissue reactions is to avoid the types that can cause a reaction. And it’s not just about clothes – carpets, sheets and even toys can also cause dermatitis.

• Be sure to read the labels before buying any product.
• Also, choose light-colored clothes, as they are made with less dyes.
• Wear natural fibers such as cotton and linen
• Avoid tight clothing.
• Avoid clothing that is labeled “stain free” or “iron free” because it is likely to contain chemicals that can cause irritation.

• Determine what is causing your skin irritation and avoid that substance. For example, if it’s a nickel button on pants and shirt sleeves, replace it with nylon buttons.
• Change old clothes as dust and mites can accumulate in them over the years.
• Formaldehyde in clothing can be avoided by washing before wearing.
• If you are allergic to polyester, for example, opt for clothes made of cotton, silk, wool, etc. instead.
• If you think you have a latex allergy or sensitivity, try avoiding clothing that contains elastic bands (trousers, underwear, sneakers, and coats with fitted cuffs), bath mats, rubber gloves, and so on.

Diagnosis

Tissue allergy is diagnosed by special patch tests. These involve testing sensitivity to a number of different chemical potential allergens that may be present in the fabric. However, pinpointing the exact cause of sensitivity can be very difficult, as textiles can be made using a “cocktail” of dyes, resins, and other substances. In addition, clothing is not labeled for the list of chemicals it may contain.

For the treatment of textile contact dermatitis , in particular to control itching, swelling and redness, mild topical steroids such as hydrocortisone 0.5-2.5% are commonly used.

Antihistamines may also be recommended as one of the most effective ways to get rid of common allergy symptoms.

In more severe cases, stronger agents may be used, and in case of bacterial infection, antibiotics may also be used.

Information sources:

1. https://www.verywellhealth.com/clothing-allergy-82764
2. https://www. cottonique.com/blogs/blog/draft-clothing-allergy-5-reasons-7-symptoms-and-6-ways-to-control
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/polyester-allergy
4. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/textile-contact-dermatitis/
5. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/contact-dermatitis
6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40521-019-0197-5
7. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323566
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16128754/
9. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4053p27c
10. https://www.eczemacompany.com/blog/textile-dermatitis/
11. https://pulmonarychronicles.com/index.php/pulmonarychronicles/article/view/422/937
12. https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/ava-shamban-your-skin-and-your-health/weathering-fabric-allergies/

Subscribe to new articles about allergies and their treatment!

I give JSC “Farmak” consent to the processing of my personal data
(with the full text of the consent I have read and accept)

Allergy to fabric.

Why and what they do

H Do not underestimate the quality of the fabrics, because the clothes are close to the child’s body. Hypoallergenic materials are necessary for everyone, not only for allergy sufferers and not only for children, but also for adults, especially for bed and underwear.

Relevant and useful information for modern parents – in our mailing list.

We already have over 50,000 subscribers!

Clothing can have a serious effect on the skin and the entire body. The most common human reaction to tissue is allergic dermatitis. Allergy is the inability of a person’s immune system to fight foreign agents. At risk are children whose bodies are in the process of adapting to the world around them.

There are two reasons for tissue intolerance: the high sensitivity of the skin, which reacts to mechanical friction (for example, to the pile), and the reaction to the chemicals used in the production of the material (resins, fixatives, dyes).

The reaction to the tissue is most often manifested by changes in the skin: irritation, vesicles, redness, itching. Some people may experience sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, shortness of breath, cough. In severe cases, people who suffer from multiple allergens can develop anaphylactic shock.

Formaldehydes can be added to any fabric – toxins that affect the respiratory tract, skin, eyes, even the nervous system. They are usually found in paint or fittings. These substances are added to not very high-quality raw materials in order to improve its properties in an artificial way. It is important to trust the manufacturer of clothing, especially children’s clothing, to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals. Often, a poor-quality item can have an unpleasant pungent odor.

Read the article “Formaldehyde:
what to fear” in our blog and find out everything

about what these substances are and why they are harmful.

We can say that both natural and non-natural tissues can cause negative reactions of the body. Naturalness / unnaturalness is not a defining feature of the hypoallergenicity of the material. Common reactions to wool, fur, linen.

Materials that require special care for allergy sufferers – woolen. Few sheep wool manufacturers comply with environmental safety regulations. Although high-quality wool can also give an individual reaction. An allergic reaction can even occur to soft natural cotton materials: cotton is also processed with chemicals during cultivation. With an imperfect pre-treatment system, these substances are not completely removed. And yet we can say that cotton is the most hypoallergenic, it is cotton that is the gold standard in the production of children’s clothing. It is soft and does not interfere with natural heat transfer. We are talking about cotton “Penye” ​​- knitwear of the best quality.

Textile production technologist Ekaterina Savushkina:

– Cotton fibers come in different lengths and, accordingly, qualities. The canvas of the shortest fibers is called “Open End” (20-27 mm), from the middle ones – “Carde” or “Ring” (27-35 mm), and from the longest and most durable – “Penier”. “Penya” is made of a thin, smooth and silky thread, it does not “cough”, it is durable and beautiful.

Cotton “Penye” ​​ (luxury) has excellent properties: hygroscopic, breathable, tear resistant, warm and hypoallergenic. It is about this type of cotton fabric that we can talk about as exemplary and not giving reactions in a child or adult.

Don’t think that one type of truly sustainable fabric is not enough. In fact, “Penier” is multifaceted. The luxury cotton put into one thread is used for the production of things for newborns, diapers, underwear. It is cotton without additives, very durable. Two-thread cotton is definitely in every wardrobe with a little bit of additives, it is used in tailoring casual clothes. Wool is often added to the three-thread, tight tracksuits, pajamas, bathrobes, even outerwear are sewn.

In addition, “Penye” ​​is subdivided by type into cooler, suprem, footer, interlock, ribana, cashmere, velor. Let’s consider them.

Assol Kuzina, mother of Anfisa (3 years 8 months) and Arseniy (1 year 10 months):

– At 1.5 months, his armpits turned red, where the collarbone – dots appeared, legs closer to the groin too. I felt like I was breathing heavily. I thought that I had eaten a pomegranate (they said to increase hemoglobin), and therefore it was sprinkled. Then I changed his clothes, and the rash went away like it never happened. Our pediatrician said it must be the bodysuit. I didn’t wear that bodysuit to him again, and he didn’t have a rash.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand that it is the tissue that is to blame for the reactions that have appeared in the body. Pediatrician Inga Vasilets says that to find out, you need to conduct a kind of “experiment”: remove all things – redness with allergic dermatitis should go away almost immediately.

Pediatrician Inga Vasilets:

– Symptoms appear on the first or second use of a new item. Rashes with this type of allergy do not appear on the whole body, but in places of close contact with the material. In infants, fabric allergies can be confused with diaper rash from tight clothing. There should be no tightness … Local treatment: anti-inflammatory ointment with depanthenol for skin reactions. If the signs are pronounced and there are symptoms of damage to the upper respiratory tract, then we use allergy medications, for babies these are drops. Course admission. And, of course, in the trash such a thing.

The culprit of the allergic reaction is not the fabric itself, but a low-quality dye or “improver” that keeps the shape of the clothes. For children, especially the smallest, and allergy sufferers, it is best to buy things from soft fabrics precisely because of the absence of toxic dyes.

Another tip for allergy prevention: wash and iron new clothes. This reduces the likelihood of skin irritations by several times. We keep in mind that other fabrics in the house should be environmentally friendly: bed linen, curtains, curtains, furniture upholstery. This means that they should not have a pronounced smell, not stain.

When choosing an item in a store, the first thing to look at is the label. It reflects the composition of the material and its properties. By carefully reading the tags, you will understand how many natural ingredients the fabric has and what chemicals were used to improve its structure.

Pay attention to the inscriptions “Does not wrinkle”, “Perfectly keeps its shape.” They mean that special substances were used in the manufacture of the material. Allergy sufferers should avoid fabrics with this label. If woolen, linen and cotton fabrics are not suitable, then think about bamboo or nettle. Products from these plants are hypoallergenic and do not contain dust mites. They almost never cause reactions.

But they are rare and more expensive. In addition, they are rarely used in the production of children’s things. Pay attention to synthetic fabrics, many of which are hypoallergenic: jeans, fleece, acrylic, polyacryl, nylon. Plus synthetic fabric in crease resistance, resistance to deformation. Special chemicals that cause unpleasant symptoms are practically not used in their manufacture. Synthetic fabrics need to be washed frequently to keep them hygienic.

Read the article “Take it off immediately”
about artificial fabrics and find out
which ones are safe for children.

What can be learned from clothing labels in the Russian market

✔ The Euroflower and Eco-tex label stands for safe quality industrial textiles that will suit most people without major skin problems.

✔ “100% organic cotton” and “Naturtextile” (with a license number on the package) are the highest ecological quality items, safe even in case of exacerbation of skin allergies, they can alleviate the condition of dermatitis.