Help! I Touched Poison Ivy! – Advice From Your Board-Certified Dermatologists

Help! I Touched Poison Ivy! – Advice from Your Board-Certified Dermatologists

What Should You Do If You Touch Poison Ivy?

  1. Wash your skin with lukewarm, soapy water, including under your nails.
  2. Apply cool compresses.
  3. Wash your clothing.

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac contain an oil called urushiol. If you are allergic to this oil, you can develop a rash.

The Rash Is Not Contagious

If someone has this rash, touching that rash won’t cause a rash on your skin. However, you can develop a rash if you touch that person’s skin or clothing (or a pet’s fur!) while the oil from the plant is still on it.

If you wash the oil off within 10-20 minutes after exposure, you may be able to prevent the rash entirely, or, at a minimum, reduce the severity of it. That is why it’s important to wash your skin and clothing quickly after contact.

If you develop a severe rash, call George Dermatology today to see one of our board-certified dermatologists for prescription treatment.

What Our Patients Are Saying

Dr Katherine M. Moritz is the bomb-diggity!!! She’s very professional, kind, and most of all caring for my concerns and needs. Today, I walked out of her office with my son in my arms in tears of joy. She removed a cyst on my eyelid that had been there for over a year now. In a matter of seconds, she painlessly had it removed. When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I ran back into her office thanking the staff and giving her my gratitude and thanks. I swear, I cried when I got into my car all over again. This place is a whole vibe, they are culturally competent, and she’s helping me live my wishes in my 40’s, that I had in high school. Dr. Moritz is like the fountain of youth, she’s reversing my aging and I feel more confident in myself than I did in my 20’s.

San Juan
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