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Treatment
A 96-hour test for delayed contact allergies — patches with common contact allergens are worn on the back to identify what's causing chronic rashes or eczema flares.
Patients with chronic eczema, persistent contact dermatitis, hand or eyelid rashes that don't clear, or anyone who suspects a metal, fragrance, preservative, or cosmetic ingredient is triggering their skin.
Three visits across one week. Day 1 — patches applied to the upper back. Day 3 — patches removed and first reading. Day 5 — final reading. Patches must stay dry between visits.
5 days (3 short visits)
PATCH testing identifies delayed-type contact allergies — the kind that cause an itchy, red, sometimes blistering rash 24-72 hours after touching the trigger. This is different from the immediate-onset (IgE) allergy that skin prick testing catches. Contact dermatitis is the most common reason for chronic, unexplained eczema in adults.
On day 1, a series of small patches is applied to the upper back. Each patch contains a known concentration of a single substance — metals, fragrances, preservatives, rubber additives, hair-dye ingredients, sunscreen filters, cosmetic ingredients, and others. We use the North American 80 Comprehensive Series, plus any custom additions based on your suspected exposures.
You go home wearing the patches. They stay on for 48 hours and must be kept dry — no swimming, no showers over the area, no heavy sweating.
On day 3, we remove the patches and record the first reading. On day 5, we do the final reading — many true reactions only become visible at this later check. We then sit down with your results and review every positive: what each substance is, where you might be encountering it, and exactly how to avoid it.
The North American Comprehensive Series covers approximately 80 of the most common contact allergens:
A printed list of every substance you reacted to and a written avoidance plan — including specific product brand recommendations from a database of patch-test-safe products. Most patients see significant improvement within 4-8 weeks of eliminating their triggers.
PATCH testing does not detect immediate (IgE) allergies — those are evaluated with skin prick or intradermal testing instead. The patches themselves contain known allergens; rarely a patient will react to a substance we didn't expect them to react to. That's a feature, not a problem — it's exactly what we're testing for.
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