What Is The Remedy Of Red Rashes On Skin After Using Shikakai?

Posted on Sat, 7 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 7 Dec 2013 Answered on

Fri, 27 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I am allergic to shikakai (Acacia concinna, used to wash hair) and other few other herbal products for past few years. I used those products in my childhood, but nowadays it is causing allergy. Face and eyes swells and become reddish when i use shikakai, face swells like patches (similar to mosquito bite !!). What could be the remedy.? Should i avoid all those for life time?

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (47 hours later)

Brief Answer: Can go for allergic testing and immunotherapy.. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for your query. Sometimes a process called sensitization occurs in allergic situations. Simply speaking, body forms antibodies and other inflammatory products to the allergen. This explains why first few exposures is OK, but after a certain latent period, allergic reactions begin to happen with such products. Treatment wise if they are few in number like one or two, as in your case it is shikakai, one can opt for immunotherapy, which means a graded concentration of that product is injected over a period to desensitize the immune system towards it. For that you will have to go for allergic testing first, to ascertain that particular product is causing the symptoms.. If a person is allergic to a number of products, then immunotherapy is not going to help. Overall avoiding the offending agent is best remedy... Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar