Contact Rash From Gluten

[srall]

Hi.  Bad mom here.  I am over 4 years gluten free as is my daughter.  The house and kitchen are gluten free.  My 11 year old and I have this down.  EXCEPT for the fact that I am an idiot.  I switched us to a new shampoo without reading the label (insert head smack here) and after my daughter broke out with a terrible rash on her scalp I *duh* realized that WHEAT was right there on the label had I bothered to actually read it.

 

We tossed the shampoo 2 weeks ago but we are both still miserable.  At this point we are using homemade soap with castile oil and rose oil.  Neither of us have experienced this kind of contact rash before.  Back in the olden days before I was diagnosed my rashes DH rashes (from eating gluten) lasted about 3 weeks.  

 

Does anybody have any experience with this?  Is there anything else I can be doing.  We are so itchy!

 

TIA

[squirmingitch]

I'm so sorry!!!!! I wish I had some magic cure for you but sadly I don't. I hope it ends soon. You just have to wait it out. (((HUGS)))

[LauraTX]

Like squirming said, you'll have to ride these symptoms out.  Being on your head complicates what you can put on it to soothe it.  However, unless you have had a proven contact allergy to wheat, it is unlikely that the possible gluten in the shampoo was the cause.  There are many things in body products that can cause topical reactions, and being mother and daughter it is very reasonable that you two would react to the same things.  Before you peg it on gluten, take a good look at the ingredients list and see what is on there that is not in any other products you use without reaction.  

 

(Just throwing in here I don't recall/havent looked up your health history in your posts so there may be something I addressed here that you have already addressed.)

 

I react to a ton of things in personal care/body products and have to be extremely careful about trying new products and changes to my currently used products..  Strong fragrances in general irritate my skin, and I have unfortunately triple and quadruple verified my topical allergies to cocoa butter and shea butter.  Cheer and Gain detergents used on your britches and discovering you are allergic to something in them is unpleasant as well, haha.

 

If you haven't already done so, do a wash of everything on your beds and all that comes in contact with the affected areas like brushes and shower caps.  And if you aren't sure about a product you can put some in a test spot- I usually do my upper arm or my neck depending on what I am wearing so it won't rub off.  Much better to get a rash in a tiny spot than your whole head, I feel your pain of getting a whole head reaction..

[kirstenB]

My scalp use to itch all the time. What worked for me was using baking soda as a shampoo. I dumped a box into a sealable container & leave in shower. Then take a handful, mix with water & rub into hair. Feels weird at first, it doesn't soap up or anything, let it sit for a couple minutes and wash out. I used for 6 months and my hair was so healthy and my scalp was happy.

[StylesByJanet]

Not sure how old your daughter is, but the only thing that ever really knocked those rashes out for me was a prednisone shot. Otherwise they would linger and never seem to fully heal.

[1desperateladysaved]

I have been dealing with contact rashes (not from gluten)  I diffused some frankincense oil which spared my face.  The face broke out one morning and it looked like poison ivy.  Redness was everywhere and puffiness in trails.  My wrist broke out in the rash a couple of days later.  The same substance caused both rashes.  I put my face in the stream coming from my diffuser and it went away in two days.  I more or less ignored my wrist rash and that lingered for 2 weeks in fact I just passed the third week and one can still see it is there.  There would be a cheaper essential oil than frankincense, but I would need to look it up later.  I will if I remember.