WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If your skin is already scratched, try applying a skin moisturiser or hydrocolloid dressing to allow the wound to heal, said Dr Tan. “The best way is to remove the clothing label manually,” she said. “I have patients who trim off the label and paste a small hydrocolloid dressing to further separate skin from the remaining label bits.”
Switching to looser clothing and seamless underwear may also help as can fashion brands that have dispensed with labels altogether and have, instead, printed the care instructions on the fabric itself.
When unprovoked, the itchy wheals tend to be self-limiting, resolving within 30 minutes but may last up to 24 hours, said Dr Wong. However, if you continue to scratch, it “can result in a vicious cycle of scratching and itching known as the itch-scratch cycle”, he said.
For about 40 per cent of patients, who have severe itching that interferes with their daily lives, oral antihistamines can help “to expedite recovery or prevent the occurrence of symptoms”, said Dr Wong. “For those with rashes that continue to be stubborn, despite treatment with antihistamines, we would advise them to consult with a dermatologist.”
Dr Tan said that oral medications such as antibiotics or oral steroids may occasionally be required if there is blistering of the skin or a secondary skin infection.