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A rash, an itch, or something going around at home: find the right page
The pages on this site about a rash, an itch, head lice, or an illness one person at home may pass to the next were hard to find together: most sit on the list for a baby or child, and one sits with the pages on getting older. This page puts 34 of them on one list, sorted by what is going on. Pick one and it opens. Each line below is that page’s own description.
If you think someone’s life is in danger, call 911 now. This page is a list. It cannot look at a rash, and it cannot tell you how serious something is.
Our severe allergic reaction page is for a tight throat, a swollen tongue, hives all over or trouble breathing after a food, a sting or a medicine. It starts with what to do.
Type a word or two, like blisters, itch, school or wash. Nothing you type here is kept or sent.
Something is happening right now
These are the site’s first-aid pages. They are about more than skin.
- When it might be a severe allergic reactionA tight throat, a swollen tongue, hives all over or trouble breathing after a food, a sting or a medicine, yours or someone else’s; a first reaction; epinephrine you are afraid to use, or can’t afford; or a child with a serious allergy. Keeps nothing.
- When someone is burnedA hand on the stove, a spilled coffee, a child in a hot bath, a cleaner on the skin, a shock from a cord, clothes that caught fire, a bad sunburn. Keeps nothing.
- First aid: what do you see?One page to find the right first-aid page fast. Keeps nothing.
A rash, blisters, an itch or head lice
Four of these thirteen were written about a baby or child. The shingles, scabies, poison ivy, bed bug, ringworm, impetigo, measles and psoriasis pages are for any age, and the eczema page is for teens and adults.
- Chickenpox in a baby or child: the signs, what helps at home, who can get very sick, and when to callFor anyone looking after a baby or child with chickenpox, or with an itchy, blistering rash that may be it. Keeps nothing.
- Shingles: the signs, the first three days, the pain that can stay, who can catch what, the vaccine, and when to callFor anyone with a painful rash on one side of the body or face that may be shingles, or looking after someone who has it. Keeps nothing.
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease in a baby or child: the signs, what helps, and when to callFor anyone looking after a child with a fever, sores in the mouth, or a rash on the hands and feet. Keeps nothing.
- Scabies in a child or anyone at home: the signs, the treatment, who else is treated, what to wash, and when to callFor anyone with an itch that may be scabies, or looking after a child, a parent or a housemate who has it. Keeps nothing.
- Head lice in a child: how to check, how to treat, and what school can askFor anyone looking after a child who has head lice, or who came home with a note about them. Keeps nothing.
- Eczema in a baby or child: the signs, the daily skin routine, flares, and when to talk to a doctorFor anyone looking after a baby or child with eczema (atopic dermatitis), or with an itchy rash that may be it. Keeps nothing.
- Eczema (atopic dermatitis) in teens and adults: the signs, the causes, treatment, and living with itFor any teen or adult with eczema (atopic dermatitis), whether it began in childhood, came back, or started now, for anyone with an itchy rash that may be it, and for the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
- Poison ivy, oak and sumac: first aid, the rash, and when to get careFor anyone who touched poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac, has the itchy rash, or breathed the smoke of burning plants, or is looking after someone who did. Keeps nothing.
- Bed bugs: the bites, finding them, and getting rid of them safelyFor anyone who woke up with bites, found a bug they think is a bed bug, or has bed bugs at home, in a shelter or in an apartment building. Keeps nothing.
- Ringworm, athlete’s foot and jock itch: the rash, treating it, and keeping it from spreadingFor anyone with an itchy ring-shaped rash, itchy peeling skin between the toes, an itchy rash in the groin, a scaly bald spot on a child’s head, or a nail that turned thick and discolored. Keeps nothing.
- Impetigo: the sores, treatment, and keeping it from spreading at homeFor anyone with red, itchy sores that break open, leak and form a honey-colored crust, or a child with them. Keeps nothing.
- Measles: the signs, what to do if you were near it, the vaccine, and when to get careFor anyone who thinks they or their child may have measles, or who was near someone who has it. Keeps nothing.
- Psoriasis: the symptoms, the kinds, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone with thick, red, scaly patches that itch or burn, anyone just told they have psoriasis, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Other sick days, each with a part on keeping it from spreading
All four were written about a baby or child.
- Pink eye in a baby or child: what the signs suggest, what helps, and when to callFor anyone looking after a child with a pink, red or sticky eye. Keeps nothing.
- Sore throat in a child: a virus or strep, what helps, and when to callFor anyone looking after a child with a sore throat. Keeps nothing.
- Cough or cold in a baby or child: what helps, the medicine ages, and when to callFor anyone looking after a baby or child with a cough or a cold. Keeps nothing.
- Vomiting and diarrhea in a baby or child: fluids, and when to callFor anyone looking after a baby or child who is throwing up or has diarrhea, at any hour. Keeps nothing.
Painful lumps or boils that keep coming back
For teens and adults: a lasting skin condition, not a rash.
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS): the symptoms, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone with painful lumps or boils that keep coming back in the armpits, the groin or other places where skin rubs, anyone just told they have HS, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Patches of skin that lose their color
For any age: a lasting skin condition, not a rash.
- Vitiligo: what it is, the symptoms, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone with patches of skin that are losing their color, anyone just told they have vitiligo, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Pimples, blackheads, or deep, painful lumps (acne)
A common skin condition, not a rash. NIAMS says it is most common in teens and young adults.
- Acne: the types, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor any teen or adult with pimples, blackheads or deep, painful lumps, anyone whose skin has them feeling ashamed or anxious, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Blisters or sores in the mouth or on the skin that will not go away (pemphigus)
A rare autoimmune disease, not a rash. NIAMS says early diagnosis is important: see a doctor as soon as you can.
- Pemphigus: the types, the signs, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone with blisters or sores in the mouth or on the skin that will not go away, anyone just told they have pemphigus, and the people who care for them. Keeps nothing.
Skin that blisters or tears at the slightest rub, often from birth (epidermolysis bullosa)
A group of rare diseases, most of them inherited. NIAMS says it usually begins at birth or in infancy.
- Epidermolysis bullosa: the types, the signs, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor families of a baby whose skin blisters or tears at the slightest rub, anyone just told it is epidermolysis bullosa, and adults whose blisters began later. Keeps nothing.
Skin that is dry, thick and scaly all over, often from birth or the first year (ichthyosis)
A group of skin disorders, most of them inherited. NIAMS says there is no cure yet, but treatments help.
- Ichthyosis: the types, the signs, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone just told it is ichthyosis, parents of a baby born with thick scales or a tight, shiny covering, and adults whose skin turned dry and scaly later. Keeps nothing.
Thick nails and painful calluses on the soles, often from birth (pachyonychia congenita)
A rare genetic disorder of the skin and nails. NIAMS says there is no cure yet, but there are ways to manage the pain.
- Pachyonychia congenita: the types, the signs, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone just told it is pachyonychia congenita, parents of a baby or child with it, and adults who have lived with it for years. Keeps nothing.
A red face, flushing, or bumps on the cheeks and nose
A lasting skin condition of the face. NIAMS says it is more common in middle-aged and older adults.
- Rosacea: the symptoms, what can set it off, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone whose face flushes and stays red, anyone just told they have rosacea, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Hair falling out in round patches
An immune condition of the hair. NIAMS says in most cases the hair grows back.
- Alopecia areata: the signs, the types, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone whose hair suddenly fell out in a round patch, anyone just told they have alopecia areata, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Fingers or toes that turn white, then blue, in the cold
Blood vessels that narrow too much. NIAMS says staying warm keeps it under control for most people.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon: what happens in an attack, the two types, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone whose fingers or toes turn white, then blue, in the cold, anyone just told they have Raynaud’s phenomenon, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Skin getting tight, hard or thick
A hard patch, a line of thick skin, or tight skin on the fingers, hands or face. NIAMS says early diagnosis matters.
- Scleroderma: the types, the symptoms, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with itFor anyone whose skin is getting tight, hard or thick, anyone just told they have scleroderma, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Before you call or go in
These three are for anyone’s appointment or call. They were not made for rashes.
- Symptom diary: write it down, show your doctorWrite down what you notice when it happens, with your own number from 0 to 10. What you type is kept only in this browser.
- Get ready for your appointmentTen minutes before you go: what has been happening, your medicines, your questions and what helps you, on one page to hand to your doctor, therapist or psychiatrist, with room to write down the plan. What you type is kept only in this browser.
- Call script: know what you will say before you dialA phone call you keep putting off? Write who you are calling, the sentence that says what you want, what to have ready and what to ask. What you type is kept only in this browser.
No page on this list matches those words. Try one word, press Show all, or search the whole site.
Good to know
What these pages are
- All 34 were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast. No doctor, nurse or pharmacist has reviewed them.
- The health guides pass on what named public sources say, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each guide names the sources it was built from.
- Every line on this list is copied from the page it points to when this list is built. This list adds no health facts of its own.
- Being on this list does not mean a thing is catching. This list does not say what spreads and what does not. Where a page has a part on that, its line says so.
- They are for the United States: the phone numbers and the offices are U.S. ones.
What this page can’t do
- It is not medical advice. It cannot look at a rash, tell one rash from another, or tell you whether to wait or to go in.
- It does not have every subject. There is no page here yet for diaper rash or hives on their own.
- Most of the pages about an illness here were written about a baby or child. The names on the list say which.
- It does not replace a doctor, nurse line, pharmacist or clinic. If something feels wrong to you, call them.
Pages that go with this
- A baby or child: find the right page: the longer list for anyone looking after a baby or child.
- A cough, a fever, or trouble breathing: find the right page: the list for a cough, a fever or trouble breathing.
- All the free tools, and search.
- The phone list: the helplines the guides lead with, on one page.
- Pass it on: any of these pages as a code to show or a slip to print.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). The names and lines of the 34 pages are read from the pages’ own descriptions when this page is built. The page was checked by programs, not yet used by people. It runs no analytics or tracking (privacy). Also in Spanish: Un sarpullido, una picazón o algo que se contagia en casa. Found a mistake? Email scarlet@scarletbeast.com.