Skin rash treatment in Bang Tao
A rash that appeared overnight is unsettling, particularly when you have been swimming in the sea, walking through vegetation and sweating for a week. Most holiday rashes here are heat, fungus or an allergic reaction, and they respond quickly once identified. Skin rash treatment in Bang Tao is mainly about naming the rash correctly, because the creams for each are different.
The rashes we see most
A short list covers the majority:
- Heat rash — tiny itchy bumps where clothing traps sweat
- Fungal rash — pink or pale patches in skin folds, groin and under the breasts
- Contact reaction — a rash exactly where something touched the skin
- Hives — raised itchy welts that move around and change shape
- Sea bather’s eruption — itchy bumps under the swimsuit after sea swimming
- Infected bites — see insect bite
Heat rash and fungal rash get confused
They are treated in opposite directions, so getting it wrong prolongs things. Heat rash is caused by blocked sweat glands and is best treated by cooling and drying — light loose clothing, cool showers, air conditioning and calamine. A steroid cream helps briefly.
Fungal rash thrives in exactly the same warm damp conditions but needs an antifungal cream, and putting a steroid cream on it makes it spread. Fungal patches tend to have a defined edge and sit in skin folds. If a rash has been treated with hydrocortisone and got worse, it is usually fungal.
Rashes that come from the sea
Sea bather’s eruption produces itchy bumps under the areas covered by a swimsuit, caused by tiny jellyfish larvae trapped against the skin. Rinsing in fresh water while still wearing the swimsuit makes it worse — the larvae fire when the water changes. Take the swimsuit off first, then shower, and wash the swimsuit in hot water.
Stings from contact with tentacles are different, and treated differently — see jellyfish sting.
When a rash needs urgent attention
Go to a hospital or call 1669 immediately if the rash comes with:
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- Difficulty breathing or a tight chest
- Feeling faint or collapsing
- A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
- Fever with a spreading rash and feeling very unwell
- Skin that is peeling in sheets, or blistering around the mouth and eyes
A rash with breathing difficulty is anaphylaxis until proven otherwise, and it is an emergency. A non-blanching rash with fever needs immediate assessment for meningococcal infection.
What helps while it settles
Keep the skin cool and dry, wear loose cotton, and shower off salt and chlorine promptly. Antihistamine tablets reduce itching, particularly at night when it is usually worst. Avoid scratching, since broken skin here becomes infected quickly and turns into cellulitis.
Keep sun off an inflamed rash — some medications and plants cause reactions that are triggered by sunlight, and a sunburnt rash is far harder to settle. If a rash is spreading, painful rather than itchy, or accompanied by fever, come in rather than trying a third cream.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a rash checked?
A consultation is the base cost and creams are added on top. Most rashes need one inexpensive cream, and identifying which one saves money on the three you would otherwise try.
Can I just buy a cream from a pharmacy?
You can, and for mild heat rash that is reasonable. The risk is using a steroid cream on a fungal rash, which is common and makes it noticeably worse.
Can a doctor come to my hotel?
Yes. A doctor hotel visit suits rashes in awkward places or in children, and the doctor brings the treatment.
Can I swim with a rash?
Usually yes if the skin is unbroken and it is not infected. Stay out of the water if it is weeping, open or infected.
Is it contagious?
Fungal rashes and scabies are. Heat rash, hives and contact reactions are not. Do not share towels until you know which it is.
Come in, or we come to you
Take Care Medical Clinic Bang Tao is open open 24 hours, 7 days a week on Bandon Road in Cherng Talay, a few minutes from Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Phuket. Walk in without an appointment, call +66 81 718 9080, or message us on WhatsApp. If you would rather not move, ask for a doctor hotel visit and we will come to your room.