ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is when your skin is very, very angry. It gets red, itchy, and maybe even painful. It's like your skin is throwing a temper tantrum because it's not happy! There are lots of different reasons why your skin might get dermatitis. Maybe you touched something that you're allergic to, like poison ivy or a bee sting. Maybe you used a soap or lotion that didn't agree with your skin. Maybe you have a condition called eczema or psoriasis that makes your skin very sensitive.

When you have dermatitis, it's important to be very gentle with your skin. You don't want to scratch or rub it too hard because that will just make it angrier! You can put a special cream or ointment on your skin to help it feel better. And if it's really bad, you might need to see a doctor to get special medicine that can help your skin calm down. The good news is that dermatitis usually goes away after a little while, especially if you take good care of your skin!