Where
Plot No 13D/B, Wellington Rd, Vikrampuri Colony, Karkhana, Secunderabad, Telangana 500009.
- Serves Trimulgherry, West Marredpally, Bowenpally, Alwal
- Formerly BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital
Hyderabad
Skin allergy and rash treatment in Hyderabad
A rash is a sign, not a diagnosis. Two rashes that look identical can be an allergy, an infection or a chronic inflammatory disease, and the antihistamine that helps one does nothing for the others.
45 years in dermatologyDermatologist & dermatosurgeonKarkhana, SecunderabadBooking on WhatsApp
At a glance
- Covers
- Hives, contact allergy, drug rash, itchy rashes
- In children
- Common and usually straightforward
- Chronic urticaria
- Over 6 weeks: needs proper assessment
- Patch testing
- For suspected contact allergy
- Red flags
- Fever, blistering, lip or tongue swelling
- First step
- Identify what it actually is
When not to wait for an appointment
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, a rash with high fever, blistering or skin peeling in sheets, or a rash that does not fade when pressed. All need emergency care the same day, not a clinic booking.
The problem
Most rashes are treated before they are named.
The usual sequence for a rash in India is a topical steroid-antifungal-antibiotic combination cream bought over the counter, applied for weeks. Those combinations suppress appearance without treating cause, and they change how the rash looks, so by the time it is examined properly, the diagnosis has been obscured as well as delayed.
The alternative takes one appointment. Where it started, how it spreads, what makes it worse, whether it itches or burns, whether individual spots last hours or days. That history plus an examination names most rashes without any test at all.
Where a test is needed it is a specific one: patch testing for suspected contact allergy, a scraping for suspected fungus, occasionally a biopsy. Not a broad allergy panel, which in chronic hives generates false positives and unnecessary food restriction far more often than it finds a cause.
Before you decide
Who is treating you, and what his patients said.
Dr. (Lt Col) Khagendra Varada
- 45 years in dermatology and dermatosurgery
- 25 of them in the Indian Army Medical Corps
- MBBS, Osmania Medical College
- Dip. Practical Dermatology, Cardiff · Dip. Dermatology, AAAM
Reg. No. 10461, Hyderabad State Medical Council
Full background →“Dr Varada is very experienced and friendly, doing great work. I got myself treated for eczema. Thank you very much.”
“A year back my father was diagnosed with cellulitis. In consultation with couple of doctors he got treated and was also operated (twice) for the issue, however the progress and recovery noticed was not as per the expectations… he right away with his knowledge and expertise discovered that along with cellulitis he had vasculopathy and eczema in conjunction with oedema… he first treated the wounds in a precise manner and once satisfactory results were seen he focused on his skin allergies and health. Within 5 weeks of visiting Lt Col Sir my father is back normal.”
Common patterns
What the pattern usually means
| What you see | Often | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Raised weals that move and fade within a day | Urticaria (hives) | Antihistamine, properly dosed; find the trigger if acute |
| Rash exactly where something touched skin | Contact dermatitis | Identify the contact; patch testing if unclear |
| Widespread rash days after a new medicine | Drug reaction | Review the medicine urgently: do not simply treat the skin |
| Itchy rash in a child, flexures and cheeks | Atopic dermatitis | Emollients and anti-inflammatory treatment |
| Ring-shaped, scaly, spreading edge | Fungal infection | Antifungal: steroid creams make it worse and spread it |
| Intense night-time itch, whole family affected | Scabies | Treat everyone in the household simultaneously |
The fungal row matters most in India, where steroid-containing combination creams are freely sold. They convert an ordinary treatable fungal infection into an extensive, hard-to-treat one.
What a hive is
Fluid, not a rash.
A wheal is not inflamed skin in the ordinary sense. One cell type releases its contents, nearby vessels widen and leak, and the fluid that collects lifts the skin. That is why a hive can appear in minutes and be gone in hours, leaving nothing behind.
- 1The wheal, lifted by fluid
- 2Flare around it
- 3Mast cell, releasing granules
- 4Vessels widen; fluid escapes
It is also why antihistamines are the treatment and why they are taken regularly rather than when a hive appears — they work by stopping the release, not by clearing what has already formed.
- The wheal, lifted by fluid
- Flare around it
- Mast cell, releasing granules
- Vessels widen; fluid escapes
Illustration, not a photograph.
Chronic hives
Hives for more than six weeks are a different problem.
Acute hives usually have a trigger and settle. Chronic urticaria. Weals coming and going for more than six weeks. Usually does not have an external trigger at all, which is why the extensive food-allergy testing patients often demand is unhelpful and frequently harmful.
It is managed rather than chased: antihistamines at properly optimised doses, a limited set of blood tests, and escalation where that is not enough. Most cases eventually resolve, though it can take a long time, and knowing that changes how the wait feels.
If it’s eczema rather than hivesIndividual weals last under 24 hours
If a single spot persists for days or leaves a bruise, it may not be ordinary urticaria and is investigated differently.
Food allergy testing rarely helps
In chronic urticaria it produces false positives and needless restriction far more often than it finds a cause.
Where to book
One clinic, in Secunderabad
Consulting rooms, phototherapy and the surgical list at one address in Secunderabad. The practice was formerly known as BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital.
How to book
On WhatsApp: one number, answered by the clinic team, who confirm a time and say what to bring.
- Photographs welcome before you travel
- Video consultation arranged the same way
Questions patients actually ask
Skin allergy questions
How do I know if my rash is an allergy?
Allergic rashes typically itch, appear soon after exposure, and settle when the exposure stops. A rash appearing exactly where something touched the skin, or within days of a new medicine, points that way. Many itchy rashes are not allergic at all.
Should I get allergy testing done?
Only where it will change the treatment. Patch testing is genuinely useful for suspected contact allergy. Broad food-allergy panels in chronic hives are not. They generate false positives and unnecessary dietary restriction.
My child has an itchy rash. Is it serious?
Most childhood rashes are not, and most are straightforward once named. Seek care the same day if there is fever, the rash does not fade when pressed, there is blistering, or the child is unwell rather than simply itchy.
Why does my rash keep coming back?
Either the trigger is still present, or it is a chronic condition rather than an allergy. Both are common. Recurrent rashes are worth a proper diagnosis rather than another round of the same cream.
Are over-the-counter combination creams safe?
The steroid-antifungal-antibiotic combinations sold widely in India cause real harm. They make fungal infections extensive and harder to treat, thin the skin, and disguise the diagnosis. They should not be used without a prescription.
What is chronic urticaria?
Hives that come and go for more than six weeks. Usually there is no external trigger to find. It is managed with optimised antihistamine dosing and escalation where needed, and most cases eventually resolve.
References
The clinical statements on this page follow the guidance and evidence below. They are independent sources. None of them is connected to this clinic, and none of them sells the treatments described here.
- Urticaria: an overviewDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Contact dermatitisDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Atopic dermatitisDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
Keep reading
Related on this site
The first appointment is a diagnosis.
Not a treatment plan sold on the spot. Message the clinic and bring your history.