Please help me identify this rash

[Cudz]

Hi
For background I have never suffered with skin allergies or rashes previously, however around 8 months ago I've developed some kind of dermatitis or something that causes my eyelids (upper and underneath) to be constantly red, dry and scaly and they swell up at least once a week too which is a nightmare. It took me an age to see a GP but when I finally did I had to push hard for a referral to the allergy clinic which they did but that was months ago and I haven't heard a thing.
Last week I woke up and my shoulders, neck and chest are now covered in the awful, angry, itchy, raised rash shown in the photo attached. Again I've tried to see the GP about it but can't get an appointment and the pharmacy won't give me any advise as I have an open referral. Does anyone have an idea what the rash is? Is it hives? Because I can't get any medical advice I've just been putting aveeno on but I'm not sure if that's making it worse? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

@Eskimolove they did originally suspect blepharitis but once they'd seen my eyes in person they ruled that out and said it was definately a skin allergy/reaction. They did try cetraban on me but that burnt and irritated me. They also tried a couple of other emollients which also irritated so said they couldn't offer anything further as it needs a specialist hence my referral. One GP was toying with prescribing some 1% hydrocortisone cream but then said they couldn't as the skin on my eyelids and underneath my eyes was already too thin. I tend to put vasaline on them a couple of nights each week now to try and stop the severe dryness but that doesn't do anything. I'm just stuck until I can see a specialist but I've been advised that could be a couple of years wait due to waiting lists.
Interestingly the GP asked if I'd had covid and I did about a month before my eye issues started. They said they've seen a massive increase in skin issues and allergies in people who've had covid. Who knows! I'm convinced this new rash is linked to what's happening with my eyes though and I'm worried I'm just going yo end up with my entire body covered in these awful rashes 😞

For info I have attached an image of what my eyelids are like everyday (this isn't a pic of me as it may be too outing showing my eye online but is a google image of eyelid contact dermatitis which is exactly how my eyelids look daily - red, sore, scaly and very very itchy). I have also attached another photo of how the rash on my chest, neck, shoulders and back looks today.

Do the individual spots stay, or come and go?

Today's picture does look like guttate psoriasis, which isn't an allergy. Have you had a bacterial infection recently?

The spots stay all the time. As far as I know I haven't had any kind of infection

The eyelid definitely looks like my Psoriasis which I sometimes get on my eyelids.

Thanks @Chuckiegg what do you use on your eyelids please?

I only use E45 or almond oil to ease the dryness but I don't have any on my eyelids at the moment.
I recently used a prescribed steroid cream elsewhere but the information sheet with that says not to use near eyes.

I wouldn't say an infection personally I think looks more like an allergic reaction. I come out in hives if I take certain antibiotics.

Thanks everyone. It hasn't got any better and is still the same. Just hope it starts to go soon. The constant urge not to itch is driving me crazy 🙃

Keep on top of antihistamines aswell to try keep the urge at bay.

Looks v sore. Have you changed your washing powder at all? Wondering if it's something on your pillow?

@BananaChunk No change to washing powder no, plus I also use non-bio. Like I said all of my skin issues do seem to have started following me having covid. It could be complete coincidence though x

Poor you, it looks so sore :(

The rash saga continues. I'm still absolutely covered as you can see from the photo taken today. GP's just prescribed a different cream which is absolutely useless and said they didn't have a clue and they would chase on my referral but still looking to be a 2 year wait. I'm so sick of looking an absolute state covered in this awful rash. It's really really affecting my self confidence now. I just wish I knew what was causing it 🙁

Do you have a known nickel allergy? I had something almost identical (including the neck/chest rash and face covered in a type of dermatitis) after a bout of covid, and those areas just erupted! Derm found I had gained a nickel allergy and was put on a immunosuppressant cream called Elidel, and I looked 100% 'normal' only 3 days later!

@SprinkleOfInsanity potentially but I don't wear any jewellery so cant see if being that unfortunately

If you have become really sensitive to it, it can transfer from your fingers by touching anything with nickel in it! Thankfully after 6 weeks of the cream I could go back to normal; but even touching the sink tap and then touching my collarbone would cause the rash initially! So bizarre.

It’s psoriasis my daughter started out exactly like you.
Doctors useless got a private referral steroids worked for a bit but we had to move on to light box therapy.She was only 8 bless her when it started and we spent years trooping back and forth to hospital.
I really hope I am wrong and it’s something easy to sort.

@Lolly49 thank you. So does this look just how your daughter's did? So worrying that a GP can't recognise psoriasis during my consultation - surely it wouldn't be anything that they haven't seen before!

Yes it does, started on her chest and then went behind her hair.Gp kept saying it was an allergy but it just got progressively worse .It I think possibly when it first starts may not be recognised as Psoriasis that’s the best excuse I can come up with.

Thank you. Will definately raise this with my GP via an econsult (can't get an appointment) and see what they say and whether they can prescribe some alternative cream more tailored for psoriasis to begin with....

Good luck neem soap and shampoo also helped especially when it went to her scalp.

Great thank you. Feeling quite sad if it is psoriasis as from basic googling it appears to be quite a complex condition - an allergy was actually preferable as we would hopefully have just being able to identify an allergy that I could then avoid x

Psoriasis can be exacerbated by stress, so if it is that, it can flare up even more. My DH suffers from it, but most of the time he has it under control, so hopefully you'll get sorted and it will be manageable for you.

Poor you. That looks very uncomfortable. Waiting two years is unacceptable. Can you afford a one off dermatology appointment? If you can, try and find a consultant who also works NHS and who would be able to transfer over you over as soon as they appropriately can.