Allergen control. An indispensable treatment for allergic contact dermatitis.

Patch testing is performed to find out the causative allergens for patients, and once they are found, to indicate the exclusive usage of daily necessities that do not contain the causative allergens is necessary, such as when the contact dermatitis is recurrent, persistent, or complicated by secondary hyperpigmentation. Such a procedure has been called "allergen control." Sufficient success has been obtained in the categories of soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, underwear, and some dental metals in Japan with cooperation of industries, and summaries of these investigations are reported.