Contact dermatitis in black patients.

Black patients readily acquire allergic contact dermatitis from such contactants as paraphenylenediamine, nickel, chromates, and mercaptobenzothiazole. Such dermatitis is often complicated by hyperpigmentation and lichenification unless treated early anf vigorously with systemic corticosteroids. Patch testing is reliable on black skin. In addition, acne veneate (pomade acne, Vaselinoderma), which is characterized by noninflammatory acneiform lesions, is very common in black persons. Finally, the old wives' tale that blacks do not get poison ivy may be laid to rest, along with the popular notion that Indians chewed poison ivy leaves in order to prevent poison ivy dermatitis. Several years ago, I interviewed an Indian Chief on a western reservation and inquired whether, to his knowledge, Indians did ever chew poison ivy leaves. The chief's immediate answer was, "You white men must be crazy to think that we would be that foolish!".