Symptoms
Symptoms of infected or reactive skin
Infection tends to be painful, hot, and spreading. Allergy tends to be itchy and linked to a new exposure. Either can make you unwell if severe.
Treatments
Skin Infection Treatment Online
Request skin infection or reaction treatment online. A clinician reviews rashes and infected skin, with discreet UK delivery if treatment is suitable.
Introduction
Treatment overview
Skin infections include impetigo, infected eczema, cellulitis, and boils. Allergic reactions can look similar at first: red, itchy, or blistered skin after a new cream, plant, or medicine. Getting the pattern right matters because antibiotics do not treat allergy, and steroid creams can worsen some infections.
Private Pharmacy Care can review localised infected skin or a typical allergic rash in eligible adults. Rapidly spreading redness, blistering of the mouth or eyes, or feeling very unwell needs urgent NHS care. We also have dedicated pages for impetigo, eczema, shingles, and chickenpox.
The condition
What are skin infections and reactions?
Skin infections happen when bacteria (or sometimes viruses or fungi) enter through a break in the skin. Impetigo causes golden crusts. Cellulitis is spreading heat and redness in deeper skin. Infected eczema weeps and worsens. Allergic or irritant reactions cause itch, redness, and sometimes blisters after a new product, plant, or medicine.
These problems can look alike in photos. Antibiotics do not treat allergy. Steroid creams can worsen untreated infection. That is why a consultation asks about pus, new medicines, and how fast the rash is spreading.
Private Pharmacy Care can review selected localised cases after an online consultation. A clinician decides. Completing a form does not guarantee a prescription. Rapidly spreading or blistering disease needs urgent NHS care.
Causes
Causes of skin infections and reactions
Broken skin, close contact, and a new chemical or medicine are the usual stories. Immune-suppressing treatment raises the stakes.
Products
Available products
Benefits
Benefits and uses
A clinician can choose between an antibiotic, a steroid or emollient plan, or signposting you to in-person care. Completing a consultation does not guarantee any medicine.
Infection versus allergy
We will ask about pus, golden crusts, new products, and medicines so the plan matches the cause.
Localised antibiotic options
Where bacterial infection is likely and limited, a reviewed antibiotic may be considered.
Reaction advice
Stopping the trigger and using emollients is often the first step for contact reactions.
Clearer next steps
We will point you to impetigo, eczema, or urgent care when that is the safer route.
Eligibility
Eligibility
A small area of infected skin or a typical contact rash in an otherwise well adult may be suitable. Widespread blistering, facial cellulitis, and immunocompromised patients usually are not.
May be suitable if
- A limited patch of crusted, weeping, or spreading redness you can photograph in your mind and describe clearly
- You can start treatment promptly and watch the edge of the rash
- You will seek urgent care if it spreads rapidly or you develop fever
- You can list new soaps, plants, and medicines from the last fortnight
May not be suitable if
- Fever, confusion, or rapidly spreading redness — possible serious infection; urgent care
- Blisters in the mouth or eyes, peeling skin, or a severe medicine rash — emergency assessment
- A painful rash in a stripe on one side of the body — consider shingles instead
- Orbital swelling, a bite on the face, or you are on immunosuppressants
A clinician decides whether treatment is appropriate. Completing a consultation does not guarantee a prescription.
Start a consultation
Ready to check if skin infection treatment is right for you?
Start a confidential consultation. Seek urgent care for rapidly spreading redness, blistering, or fever.
- UK-registered clinician review
- Confidential online consultation
- Discreet UK delivery
How it works
How it works
Antibiotics kill bacteria in infected skin. Mild topical steroids reduce allergic inflammation once infection is not the main problem. Emollients repair the barrier. Do not share towels if impetigo is possible. Finish antibiotics if they are prescribed.
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Complete a consultation
Answer a short, confidential questionnaire about your symptoms, medical history and current medicines.
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Clinician review
A UK-registered clinician reviews your answers to check the treatment is safe and appropriate for you.
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Dispensing and delivery
If a prescription is issued, our pharmacy dispenses the medicine and sends it in discreet UK packaging.
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Support if you need it
Questions after you start treatment? Contact the team and we will help you with next steps.
Safety
Safety information
Necrotising infection is rare but severe pain out of proportion to the skin change is an emergency.
Stevens–Johnson-type medicine reactions need hospital care, not another cream.
- Go to A&E if you have spreading infection with fever, or peeling skin with mouth ulcers after a new medicine.
- Keep nails short and avoid scratching infected areas.
- See our impetigo or eczema pages if that is clearly the diagnosis.
- Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with a medicine. This page is general information and is not a substitute for personalised clinical advice.
Side effects
Side effects
Antibiotics can upset the stomach. Steroid creams can thin skin if overused. Always read the leaflet for the product you are given.
- Nausea or diarrhoea (antibiotics) Seek help for severe or bloody diarrhoea.
- Burning from a cream Stop if the skin becomes much worse and ask us.
- Skin thinning (steroids) Use the strength and duration advised, especially on the face.
- Allergic reaction to a medicine Stop. Breathing difficulty or widespread blistering is an emergency.
Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with a medicine. This page is general information and is not a substitute for personalised clinical advice.
Using treatment
How to take or use the treatment
Always read the leaflet for any cream or antibiotic. The steps below are general.
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Apply creams to clean, dry skin
A thin layer is enough for steroids. Emollients can be used more generously, leaving a gap before a steroid if both are used.
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Finish antibiotics if prescribed
Do not stop when the crusts look better unless a clinician says to. Seek help if you are worse at 48 hours.
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Avoid spreading infection
Towels, pillowcases and sports kit should not be shared. Keep nails short.
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Stop a suspected culprit medicine if it is safe
Do not stop steroids, insulin, or epilepsy medicines without advice. Same-day professional advice is needed for widespread drug rashes.
Safety netting
When to seek medical advice
Many local rashes settle with the right plan. A few skin presentations are emergencies.
Seek urgent help (A&E) if
- Rapidly spreading redness with fever, or pain out of proportion to the skin change — go to A&E.
- Swelling around an eye, a painful red eye, or vision change — urgent care.
- Blistering of the mouth, eyes or genitals, or peeling skin after a new medicine — emergency assessment.
- A non-blanching rash with fever, or you feel extremely unwell — go to A&E.
Contact a clinician or NHS 111 if
- No improvement after 48 hours of treatment, or the rash keeps returning in the same place.
- You are on immunosuppressants, have poorly controlled diabetes, or the area is large — lower threshold for a GP or urgent care.
- A painful stripe of blisters on one side of the body — start our shingles pathway or seek same-day advice; antivirals work best early.
- A patch or ulcer lasting more than 3 weeks — GP examination (two-week pathway if cancer is possible).
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Tap a question to see the answer. If you still need help, our team is ready to assist.
Should I use this page or the impetigo page?
Use impetigo if you have typical golden crusts, especially around the face. Use this page for mixed or unclear infected or reactive rashes.
Can you treat cellulitis online?
Only selected localised cases. Facial, orbital, or rapidly spreading cellulitis needs urgent in-person care.
Is a new medicine rash an allergy?
It can be. Stop the new medicine if it is safe to do so and seek advice the same day if the rash is widespread or you feel unwell.
Is this service available now?
Yes. Start an online consultation. Use urgent NHS care now if the rash is spreading fast or you are systemically unwell.
Why choose us
Why choose Private Pharmacy Care?
A regulated UK pharmacy service with clinician review, discreet delivery and support if you have questions after treatment is supplied.
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UK-registered clinicians
Every request is reviewed by a UK-registered clinician before a medicine can be prescribed.
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Confidential consultations
Complete a private questionnaire from home. Your information is used to check that treatment is safe and appropriate.
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Discreet UK dispensing
If a prescription is issued, our pharmacy dispenses it and sends it in plain packaging.
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Clear safety checks
We ask about your symptoms, medical history and other medicines. Completing a form does not guarantee a prescription.
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Support after you order
Questions about side effects or how to take a medicine? Contact the team and we will help you with next steps.
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Regulated pharmacy care
Private Pharmacy Care is a UK pharmacy service. Named clinicians and public register details are listed on our clinical team page.
Sources
References and medical sources
This page is general information for UK patients. It is not a substitute for the patient information leaflet or personalised clinical advice.
- NHS health A to Z Patient-facing NHS guidance.
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries UK clinical reference used by healthcare professionals.
- Electronic Medicines Compendium (emc) UK Summaries of Product Characteristics and patient information leaflets.
- MHRA UK medicines regulator.
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