If eating potatoes causes your chin and cheeks to turn red, you may have an allergy to potatoes. Most food-related allergies cause skin reactions to occur after you eat the food or if the food touches the skin. To properly determine if the rash is related to an allergy, see an allergist and undergo testing to confirm the allergy and receive a clinical diagnosis. Once diagnosed, you will be advised to eliminate potatoes from your diet. Do not attempt to treat your symptoms without a doctor's oversight.
Potato Allergy Cause
Potatoes are not considered a highly allergic food, but they can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Most food allergies affect children, especially when new foods are first introduced during infancy. If eating a potato triggers an allergic skin reaction, it is because your immune system mistakes the proteins in the potato as a dangerous substance. Instead of recognizing that the proteins are harmless, the immune system reacts as if they body were under attack. This causes cells in the body to produce antibodies and other chemicals to fight off the substance, which triggers skin reactions.
Rash from Consumption
A rash that forms on your chin and cheeks from consuming potatoes is most likely eczema or hives. Eczema will only develop if you have a history of this skin condition. Eczema is a chronic condition that is triggered by the environment, dry skin and allergies. The rash forms primarily on the face, hands and legs. Hives can form in anyone at any time when the rash is triggered. After consuming potatoes, the increased levels of histamine in the skin can trigger hives. Hives develop in clusters that can migrate from one area of the body to another. They are extremely itchy and spread when irritated.
Contact Rash
A common allergic rash condition that affects children is contact allergic dermatitis. This rash occurs when an allergic substance comes into direct contact with the skin. Unlike a rash from consuming potatoes, it is localized only to the area of the skin that touched the potato. This would explain the rash on the chin and cheeks, as opposed to elsewhere on the body. Wash the affected area with soap and water to alleviate the irritation.
Treatment
Treat skin rashes from a potato allergy by avoiding the consumption and direct skin contact with potatoes. The rash itself can be treated by taking an oral antihistamine and applying a steroid-based cream, such as hydrocortisone. Report all skin reactions after eating potatoes to your doctor for further assessment.
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