Facial rashes that form after eating strawberries or having the fruit brush against your face may be a sign of an allergic reaction. If you develop a facial rash along with other symptoms after you eat strawberries, you most likely have a food allergy. If you only develop a facial rash where your skin was exposed to the strawberry, you may have a condition called allergic contact dermatitis. These conditions are different and have different treatments. Talk with your doctor and dermatologist for a clinical diagnosis.
Food Allergy
Strawberries are known as common triggers of allergic reactions in the body. If allergic, you develop a face rash after eating strawberries because of the production of histamine in the skin, which causes inflammation in soft tissue. Essentially, your immune system overreacts to the proteins in strawberries, identifying them as a harmful substances -- even though they are actually safe. This triggers the production of immunoglobulin E antibodies that cause mast cells in your skin to produce histamine. Histamine released in your face causes swelling and irritation.
Food Allergy Rashes
The most common face rash due to strawberry allergy is hives. Hives will form within minutes of eating the strawberry as large welts that can form separately and migrate together. Hives are very itchy and can spread to other parts of the body. Hives do not pose any serious threat but can lead to complications if they form in your throat or inner-ear. Allergy rashes on your face will be accompanied with other symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloating and nasal congestion.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis is a different condition from a food allergy, primarily because it is localized to the area of skin that is directly touched by the strawberry. For example, if you after eating a strawberry you notice that the area around your mouth is inflamed and red without any other symptom, you most likely have this condition. Allergic contact dermatitis causes blisters, inflammation and itchiness on the affected area.
Rash Treatment
A face rash from a food allergy is most effectively treated by avoiding the allergen altogether. If you accidentally ingest a strawberry, call your doctor and take an antihistamine. Allergic contact dermatitis is treated by cleansing the affected area of the skin with soap and water and applying a steroid-based cream, such as hydrocortisone.
