Identify an Early Poison Ivy Rash: Pictures, Symptoms, Solutions
Skin ConditionsPoison Ivy
Explore This Topic

How to Know if You Have an Early Poison Ivy Rash: Pictures and Symptoms

If you have a red rash on your hands, arms, or legs that's accompanied by intense itching, you may have had a brush with poison ivy. Here’s what to do if you think you’ve been exposed to the plant.
How to Know if You Have an Early Poison Ivy Rash: Pictures and Symptoms
Adobe Stock
By
Updated on January 10, 2025
by
Nothing ruins a walk in the woods quite as fast as poison ivy, a plant that causes an allergic reaction in up to 75 percent of people who come into contact with it.

Poison ivy contains an oil called urushiol, which causes a red, itchy rash when it transfers to the skin. Every part of the plant contains this oil, from the roots to the stem to the leaves, so it’s important to steer clear of poison ivy whenever you can. Still, even if you’ve been exposed to urushiol oil, you can take some precautions to ward off a skin rash.

How to Identify Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac

Your first line of defense against poison ivy, oak, and sumac is being able to identify them outdoors. They look different based on the season, species, and area that they're growing in. Stephanie Sy has the scoop.
How to Identify Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac

Next up video playing in 10 seconds

What Are the Symptoms of a New Case of Poison Ivy?

The symptoms of a poison ivy rash include the following:

  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Bumps
  • Swelling
  • Blistering
  • Black spots or streaks (rarely)
The rash typically appears 12 to 48 hours after exposure to poison ivy and lasts two to three weeks.

The rash develops only where your skin was exposed to the oil. Touching the rash doesn’t spread it, and the rash itself is not contagious. However, if you still have oil from the plant on your fingers and then you touch your face, for example, it’s possible to transfer the oil to other parts of your body and cause the rash there as well. Urushiol tends to absorb quickly, so you’re at risk of spreading it for just a short period.

Generally, the areas of the skin with the most oil on them will develop a rash first; the areas with less oil will develop a rash later.

It's also possible for the oil from poison ivy to stick to your clothing, shoes, and even your pet’s fur. In this case, touching your clothing or pet could also cause a rash. (Most pets aren’t allergic to poison ivy, though.)

full blown poison ivy rash arm
A more severe case of poison ivy can include blisters and swelling.Michael Moloney/Adobe Stock

What Treatments Are Available for a Poison Ivy Rash?

You don’t necessarily need to treat a poison ivy rash, as it will subside by itself. If this is your first rash, it can last for 21 days or longer. If you’ve had one before, the rash should subside within 14 days.

 But just because the rash will fade more quickly doesn’t mean the itch will be less intense. The more you’re exposed to poison ivy, the more severe your allergic reaction may be.

If you think you may have touched poison ivy, washing your skin within 10 to 20 minutes to remove any potential urushiol oil may help prevent a rash. Here’s how:

  • Wash your skin with either rubbing alcohol, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, or a poison ivy soap or cleanser. Wash gently; scrubbing too hard can rub the plant’s oil deeper into your skin.
  • Rinse your skin under cool water to wash away the cleanser and prevent any possible irritation from that product.
  • Wash under your nails to get any oil that may be stuck, as it can spread to other areas if you touch them.

If the rash has already appeared, you can try to ease the itch by applying calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to the skin or taking an oral antihistamine (a topical antihistamine can make the itching worse).

If you develop skin blisters, try not to break them open, since tearing the skin can leave you more vulnerable to an infection.

Is It Possible to Prevent Poison Ivy?

The best way to prevent poison ivy is to avoid the plant altogether, but to do that, you need to know what it looks like. There are two types of poison ivy in the United States, both of which have clusters of three leaves (hence the saying, “Leaves of three, let it be”).

  • Eastern poison ivy is a hairy, ropelike vine that has three shiny green leaves and one small stem (although in the fall, the leaves can turn red). It’s found in Arizona and throughout the Midwest, South, and Northeast.
  • Western poison ivy is a low shrub with three leaves that may have yellow or green flowers and white to green-yellow berries. It’s found throughout the West, Midwest, and Northeast.

If you’re going to be outdoors in an area where poison ivy grows, you can take a few precautions to avoid getting the oil on your skin:

  • Wear long clothing like long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and boots. If you’re handling the plant directly, wear gloves.
  • Apply an ivy blocker — also known as bentoquatam lotion — to form a coating that protects the skin from the urushiol oil, preventing rashes.

     About 15 minutes before going outdoors, apply the product to the areas of your skin that are likely to come into contact with poison ivy, including your arms, legs, and hands.

It’s also a good idea to wash all your clothing in a washing machine using hot water and laundry detergent, and bathe any pets.

When Should I See a Doctor?

If you frequently encounter poison ivy outdoors — for example, if you work in areas where it often grows — you may want to talk to your doctor about ways to prevent rashes.

You should go to an emergency room or call 911 right away if you’re experiencing signs of a severe allergic reaction or these potentially serious health issues:

  • Trouble breathing or swallowing
  • A rash around your mouth, genitals, or one or both eyes
  • Swelling on the face, including swelling of one or both eyes
  • Intense itching that interferes with your ability to sleep
  • A rash on most of your body
  • A fever
  • An infection (pus, yellow fluid, odor, increased tenderness)
  • Irritation after being exposed to the smoke of burning poison ivy

The Takeaway

  • If you're dealing with a red, itchy rash after being outdoors, you might have encountered poison ivy, which causes about 75 percent of people to have an allergic reaction.
  • Symptoms include swelling, blistering, redness, and itching.
  • If this happens to you, wash your skin with mild soap and water promptly to shorten the duration of these symptoms.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Susan-Bard-bio

Susan Bard, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Susan Bard, MD, is a clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine and an adjunct clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City. Her professional interests include Mohs micrographic surgery, cosmetic and laser procedures, and immunodermatology.

She is a procedural dermatologist with the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

Dr. Bard has written numerous book chapters and articles for many prominent peer-reviewed journals, and authored the textbook The Laser Treatment of Vascular Lesions.

See full bio
Maria Masters

Maria Masters

Author

Maria Masters is a contributing editor and writer for Everyday Health and What to Expect, and she has held positions at Men's Health and Family Circle. Her work has appeared in Health, on Prevention.com, on MensJournal.com, and in HGTV Magazine, among numerous other print and digital publications.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Kim Y et al. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Dermatitis: What Is Known and What Is New? Dermatitis: Contact, Atopic, Occupational, Drug. May-June 2019.
  2. Poison Ivy Rash. Mayo Clinic. May 15, 2024.
  3. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: What Does the Rash Look Like? American Academy of Dermatology Association.
  4. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: Who Gets a Rash, and Is It Contagious? American Academy of Dermatology Association.
  5. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: What Should I Do if I Touch a Plant? American Academy of Dermatology Association.
  6. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: How to Treat the Rash. American Academy of Dermatology Association.
  7. Poisonous Plants and Work. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 28, 2024.
  8. Western Poison Ivy (Toxicondendron Rydbergii). U.S. Forest Service.
  9. Bentoquatam Topical. MedlinePlus. February 15, 2018.
  10. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: How Can I Prevent a Rash? American Academy of Dermatology Association.
  11. Poison Ivy – Oak – Sumac Rash. MedlinePlus. July 8, 2023.