Skin Testing for Metro Detroit, Farmington Hills, MI | Allergy & Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan | Pediatric and Adult Allergists & Allergy and Immunology

Skin Testing services offered in Metro Detroit, Farmington Hills, MI

Skin testing produces quick results, identifying the substances causing your allergies and paving the way for making the best treatment choices. At Allergy & Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan, Chad W. Mayer, DO, FAAAAI, FAAP, performs diagnostic allergy skin testing in the office. If your allergy symptoms aren’t well controlled and you want more effective treatments, the first step is skin testing. To learn more, book an appointment online or call the office in Farmington Hills, Michigan, today.

What is skin testing?

Skin testing includes several procedures to identify the substances causing your allergies (allergens). When performing skin testing, the team at Allergy & Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan exposes your skin to your potential allergens and watches for signs of an allergic reaction.

What type of skin testing will I need?

Your provider begins with a skin prick test, which can detect nearly every type of allergen except those that come into contact with your skin. If needed, they may do an intradermal skin test.

Skin prick test

Your provider marks your skin so they can keep track of the allergens being tested. Your provider uses a small disposable plastic device dipped in the allergen to gently prick the skins surface. They can test for many allergens at once, so they repeat that process for each.

You relax in the office for 15 minutes, then your provider checks for skin reactions to the allergens. If a red bump develops, you’re allergic to that substance. Your provider evaluates the size of the skin reaction to estimate your sensitivity to the allergen.

Intradermal skin test

Your provider injects a tiny amount of allergen in the skin’s surface. Like a skin prick test, they closely watch for a reaction to learn if you’re allergic to that allergen.

The team at Allergy & Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan often does an intradermal skin test for insect venom, penicillin and environmental allergens. They also use it to verify the results if your skin prick test was negative but your symptoms indicate you have an allergy.

How does skin testing detect contact allergens?

Contact allergens activate an immune response when they come into direct contact with your skin. This includes many possible allergens, ranging from poison ivy to latex, nickel, soaps, and chemicals in skin care products.

To identify contact allergens, your provider performs a skin patch test. They put allergens on a self-adhesive patch and place the patch on your back.

You wear the patch for two days (being careful to keep it dry) before returning to the office so they can check for skin reactions.

To learn more about skin testing, call Allergy & Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan or request an appointment online today.

We offer fully customizable treatment for food allergies, including Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) and Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) exclusively or in tandem with Xolair. Dr. Mayer has been treating food allergies for over 20 years and was one of the first providers to incorporate Xolair into successful food allergy treatments. Call us to book your appointment today.