Dermatosis neglecta
Dermatosis neglecta is a skin condition caused by the buildup of oil, dead skin, sweat, and dirt in a small area. It creates a discolored patch or a plaque on the skin and happens when a part of the body isn’t cleaned properly, often because of pain, disability, immobility, or simply not washing enough.
The patch usually appears after a period of reduced cleaning. It often goes away quickly with thorough cleaning. Rubbing the area with alcohol or soap and water can both diagnose and treat it.
A simple cleansing method that can help is using Dawn dish soap: dampen the skin, apply a thick layer of soap, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub gently with a wet washcloth in circular motions.
Dermatosis neglecta should be distinguished from dermatitis artefacta, which is a self-made lesion. Other conditions that can look similar include terra firma-forme dermatosis and several skin diseases such as ichthyosis or acanthosis nigricans.
The term was first described in 1995 by Poskitt and colleagues.
Examples from reports include a man who avoided washing around an implanted pacemaker out of fear it might be damaged; a woman who didn’t clean near an abdominal scar after mastectomy due to hyperesthesia; a girl afraid to wash around an abdominal scar; and a man with multiple fractures and limited mobility.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:16 (CET).