Imagine this: You’ve been battling persistently irritated, itchy, and red skin for months—or maybe even years. You’ve tried everything, including prescription creams, harsh steroids, oral immunosuppressants with serious side effects, countless over-the-counter lotions, and even desperate home remedies. None has brought any kind of lasting relief. Every time you think you’ve found a solution, the symptoms ultimately return with a vengeance. The discomfort consumes your day, interferes with your sleep, and diminishes your confidence. You need to break the cycle. You need skin patch testing at Omaha’s Elkhorn Dermatology.
“Allergic contact dermatitis is often underestimated and frequently mislabeled as other skin conditions. Skin patch testing allows us to uncover hidden allergens and provide targeted treatment for lasting relief.”
The result? Without competent skin patch testing, patients are prescribed generic treatments, such as topical steroids that provide fleeting relief, or invasive biological therapies laden with risks—all while the true underlying cause remains unaddressed.
Living with a misdiagnosis or ineffective treatment is more than just frustrating. It’s profoundly damaging on multiple levels:
Patients often lose years chasing ineffective solutions, searching for answers, and advocating for proper care while their condition steadily deteriorates.
With more than three decades of dedicated experience, Dr. Brett Kettelhut is one of the nation’s leading authorities on allergic contact dermatitis and other allergic contact skin conditions. His unparalleled expertise has earned him recognition as a top specialist in identifying and treating chronic inflammatory skin issues.
Dr. Kettelhut offers both standard and highly specialized extended contact testing—also known as skin patch testing—meticulously designed to uncover the root cause of stubborn skin conditions. Through comprehensive consultations and evaluations, he crafts individualized plans to manage allergic skin diseases effectively, delivering solutions tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
At Omaha’s Elkhorn Dermatology, we believe you deserve more than temporary symptom relief. You deserve answers and lasting results. What sets us apart is our commitment to being more than just dermatologists. Instead, we’re investigative experts combining dermatology with cutting-edge allergy and immunology approaches. By integrating allergy and immunology insights, we connect the dots between your immune system, allergens, and skin symptoms, helping you achieve true healing, not just temporary relief.
“Many patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis are actually dealing with allergic contact dermatitis. Skin patch testing is vital in identifying the true source of their symptoms so we can guide them toward effective care.”
Dr. Kettelhut is very thorough. He listens to your health concerns and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. I immediately felt at ease during my appointments. Very kind and caring. And he solved my allergy issues when no one else was able to over the last two years.
I have a college soccer player who suddenly had trouble breathing. After 6 months of trying to get her help, we came to Dr Kettelhut. Suffice to say we’re on the right track now! He spent the time she needed, was easy to talk to and did I mention that he’s got a pretty darn good sense of humor?! Very grateful to have found his practice I’d give him 6 stars if I could!
You might need to visit an immunologist-allergist for your skin care if:
We understand how chronic skin problems affect every facet of your life, and we’re here to help you break free from the cycle of frustration.
Schedule a consultation with Elkhorn Dermatology today. Let’s change your story from frustration to freedom, one step at a time.
"Proper diagnosis is critical for treating skin disorders. Skin patch testing empowers us to distinguish allergic contact dermatitis from similar conditions, preventing years of ineffective treatments and unnecessary suffering."
Accurate diagnosis via skin patch testing is key to empowering patients to manage their condition effectively, delivering lasting results over temporary solutions.
Skin patch testing is the gold standard for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and offers clarity that other methods, such as prick allergy testing, cannot. Unlike prick tests that detect immediate, IgE-mediated allergies (e.g., hay fever, asthma, food allergies), skin patch testing targets delayed-type, cell-mediated hypersensitivity reactions that cause ACD. Comprehensive skin patch testing is a highly specialized procedure that requires the expertise and advanced training of a skilled physician to ensure accurate results and effective treatment.
Dr. Kettelhut uses skin patch testing to uncover the causes of skin problems, like redness, swelling, blisters, or irritation. This test helps him tell the difference between allergic reactions and irritation from everyday products or chemicals. By reviewing the test results alongside your personal history, what you’ve been exposed to, and a physical exam, he identifies which substances are clinically important—meaning they’re most likely responsible for your skin issues—and helps you figure out how to avoid them.
By reproducing allergic reactions in a safe, controlled environment, skin patch testing ensures high specificity and reliability. It enables Dr. Kettelhut to develop targeted recommendations and eliminate sources of irritation, making it a transformative tool for patients suffering from allergic contact dermatitis. Stop the endless cycle of symptom treatments and opt for skin patch testing—a cost-effective, long-lasting solution that gets to the heart of the problem.
Discover more about Elkhorn Dermatology and our experienced providers, and learn why families throughout our community trust us for personalized, high-quality dermatologic care.
Monday – Friday:
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
