What Happens During Allergy Skin Testing? - Nemours Children's Health System

People can be allergic to many different things, like foods, pollen, mold, dust, or pets.
If there’s something you might be allergic to, you can have an allergy skin test to help find out.
For a allergy skin test to work well, you need to be off most allergy medicines for a week.

So what happens during a skin test?
First, the nurse cleans the skin where the test is going to be done. This is often on the back or the arm.

Then you’ll get numbers on your skin so it is clear where each thing being tested will go.

Then you’ll get little pricks or scratches at each of these spots. This puts a little bit of what is being tested into the top layer of your skin.

Next you wait for about 15 minutes. This can be hard, because your skin might get really itchy!

But it’s important not to touch the area of the test. It can help to gently fan it with a piece of paper. And a book or game can help keep your mind off the itching.

The doctor or nurse will look to see where you get any red bumps on your skin, and how big they are. This can help show what you are allergic to.

When the test is done, the nurse will help you clean off your skin. The itching and bumps will go away soon.

[CannibalWHORE]

“It was more annoying than pain”
Lol my thoughts on life

[alexandriamcmanus]

Thank you so much for making this video! My daughter is getting tested soon. To prepare her, I like to show her videos of what to expect. This was an awesome video!

[Flimedbykayyyyy]

Thank you so much for this I’m getting a skin test this Thursday I was very scared but now I feel better and I’m ready for this Thursday

[DaniASMRtist]

if I had to get it on my back then have fun going around my back acne LMAO

[sarahweider]

Thanks buddy! You did great!! I have a test tomorrow and I was very nervous but I’m feeling much better after watching your video. Thanks again ✌️

[xxdementedxx]

Thankyou, I'm getting a allergy test today! I was super worried . But I'm not that scared anymore!

[stephaniesummers]

This video was so helpful for my daughter! Thank you

[malish]

Thanks for the info. I will be having my test done and I’m terrified of needles or anything that I can’t see. So this gives me an idea, so I won’t be blind sided when I go in to my appointment.

[danimejia]

*has a skin test tomorrow
*watches 10 million videos of allergic tests
(Edit)
(It went well it was more itchy on the back but on the arms it hurted like a bitch)

[TamptheChamp]

If you have any questions, don’t be afwaid to ask them

[LuisTorres-flxe]

Looks like he was allergic to everything 😷

[Lol-kwhx]

I had an allergic test but I had it on my back and arm with was around 57 of those pricks

[Prince_Icarus]

Got at the back yesterday. It really just itches and the needles don’t really hurt.

[AllenHanPR]

Most people that never been. You're gonna show signs of allergy to 80% of the stuff, but it's so mild you're use to it.

Having a test result of 40/60 is very common.

[seiji]

i have a really BIG fear of needles and what i mean by that ㅡ it's really bad. i'm 16 but i still cry in laboratories and i'm really scared about getting an allergy test. but i've struggled ever since because i'm allergic to dogs, dust, seafood, fur, and chicken so i'll just do it anyway lmao can anybody please tell me if the pricks hurt??? 😢

[codyshi]

Can we choose where the test can be done? Or are we required to do the test on our back? Do most test, last for 15 minutes? Or could it be longer?

[alasterjones]

I had a skin test like this and I found out I was allergic to every tree they tested lol

[waltherwite]

I just done this the numbing cream on my arms helped but when the needles poked it it still hurt and teensy hit

[narutoninjagoandtheflashar]

I finally see how it’s done now, thanks to this video. I got mine done yesterday again after 13 years 😂. But since I am scared of needles 💉, I didn’t even look at how it’s done and just let the nurse do it to get it over with 😬. But now, I’m curious as to how it’s actually done. The needle is actually a lot smaller than I feared. And I really overreacted to this thing for weeks. Cuz since I already did it before, I already know exactly how it’s gonna go. I just didn’t even bother looking at how it looks like cuz like I said, fear of needles, so yeah. But after watching this video, I finally saw how it’s done. So that’s good! But yeah! It itches like crazy afterwards. And I’m still feeling so itchy today. But that’s the whole point of the test. It’ll go away soon

[Neatrior]

I’ve had this done so many times during my childhood. Had my final one around 3 years ago. I am no longer allergic to some nuts like cashews, hazelnuts and a few others. Now I eat cashews regularly and love em. Ironic considering I was deathly allergic to them when I was really little. Allergies are weird man. 🤷‍♀️