Skin testing

Skin testing helps determine what you are allergic to. It involves placing a small amount of allergen on your skin and making a small indentation or “prick” on the surface of your skin. If you have allergies, you will experience a small amount of swelling, redness and itching where the allergen(s) you are allergic to were introduced.

If your skin prick tests are negative, your health care provider may order a more sensitive test called an “intradermal” test, where a small amount of allergen is injected just beneath the skin.