My 2 Cents is .... Dr.'s have a little joke about why it' s so good being a dermatoligist: "Your patients aren't likely to die, but on the other hand they aren't likely to get better either." Ha, ha. Allergies can be real money makers for them. In the first place it can be difficult (used to be much harder) to just find out WHAT is making the patient "react". In this case that isn't so hard, because you've been exposed to a "Known irritant". Why are some people allergic and others not? Why can a patient sometimes develop a "reaction" AFTER having been exposed for a long time and THEN :all of the sudden..."???? Medical science doesn't always know the reason, but they know that some people regularly develop rashes suddenly to substances that did not cause a "reaction" before. Allergic reactions are a complex topic, but here is my take on your question. I think that you body never "liked" it's exposure to epoxy, but each time it was able to "deal" with the effect (limited). Like any healthy person can be exposed to any toxin in a small amount for a limited time and either be ok or recover quickly. But here we are talking "repeated" exposures. And each exposure has more effect that is cummulitave and finally the day comes when the body's exposures cause it to become "sensitized" to the particular substance. Then it is possible for just the smallest bit if epoxy to cause the body to "react" with it's full response reaction (a response that to us seems an "over reaction", but to the body is it's way of saying I "Takes all I can, and I can takes no more." To a body sensitised to epoxy, exposure means "WAR" now. If you have developed a "rash" from epoxy exposure it could also be "Possible" that your body is "sensitized" now by some OTHER substance that is irritating and making you just more allergic generally (Possible, but most likely it is the epoxy itself). This is not likely to be what has happened to you, but it is worth considering it to see if you have been also exposed to other possible irritants). But for my money after all this, I would do my best to keep my body from any exposure as much as possible. Don't get in on your skin PERIOD (not easy if you have to work with the stuff, but if it is not done now that you have devloped a rash then you are looking for more trouble, as the reaction is unlikely to get better with more exposure, but rather to "flare" more and more with each time. Each person hs a unique reaction and sensitivity, so if you are aware of your surroundings it is possible that with patience you could understand what your body is trying to tell you better. Also you seem to be saying that it is even the "fumes" of epoxy that cause a reaction. Well in my experience these "fumes" are not irritating like for example those "fumes" of CPES, so if you are having a reaction to breathing these "mild" fumes than you are on notice, your body has delt with this stuff as well as it can, it does not like the stuff and and just like seeing a mother -in-law you can't stand .... it only gets worse each time you have to see them, ha, ha. So do everything you can DO to keep your body from exposure. The sooner exposure is stopped the better. Of course this is easier said then done, but making all the effort possible now is the best solution. hope this hasn't just been boring because I know I am telling you what you already know.

Joe