Sensitive Skin

Submitted by Patrick Hatfield on

Many people self-diagnose themselves with sensitive skin.  But what does it mean to have sensitive skin, since it is not really a clinical term?  Sensitive skin seems to be a catch-all term that refers to conditions that cause redness, itching, swelling, flaking, and even stinging in some instances.  Sensitive skin isn’t the same for every person.  Dermatologists normally take sensitive skin to mean that your skin tends to react to things more than the average person.  Things that cause a reaction can be sun, cold, hot, wind, and lotions and fragrances.

Underlying Conditions  

Everyone reacts to irritants on the skin, but if you have frequent sensitive skin episodes it may be a sign of an underlying condition.  Some conditions that may have a side effect of sensitive skin are:

Psoriasis – It is characterized by dry, itching, and inflamed skin.  It is a condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells and causes cells to rapidly build up on the surface, which causes scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful.

Rosacea – A common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in the face.  There are even instances with pus-filled bumps.  It is often mistaken as acne and commonly affects middle-aged women with fair skin.

Eczema – This condition is characterized by dry, itching skin with red patches and raised, small bumps.  It often becomes scaly and cracked and gets aggravated by scratching due to itchiness.

Contact Dermatitis – This is a red, itchy rash that occurs from coming in direct contact with a substance.  These substances can be due to soaps, cosmetics, fragrances, and jewelry.

Skin Barrier

There is some evidence to suggest that sensitive skin may be due to thinner layer of your protective fatty outer skin barrier.  This barrier is responsible for keeping water in and keeping damage out, like UV rays, heat, chemicals, and wind.  If it is thin, it is weaker and can cause sensitive skin due to its increased permeability.  As we age, our natural lipid barrier replaces itself less frequently and becomes more irritated more easily.  Your immune system can over-react to this attack and become hyperactive and create reactions to the perceived threat. 

What Not to Do

There are many habits that people have that dermatologists warn against.  One is over-washing, which breaks down your lipid barrier.  Use lukewarm water to keep your skin moisturized and intact.  Another issue is over-exfoliating.  If you wash and exfoliate too often it will diminish natural oils in the skin that help with moisturizing and protecting the outer barrier.   Stay away from fragrances and harsh ingredients that will cause more harm than good to your skin.  Remember that natural ingredients are not always safe, some essential oils can also cause irritation to the skin.  Ease into new products and alternate with your old product to allow your skin time to build up a tolerance.  This will ease some of the irritating effects that new products can bring to you and your skin.