Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is a common condition and means your skin is more prone to reactions such as redness and itching. Most people who have sensitive skin notice occasional or frequent itching, burning and stinging of patches of skin.
What Is Sensitive Skin?
Your skin is more prone to reactions
- If you have experienced slight red patches on your skin, areas of dryness or blemishes? Maybe even itchy skin, a tingle, tightness or a stinging sensation? These are all signs of skin sensitivity. Most people experience sensitive skin from time to time. Sensitive skin is not a skin type which is restricted to a few people, we can all experience sensitive skin occasions, sometimes when we least expect it. After all, our skin has to tolerate a lot – the weather, air conditioning, stress, pollution to name just few. It is inevitable that with all this, your skin might seem to have a mind of its own and become upset from time to time.
- While uncommon, sensitive skin can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition, such as kidney disease, so it is always a good idea to see your doctor and get it checked out. Together, you will be able to develop a plan that usually includes relieving the itching or pain, treating the cause of the sensitivity and making a plan to protect your skin from irritants in the future.
- All sensitive skin treatments are bespoke to the individual's needs depending on what grade of sensitive skin is presented
01 Signs
02 Causes
03 Myths
04 Facts
05 Get Help
01 Signs
Your skin flushes red at the drop of a hat. Skin care products and cosmetics often burn. You frequently have the urge to itch. Your skin’s forecast often involves flakes.
02 Causes
The environment – outside and in. Dirt & Pollution. Hard water. Cleansing. Lifestyle. Hormones. Stress. Diet & Hydration. Ingredients in skincare products. Clothes and jewellery. Household cleaners.
03 Myths
Retinoids are off-limits. Hypoallergenic means nonirritating. Sensitive types can’t exfoliate.
04 Facts
There may be several causes of sensitive skin. Genetic factors often play a role, while some individuals are allergic to certain foods, fabrics, makeup and other environmental factors. Stress may cause skin reactions as well. The recommended treatment for sensitive skin depends on its cause, symptoms and what triggers the symptoms. Treatment for those suffering from facial redness may be different than treatment for patients who experience outbreaks of hives. In sorting through myths and facts about sensitive skin, a trained skincare professional is the best resource.
05 Get Help
How can we help? We tailor make a skin care regime especially for you once your consultation has taken place.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have experienced slight red patches on your skin, areas of dryness or blemishes? Maybe even itchy skin, a tingle, tightness or a stinging sensation? These are all signs of skin sensitivity. Most people experience sensitive skin from time to time. Sensitive skin is not a skin type which is restricted to a few people, we can all experience sensitive skin occasions, sometimes when we least expect it. After all, our skin has to tolerate a lot – the weather, air conditioning, stress, pollution to name just few. It is inevitable that with all this, your skin might seem to have a mind of its own and become upset from time to time.
At the surface of your skin the pH is 5.5, this is slightly acidic. This is because the best pH to maintain your barrier, in particular the outer layers of skin, is pH 5.5. Your barrier can cope with changes in pH at the surface but regular or big changes in pH can cause the outer layers of skin to weaken, or not form properly and will impact its effectiveness at keeping irritants out and therefore can result in you experiencing sensitive skin.
Just like every other part of your body, hormones will reach your skin. They are brought to your skin by the tiny blood vessels in the lower layer. It is vital for the skin to have these hormones as they are needed to keep it healthy. It is the job of hormones to tell every cell in your body what it should be doing. Most of the time the hormones message for you skin is the same. However, there are times when there are sudden and dramatic changes in your hormones, particularly for women and teenagers. Your body’s response to these changes is not always very pleasant. And in the case of your skin you can see the response, which can be in the form of blotches, pimples and breakouts. Another thing that can affect your hormones is stress. Stress can be caused by many things such as problems at work or home, lack of sleep, bad diet or being poorly. The hormones that are affected by stress can cause your skin to slow down, if this continues for long enough your skin will not maintain and repair your barrier as quickly it should. This could lead to your skin becoming sensitive.
Cold, dry weather can damage the Barrier. This is why your skin can be more sensitive in winter. Also, too much or too harsh a cleanser, or being too rigorous with your exfoliator will remove too many of the Barriers dead skin cells and cause a crack, allowing irritants to get through. Moreover, too much heat and sun with not sufficient protection can cause the skin to become very sensitive.