Intolerance or sensitive skin is an increasing common skin complaint in recent times. There are different kinds of sensitive skin seen in clinical practice, but common types are patients with acne, contact or irritant dermatitis, eczema and also a condition called rosacea where the skin is red and sun sensitive.
Sensitive skin can be defined as a skin that is highly reactive to certain products or environment conditions. It is also prone to redness and allergy. Sensitive skin often accompanies dry skin, with a tendency to be redder or more reactive than usual.
Impaired skin barrier (or defects in the protective outermost layer of skin) may increase susceptibility to skin allergies and irritations. Many organic and natural products can also lead to contact dermatitis, because they contain essential oils and fragrances that can cause allergy. Most patients can even react badly when in contact with some sorts of clothing and the patient feels like their skin reacts to almost everything.
Symptoms of sensitive skin:
- Skin texture is thin and appears translucent
- You feel an extremely tight sensation after washing
- Skin becomes red and has some dry flaky patches
- You feel itchy and sunburn easily
- Your skin develops a rash when you try new skin care products
Causes of sensitive skin:Â The underlying causes of sensitive skin are often difficult to identify. Some common causes of skin sensitivity are
- Ingredients in medications and synthetic cosmetics like skin care products, detergents and perfumes
- Dirt and toxins
- Certain clothing material like wool or latex
- Weather factors like heat, cold, rain and sun rays
- Hormonal changes in the body
- Increased level in stress
- Dietary errors or allergic reactions to certain food
