The term “sensitive skin” is relatively common in the skincare industry, whether on product labels, in beauty headlines, or even in casual conversations about skin problems—dermatologists, however, are most familiar with the phrase.
Most of the time, people associate sensitive skin with easily irritated skin. You can discover that specific goods or elements of the surroundings make you red, scratchy, or even break out. There are a few medical conditions that do have comparable symptoms. Skin sensitivities such as rosacea, eczema, and allergic contact dermatitis are frequently confused with them. Regardless of the cause, your dermatologist is your best resource for identifying the issue and creating a treatment plan to clean up your skin and keep it that way.
But from a dermatologist’s perspective, what precisely does having sensitive skin mean? Does it represent a diagnosis? Is it a trait that you are born with? How can you tell whether you possess it? And how ought you to look after it? We talked to a few doctors about the ins and outs of sensitive skin to get the answers to these questions (and more).
- “Sensitive skin” isn’t a clinical term
Even though most dermatologists understand what you mean when you say that you have sensitive skin, it is not a clinical diagnosis.
Your dermatologist will most likely interpret it to suggest, instead, that your skin tends to be more reactive than average. It refers to skin that is readily irritated by topical items like lotions or scents and environmental factors like sun, wind, and cold.
After your skin comes in touch with a particular substance or environmental trigger, signs of irritation typically appear as redness, stinging, burning, itching, and general discomfort.
Since the word “sensitive skin” is more of a generalisation than a medical term, your doctor will still need assistance in figuring out precisely what you’re going through.
- Everyone’s skin might get irritated when exposed to certain elements, but if you frequently experience skin sensitivities, it may indicate an underlying medical condition
It’s possible to have skin that is typically sensitive and incapable of handling the products your pals routinely use on their faces.However, sensitive skin is a typical symptom of several skin problems, and that irritation can worsen your other skin symptoms. This can involve a rather vicious cycle.
How can you tell if you have sensitive skin in general or if you might have a more serious condition? Symptoms such as acute redness and irritation, intense burning or stinging, itching, blistering, rashes, scaling, or lumps filled with pus, appear out of the blue or continue regardless of the items you use are signs that you may have a diagnosable skin condition.
Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, can cause dry, itchy, inflamed skin. Rosacea is characterised by red skin, swelling, and visible blood vessels. Psoriasis causes patches of scaly, dry skin and rashes. Contact dermatitis causes rashes brought on by contact with irritants or allergens.
- Skin sensitivity is related to your skin barrier
We all have a fatty outer layer of skin that serves as protection. It serves two primary purposes: to keep water in and to keep out potentially harmful elements, including UV rays, wind, heat, and harsh chemicals. This is sometimes referred to as the lipid (fat) barrier. This barrier is often weaker, thinner, and more easily destroyed in those with sensitive skin, making it easier for irritants to penetrate the skin and produce inflammation.
Your skin barrier can be compared to a brick wall held together between skin cells and mortar. Ceramides, a kind of lipid, comprise a portion of the intracellular lipid mortar. That mortar is weak or lacking in some places in delicate or injured skin, making the barrier more permeable and the flesh beneath more exposed. People with thinner and weakerl ipid barriers absorb substances more thoroughly.
However, a thin lipid barrier also makes moisture escape easier. This causes dryness and sensitivity to coexist frequently.
Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, some areas of your body are more likely to become exposed, such as the area around your eyes.
- Skin sensitivity sometimes also depends on your immune system
An inflammatory reaction from your immune system occurs whenever an irritant passes past that lipid barrier, which is the second factor in the equation for sensitive skin.
Your skin’s immune system may become overactive due to what you see and feel as skin sensitivity. When this occurs, your immune system goes into overdrive as a response to a perceived threat. This reaction shows redness, discomfort, scaling, itching, and other comparable symptoms. This is true for skin types that are usually sensitive and those with conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.
- Select skincare products that are gentle, fragrance-free
The best advice is to have a simple skincare routine unless your dermatologist advises otherwise.
In general, stick to gentle cleansers devoid of harsh ingredients. You must choose products specifically formulated for sensitive skin which don’t contain common irritants like sulfates, dyes, preservatives, emulsifiers, alcohol, certain essential oils like lavender, or fragrances. The exact ingredients irritating the skin will vary from person to person.
However, given the many varied skin conditions and sensitivities, you can’t necessarily trust a “sensitive skin” tag. So, if in doubt, consult a dermatologist for advice on which products to avoid, or perform a small patch test before applying the product to your entire face (more on that in a moment).
What is the key takeaway?
Avoiding harsh chemicals, fragrances, and other irritants in skin care products can frequently help to reduce sensitivity symptoms and keep them at bay. A dermatologist or doctor should test anyone with symptoms that don’t go away or worsen. An underlying illness or allergy could bring on the reaction. Doctors could also be able to suggest further treatments.