Itchy skin? Does your skin feel irritated, inflamed, and sensitive? Do you feel a burning sensation when you apply certain products to your skin? If so, you may have sensitization. Sensitization is a condition in which the skin becomes inflamed and irritated. It’s important to know if and how your skin is sensitive so that you can figure out what products work best for it.

Causes of Skin Sensitivity

Some people are more prone to having sensitive skin than others. Your age, gender, and genetics are just a few things that can affect your skin’s sensitivity.

Other causes of skin sensitivity include:

Certain medications, such as steroids or blood pressure medicine

Over-washing and over-treating your skin, which can strip it of its natural oils

Environmental factors such as pollution and wind

If you work in an industry where you’re exposed to chemicals or other irritants on a regular basis (such as cleaning supplies or hair dye), you may also be at risk for developing sensitization.

If you have sensitive skin, you may experience burning, itching, stinging and redness. Your complexion may even become dry or blotchy. This can be caused by a variety of things, including excessive sun exposure and environmental irritants like pollution or wind.

Soap and alcohol-based products may also irritate your skin. Sometimes the issue is genetic; other times it’s related to an underlying medical condition. And if you have a history of eczema or dermatitis, you may be more likely to suffer from skin sensitivity.

If you find that your skin turns red or becomes irritated when you use certain products, it could be a sign that you have sensitization — which means that your skin has become sensitized to an ingredient in the product over time. If this is the case for you, try switching to a milder formula with fewer potential irritants. For example, try CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser instead of CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser.

It’s important to keep in mind that ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid are not likely to cause irritations — they’re not sensitizing agents like fragrance can be. And if your skin is very sensitive and prone

We’ve all experienced skin sensitivity in some form or another. For me, it was after a trip to South Africa where my skin felt uncomfortably tight and more importantly, super-reactive. I would put on a product that I had used for years and all of a sudden have a rash. It got to the point where I didn’t even know what products I could use on my face. And this is the exact same situation I see happen with clients in my Austin practice.

If you have sensitive skin, you may notice that your skin gets red or itchy when using certain products, or when you are around certain environmental triggers like wind or hot water. This is a sign of sensitization. Most people think this means they have sensitive skin, but that’s not necessarily the case. Sensitization is just one stage on the road to becoming truly sensitive – if left untreated, skin can become chronically sensitized which means you will experience redness and irritation most days of the year, no matter what you do.

So why does this happen?

Essentially sensitization occurs because your skin is unable to repair itself as quickly as it should after exposure to triggers such as heat and pollution, or using harsh products or heavy ex

I have been a dermatology nurse for 10 years and over the last few years, I have seen a rise in sensitive skin. The main cause of this is our exposure to pollution, which can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that trigger inflammation and cause premature ageing.

It’s not just pollution though. Stress, hormones, diet and other lifestyle factors can also contribute to the condition.

Simply put, sensitization is when your skin becomes more sensitive to ingredients in skincare products or environmental factors. This causes an inflammatory response on the skin that can cause rashes, irritation and redness.

The most common concern I see in clinic is itchiness. Patients are often prescribed steroid creams however these are only a temporary fix as they suppress the symptoms but don’t address the problem at its core.

To properly treat your sensitization, you need to figure out what is causing it. Once you know that, you can make changes to your lifestyle or skincare routine to reduce its effects.

Sensitization is when your skin reacts to chemicals, fragrances and preservatives found in many skin care products. This reaction can cause your body to have an immune response. When this happens, your skin becomes inflamed and irritated.

This inflammation causes your skin to itch, burn and even become red. Although this can be uncomfortable, there are ways you can treat sensitization and keep it from happening again.

Skin Sensitization Symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of sensitization include:

Redness

Dryness

Itchiness

Blotchiness

Burning sensation

If you’re an avid skincare shopper, you may have noticed that there are some ingredients that are popping up across the board. For example, vitamin C is a heavy hitter in the skincare world, and for good reason. It can brighten your skin, even out your complexion and help protect your skin from the sun. Another popular ingredient is hyaluronic acid. It’s a natural humectant that helps to hydrate and plump your skin from the inside out.

But what about those ingredients that you see on labels that don’t seem to have much to offer? We spoke with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Heather Rogers of Modern Dermatology in Seattle to learn more about one of these ingredients — alcohol — and why you should be cautious when it comes to using skincare that contains it.

What Is Alcohol In Skincare?

Alcohol is used in skincare products as a preservative, but it can also be added as an emollient or as a thinning agent to make it easier for other ingredients to penetrate your skin, according to Dr. Rogers. These types of alcohol are commonly found in toners or cleansers but can also be found in other

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. It can be disfiguring if not treated appropriately. Fortunately, most basal cell carcinomas are cured with appropriate treatment.

Who gets BCC?

Most patients who develop BCC are fair-skinned and sun-exposed. The most important risk factors are chronic sun exposure, severe childhood sunburns, and a history of tanning bed use. In patients who have a history of significant sun exposure, the risk of developing a new BCC increases every year after age 40. In addition, fair-skinned individuals who have blond or red hair, blue eyes, and freckles are at increased risk for developing basal cell carcinoma.

Why should I take steps to prevent BCC?

The best way to prevent BCC is to protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation. This includes avoiding direct sunlight during peak hours (11am – 3pm), wearing sunscreen daily and reapplying it every 2 hours when outdoors, wearing protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats when outdoors, and avoiding tanning beds.