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Remember how you feel and how you behave when you are irritated. The same thing happens with skin. Let’s talk about the means that will help her calm down.
Signs of skin irritation
To begin with, let’s explain what kind of skin we call irritated. Her signs:
- redness;
- peeling;
- itching;
- hypersensitivity.
Read more about skin protection during allergy season here.
If simple solutions do not work quickly, then a doctor’s consultation is absolutely necessary.
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Causes of skin irritation
Let’s be honest: we give our skin a lot of reasons to irritate. Some of them we are quite able to control, but there are those that we do not know about.
dehydration
Yes, unfortunately, illiterate care (and certainly its absence) can cause damage to the lipid barrier, which means accelerated loss of moisture, severe irritation and even peeling.
Check if your skin is getting enough moisture.
Weather
The most unloved season of the year is winter. Not even too cold: frosty air is usually dry, and the air in rooms with central heating is even more dry. In winter, dry skin becomes very dry, while oily skin generally approaches normal.
“The cold itself dries and irritates the skin, but air conditioners and heaters exacerbate the situation. In winter, the level of air humidity in an apartment or office can drop to 20–30% (against the norm of 70–80%). Of course, in such conditions, the skin rapidly loses moisture. Dryness is also felt on the mucous membranes: there is a feeling of “contamination” in the eyes, cracks appear on the skin of the lips, and the mouth dries up.
Elena Eliseeva, medical consultant Vichy
cold allergy
She is also a cold urticaria, when instead of a healthy blush after a walk on the cheeks, hands and other frozen parts of the body, a “fire” starts. This reaction is usually characteristic of children, but in adults in our climate it occurs in one in ten.
Improper care
Too aggressive cleansers, the use of creams that do not match the type of skin, the abuse of scrubs and peels are a sure way to irritation.
“When using too aggressive cleansers, the quantity and quality of ceramides in the stratum corneum are reduced, and meanwhile they take an active part in the formation of local immunity and the protective lipid layer. When the amount and quality of ceramides decrease, the skin becomes drier and more prone to irritation.”
Marina Kamanina, medical expert L’Oréal Paris
Photodermatosis (allergy to solar radiation)
We’re not talking about sunburns now. Irritation on the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation (red spots, small pimples) may appear against the background of the use of photosensitizing drugs (some antibiotics and even herbs, such as St. John’s wort, have a similar effect). Or in connection with a general increase in the sensitivity of the skin (for example, after sunburn).
The use of many cosmetics (in particular, those with fruit acids) requires the mandatory use of sunscreens. Yes, and sunny weather as such is an indication for their use, even if you are not on the beach.
If it’s not cosmetic, you need to consult a doctor!
Stress
Well, where without him? When we are nervous, the skin can become hypersensitive to the point of dry red spots and itching from contact with clothes that did not create any problems before. When the nerve endings are “on edge”, inflammatory mediators are produced against the background of stress.
Elena Eliseeva, medical consultant Vichy:
“A characteristic consequence of stress is increased sensitivity of the nerve endings in the skin. A nervous person can be driven into a state of rage with one careless word, and the skin behaves in much the same way. For example, the collar of a shirt, which is usually not felt at all, causes redness and itching when agitated.”
Age
By the age of 50, the skin is already quite noticeably thinner. This is the result of natural physiological processes: cells renew more slowly, damage accumulates, and the level of the main female hormone, estrogen, drops. The thinner the skin, the drier it is and the more difficult it is to resist external influences.
Elena Eliseeva, medical consultant Vichy:
“Due to deep tissue restructuring, the skin becomes less protected and more sensitive. The epidermis and dermis become thinner, the dermoepidermal junction becomes fragile, making the skin thin and vulnerable, prone to irritation and dehydration.”
Lack of vitamins
One of the most characteristic signs of beriberi is irritation of the skin around the lips. However, a deficiency of vitamins A, group B, D, E, F (this is an Omega-6 fatty acid, which ordinary sunflower oil is so rich in), as a rule, manifests itself in dryness and irritation of the skin in general.
Wool or synthetic clothing
And in general, any uncomfortable, too tight clothing can cause skin irritation and itching. Especially when we are worried (see above).
Cosmetic procedures
Obviously, after peeling, laser or any other rather aggressive procedures, the skin will be irritated. After all, the action of most of them is aimed precisely at this – with the subsequent activation of the recovery resource.
Allergy
Skin allergies (dermatitis) can be a reaction to cosmetic ingredients, food, plant pollen, etc. The bad news is that it can develop at any age. If a new cream is suspect, stop using it. In the absence of an allergen, the manifestations disappear quickly. If this does not happen, it makes sense to consult a dermatologist and / or an allergist.
Hives
Short-term allergic swelling of the skin and mucous membranes appears as a result of increased vascular permeability. The clinical symptom is rashes, mostly blisters (urticae), similar to nettle burns.
Symptom of a skin or internal disease
It can be:
- skin infection or non-communicable disease;
- hormonal problems;
- disorders in the digestive system, etc.
Self-medication is inappropriate here. You need to see a doctor.
Uncomfortable, too tight clothing can cause skin irritation and itching.
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How to relieve skin irritation
First, you need to find out the reason. Secondly, choose the right care. What does irritated skin need?
- The most gentle cleansing.
- Intensive hydration.
- Lipids to restore the hydrolipidic protective layer.
- Vitamins and antioxidants for healing.
- Soothing agents, such as thermal water or neurosensin peptide, which quickly reduces inflammation.
Alexander Prokofiev, medical consultant of La Roche-Posay:
“First of all, it is necessary to exclude soap. Its alkaline structure destroys the already fragile hydro-lipid layer of the skin. Avoid products containing aromatic fragrances, limit the use of perfumes.
If simple solutions do not work quickly, then you need to consult a doctor.
In winter, dry skin becomes very dry, and oily skin dries moderately.
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An overview of products that are suitable and can be useful for irritated skin
Daily care for hypersensitive and allergy-prone skin Toleriane Ultra Fluide, La Roche-Posay
With a delicate texture, the product quickly relieves the skin condition due to the action of the neurosensin peptide, which reduces the sensitivity and reactivity of the epidermis. Thermal water soothes and protects against oxidative stress, while shea butter and squalane restore the lipid mantle.
Soothing multi-restorative Cicaplast Baume B5, La Roche-Posay
Soothes, restores and protects even the atopic skin of newborns. Responsible for the restorative effect: thermal water, vitamin B5 (panthenol), a mineral complex (copper, zinc, manganese), shea butter, as well as an extract from Asian centella, which was used in Ayurvedic medicine. Suitable for the whole family.
Nourishing balm Neovadiol Magistral, Vichy
Care specially designed to restore the sensitive, weakened skin of women during menopause. Growth stimulator Proteic GF helps to restore the skin. The product is rich in Omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids to strengthen the protective layer. Proxylan makes the skin stronger, while thermal water soothes.
Phyto Corrective Soothing Gel, SkinCeuticals
The product is saturated with hyaluronic acid and plant extracts of cucumber, olive leaves, grapefruit, mulberry, thyme. Actual for sensitive or problematic skin, soothes irritation.