Correspondent Lu Shan
Female friends who often stay up late, do they feel that the skin is tight, tingling, and hot, is this allergy or sensitivity? Hu Wenge, director of the Department of Dermatology of the First People's Hospital of Ningyang County, popularized the method of saving the skin and said goodbye to sensitive skin.
Hu Wenge said that sensitive skin (that is, sensitive skin) refers to a state of high reaction that occurs in the skin under physiological or pathological conditions, mainly on the face.
Sensitivity is different from allergy: sensitivity is a condition of the skin, while allergy is a disease that refers to an allergic reaction to the outside world. The two should not be confused, but they often appear in pairs, causing and effecting each other.
Sensitive skin is due to the weak skin barrier, which is prone to allergic reactions to the outside world, and allergic reactions cause the destruction of the skin barrier, making the skin more susceptible to sensitive skin.
Why is sensitive skin "difficult to serve"? Hu Wenge said that sensitive skin is "difficult to serve", in the final analysis, because the skin barrier is weak, which is a complex process involving the skin barrier, neurovascular - immune inflammation.
Individual factors: mainly including genetics, age, gender, hormone levels and mental factors.
External factors: there are three aspects: physics, chemistry and medical sources.
Physical factors – such as the cycle of seasons, temperature changes, sun exposure, etc.
Chemical factors – such as cosmetics, cleaning products, disinfection products, air pollutants, etc.; Excessive washing, such as the use of alkaline soap or strong scrubbing with a cleanser, can cause damage to the skin barrier; There are also frequent exfoliation or irregular brushing acid under the guidance of a doctor, which will cause great damage to the stratum corneum of the skin.
Iatrogenic factors – such as topical irritant drugs, topical long-term large amounts of topical glucocorticoid ointments can thin the skin barrier and dilate capillaries, and the skin becomes sensitive and red. In addition, blind, frequent aesthetic treatments or inappropriate cosmetic procedures can greatly damage the skin barrier.
Other skin diseases: sensitive skin can also be secondary to some skin diseases, about 66% of female patients with atopic dermatitis and 57% of patients with rosacea have skin sensitivity, other such as acne, contact dermatitis, eczema, etc. can also trigger sensitive skin, allergic inflammation will aggravate the destruction of the skin barrier.
How are sensitive skin assessed? Hu Wenge said that subjective assessment: self-assessment of the skin's sensitivity according to whether the skin is prone to burning, tingling, itching and tightness when stimulated by triggers. Objective assessment: According to the doctor's guidance, the application of non-invasive skin physiological index test can better reflect the severity of skin sensitivity or treatment effect.
How to "save" sensitive skin? Hu Wenge said that reasonable skin care: choose gentle facial cleansing products: such as cleansers containing amino acids, avoid soap-based ingredients; The washing time should not be too long, do not use excessively hot water to wash the face for a long time; Avoid constantly "making faces" in beauty salons.
Moisturizing: Skin often dries out and slowly turns into sensitive skin. At present, moisturizers are widely used as first-line treatments to repair the skin barrier, and moisturizing skin care products are designed to simulate the skin's natural moisturizing system, promote transdermal moisture absorption, increase epidermal water content, help skin barrier function recover, reduce skin dryness, desquamation, and make rough skin smooth and soft.
Sun protection: Sun is not only the "number one killer" that causes dark skin and aging, but also destroys the barrier function of the skin, so be sure to do a good job of sun protection.
Patients with a genetic background, with an impaired cuticle barrier and an innate inability to synthesize physiological lipids, must use medical skincare products designed for specific dermatitis (AD) for many years.
Physiotherapy (treated by a doctor):
Cold spray, cold film: patients sensitive to heat stimulation, through the synergistic effect of medicinal chemistry and low temperature physical action, to achieve the purpose of anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, anti-itching, acute cold compress can choose 3% boric acid solution, normal saline or cold boiled water for first aid.
Red light, yellow light: red light has anti-inflammatory and promote skin barrier repair; Yellow light can promote cell metabolism and reduce the excitability of peripheral nerve fibers.
IPL and RF: IPL and RF need to be carried out on the basis of restoring the skin barrier.
Drug treatment: patients with severe symptoms can be combined with drug treatment under the guidance of a doctor. For those with burning, tingling, itching, and tightness, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, or combination may be used.
Healthy habits are important, avoid triggers as much as possible, such as sun exposure, eating spicy food, drinking, mood swings, being in a closed hot environment, etc., and do not abuse cosmetics. If there is any problem, cooperate with the treatment under the guidance of the doctor, maintain patience and build confidence, in order to maintain the skin in good condition.