UNDERSTANDING THE 3 MAIN CAUSES OF SENSITIVE SKIN BY DR. YOKOYAMA

Expert Dermatologist and Co-developer of SunoHada Dr. Yokoyama answers your sensitive skin questions in her monthly Skinsecure Spotlight.

Q.

My chronic eczema always flares up especially, when the weather gets crazily humid and hot. Any tips to better manage the crazy itchy rash, it keeps breaking out everywhere

from Inez.Wijaya

A.

When you have sensitive skin, the skin barrier function can be broken. In a hot and humid climate like Singapore, we tend to sweat a lot. When the barrier function of the skin is impaired, the sweat itself becomes irritating and induces itch.

When scratched, the barrier function will be further impaired and can become even worse by causing skin inflammation. In such a case, it is recommended to gently wipe away the sweat without rubbing your skin first. It is also good to take a shower to remove sweat, but please do take care not to wash too much as it will remove the necessary natural sebum and lead to dry sensitive skin.

It is also important to keep the skin moisturized after the shower to strengthen the skin barrier. Non-sticky moisturizer for sensitive skin is recommended so that you can apply sufficiently. I advise to moisturize your skin whenever you feel dryness even on-the-go.

Here are the 3 main causes of Sensitive Skin to be aware of so you can better avoid flare-ups in the future;

1. Excessive washing which can remove necessary sebum for skin protection.
2. External factor (e.g. sweat, prolonged exposure to air conditioning) which can irritate skin
3. Lifestyle changes (e.g. lack of sleep, mental stress) which affects skin’s recovery cycle

In order to manage sensitive skin, daily skin care and habit is essential using the best skincare products! However, in the case of urticaria which is caused not by dryness but by other reasons such as temperature difference, exposure to an allergen, please do see a dermatologist.