How Inflammation Plays a Major Role in Sensitive Skin
Inflammation can cause acne, redness, rosacea, eczema, and more. It’s far more a problem than most people realize. Skin inflammation is a buzzy topic for good reason: Understanding the triggers and treatments for everyday inflammation is one of the fastest paths to healthier skin.
Symptoms of inflammation can range from redness and rashes to pimples and dry patches, and it’s not just a face thing — it can occur all over the body. Although skin inflammation affects many people, it’s a topic that’s not widely understood. The reason? Skin inflammation can manifest in many different ways and is caused by different triggers, which can make combating it a bit trickier.
To help, we compiled the information below for you to learn what skin inflammation is, the different ways it can manifest on the skin, and tips for combating it.
What is Skin Inflammation?
Skin inflammation is an umbrella term that describes many different inflammatory skin processes. In general, inflammation means that there is disruption of the normal skin structure along with dilated blood vessels and an influx of blood cells.
So what causes skin inflammation? Various internal and external factors can be the culprit. Triggering stimuli include UV radiation, heat, allergens, irritants like fragrances/soaps, smoking, pollution, diet, dryness, impaired skin barrier, and more. Hormones are also linked to inflammatory skin disorders like melasma and acne.
How Skin Inflammation Can Manifest
Skin inflammation can manifest in many different ways ranging from acute inflammation such as redness to chronic inflammatory conditions. Here are some of the most common forms of skin inflammation and their causes.
Acne: Acne is a form of skin inflammation that manifests as red bumps, pus pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. It starts when dead cell debris and oil get trapped in a pore and form a plug, blocking the opening of the pore. Oil production continues, causing the area to become inflamed and attracts bacteria.
Eczema: With eczema, the skin barrier isn’t working as well as it should be, which leads to microscopic cracks in the skin and loss of hydration. This results in dry, itchy, flaky patches of skin.
Melasma: This type of skin inflammation is caused by an overproduction of melanin triggered by inflammatory triggers from heat, hormones or the sun. It appears as large, brown, discolored patches on the skin, typically on the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip.
Psoriasis: Psoriasis can show up as red, thick patches with white scales. With this condition, the skin is inflamed because the immune system gets angry at the skin itself leading to a buildup of dead cells on the skin’s surface.
Rosacea: people with this inflammatory condition will typically have redness, burning, and stinging in the middle third of the face. It is caused by overactivity of the immune system in your skin, causing the skin to overreact to environmental triggers like spicy foods, hot beverages, or even alcohol.
Inflammation means that there is disruption of the normal skin structure along with dilated blood vessels and an influx of blood cells.
How to Combat Skin Inflammation
A Healthy Lifestyle: Inflammation is almost always lifestyle-related. Try practicing healthy rituals such as drinking enough water, getting rest, exercising, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and consuming anti-inflammatory foods like green tea, salmon, broccoli, and avocado, which can all go a long way in helping combat inflammation in the face and body.
Ice Therapy: Using ice therapy products, such as ice rollers, is a popular way to help reduce inflammation. Ice and cool temperatures help constrict blood vessels to remove excess fluid and decrease inflammation. Practice ice therapy first thing in the morning for five to 10 minutes on clean skin.
Skin Care: Combating skin inflammation also requires an appropriate, consistent skin care routine. Try incorporating products with skin-protecting ingredients such as organic shea butter, ceramides, or even manuka honey. Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as niacinamide or botanical extracts like carrot seed oil and cehami flower extract work well too.
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