Into the red storm: fighting the effects of inflammation

Sensitised skin reacts in an instant. It is a hostile, toxic world where UV light, chemicals, allergens and pollution pose a daily threat to healthy skin. Pollution, stress, hormones, cosmetics, climate, alcohol, diet, medical procedures and other factors can all lead to sensitised skin, which is defined as skin that displays a more reactive response to substances that are tolerated by the general population. This skin condition is the result of three key factors: a compromised lipid barrier layer, traditional immune activity and the neurogenic response in the skin, which is a newer area of research studying the effect of the nervous system, and its relationship to inflammation and sensitive skin.

Traditionally, the immune system involved in inflammation requires prior sensitisation and is triggered by a foreign substance.  This process results in the pain, redness, swelling, and heat associated with inflammation. But whereas immunogenic inflammation (in rosacea) is triggered by the immune system, neurogenic inflammation (in sensitive skin) is triggered by the nervous system. Both immunogenic and neurogenic inflammation can yield the same redness, itching and swelling that result when the body is injured or irritated. A major difference resides in the fact that erythema is always present in rosacea and tends to worsen with time while, in sensitive skin, redness is not always present and, when found, is rather transient and fluctuating in intensity. However facial erythema may be a manifestation of either condition. In the end, it is the combination of genetic susceptibility, immune disruption, nerve activity and epidermal barrier function that contributes to skin sensitivity and inflammation, so that, skin rednessdens. 

Definition