Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsCausesSelf-CareWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs
Causes
Self-Care
When to See a Provider
Sensitive skin is a common condition that makes your skin more prone to reactions such as redness and itching. Most people who have sensitive skin notice occasional or frequent itching, burning, and stinging on patches of skin. Sensitive skin may require a visit to the dermatologist.
There are many ways to ease the irritation and symptoms of sensitive skin. Depending on what triggers the sensitivity, you may get relief from simple at-home care, but in other instances, you may need to apply prescription creams or change your skincare routine.
This article discusses how to know if you have sensitive skin and what might be causing it. It also discusses ways to care for it at home and signs you should see a dermatologist.
Ellen Lindner / Verywell
How to Tell if You Have Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin can cause both objective signs and subjective symptoms. Objective signs are physical changes that your healthcare provider can observe, such as redness, swelling, or sores. They are changes to your skin’s protective barrier and are easy to observe from an outsider’s perspective.
What Causes Sensitive Skin?
If you’re wondering, “Why does my skin hurt?“one of these reasons may be the culprit.
Contact Dermatitis
If you have contact dermatitis, inflammation occurs in your skin when it is exposed to an irritant.When the irritant, such as a strong fragrance in laundry detergent, contacts your skin, it causes minor damage to the surface. In response, your body tries to protect itself from this perceived threat with an immune response. This is like what you experience during an allergic reaction of the skin.
The best way to manage contact dermatitis is to avoid the substance that’s triggering it. If you don’t know what’s triggering it or it’s not possible to avoid it, healthcare providers typically prescribe topical steroids, such as hydrocortisone. If these don’t help, you might be prescribed a topical calcineurin inhibitor to help with symptoms.
For more severe or widespread rashes, a provider may prescribe short-term oral or injectable corticosteroids. These are effective but come with side effects, such as weight gain and sleeping issues.
Allergy
If your allergic reaction happened after using makeup, your dermatologist may recommend stopping all cosmetics for two weeks and then adding each product back in one at a time. This will give you a clearer idea if any of your regular products are contributing to your skin sensitivity.
For allergic reactions that don’t respond to those medications, injectable biologic therapies may help.
What Are Skin Allergies?
Rosacea
Rosaceais a skin condition that causes redness and swelling in the face and neck. It can start as a flushing of the cheeks and can sometimes spread to the ears. Healthcare providers do not know what causes rosacea, but they know that people who are fair-skinned and have a family history are more at risk.
Because sunlight can trigger rosacea, people with this condition should wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 daily. Other ways to manage rosacea include:
Rosacea: What It Looks Like, Causes, and Treatment
Acne
Acne is a condition that causes pimples to develop on the skin. It is the most common reason for seeing a dermatologist. Acne is triggered when your skin pores become clogged.
Dry Skin
Dry winter air may be enough to cause skin sensitivity. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the irritation and itching of excessively dry skin can also put you at risk of developing another skin condition.
Xerosis Cutis (Dry Skin) Symptoms and Treatment
Photodermatoses
Photodermatosesare skin reactions that occur in response to the UV rays in sunlight.
Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is one common type of photodermatosis. In people with this condition, the immune system responds abnormally to sunlight, causing rashes and blisters on sun-exposed areas of skin. The condition is more likely to cause problems in the warmer months.
Cutaneous Mastocytosis
Cutaneous mastocytosisis a rare skin condition that causes immune cells called mast cells to accumulate in the skin. It is more common in children than in adults. Mast cells release histamines in response to an irritating substance like an ingredient in a skincare product. This is what causes symptoms such as skin lesions, redness, and itching.
If your child has cutaneous mastocytosis, their healthcare provider may prescribe topical corticosteroid creams to help reduce the number of mast cells. Antihistamines can also help relieve symptoms like redness and itching.
Physical Urticaria
Physicalurticariahappens when exposure to a substance, an extreme temperature, or exercise causes small hives to appear on the skin.The hives may look white or pink in the center and may have a red ring around them. They can itch and swell.
Other Causes
There are other, less common causes of skin sensitivity. They include:
Women Are More at RiskGlobal studies have found that about 50% to 61% of women and 30% to 44% of men have experienced sensitive skin. One theory for why women are more prone to skin sensitivity is differences in skin thickness. Women may also be more at risk for dehydration and dry skin due to hormonal changes. These theories still require further research.
Women Are More at Risk
Global studies have found that about 50% to 61% of women and 30% to 44% of men have experienced sensitive skin. One theory for why women are more prone to skin sensitivity is differences in skin thickness. Women may also be more at risk for dehydration and dry skin due to hormonal changes. These theories still require further research.
Questions Your Healthcare Provider May Ask
Prepare to answer these questions:
Caring for Sensitive Skin
There are a wide variety of options for managing sensitive skin. These are chosen with three major goals in mind:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If at-home care does not provide relief, it’s time to talk with your healthcare provider. A dermatologist can help you determine if there is an underlying cause, such as kidney disease, for your sensitive skin. Your practitioner will know what questions to ask and what tests to run to move forward.
Summary
A number of things can lead to flare-ups, such as allergies or rosacea. Fortunately, there are many ways to manage and prevent sensitive skin irritation, including applying over-the-counter and prescription creams, taking oral medication, or undergoing minor procedures.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fan L, He C, Jiang L, Bi Y, Dong Y, Jia Y.Brief analysis of causes of sensitive skin and advances in evaluation of anti-allergic activity of cosmetic products.International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2015;38(2):120-127. doi:10.1111/ics.12283American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Contact dermatitis overview.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Skin allergy.American Academy of Dermatology.Rosacea: Who gets and causes.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rosacea treatment: Acne-like breakouts.American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Who gets and causes.MedlinePlus.Acne.American Academy of Dermatology.Dry skin: Who gets and causes.Burfield L, Rutter KJ, Thompson B, Marjanovic EJ, Neale RE, Rhodes LE.Systematic review of the prevalence and incidence of the photodermatoses with meta-analysis of the prevalence of polymorphic light eruption.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023;37(3):511-520. doi:10.1111/jdv.18772Czarny J, Lange M, Ługowska-Umer H, Nowicki RJ.Cutaneous mastocytosis treatment: Strategies, limitations and perspectives.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2018;35(6):541-545. doi:10.5114/ada.2018.77605McSweeney SM, Christou EAA, Maurer M, Grattan CE, Tziotzios C, McGrath JA.Physical urticaria: Clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and management.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;89(2):324-337. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.02.062Duarte I, Silveira JEPS, Hafner MDFS, Toyota R, Pedroso DMM.Sensitive skin: Review of an ascending concept.Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 2017;92(4):521-525. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.201756111
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fan L, He C, Jiang L, Bi Y, Dong Y, Jia Y.Brief analysis of causes of sensitive skin and advances in evaluation of anti-allergic activity of cosmetic products.International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2015;38(2):120-127. doi:10.1111/ics.12283American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Contact dermatitis overview.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Skin allergy.American Academy of Dermatology.Rosacea: Who gets and causes.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rosacea treatment: Acne-like breakouts.American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Who gets and causes.MedlinePlus.Acne.American Academy of Dermatology.Dry skin: Who gets and causes.Burfield L, Rutter KJ, Thompson B, Marjanovic EJ, Neale RE, Rhodes LE.Systematic review of the prevalence and incidence of the photodermatoses with meta-analysis of the prevalence of polymorphic light eruption.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023;37(3):511-520. doi:10.1111/jdv.18772Czarny J, Lange M, Ługowska-Umer H, Nowicki RJ.Cutaneous mastocytosis treatment: Strategies, limitations and perspectives.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2018;35(6):541-545. doi:10.5114/ada.2018.77605McSweeney SM, Christou EAA, Maurer M, Grattan CE, Tziotzios C, McGrath JA.Physical urticaria: Clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and management.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;89(2):324-337. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.02.062Duarte I, Silveira JEPS, Hafner MDFS, Toyota R, Pedroso DMM.Sensitive skin: Review of an ascending concept.Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 2017;92(4):521-525. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.201756111
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Fan L, He C, Jiang L, Bi Y, Dong Y, Jia Y.Brief analysis of causes of sensitive skin and advances in evaluation of anti-allergic activity of cosmetic products.International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2015;38(2):120-127. doi:10.1111/ics.12283American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Contact dermatitis overview.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Skin allergy.American Academy of Dermatology.Rosacea: Who gets and causes.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rosacea treatment: Acne-like breakouts.American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Who gets and causes.MedlinePlus.Acne.American Academy of Dermatology.Dry skin: Who gets and causes.Burfield L, Rutter KJ, Thompson B, Marjanovic EJ, Neale RE, Rhodes LE.Systematic review of the prevalence and incidence of the photodermatoses with meta-analysis of the prevalence of polymorphic light eruption.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023;37(3):511-520. doi:10.1111/jdv.18772Czarny J, Lange M, Ługowska-Umer H, Nowicki RJ.Cutaneous mastocytosis treatment: Strategies, limitations and perspectives.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2018;35(6):541-545. doi:10.5114/ada.2018.77605McSweeney SM, Christou EAA, Maurer M, Grattan CE, Tziotzios C, McGrath JA.Physical urticaria: Clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and management.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;89(2):324-337. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.02.062Duarte I, Silveira JEPS, Hafner MDFS, Toyota R, Pedroso DMM.Sensitive skin: Review of an ascending concept.Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 2017;92(4):521-525. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.201756111
Fan L, He C, Jiang L, Bi Y, Dong Y, Jia Y.Brief analysis of causes of sensitive skin and advances in evaluation of anti-allergic activity of cosmetic products.International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2015;38(2):120-127. doi:10.1111/ics.12283
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Contact dermatitis overview.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Skin allergy.
American Academy of Dermatology.Rosacea: Who gets and causes.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rosacea treatment: Acne-like breakouts.
American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Who gets and causes.
MedlinePlus.Acne.
American Academy of Dermatology.Dry skin: Who gets and causes.
Burfield L, Rutter KJ, Thompson B, Marjanovic EJ, Neale RE, Rhodes LE.Systematic review of the prevalence and incidence of the photodermatoses with meta-analysis of the prevalence of polymorphic light eruption.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023;37(3):511-520. doi:10.1111/jdv.18772
Czarny J, Lange M, Ługowska-Umer H, Nowicki RJ.Cutaneous mastocytosis treatment: Strategies, limitations and perspectives.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2018;35(6):541-545. doi:10.5114/ada.2018.77605
McSweeney SM, Christou EAA, Maurer M, Grattan CE, Tziotzios C, McGrath JA.Physical urticaria: Clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and management.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;89(2):324-337. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.02.062
Duarte I, Silveira JEPS, Hafner MDFS, Toyota R, Pedroso DMM.Sensitive skin: Review of an ascending concept.Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 2017;92(4):521-525. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.201756111
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
