Sensitive skin and its management

Abstract

Sensitive skin is a self-diagnosed condition and is usually not accompanied by any obvious physical signs of irritation. Patients with this syndrome usually have unpleasant sensations whenever exposed to any physical, thermal or chemical stimuli that normally cause no provocation on healthy skin. Cosmetics, skin barrier impairment, and climate changes are the main contributing factors for skin hyperactivity. Although diagnosis is challenging due to lack of any specific or preferred diagnostic methods and interventions, recent studies on different clinical aspects of sensitive skin have provided new approaches to the diagnosis, management and interventions targeting the pathophysiology and treatment of sensitive skin syndrome. In general, patients with sensitive skin need an individual approach, keeping in view the various biomedical, neural, and psychosocial factors affecting sensitive skin.