Do You Have Sensitive Skin?

What really does that mean? Let’s ask an expert. According to Dr. Mark Lees, author and award-winning speaker, sensitive skin can:

• develop hives easily,

• feel a stinging or burning easily,

• be reactive to fragrance and essential oils,

• be sensitive to heat and cold,

• often have a form of rosacea,

• react quickly to stimulating products, and

• redden quickly and easily.

Dr. Mark Lees also states that sensitive skin is actually thinner skin that has blood vessels and nerve endings closer to the surface. This causes the skin to be more reactive to stimulants and irritants.

That is genetically speaking.

We can also acquire sensitive skin in our lifetime by decisions we make. How?

• Overusing cleansers, exfoliants and peels. They strip barrier lipids from our outer layer of skin that normally protect the skin from irritants.

In English please?

It means that you could be causing yourself to have sensitive skin by overusing skin care products—even if it is the professional brand.

Here’s one example:

Exfoliation is important for your skin. It helps remove the top layer of dead skin cells. It also helps encourage the live cells deeper in the dermis to turnover and refresh the skin’s appearance. This is a daily event! As we get older, the cell turnover process slows down. That means we get even more build up of dead skin cells. They begin to gather unevenly on the surface. It can lead to dry patches of skin and a dull appearance. Worse yet, they can clog your pores and create blockage, causing breakouts. The product used to exfoliate removes the dead skin cells revealing the fresher, younger cells and restores the skin’s natural clarity and brightness. Good thing, right?

Here’s the problem:

If you exfoliate too much, you not only remove the dead skin cells, but you can cause capillary damage, premature aging and an inflammatory response. That leads to a compromised lipid barrier that will not function properly, causing your skin to overreact to various conditions and products.

When you come see me for a facial or back treatment, I will use products that are specifically for sensitive skin. My products, techniques and treatments will restore the barrier function of the epidermis, sooth and calm your skin, reduce the redness, hydrate the thirsty stratum corneum (the outer layer of skin), and protect your skin from UV light.

I will have a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help you on a daily basis when you leave my studio. Remember, I consider this a partnership. I want you to feel comfortable caring for your skin when you leave. Let’s get you booked today.