Hello Diana I’m recently not comfortable in my own skin. It’s often itchy which distresses me. I am wondering what is causing this and if there is anything I can do to avoid the discomfort?
Monica Jennings Preston
Monica I have a sensitive skin myself and find itching and skin reactions are usually caused by an allergen, irritant or other environmental factors. Contact dermatitis, inflammation of the skin, occurs from contact with irritants including certain ingredients and fragrances found in cosmetics or hair dyes for example, or from contact with certain metals like nickel or cobalt. Some itchy problems are caused by plants such as primula, daffodils, tulips, sunflowers and chrysanthemums. Other people are allergic to rubber and latex and some medicines called opioids (for example Aspirin).
Itching may be due to eczema, where the skin is dry, red, flaky and itchy. Urticaria, also known as hives, welts or nettle rash, is triggered by an allergen and causes a raised, red itchy rash to develop. Warm weather can cause itching from prickly heat or skin discomfort from over exposure to the sun. Parasites and insects, wasps, bees, mosquitoes, fleas and bedbugs cause itching but the source is visually obvious! Anti-histimines can help. Well known brands of unperfumed moisturisers made for dry, sensitive skin usually alleviate my itchy problems.
But itching could be a sign of an underlying condition affecting the inside of the body without necessarily causing any other obvious symptoms.