Did you ever have rough, scratchy skin? Is that an allergic reaction or do you have sensitive skin? Isn’t it the same thing to have an allergy or sensitive skin? The answer is NO! We often use these two terms interchangeably. They both present two different conditions that might have a few similar-looking symptoms but NOT the same causes.
Let’s first understand the difference between skin allergies and skin sensitivities.
An allergic reaction is a response from the immune system to a particular substance. Allergic reactions are a response from the body to those substances that are not harmful to ordinary people as some people have allergies to milk though it is a harmless drink. The immune system tends to attack the specific substance for no obvious reason. To know if you are allergic to something, you must consume that substance at least once for your body to identify if it’s allergic to it.
Sensitivity is also a response to a specific substance however that reaction towards the substance is greater as compared to the normal side effect that would come in response to that substance. For instance, an individual sensitive to caffeine might feel headaches, racing heartbeat, and insomnia by taking a few sips of regular coffee. The symptoms are much exaggerated as compared to an ordinary person.
Skin sensitivities are not due to a reaction from the immune system like it is in skin allergies.
Causes and Symptoms of Skin Allergies
As mentioned above, skin allergies are a reaction to a specific substance that releases a histamine response in the body. The symptoms that we experience during allergies are due to this histamine response. Histamine tends to be responsible for causing symptoms like watery eyes, itchy runny nose, asthma, a cough, and sometimes stomach pain. Allergies like Hives and Angioedema are also due to the histamine response in the body due to an allergen. Hives is a skin condition in which you get red bumps on the surface of your skin whereas in Angioedema the inflammation is underneath the skin. At times people also experience hives and angioedema at the same time.
Another common skin allergy is atopic dermatitis which is also called eczema is not triggered by the histamine response and has an unknown cause. Atopic dermatitis has a link to food allergies and asthma.
Causes and Symptoms of Skin sensitivities
You can tell if your skin is sensitive if your skin reacts quickly to specific irritants. People with sensitive skins react differently upon contact with certain irritants. They might experience one or more of the following symptoms; redness, Itchy skin, dryness, or tingly sensations. Having a burning sensation on your face after using a strong face wash also explains your sensitive skin.
Just like how people experience different symptoms, they also get triggered by different irritants. Some of the irritants are dust, stress, sunlight, heat, etc.
Despite having different causes, the symptoms of skin allergies and skin sensitivities are quite the same. In some cases, people experience both skin allergy and sensitivity.
