Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1263242
A Although sensitive and rosacea skin are among the most common skin challenges profes- sionals face (affecting millions of Americans combined), there are many misnomers sur- rounding these two skin types. While they display some similar symptoms — like redness, swelling, infl ammation, itching, and stinging — the two are often misdiagnosed, which leads to ineffective treatment. Being able to differentiate between truly sensitive skin and rosacea is the only way to map out an effective course of action and safely restore a client's skin to optimum health. S E N S I T I V E vs R O S A C E A S K I N U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e D i f f e r e n c e By Shannon Esau, CEO and national educator at Rhonda Allison Cosmeceuticals Identifying Sensitive Skin Skin is a reactive mechanism that responds to various elements and disturbances inside and out; and to a certain extent, all skin has a degree of sensitivity. It is the level of reaction that determines whether a skin is truly sensitive or not. Truly sensitive skin is one that easily reddens, is sensitive to touch, and experiences frequent rashes or other irritations. Sensitive skin also tends to be thinner, and more prone to fragile capillaries than average skin. With relation to skin topicals, most sensitive skins are typically reacting to inferior ingredients or formulations, such as those that contain dyes, preservatives or perfumes. In this case, it is not a chronic issue, rather a reaction that typically subsides once the offending element has been eliminated and infl ammation is calmed. Detecting Rosacea Skin Rosacea is a chronic and progressive disorder that may fi rst be noticed as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead that comes and goes. There are different stages of rosacea and skin changes as it progresses to further stages. Initially frequent blushing or fl ushing of the skin and moving into more of a permanent redness and thicker more irritated epidermis. While the cause of rosacea is offi cially unknown, some research has attributed it to poor circulation, sluggish lymph, genetic predisposition, digestive disorders, bacteria, and mites attached to cells. It's a systemic issue and will often require a deeper root issue be addressed in addition to treatments designed to bring the skin back to optimal health. While there's no "cure," early diagnosis will prevent the disorder from developing to stage three and may be more easily managed. Advertisement