Why your skin and inflammation aren’t friends

Oh, inflammation. Like the frenemy who will give you dating advice before flirting with your crush, inflammation can be a little two-faced. To understand why, you first need to know what inflammation actually is.

Broadly speaking, inflammation is part of your body’s immune response to damaged cells, irritants, and pathogens. It allows your body to identify these and make them stop.

But there are two problems. While completely natural, inflammation carries some undesired knock-on effects, which can be frustrating to treat. And sometimes, repeated exposure to inflammation triggers can cause chronic inflammation. This makes your body less-equipped to look after itself, and can lead to autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia (the pain condition that had Lady Gaga in tears in her 2017 Netflix documentary).

So, inflammation is important and good, but can turn on us in a bunch of ways. We look at three common inflammation issues relating to skincare, and what do about them. 

Rosacea | A number of sources list inflammation as a trigger for Rosacea – a  condition that causes the face to redden almost permanently, possibly caused by genetic factors that cause a sensitivity to things like weather, exercise, and alcohol. Things that would not normally cause the face to flush. Less commonly it can also affect the neck, chest, ears, and scalp. In some cases, additional symptoms such as semi-permanent redness, dilation of superficial blood vessels on the face, small red bumps and burning and stinging sensations may develop. Gentle at-home approaches are good as a start – mild cleansers, soothing moisturisers – but there are also clinical solutions.

Acne | When it comes to breakouts, inflammation can be very taxing. Essentially, once your immune system spots some bacteria that shouldn’t be  on your skin, it does its best to get rid of it. This means red, swollen zits in all shapes and sizes. Yay! Luckily, where acne is caused by bacteria, there are quite a few solutions available. Go topical first, if this doesn’t work, it might be best to see a professional. And take it easy on yourself. Having acne doesn’t mean you’re dirty or weird or anything like that. It’s totally normal, and if you decide to do something about it – that’s great, if not, just as good.

Sensitivities | If you’re flaring up with redness, tightness, or itchiness after your nightly routine, you may have skin sensitivities. Although these are fare less common that many people believe, some people do have hypersensitive skins that make using popular brands almost impossible. Look for products that don’t contain fragrances or parabens – both known skin irritants.

If you still have questions about inflammation, why not ask our skincare gurus through the ‘Ask the Experts’ tab? Our Skin Renewal doctor’s are on call and ready to help you with individualised advice.