Common Issues With Skin Health and How You Can Treat Them
Dealing with various skin problems can be overwhelming. Figuring out what your skin is trying to tell you when it has a rash or hurts is hard to do. But being aware of common skin problems will help you spot your symptoms and more quickly self-diagnose.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is something that many individuals have to deal with. Figuring out the right process for you to take care of your sensitive skin might take some effort. Even though you might be using cleansers or moisturizers intended for sensitive skin, you might need to perform some trial and error before you find the best fit for you.
As you try out various cleansers, moisturizers, and other topical ointments, carefully record and monitor your skin’s reaction to each. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find something that works quickly. But being vigilant in recording your skin’s reaction may help you identify various common ingredients between products that caused a reaction so that you have a better idea going forward of what things to avoid.
Acne
Acne is a common skin problem that many pubescent teenagers experience. However, acne is also something that you could experience as you get older. Experiencing acne in your twenties or later can feel especially annoying and resolving the acne may be something that you want to do quickly.
There are a variety of over the counter products that you can purchase to help with your acne—look for products with things like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Both of these products act as drying agents and help to get rid of the bacteria and oil that build up in your pores and cause acne.
Eczema
Eczema is a common skin condition in which the skin becomes dry, red, and itchy. This condition occurs commonly in young children but can be experienced by adults as well. Ultimately, the condition tends to be chronic, meaning that children who experience eczema when younger may continue to experience some rashes or bumps for the remainder of their lives without proper treatment.
Treatment varies by individual but usually involves certain topical creams as well as avoiding trigger conditions that can cause the eczema to flare up.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is another skin condition where the skin begins to rash and become somewhat scaly. Most people that experience this condition experience it near their scalp, but it is possible to experience it anywhere.
Treating it usually requires a visit to a doctor or more specifically, to a dermatologist. And while going to the dermatologist might initially sound intimidating, know that it will only help and usually won’t be costly. Dermatologist visits are typically covered by insurance because they are medically necessary.
Scarring
Scarring is common for many people and can be difficult to address. The way you go about addressing scarring also varies significantly by where the scarring is and why it came about. If you have scars on your face resulting from things like acne or from chickenpox in the past, you should go to a dermatologist to figure out the next best steps.
Depending on your situation, your dermatologist might prescribe a topical medicated ointment. Or they might have you receive a variety of chemical peels to prompt the growth of new fresh layer of skin.
Discoloration
Another issue that individuals may experience with their skin is uneven texture, blotchiness, or discoloration. These issues are relatively unharmful to you but can be annoying and can result in lower self-confidence. Resolving these issues can vary significantly from person to person. You might have to try a couple different approaches to figure out how to address skin discoloration. And ultimately, you might never be able to get rid of some discoloration.
But there are things you can do to help like regularly exfoliating, getting chemical peels, and having microdermabrasion done—this technique creates micro punctures in your skin which prompt the release of collagen, which results in revived smoother skin.
Shingles
Shingles is a skin infection that can occur as a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Basically, the skin develops a painful rash with blistering pus-filled bubbles. The rash itself is preventable with a vaccine for chickenpox in childhood or a vaccine specifically for shingles in adulthood.
Even with these vaccines, it’s possible to still get shingles. There are a few symptoms that you can watch out for as warning signs. First, before the shingles actually develop, you might start to experience some pain on the surface of your skin as well as a heat sensation. Itchiness and dryness are other symptoms that might indicate potential shingles. Being aware of these symptoms can help you be more prepared to respond to shingles if you do end up contracting it.
Dryness or Oiliness
Everyone’s natural skin falls somewhere on the spectrum of dry to oily. Most people tend to experience relatively neutral skin texture leaning from one side to the other. But sometimes your skin will be excessively dry or excessively oily. If this is your situation, there are a variety of ways to address it.
First of all, think carefully about your situation. Have you moved recently to an area with an unfamiliar climate? Has the season changed? Have you changed your skin routine recently? Depending on your answers to these questions, your dry or oily skin might be more a response to your conditions and less a permanent issue to deal with.
If you are in the process of adjusting to a new climate, give yourself about two weeks for your skin to start to go back to normal. This process tends to be a little quicker during warm months and a little longer during cold ones.
Dealing with your skin can seem like a Herculean task. But start with a few simple changes to your routine to begin to see results. Ultimately, seeing positive changes in your skin requires consistency more than anything. So be willing to put in the time and the effort to see your skin glow.
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