DIFFERENT TYPES OF ALLERGIES
CAN AFFECT THE SKIN
But contact dermatitis is not the only type of skin allergy. Skin also reacts to allergens - in our diet, our environment, and in medicines we take - often in the form of hives which are itchy red welts that appear on skin. In a milder form of reaction, allergy-prone skin itches, burns and stings when exposed to cosmetics that are not hypoallergenic and allergy-tested, or harsh ingredients in household cleaning products. One special case of skin allergy that you will discover in the articles below is sun allergy, where allergic-like symptoms are brought on by UV rays.
IS MY SKIN
SENSITIVE, REACTIVE OR ALLERGY-PRONE?
Allergy-prone skin is not the same as sensitive or reactive skin types. Whereas allergy-prone skin reacts to specific allergens with visible reactions, sensitive skin experiences discomfort (tingling, itching, burning etc.) either all the time, or in response to internal (think stress or spicy food) and external (think hard water or air conditioning) trigger factors. You probably won’t see any visible changes in sensitive skin. A separate entity, reactive skin reacts to internal and external triggers with the same unpleasant sensations, plus visible symptoms of redness and flushing.
The articles in this section will tell you more about these 3 tricky skin types, including the specific daily care that will help keep them all in their comfort zones.