Sensitivity & redness
If your skin stings when you apply things, flushes without much provocation, or reacts to products that everyone else gets on fine with, the last thing you need is an aggressive treatment plan.
What's actually going on
Genuinely sensitive skin is a type you are born with — typically thinner, with a naturally weaker barrier. Sensitised skin is skin that has been made reactive, usually by over-treatment, and it can be reversed. Most of the reactive skin we see is the second kind.
Redness has several causes and they are not interchangeable. General flushing, persistent redness across the cheeks and nose, and visible vessels are different presentations. Some of them are a medical condition rather than a skin-care one, and we will refer you to your GP rather than treat around it.
The most common mistake is trying to fix redness with something active. Reactive skin needs less, not more, and it needs it for longer than most people are willing to wait.
How we'd approach it
- A patch test before anything, and a slower, gentler course than we would use on resilient skin.
- Barrier-focused hydrating facials rather than resurfacing.
- LED light therapy, which is one of the few treatments genuinely well tolerated by reactive skin.
- Removing whatever is currently sensitising it — which is often the real treatment.
- A referral to your doctor if what you are describing sounds like rosacea or dermatitis rather than sensitivity.
How long it takes
Six to eight weeks of doing less before judging. Reactive skin punishes impatience more than any other skin type.
Treatments we'd use
The complimentary consultation is the right place to start. We will look at your skin properly and tell you honestly what will help — including if the answer is that you should see your doctor rather than us.
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