Skin Irritation: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Published:December 19th, 2011

Skin irritation can be of several types.  Some are mild while the others are severe.  Nevertheless, skin irritation is a total nuisance in our everyday life.  Have you experienced scratching your skin continuously because the itch won’t just go away?  It is very time consuming plus, it is very unhygienic.  People around you may have bad impression about your overall hygiene if they see that you suffer from skin irritation.  In this article, we will discuss the different symptoms of skin irritation and their causes.  You will further read about some treatments that could help you get rid of your skin irritation temporarily and even for good.

First let us discuss the symptoms of skin irritation.  You may never know but you could already have these symptoms.

Some of the common symptoms of skin irritation are:

Patches of red skin
Scaly or dry skin
Roughness in texture
Itchiness which leads to pain once you scratch the affected area
Burning and Tingling sensation
Swollen skin
Changed skin color

If you experience itchiness or any of the mentioned symptoms, you could be experiencing some skin irritation.           You don’t need to worry in case you have mild skin irritation because it usually lasts for only a few days and needs only mild medication such as cold creams or ointments.

If you feel that you are experiencing the same skin irritation for a couple of days now or if the rashes go away but keep coming back, it is best to consult your dermatologist about it.  There could be some underlying serious causes to your skin condition.  Never apply anything on your skin if you are not sure of what you have and if you are not sure of which ointment to use.

For mild skin irritation, there are several over the counter medications that could help relieve the symptoms.  Below are some of the frequently used ointments and other medications known to help alleviate the symptoms of skin irritation:

Ointments/Creams and Lotions- These are usually calamine lotions and antibacterial ointments or creams.  If you experience skin dryness along with the skin irritation, look for the medication with moisturizing ingredients to it.

Home/Natural Remedies- Some fruits, vegetables and other stuff that you see in the kitchen can do wonders for your skin irritation.  An example of this is a paste of baking soda with water and even fine oats.  Place the solution on the affected area and you will soon be relieved of the itchiness.  Oils like aloe vera, tea tree, avocado, honey and jojoba can also help alleviate the rash.  Just rub the oil continuously on the affected area.

Cortisone- This helps decrease the swelling, itching, burning and inflammation of the skin irritation.   However, there is a negative side effect to continuous use of Cortisone.  The affected area will become permanently thin. It is better to consult your dermatologist before using cortisone creams for long duration.

Professional/Dermatological help- As already mentioned, if the skin irritation keeps coming back, it is wise to consult your dermatologist about it.  It may cause you a big amount of money but it is better to be safe than to experiment on your own.  The latter could even worsen your condition.

Skin irritation is a common condition that everybody experiences.  However, prevention from this common ailment is easier than its treatment.  Since skin irritation is caused by germs and bacteria, so it is only wise that you keep yourself and your surroundings clean and sanitized at all time.

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