The term sensitive skin is commonly used to describe a reduced tolerance to make-up and personal care products on the face and body—but it can mean a lot of things to different women.
Sensitive Skin Facts
As a dermatologist, one of the top concerns my patients share about the skin beyond their face is how to care for sensitive skin on their body. People often assume that sensitive skin is a result of the environment, the weather, or that it’s just how their skin is. While the weather and the environment are factors that can impact experiencing sensitive skin symptoms, there can be much more to the story.
What is Sensitive Skin?
The term sensitive skin is commonly used to describe a reduced tolerance to make-up and personal care products on the face and body—but it can mean a lot of things to different women. In general, sensitive skin is divided into four categories: acne, rosacea, burning/stinging and contact dermatitis—which breaks down into allergies and irritants. Most of these classifications are focused on facial skin, even though women experience symptoms of sensitive skin on other parts of the body as well. Concerning the skin below your face, irritant contact dermatitis is the most common type of sensitive skin.
Sensitive Skin is Universal
Women of all ages, skin tones, types and in all parts of the world can experience symptoms of sensitive skin. In a recent survey conducted by Gillette Venus, 99.6% of women worldwide identified themselves as having sensitive skin on parts of their bodies other than the face. Of those who reported some level of sensitive skin, women universally believe they have sensitive skin in the areas of the body they shave, identifying themselves as having the highest instance of sensitive skin in the bikini area, reported by 93%, followed by underarms at 88% and legs at 80%. Of these women globally, dryness (68%) was the most commonly cited symptom leading women to believe they had sensitive skin on their legs, while redness was the leading symptom both for bikini (57%) and underarms (42%).
The Skin-ny on Shaving and Sensitivity
Women often mistake symptoms of shaving irritation from using a poor quality razor for sensitive skin. Gillette Venus found this myth to be commonly held among women worldwide, with 75% of survey respondents sharing that they experience irritation on their legs, underarms or bikini after shaving. Of those women who experience irritation after shaving, the most noted belief as to why this occurs is that they just have sensitive skin. However, 82% of US dermatologists surveyed by Gillette Venus weighed in with the truth, agreeing that irritation from shaving is often confused with having sensitive skin.
Of women surveyed globally, the bikini and underarms proved to be the most common areas for experiencing shaving irritation, since hair in these areas is typically coarser and the areas are curved. In the bikini area, skin is also less taut than it is on the legs, so women have a tendency to go over that area with more strokes when shaving and pull more tightly on the skin, increasing irritation.
Here’s how to spot the most often reported skin irritation symptoms, typically damage to the epidermis, which women experience as a result of shaving:
- Redness on the skin: change of color on the skin toward redness that indicates increased blood flow to that area; will include warm temperature feeling of the skin
- Raised bumps: small raised area above the level of the skin
- Underarm/bikini: likely an ingrown hair (see ingrown hairs below)
- Legs: considered folliculitis, an inflammation of the hair follicle
- Razor burn: inflammation of the skin following shaving (includes redness, warmth & sensitivity)
- Itchy skin: skin itches when it’s irritated or dry
- Flakiness or peeling of the skin: represents dry, dead skin that’s detaching from the skin below
- Stinging and burning: another manifestation of inflammation and irritation
- Ingrown hairs: hairs that grow into or under the skin that are associated with a red, painful bump; typically found in underarm and bikini areas
- Cut: a break in the skin
- Nick: a small cut
The choices my patients make to cope with these symptoms of skin irritation can end up impacting their day, their lifestyle and often their self-confidence. Women may choose a different outfit in an effort not to display their irritated legs or underarms. In the summer, some women may skip out on a day at the beach. They even describe changing or canceling plans and investing unnecessarily in extra skin moisturizers or lotions. Despite the efforts to “manage” the irritation, they often don’t realize they could prevent it in the first place by simply changing the way they shave or the type of razor they use.
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