Potential Reasons Why Your Skin Hurts

Have you ever experienced burning, stinging, or shooting pain when your skin is exposed to something that wouldn’t usually cause pain? That’s known as allodynia, a condition where the skin becomes extra sensitive to stimuli that wouldn’t usually cause pain.

On the other hand, skin sensitivity refers to a condition where the skin becomes overly sensitive to touch, causing temporary discomfort or chronic pain. In this article, we’ll explore the causes of skin sensitivity and allodynia and discuss various treatment options.

What Causes Skin Sensitivity and Allodynia?

There are many possible causes and underlying conditions that can contribute to sensitive skin. One of the most common causes is skin damage or irritation, which can occur from sunburns, bug bites, cuts, scrapes, and other minor injuries.

The nerves in the area may also become overly sensitive due to inflammation or swelling from an injury, leading to pain when touched.

Shingles

Shingles, an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, can contribute to skin sensitivity and allodynia. This virus, which is also responsible for chickenpox, can reactivate later in life and cause shingles, resulting in severe pain and skin sensitivity that can last for weeks and exacerbate with even the gentlest touch.

Skin Conditions and Allergic Reactions

Dry, itchy, or inflamed skin can increase sensitivity to touch and cause discomfort. Allergic responses, which occur when the body’s immune system reacts to an allergen, can also lead to skin sensitivity and allodynia by releasing messengers such as histamines, cytokines, and interleukins.

Sunburn

Finally, sunburn can also result in skin sensitivity and allodynia. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause sunburn, resulting in red, painful, and sensitive skin. In particularly severe cases, sunburn can cause blistering and peeling, which can exacerbate skin sensitivity and discomfort.

While there are numerous potential causes of skin sensitivity and allodynia, the common thread tying them all together is the nervous system, which can become overstimulated due to inflammation or nerve damage.

What Is the Nervous System?

At the heart of the nervous system lies the central nervous system (CNS), which, among other things, processes pain signals from the skin and other regions of the body.

The CNS, comprised of the brain and spinal cord, functions as the central hub of the nervous system, receiving and processing sensory information from the body and directing motor responses accordingly.

The CNS plays a pivotal role in skin sensitivity and allodynia, as it is responsible for processing pain signals from the skin. When the skin is exposed to potentially harmful stimuli, such as heat or pressure, the nerves within the skin transmit pain signals to the CNS.

The CNS, in turn, processes these signals, determining the appropriate response. In some cases, the CNS may become overly sensitive to these pain signals, resulting in heightened sensitivity to touch.

What Are Neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells, also play a vital role in pain processing.

When exposed to painful stimuli, the nerves within the skin release neurotransmitters, including substance P, glutamate, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which activate pain-sensing nerve fibers. These neurotransmitters then stimulate the CNS, leading to the experience of nerve pain.

In some instances, the CNS may become sensitized to these pain signals, leading to increased sensitivity to touch and discomfort. This can happen due to nerve damage, inflammation, or underlying health conditions.

When the CNS is sensitized, even mild stimuli can result in substantial pain, leading to skin sensitivity and allodynia.

What Are the Types of Skin Pain?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the various types of skin pain that can lead to skin sensitivity and allodynia. Each type presents differently and provides valuable insight into what exactly causes skin sensitivity in the first place.

Working to identify the type of skin pain you might be experiencing is a key part of finding the right solution or treatment plan. When you know what is causing your symptoms and why, it becomes easier to narrow in on a treatment approach that will effectively address the issue.

Thermal Allodynia

Thermal allodynia is a condition in which the skin becomes excessively sensitive to changes in temperature, eliciting discomfort and pain. This type of pain is characterized by symptoms such as burning, stinging, or shooting pain, often arising from exposure to heat or cold.

The symptoms of thermal allodynia can affect everyday activities, such as bathing, cooking, or even simply touching a warm or cold object.

Mechanical Allodynia

Mechanical allodynia is when the skin becomes overly sensitive to pressure or touch, resulting in discomfort and pain.

The symptoms of mechanical allodynia can range from pain, discomfort, or tenderness when the skin is touched, making it difficult to perform routine tasks such as getting dressed or washing.

Tactile Allodynia

Tactile allodynia is when the skin becomes excessively sensitive to light touch, eliciting discomfort and pain. Even the slightest touch can cause discomfort in individuals with tactile allodynia.

From a gust of wind to certain textures of fabric, tactile allodynia can be exacerbated by many everyday experiences, and its symptoms can greatly affect everyday life.

Itching Allodynia

In this condition, the skin becomes overly sensitive to touch, leading to the feeling of itchiness. The itchiness elicited by itching allodynia is not only unbearable, but it’s also almost impossible to scratch, presenting a formidable challenge for individuals struggling with this condition.

In addition, the underlying mechanisms of itching allodynia are not well understood, highlighting the need for further research and investigation.

Why is My Skin Painful to Touch?

How to Treat Diaper Candidiasis

Reading
Why is My Skin Painful to Touch?

5 minutes

Next
How to Use Manuka Honey for Skin Pigmentation

By Kazandra PangilinanNov 29, 2022

Your skin can give you a lot of insight into your overall health and wellness. You’ve probably noticed your skin feeling extra dry or sensitive when you’re sick or rundown. Sometimes our skin can even be painful or sensitive to touch but nothing is there. This can be a reaction to environmental, topical or dietary irritants. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore the many reasons why your skin may be sensitive or painful to touch, including:

• Common skin conditions that cause sensitivity
• Understanding your triggers
• How to manage skin that hurts to touch

Read on to learn more about skin sensitivities and how to manage them naturally.   

Common Sensitive Skin Conditions 

While overly sensitive skin can sometimes be a result of more serious neuropathic pain (such as allodynia), it is also a very common symptom of inflammatory skin conditions. 

Eczema and psoriasis are two common inflammatory skin conditions that can cause the skin to be sensitive or painful to touch. These will usually leave the skin dry, itchy, red and tender. With these, it can be difficult to keep your skin safe from irritants. 

Eczema is a group of conditions that cause the skin to be dry, itchy, and red. Contact dermatitis, a type of eczema, is the skin’s reaction from contact with something on the skin that causes an allergic reaction. 

Psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system that reproduces skin cells too quickly. This causes red patches with silvery scales to form. They can grow anywhere, but most appear on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back.

Understanding Your Skin’s Triggers

With both these skin conditions, skin sensitivity triggers can vary from person to person. Inflammation can result when your body reacts to various things in your environment that may be typically harmless. Many of the skin sensitive triggers are similar in both cases. 

Common eczema triggers are:

• Stress
• Chemicals found in beauty or household products
• Climate (dry, cold air)
• Pet fur
• Diet

Things that can trigger an outbreak of Psoriasis include:

• Stress
• Chemicals found in beauty or household products
• An infection 
• A skin injury like cuts, scrapes or surgery.
• Changes in body temperature due to weather
• Certain medications

We highly recommend figuring out what your triggers are to heal aching skin. The best way to understand what your triggers and to identify patterns of chronic pain like this are is to keep a journal of  what products you use, the fabrics that you wear, and the foods you consume each day. This can help you narrow down and identify what is causing your skin pain and inflammation.  

It’s always recommended to contact your doctor if your find your skin suddenly sensitive to touch.

Tips for Managing Painful Skin 

If your sensitive skin hurts to touch or rub, there are some ways to help ease the hypersensitive skin pain: 

• Swap your skincare products with harsh soaps and fragrances to natural, clean skincare. We highly recommend the Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream because it’s made with just 6 wholesome ingredients, including powerful Manuka Honey. To cleanse your skin, try a natural soap bar like this Coconut and Sunflower Oil Soap Bar, that’s both very gentle and moisturizing. Skincare changes like these will really help if your skin burns when touched.
• If you think you may have a food sensitivity, do an eczema elimination diet to help you narrow down what’s causing a flare up. 
• If your skin hurts when clothes touch, try loose flowing clothing that doesn’t cling to the skin.
• If you react to fabrics, try switching to eczema-friendly clothing. Remedywear is a great choice because the gentle garments were specifically designed for those with sensitive skin. The unique fabric is made from TENCEL fabric with zinc-embedded fibers which helps soothe irritated skin and also can really help when skin touching skin is a trigger. Its composition means that it helps heal a flare-up and reduces inflammation while you wear it. Here are some great options that you can wear either during the day underneath regular clothing or alone at night: 

Remedwear Long Shirt for Kids

Remedywear Long Shirt for Adults

Remedywear Pants for Kids

Remedywear Pants for Adults

• And finally, learn how to manage your stress. While everyone does this differently, there are many popular ways to wind down and clear your mind. Just 15 minutes of meditating a day can significantly lower your stress level. You can also try things like deep breathing, taking a yoga class, going for walks, or talking to a loved one or mental health care professional.   

Give your Sensitive Skin Relief

If your skin is super sensitive to the touch, use these helpful tips to start getting some relief. 

Sensitive scalp [causes, care, remedy overview]

Sensitive scalp is irritated and itchy skin. Certain factors – poor environmental conditions, stress, or even aggressive cosmetics – can cause an increase in its sensitivity.

To achieve the desired result, follow our simple tips for daily hair care.

Symptoms of sensitive and irritated scalp

Just like the skin of the face and body, the scalp can be sensitive. It is daily exposed to various aggressive factors, which leads to its weakening.

The main symptoms of hypersensitivity:

• feeling of tightness;
• itching;
• burning scalp;
• painful sensations when touched;
• dandruff may appear.

Under the influence of certain factors, such as pollution or stress, the scalp becomes very sensitive. Along with itching, there is a feeling of dryness and painful sensations when touched – usually a person describes this condition as “hypersensitivity of the hair on the head”.

In fact, the physiological microflora of the scalp changes, and certain microorganisms begin to multiply actively. The process of cell renewal of the scalp is significantly accelerated, which leads to dandruff.

Causes of scalp sensitivity

Scalp sensitivity can be caused by various factors. One of them is a violation of the process of sebum secretion, which leads to itching.

Poor environmental conditions and stress can also lead to scalp irritation. In fact, due to air pollution, harmful chemicals settle on the hair, which form a dull film on the surface of the hair and, like stress, lead to the production of free radicals. These free radicals change the structure of the scalp and lead to changes in the hair follicle. Hair loses shine and strength, hair loss may begin. The result is a sensitive and irritated scalp.

The following factors also affect the sensitivity of the scalp:

• unbalanced diet;
• aggressive shampoos, frequent drying and blow-drying;
• wearing motorcycle helmets for a long time;
• chlorinated water;
• direct sunlight.

Itching, red patches and scaly skin may be symptoms of conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. In these cases, special treatment is needed.

Sensitive scalp care

Follow these tips for daily hair care:

• eat a healthy, balanced diet;
• learn to cope with stress;
• regularly massage the scalp to stimulate blood circulation;
• do not pull the hair into a tight knot, let it “breathe” during the day;
• in the sun, wear a hat to protect your hair.

How to wash a very sensitive scalp?

To restore the physiological balance and cleanse the scalp, first of all, use a soothing mild shampoo. It will help to achieve excellent results when caring for very sensitive scalp, especially if the skin is oily. For gentle daily care, La Roche Posay has effective shampoos KERIUM and KERIUM DS .

We also recommend using hair conditioner (for nourishment and hydration) and special oils.

If dandruff does not decrease, consult a dermatologist.

Why does the scalp hurt, hair roots hurt

September 25, 2020

Hair or scalp hurts – treatment in Krivoy Rog: trichologist, dermatologist The problem of skin sensitivity under the hair is not new. Pain can be felt when scratching, wiping the head after a shower, and even at the moment of a light touch. We decided to dwell more specifically on resolving these issues. If your scalp hurts under your hair, treatment in Krivoy Rog will be offered by the doctors of the trichology department on Filatova!

Our clients have repeatedly noted increased sensitivity of the epidermis of the scalp. And, despite the gender, the difference in age and lifestyle, the complaints sound about the same. This is pain when combing, washing or drying hair, at the time of wearing a tight hairstyle or hat, pain when touching the skin under the hair, slight tingling and burning, increasing itching and pain of the hair roots, burning skin behind the ears, skin pain on the back of the head.

Often, such symptoms are attributed to hypothermia or unsuitable hairstyle, and a person ignores going to the doctor, experiencing a possible illness on his legs in a few days. But the appearance of peeling and dandruff in the hair, itching and burning, a skin rash with inflammation of the epidermis surface, as well as violations of the structure of the scalp, may indicate more serious problems that require a professional approach!

Why does the hair on the head, hair roots hurt, why does the head itch, and why does the skin under the hair flake off? Why is the scalp sensitive and why do the roots of the hair hurt when the hair is dirty? Why does the scalp bake at the crown and crusts appear under the hair? What does it mean when the scalp hurts like a bruise, tingling of the skin on the forehead and in the temporal region? Such questions are not always correct, but they are heard daily in the offices of trichologists. Therefore, today we will try to give answers to some of them, talking about the reasons for such uncomfortable sensations.

But regardless of the responses you receive, if you experience these symptoms, you should seek medical attention directly. We offer expert treatment of the scalp in Krivoy Rog, treatment of hair thinning and loss, as well as dermatological diseases: trichologist appointment, dermatologist consultation!

Sensitivity of the scalp: poor-quality dye or shampoo – allergies, dermatitis • Wrong shampoo or hair dye – allergic reaction of the scalp, peeling and itching. The problem arises due to the chemical components of shampoos, as well as other hair care products that wash off the protective layer, disrupt the microflora and affect the scalp and sebaceous glands. Therefore, it is very important to properly care for your hair;
• Contact dermatitis – an allergy to certain components and substances in the home and the environment. The appearance of inflammation, scratching, rashes, abscesses and small sores, which causes not only discomfort, but also pain in the scalp, drying out and peeling;
• Bacterial infection of the scalp – folliculitis or impetigo, and purulent inflammation of the epidermis of the head and hair follicles subsequently, provoking pain under the hair;
• Skin fungal infection – blemishes, burning and itching, pain on the surface of the scalp. There may be hair loss, as well as a condition when the area of ​​​​the head hurts when pressed;
• Psoriasis – a disease that manifests itself as a specific rash and the formation of spots, crusts and cracks in the skin on the scalp. There is not only damage to the skin on the head, but also serious problems with the epidermis on the palms, elbows and other parts of the body;
• Hemotherapy can cause a similar effect as an adverse reaction of the body to a number of treatments. Pain in the root zone of the hair, tightness of the scalp, thinning and hair loss;

• Seborrheic dermatitis of the head, due to the development of which peeling, crusting, inflammation and subsequent scratching appear on the scalp, the work of the sebaceous glands is disrupted, dandruff appears and hair loss may begin. At the same time, the disease is quite painful, especially at the stage of inflammation of the epidermis and possible infection;
• Overstrain of the muscles that raise the hair, which is associated with prolonged stressful situations, hypothermia, headaches of various origins, lack of vitamins or trace elements. More often there is discomfort when combing;
• Increased oiliness of the scalp – the development of an inflammatory process with corresponding consequences, the occurrence of acne and pimples. The cause of soreness of the scalp can also be excessively dry skin, especially after improper treatment of its increased fat content;
Why hair hurts: dermatitis, psoriasis, pediculosis, fungus of the scalp• Pediculosis is an infestation with lice. The vital activity of parasites leads to irritation of the skin surface, inflammation and the appearance of purulent wounds, and, accordingly, itching and pain;
• Emotional and psychological causes – stress, mood swings, prolonged psychological stress for various reasons, depression and other similar conditions can cause vasospasm;
• Pain in the superficial layers of the skin under the hair is also caused by neurocirculatory dystonia or vegetovascular dystonia, with an additional set of related symptoms and consequences if treatment is ignored;
• The scalp hurts due to hypothermia, which affects blood vessels and hair follicles, and can cause not only colds, but also neuralgia and other more serious pathologies. Can cause skin pain under the hair cold allergy;

• Trauma can be a natural cause of discomfort and pain. If the crown of the head, occipital or temporal part hurts, remember, perhaps just a day or two ago you hit. At the time of the injury, the pain may be imperceptible, but the resulting abrasion, even a small bruise or hematoma on the head, can make itself felt for weeks!

Causes of pain in the skin of the scalp include incorrectly done hairstyles for the sake of fashion, too tight hair, the so-called ponytails, a large amount of hair on the head and its severity, but also uncomfortable hats, sudden changes in temperature and the heredity factor !

If the scalp hurts and itches , is sensitive to the light touch of the fingers or at the time of rest and sleep, we recommend thinking. Creams, masks, gels and shampoos, pills and injections that patients prescribe on their own can hide symptoms or not work at all, and in many cases, blur the picture for professional diagnosis and further negatively affect health.