Skin allergies are a problem that occurs in an increasing number of patients. It is for this reason that the subject receives quite a lot of attention. As is usually the case, in discussions about skin allergies there are many different facts, but also various myths - the latter, or at least some of them, we will try to dispel here.
Table of contents:
- Skin sensitisation can be triggered by just a few substances
- Medical preparations cannot cause skin sensitisation
- Sensitisation after the use of UV filter creams is always caused by the ingredients of the cream
- Natural oils and their use do not pose a risk of skin sensitisation
- The diagnosis of skin sensitisation is similar to that of other allergies
- If I am middle-aged and have not had any skin allergies, I will no longer have them
- Changing cosmetics frequently will reduce the risk of skin sensitisation
- It really is possible to be "allergic to a mobile phone"
Skinallergies are quite a confusing subject. They can manifest themselves in different ways - that's one thing. Two, their causes are still unclear - some hypotheses are already available, but convincing and unequivocal evidence on the pathogenesis of contact allergies is currently unlikely. Since skin allergies are a source of consternation for physicians, it should come as no surprise that the subject is still enigmatic for patients, too, which is why many myths about skin allergies can circulate among non-medical professionals.
Skin allergies can be triggered by just a few substances
Patients, or at least most of them, are aware that various factors can cause sensitisation. Various cosmetics, such as shampoos, perfumes and face creams, as well as cleaning products, such as washing powders, are regarded as the main culprits. The possibility of people becoming sensitised to nickel is also fairly well known.
In reality, however, the contact allergen that can lead to skin sensitisation can be any substance. In fact, sometimes patients are sensitised by components present in toys, dyes present in clothing or even nail varnish or latex gloves. In principle, it would be impossible to list all potential contact allergens - there is simply not enough space on this website to do so.
Medical preparations cannot cause skin sensitisation
It would seem that medicines applied to the skin - products that have been well tested before being released for sale - must be completely safe and must not cause sensitisation. Medical preparations are indeed very safe to use, but they too can cause a patient to develop a skin allergy. Various preparations that patients apply to the surface of their body can result in such a problem - one of the agents that relatively often cause a skin allergy are those containing antibiotics.
Sensitisation after the use of UV sunscreens is always caused by the ingredients in the cream
When a person applies a UV filter cream to their skin and develops an allergy afterwards, it is quite natural to blame it is the cosmetic that causes the allergy. In reality, however, the correlation is not so simple - yes, the ingredients of the cream themselves can be allergenic, but another possibility is also possible. Sometimes, it is only after the substances in the cream have been exposed to sunlight that the patient develops an allergy. In fact, it is not the cream itself that may be the cause of the skin reaction, but rather the occurrence of a photoallergic reaction.
Natural oils and their use pose no risk of skin sensitisation
Substances of natural origin are unlikely to be suspected of causing dangerous reactions - many people are convinced that natural oils, for example, should not cause allergic reactions. In practice, however, the opposite is true: Tea tree oil is an example of one such substance that can cause a skin allergy.
skin allergy photo: panthermedia
The diagnosis of skin sensitisation is similar to that of other allergies
Skin tests, among other things, are used in the diagnosis of food allergy. In these, it is possible to observe a possible allergic reaction just a few minutes after applying solutions containing allergens to the patient. In the case of contact all ergy, it is not the same: patch tests are used in particular. These involve attaching a patch containing the allergens most likely to cause allergy to the patient's skin. The reading of the result, however, takes place much later than in the case of skin tests, even after a day or two.
If I am middle-aged and have not had skin allergies, I will no longer have them
Some people think that since they have lived many years without skin allergies, they are already completely excluded from the risk group for this problem. Nothing could be further from the truth: skin allergies can appear at any point in life. It has even been hypothesised that repeated exposure to various potential allergens - e.g. substances present in cosmetics - increases the risk that a person will develop a skin allergy.
Changing cosmetics frequently will reduce the risk of skin sensitisation
Given the above-mentioned hypothesis, one might think that since continuous use of the same shampoo or shower gel can increase the risk of skin allergy, it would be beneficial to change these cosmetics from time to time. In practice, however, it is not enough to reach for a product with a different fragrance or from a different manufacturer. This is because most cosmetics contain the same substances with the potential to cause skin allergies. For this reason, if we do decide to change the contents of our bathroom cosmetics cupboard periodically, we should actually pay extra attention to the composition descriptions of cosmetic products.
It really is possible to be "allergic to mobile phones"
Allergic to a mobile phone? Sounds like nonsense. The phone itself is not allergenic, but the materials inside it are. Cases have already been observed in which a patient with a nickel allergy developed allergic reactions precisely because of touching a mobile phone containing this metal.
