Skin Irritations – Characteristics of Typical Skin Rashes
Skin irritations cause redness, itchiness or burning. The skin acts as a natural barrier to protect the body against various external mechanical influences such as pressure or rubbing. This barrier can be damaged by severe external stresses such as sustained friction, heavy sweating or irritating urine. One effect of this is the development of skin irritations such as redness, inflammation or eczema.
Who is susceptible to irritated skin?
Skin rashes and irritations often occur in particularly sensitive areas of the body such as the buttocks, the genital area, the armpits or between the thighs. For various reasons, competitive athletes, overweight people and incontinent patients are over-represented among those who suffer from skin irritations and sore skin.
For athletes such as cyclists and runners, sores tend to appear in the more stressed areas of the body, such as the genital area, the chest or the ankles, and are usually due to wearing the wrong clothing during training.
Skin irritations in people who are overweight are often caused by the rubbing of ‘skin on skin’ or the accumulation of sweat in folds of skin.
Incontinent patients with severe urinary or faecal incontinence suffer from skin irritation because the irritating urine or faeces repeatedly damages the sensitive barrier function of the skin.
Because babies have particularly sensitive skin, they also often suffer from irritated skin in the nappy area. Sore bottoms are unfortunately not uncommon in babies. However, it is possible to reduce the risk of a sore bottom in babies and small children by following a few tips for baby care. Adults can also apply these measures to protect their skin.
How to protect your skin from irritation
To help keep the skin barrier function healthy, even under severe stress or irritation due to faeces or urine, use Linola Protective Balm which protects baby and adult skin against unpleasant irritation. The balm forms a transparent barrier film that protects the irritated skin against moisture while still allowing it to breathe. This prevents a build-up of moisture in the skin and allows damaged and irritated skin to regenerate. A study has shown that even pre-existing skin irritations are significantly reduced after 4 weeks of regular application of Protective Balm*.
You can find more information on preventing skin rashes in our Guide to Skin Protection. In the Linola Guide Area, we have further tips on preventing chafing and skin irritation.
* Pharmalog 2013, data on file, Dr. August Wolff.
Created to protect skin: Linola
Linola Protective Balm forms a breathable film on the skin, thus protecting it from becoming sore. Skin irritations can result primarily from a build up of sweat, urine or faeces. In addition, chafing and thus soreness can also be caused by clothing, panty liners and sport, e.g. cycling. Linola Protective Balm repels water and irritants without allowing moisture to build up in the skin. It is particularly suitable for the intimate area as well as the entire nappy region.
Linola Protective Balm is available from your pharmacy.
