What is Skin Inflammation and How to Treat It

Our skin is a delicate but powerful shield, protecting us around the clock from things like germs, infections, and injury. As the largest organ in the body, an important function is to indicate when something may be going wrong. One such marker is skin inflammation, scientifically known as dermatitis. Skin inflammation is a response to a trigger within the immune system. When our bodies are fighting off intruders, the immune system can sometimes attack the healthy cells. This can lead to skin that is red, swollen, or irritated. Depending on the cause, it may be curable and there are several different treatments that may help get rid of or lessen the inflammation.

What is skin inflammation?

There are times when our immune system is working so hard to defend the body from harmful elements that it can go into overdrive. In certain instances, a reaction can occur that causes the skin to become inflamed. This can result in acne and blisters, redness around the affected area, or cause the skin to be hot to the touch. Some skin may even dry until it’s cracked and bleeds.

There are two types of skin inflammation: acute and chronic.

Acute skin inflammation is defined as lasting six weeks or less. This type is usually curable and can be easily treated. Usually, these appear in the form of heat rashes, pimples, or blisters. Chronic inflammation lasts longer than six weeks, may be caused by the immune system, and may require the help of your health provider. Examples include Eczema, Psoriasis, and Seborrheic Dermatitis.

What causes it?

There is a multitude of variables that can cause skin inflammation. Some are easily addressed and controllable while others may require more intensive care as a result of our own immune systems. One of the factors we do have control over is our diet. Unhealthy eating habits play a significant role in the functions and appearance of our bodies. Excessive fried foods, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and gluten can all trigger our skin to get out of whack. Another one is our exposure to chemicals and fragrances in products we use, the type of detergents we wash our laundry with, and even metals we come into contact with. These can all cause allergic reactions in our skin. Stress can also be a likely culprit. At the base of many health issues, stress is a common factor that wreaks havoc on not just our skin but our immune system as a whole. Extreme temperatures can lead to a heat rash. Other factors that are more difficult to control are reactions to medications and sensitivity to light. Bacterial and viral infections can enter through the skin. 

What are the symptoms?

Some symptoms of skin inflammation can range from mild to severe and include:

• Itching/ burning in the affected area
• redness
• blisters, bumps, or pimples
• cracked areas of skin that may bleed
• raised skin at the site of inflammation

How can you treat it?

Deciding on a course of treatment depends on the cause of inflammation. For more serious cases, finding the cause may require going through your health care provider who may ask questions about your medical history, your family history and may have you take a blood test, allergy test, or skin test. They may prescribe an ointment or antibiotic or suggest corticosteroids or immunosuppressants. However, there are several easy steps you can take to find and treat skin inflammation yourself. Getting rid of products with heavy fragrances and dyes is a good starting place. This trial and error of new or old household products many times will rule out the culprit. Other steps include changing pillowcases, cleaning your face in the morning and night and moisturizing, taking cooler showers or baths, avoiding harsh, overly drying soaps, and minimizing stress. Changing your diet, like cutting back on fast food, processed foods, dairy, and gluten can have an amazing effect on the skin as well.  Another easy and effective way to take action is through proper skin care treatments like whole body cryotherapy, localized therapy, and facial services such as cryo facials. In addition to reducing inflammation, these treatments are a fantastic way to keep your looking and feeling healthy. 

How Cryotherapy can help

When it comes to skin inflammation, cryotherapy can be a game changer. For centuries, cryotherapy has been used to treat inflammation. At Icebox Studios, we use sophisticated, state-of-the-art cryo technology to gently and safely treat all kinds of inflammation. These pain-free, non-invasive treatments use cold air to suppress inflammatory symptoms like redness, itching, and swelling and boost the immune system in the process.

During whole body cryotherapy, the cold air forces the contraction and dilation of the blood vessels, sending a surge of nutrients throughout the body to the affected areas, helping to get rid of toxins and suppress inflammation, leaving your body feeling relaxed and pain-free.

Localized cryotherapy targets a specific area, promoting blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and removing dead cells while accelerating the production of new, healthy ones. 

CryoFacials not only soothes the skin, but also increases collagen and elastic production, tightens pores, blocks bacteria, dirt, and oil, and makes skin appear tighter, healthier, and more vibrant. 

Although skin inflammation can be one of the last things we want to deal with, there are plenty of ways to take control. For more information on how Icebox Cryotherapy Studio treatments can help radically reduce skin inflammation and bring your skin back to life, visit Iceboxtherapy.com