What is my skin type?

What is my skin type?


The skin can be characterized as:

NORMAL SKIN

Normal skin is firm with dense connective tissue and muscle fibers. It is supple and has numerous elastic fibers that are in excellent condition. The skin appears dense, overall the complexion is matte. It secretes just enough sebum. The texture is fine. There are no visible pores and it is very smooth. The skin is even color with good circulation.


SENSITIVE SKIN

The sensitive skin has fine texture with thin surface and blood vessels very close to the surface. As a result, it can be easily affected by internal and external factors causing blotchiness, redness, increased warmth, dehydration and irritation. The sensitive skin can feel taunt over the bone areas and have tendency toward dryness. While there is always the danger of over stimulating the skin, it is important to increase the cellular function to improve elasticity. Generally, the skin layer is very thin with unbalanced protective film (moisture). Sensitive skin is easily stimulated by stress, causing vasodilation, chronic dehydration, and often arctic oil production. A person with dry sensitive skin will tend to get drier under stress, whereas as person who is oily tends to easily erupt with acne and show a greasy film.


DRY SKIN or ALIPIC SKIN

There are two type of skin dryness. These conditions often coexist, contributing toward the predisposition to winkles, dehydration and irritation. A skin may become dry because it has lost its superficial moisture. This can happen, even on skins that produce too much oil. The surface of the skin feels taunt, is flaky and often slightly itchy. The second condition, which is more problematic, is where the oil gland don't produce enough sebum. This is true for underactive skin. The skin often looks normal to fine in texture, but it is dull. The follicles are quite invisible. The skin is delicate, easily irritated and rough. It may be prone to reddening or may be quite sallow (yellowish). It usually feels tight.


DEHYDRATED SKIN

Dehydrated skin is scaly, taunt, with superficial lines and premature aging. Dehydration is caused by loss of water on the skin surface.


MATURE SKIN

Mature skin looks withered which is caused primarily by deficiency in nutritional components. The skin appears looser and thinner. The elastic fibers are degenerate due to water loss while the fat tissue reduce in thickness, causing a general breakdown in skin elasticity. There is a dramatic reduction in oil production causing dryness. The circulation is reduced due to cholesterol deposits in the arterioles. Pigmentary disorders may result causing brown spots. May have tendency toward couperose (dilated capillaries) skin, showing redness.


OILY SKIN

Oily skin is characterized by overabundant secretion of the sebaceous gland. This condition if incorrectly treated by the individual give rise to other problems. Contrary to belief , this skin can be sensitive and is often mishandled by harsh products designed to dry out the oiliness of the skin. Such products eliminate the oil on the surface and by doing so causes the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. There are two types of oily skin. Oily skin which oozes oils causing a shiny wet appearance ( seborrhea oleosa) and oily skin which clogs the pores (seborrhea sicca) . It has a collection of harden sebum and dead cells in the pores. The successful treatment of oily skin requires patience, since excessive oil production is a symptom of and internal problem.


ACNE SKIN

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disorder that occurs in the adolescent as well as the adult. The acne skin is thick, coarse, with large follicular orifices (pores). It is shiny with blocked pores (opened and closed blackheads). It contains pustules with white or yellow tinged centers.