How an Itchy Face Could Happen

Having an itchy face is the most puzzling of all. It suddenly becomes a sensation under the skin, and one would scramble to scratch it to erase the feeling away. An itch could be a sudden sensation that goes away as fast as it comes, or an annoying persistent notion. An itch is a strongly felt sensation, but could be with or without trace at all. An itchy face could be as harmless as a minute irritation, or as lethal as relentless red spots. It is mysterious because it does not show any sign nor symptom, and nobody really knows how itching is related to and caused by various reasons.

Causes of Itchy Face

An itch could be defined as an unpleasant sensory experience that causes the reflex to scratch the itchy part of the skin, just as pain prompts a person to withdraw from the source of the sensation. And like all sensory experiences, an itchy face could be caused by many things. It could originate from the outer layer of the skin itself (dermal), from somewhere on the pathways of the nervous system (neuropathic) and from the deep recesses of the brain (neurogenic and psychogenic). The unpleasant feeling could also be caused by external factors.

Other Factors that cause Itchy Face

An itch originating from the outer layer of the skin is very common. It could either be the harmless result of some allergy and foreign objects (insect bites and chemicals), of which are usually non-malignant and the itch trigger should only be removed. However, an itchy face could be a symptom of some dermatological disorder, such as a dry skin (xerosis), a healing wound, a developing pimple or mole, or some skin condition (eczema, sunburn, psoriasis and many others). And of course, itching could also be caused by infections and infestations, such as body lice & louse, scabies, chicken pox and herpes.

What to do with Itchy Face

Dermatological itching is relatively easy to manage and control. And though treatments in the form of sprays and creams are readily available over-the-counter, it is still very important to cure the real cause of an itchy face or any other part of the skin. The following are some of the commonly-used anti-pruritic topical treatments: counterirritants (e.g. menthol, mint oil, camphor), antihistamines (e.g. diphenhydramine or Benadryl), corticosteroids (e.g. hydrocortisone) and local anesthetics (benzocaine or Lanacane). Such topical treatments are always available in the stores. But as most drug advertisements say, it would be best to consult a doctor if symptoms still persist.
However, an itchy face, or itching in any other part of the body, could also originate beyond the outer layer of the skin. The itching sensation could be merely a figment of the mind and as a symptom of psychiatric disorders like hallucination, obsessive-compulsive disorder and delusions of parasitosis. And as the nervous system is responsible for all sensory experiences of a person, a damage in the pathways of the nerves could also cause itching. This is usually a result of multiple sclerosis, nerve irritation, brain tumor and other neuropathic diseases.