Description

Dryness of the skin makes the skin look and feel rough, itchy, flaky, or scaly. The place where these dry patches form vary from person to person. It is a common condition that affects people of all ages.

Dry skin, also known as xerosis or xeroderma, has many causes, including cold or dry, sun damage, soaps, and overbathing.

You can do a lot to improve the dry skin, including hydration and the practice of sun protection throughout the year. Try various products and skin-care routines to find a method that works for you.

Symptoms

Dry skin is often temporary or seasonal — you could get only in the winter, for example — or you might need for the long-term treatment. The signs and symptoms of dryness of the skin can vary depending on the age, state of health, the tone of the skin, in the environment of life and exposure to the sun. They include:

  • A feeling of tension in the skin
  • Skin that feels and looks rough
  • Itching (pruritus)
  • Mild to severe peeling of the skin, which makes the appearance of ash, which can affect dry brown and black skin
  • Slight to severe flaking or peeling
  • Cracked "dry riverbed," look to the leg
  • The fine lines or cracks
  • The skin that goes from the red skin, white to gray-brown and black skin
  • The deep cracks that may bleed

When to see a doctor

Most cases of dry skin responds well to lifestyle changes and home remedies. You may need the help of your primary care physician or a doctor who specializes in skin diseases (dermatologist) if:

  • Have you tried these self-care measures, but their signs and symptoms persist
  • Your skin is inflamed or painful
  • Develop a dry, thick skin as a side effect of cancer treatment
  • His condition makes him so uncomfortable that it makes you lose sleep, or you are distracted from their daily routines
  • You have open wounds or infections of scratches
  • Has large areas of flaking or peeling of the skin

Causes

The dry skin is due to the water loss from the outer layer of the skin. It can be caused by:

  • Heat. Central heating, wood-burning stoves, stoves, and chimneys to reduce the humidity.
  • Environment. Living in cold, windy conditions or low-humidity climates.
  • Too much bathing or washing. Taking long, hot showers, the bath or scrubbing the skin too dry your skin. Bathing more than once a day, you can remove the natural oils of your skin also.
  • Soaps and detergents. Many of the most popular soaps, detergents and shampoos strip moisture from the skin, since they are formulated to remove oil.
  • Other conditions of the skin. People with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis are more likely to have dry skin.
  • Medical treatments. Some people develop a dry, thick skin after undergoing treatment for cancer, dialysis, or taking certain medications.
  • Aging. As people age, the skin is thinner and produces less of the oils the skin needs to retain water.

Risk factors

Any person can develop dry skin. But you are more likely to develop the disease if:

  • Are over 40, the skin's ability to retain moisture decreases with age
  • Living in the cold, the wind conditions or low-humidity climates
  • You have a job that requires you to immerse your hands in water, such as nursing or the barber
  • The use of your hands to work with cement, clay, or soil
  • Swim frequently in pools treated with chlorine
  • Who have certain diseases or conditions, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes or malnutrition

Complications

Dry skin is usually harmless. But when you don't take care, dry skin can lead to:

  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema). If you are prone to develop this condition, excessive dryness can lead to the activation of the disease, causing a rash and cracks in the skin.
  • Infections. Dry skin can crack, allowing bacteria to enter, causing infections.

These complications are more likely to occur when the skin of the protection mechanisms is severely compromised. For example, the severely dry skin may cause deep cracks or fissures, which can open up and bleed, providing a pathway for the invasion of bacteria.

Prevention

Try these tips to help your skin retain moisture:

  • Hydrate. Moisturizer seals in the water to help maintain its protective barrier of the skin healthy. The use of the moisturizing cream during the day, especially in the hands. And before you go outdoors, use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen or a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
  • Limit exposure to water. Keep bath and shower time to 10 minutes or less. Use lukewarm water, not hot, water. Rinse and dry. Try to bathe no more than once a day.
  • Use a mild cleanser or allergen-free soap. Try a nonsoap cleanser or shower gel. Or use fragrance-free soap, moisturizing alcohol-free or allergy-causing substances (soap hypoallergenic), especially if you wash your hands often. Rinse well and dry. Apply a moisturizer while the skin is still damp.
  • Shave with care. Shaving can be drying. If you shave, use of a lubricating agent before you begin. Shave in the direction of hair growth, unless it irritates your skin. Use a sharp blade and rinse with warm water after every stroke. When done, apply the moisturizer.
  • Cover as much skin as possible in cold or windy. The weather can be especially drying of the skin. Scarves, hats and gloves or mittens to help protect your skin when you are outdoors.
  • Use gloves. Protect your hands with suitable gloves when gardening, the use of harsh cleaners, and doing other dry the skin of the activities.
  • Rinse and moisturize after swimming. This is especially important if you've been swimming in a large chlorinated pool.
  • Drink when you're thirsty. Drink decaffeinated drinks each day to help keep all the tissues of your body, including your skin, hydrated.
  • Bathing the baby with care. For babies, the use of a cleanser every 1-2 weeks for the bathroom is usually sufficient. Otherwise, they bathe in the water. However, clean the diaper area with each diaper change. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline, Aquaphor, other) while the skin is still damp.

Diagnosis

To diagnose dry skin, your doctor is likely to examine you and ask about your medical history. You can discuss when your dry skin started, what factors make it better or worse, that the bathing habits, and how to take care of your skin.

Your doctor may suggest that you have some tests to see if your dry skin is caused by a medical condition, such as a low-activity of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Often, dry skin is a symptom of another skin condition, such as dermatitis or psoriasis.

Treatment

Dry skin tends to respond well to lifestyle measures, such as using moisturizers and avoiding long, hot showers and baths. If you have very dry skin, your doctor may recommend a product moisturizer formulated for your needs.

If you have a serious disease of the skin, a doctor may want to treat with a prescription cream or ointment. If your dry skin becomes itchy, you can use a hydrocortisone cream on it. If your skin is cracked, your doctor may prescribe wet dressings to help prevent infection.

Lifestyle and home remedies

The following measures can help keep your skin moisturized and healthy:

  • Wash your face at least twice a day.The use of a gentle, alcohol-free, nonfoaming cleanser on your face twice a day and after sweating. Products with stearic acid (found in shea butter) or linoleic acid (found in argan oil, and others) may help to repair the skin. If you have sensitive skin, wash with a cleanser in the evening and simply rinse with water than at other times. While the skin is still damp, apply any medication you are using, wait a few minutes (see medication packaging to see the details), then apply moisturizer. If the use of cosmetics, consider the possibility of selecting the product with a cream or oil base. Use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen or a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
  • Hydrate.Apply moisturizer several times a day, especially when your skin feels dry and after washing hands or bathing, when the skin is still damp. Ask your doctor about the pros and cons of the different products for your skin type and condition. You may have to try several products before we find those that you like, that help you and that we are going to use it regularly. Search for the healing ingredients such as urea, ceramides, fatty acids and glycerol (also known as glycerin, shea butter and cocoa butter. Look for fragrance-free products that do not cause acne (noncomedogenic) and do not contain substances that cause allergies (hypoallergenic). Avoid products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is drying. For the face and the neck, you may want to use a cream. Choose something that is easy to apply and leaves no visible residue. If you are prone to acne, avoid the products on your face that contain petroleum jelly, cocoa butter or coconut oil. If the skin is very oily, try using a sunscreen in place of a moisturizer. If you have mature skin, it could prevent flaking, peeling of the skin through the use of products that contain antioxidants and alpha hydroxy acid. Moisturizers often form the basis for wrinkles creams with retinoids, antioxidants, peptides and other ingredients. If nonfacial skin is very dry, you may want to use a thicker moisturizer (Eucerin, Cetaphil, etc.) or an oil, like baby oil. Oil has more staying power to make lotions and prevents the evaporation of water from the surface of the skin. Another possibility is a petrolatum-based product (Vaseline, Aquaphor, other). If it feels too greasy, use only at bedtime, or simply in the small cracks in the skin. For very dry hands, apply petroleum jelly liberally to bedtime and put in pure cotton socks or gloves.
  • Use warm water and limit bath time. Long showers or baths of warm water and remove the skin of natural oils. Limit bath no more than once a day and not more than 5-10 minutes. Use lukewarm water, not hot, water.
  • Use allergen-free moisturizing soap.For the washing of hands, use fragrance-free (hypoallergenic) moisturizing soap. Then, apply a moisturizer while your hands are still wet. In the shower or bath, try a nonsoap cleanser or shower gel, and use soap only in areas where needed, such as the armpits and the groin. Avoid loofahs and pumice stones. Rinse well and dry.
  • The use of a humidifier. Hot, dry indoor air can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking. A portable home humidifier or one attached to your furnace adds moisture to the air inside your home.
  • Choose fabrics that are good for your skin.Natural fibers, such as cotton, allow your skin to breathe. Wool, although natural, sometimes irritating to even a healthy skin. To wash clothes, use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin. These types of products usually have the word "free" in their names.
  • Relieve the itching. If the dry skin causes itching, apply a clean, cool, damp cloth on the affected area. You can also apply an anti-itch cream or ointment, which contains at least a 1% hydrocortisone.

Wash your face at least twice a day. The use of a gentle, alcohol-free, nonfoaming cleanser on your face twice a day and after sweating. Products with stearic acid (found in shea butter) or linoleic acid (found in argan oil, and others) may help to repair the skin. If you have sensitive skin, wash with a cleanser in the evening and simply rinse with water than at other times.

While the skin is still damp, apply any medication you are using, wait a few minutes (see medication packaging to see the details), then apply moisturizer. If the use of cosmetics, consider the possibility of selecting the product with a cream or oil base. Use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen or a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.

Hydrate. Apply moisturizer several times a day, especially when your skin feels dry and after washing hands or bathing, when the skin is still damp. Ask your doctor about the pros and cons of the different products for your skin type and condition. You may have to try several products before we find those that you like, that help you and that we are going to use it regularly.

Search for the healing ingredients such as urea, ceramides, fatty acids and glycerol (also known as glycerin, shea butter and cocoa butter. Look for fragrance-free products that do not cause acne (noncomedogenic) and do not contain substances that cause allergies (hypoallergenic). Avoid products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is drying.

For the face and the neck, you may want to use a cream. Choose something that is easy to apply and leaves no visible residue. If you are prone to acne, avoid the products on your face that contain petroleum jelly, cocoa butter or coconut oil. If the skin is very oily, try using a sunscreen in place of a moisturizer. If you have mature skin, it could prevent flaking, peeling of the skin through the use of products that contain antioxidants and alpha hydroxy acid. Moisturizers often form the basis for wrinkles creams with retinoids, antioxidants, peptides and other ingredients.

If nonfacial skin is very dry, you may want to use a thicker moisturizer (Eucerin, Cetaphil, etc.) or an oil, like baby oil. Oil has more staying power to make lotions and prevents the evaporation of water from the surface of the skin. Another possibility is a petrolatum-based product (Vaseline, Aquaphor, other). If it feels too greasy, use only at bedtime, or simply in the small cracks in the skin. For very dry hands, apply petroleum jelly liberally to bedtime and put in pure cotton socks or gloves.

Use allergen-free moisturizing soap. For the washing of hands, use fragrance-free (hypoallergenic) moisturizing soap. Then, apply a moisturizer while your hands are still wet.

In the shower or bath, try a nonsoap cleanser or shower gel, and use soap only in areas where needed, such as the armpits and the groin. Avoid loofahs and pumice stones. Rinse well and dry.

Choose fabrics that are good for your skin. Natural fibers, such as cotton, allow your skin to breathe. Wool, although natural, sometimes irritating to even a healthy skin.

To wash clothes, use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin. These types of products usually have the word "free" in their names.

If these measures do not relieve the symptoms, or if your symptoms get worse, see your doctor or consult with a dermatologist about the creation of a personalized skin care plan based on your skin type and any skin condition you may have.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely to start by seeing your primary care physician. Sometimes, you can be referred directly to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist). Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

Prepare a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For dry skin, some basic questions to ask include:

  • What is the most likely cause of my dry skin?
  • Need proof?
  • It is likely that the condition of clear on your own?
  • What routines skin care you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor may ask you several questions, such as:

  • How long have you had dry skin?
  • Do you have other symptoms?
  • The symptoms been continuous or occasional?
  • What, if anything, makes your skin better?
  • What, if anything, makes your skin worse?
  • What medications are you taking?
  • How frequently do you bathe or shower? Does the use of hot water? The soaps and shampoos that you use?
  • Does the use of moisturizing creams? If so, what and how often are they used?
Symptoms and treatment of Dry skin