The cold months are here, which means that many people may experience dry skin. Dry skin is characterized by itching, scaling, and cracking due to a lack of moisture. While it is commonly found on the hands, legs, and abdomen, it can occur on any part of the body.
What causes dry skin?
While some people naturally have dry skin, it can be caused by various other issues.
- Health, lifestyle, and environmental factors also cause dry skin.
- Kidney diseases and dialysis result in dry skin as dialysis removes excess water from the body. Patients also need to limit the intake of water.
- Diabetes results in dryness due to excessive glucose (high blood sugar), damaging the blood vessels.
- Hypothyroidism causes skin dryness due to a decrease in eccrine gland secretion. The palms can become dry and thick.
- Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy lead to dry skin by removing the oils in the skin layers.
- Anorexia can cause dryness due to dehydration and eating disorder that leads to malnutrition.
- People aged over 40 will notice extra dryness as sebum (oil in the skin) is produced less and continues to reduce further.
- Even your daily hygiene care rituals and the products you use can remove the natural oils and result in dry, flaky, and lifeless-looking skin. So how do you care for dry skin? Can excessive dryness lead to other skin diseases? Let’s take a look.
Do's and Don'ts for People with Dry Skin
You can manage dry skin at home and prevent it from causing dermatitis by taking proper care and ensuring that you don’t aggravate the condition.
- Don’t take long showers as they strip the skin of the natural oils and leave it dry. Your skin will also start to wrinkle if you spend long hours in the shower or the bathtub. Limit the bath to 5-10 minutes.
- Don’t use very hot water when bathing. Use warm water instead and gently wrap yourself in a soft towel immediately after the bath.
- Don’t over-scrub your skin in the name of exfoliation. Once or twice a week is sufficient to get rid of the dead skin cells without causing skin dryness.
- Use moisturizer immediately after your bath. This will lock the water in the cells and keep your skin soft.
- Use a mild soap/ shower gel that’s chemical-free and fragrance-free. Harsh soaps strip away the natural oils from your skin.
- Use oil-based products to add extra nourishment to the dry skin. However, if you have oily skin and are suffering from dry skin in certain areas, consult a dermatologist.
- Use sunscreen without fail. Choose the one with a minimum of SPF 15.
- Wear soft clothes that don’t rub against the skin or scratch it. Excessive friction without clothes is another cause of dry skin.
- Use humidifiers in dry climates so that the atmosphere around you will help retain the moisture in your skin and prevent it from drying.
- Drink enough water to stay hydrated throughout the day and add omega-e fatty acids to your diet.
Ingredients That Help Relieve Dry Skin
- Dimethicone and Glycerin: These two ingredients help in retaining water on the skin and keeping it hydrated. This prevents your skin from being dry and itchy.
- Ceramides: Synthetic ceramides act similar to natural oils in the outer layer of your skin and soothe dryness. They lock the moisture within and keep your skin nourished.
- Hyaluronic Acid: It works the same way ceramides do and retains moisture and water within the skin cells to prevent dryness.
- Lanolin, Mineral Oil, and Petroleum Jelly: These ingredients retain the water your skin absorbed during the bath. Applying a moisturizer immediately after your bath will keep the skin hydrated.
Dry Skin and Dermatitis
Dry skin can also mean that your skin is being affected by dermatitis. There are four major types of dermatitis that cause different levels of dryness in the skin.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
As the name suggests, this is caused when your skin comes in contact with a substance that causes an allergic reaction. It could be due to soap, cosmetics, jewelry (metals), and even perfumes. You’ll notice red rashes in the area of contact. Allergic contact dermatitis can be healed in 2-4 weeks. Stop using the item that causes the allergic reaction and consult a dermatologist for topical applications.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
This dermatitis causes a scaly and itchy red rash on the skin, mostly where the oil glands are located. It occurs on the scalp, face, upper chest, and back. It is known as dandruff, seborrheic eczema, seborrheic psoriasis, or seborrhea. Repeated treatments are necessary to control this condition. Medicated topical antifungals, calcineurin inhibitors, and corticosteroids are prescribed by dermatologists to treat seborrheic dermatitis.
Atopic Dermatitis
It is more popularly known as eczema and can be a hereditary condition. It also takes a long time to cure atopic dermatitis. Though seen in children, if the condition is not treated on time, it can affect adults with more severity. The skin looks red and itchy and usually occurs on the arms and behind the knees. Still, it could affect any part of the body.
It is recommended to consult a dermatologist if you suffer from excess dry skin or if the condition gets worse. The sooner the actual cause for dryness is identified, the easier it’ll be to treat the condition and get back your natural soft and smooth skin.
Even though dry skin is not a cause of extreme concern in many people, it can lead to skin diseases if not treated on time. Visit a dermatologist if your skin condition is persistent.
About the Author: Dr. Gulhima Arora is an experienced board-certified aesthetic dermatologist at the Mehektagul Dermaclinic, New Delhi, India. She is skilled in clinical research, medical education, conventional dermatology and trichology. She specializes in the field of dermal threads, injectables and regenerative medicine. She is a key opinion leader Regenera ActiveTM, Silhouette Soft SuturesTM and Arthrex PRP SystemTM in India. A trainer for Allergan Medical Institute India, She has trained over a 1000 dermatologists in aesthetic dermatology. Dr. Gulhima Arora serves on the editorial board of medical journals and is a reviewer of a number of dermatology journals. A prolific writer with numerous published articles and chapters in textbooks of dermatology, she has been an invited speaker on numerous topics in dermatology.
Disclaimer: The original version of this post was published at www.drgulhimaarora.com
Reference:
Moniaga CS, Tominaga M, Takamori K. Mechanisms and Management of Itch in Dry Skin. Acta Derm Venereol. 2020 Jan 15;100(2):adv