Dry skin has a low level of sebum and can be prone to sensitivity. The skin has a parched look caused by its inability to retain moisture. It usually feels “tight” and uncomfortable after washing unless some type of moisturizer or skin cream is applied. Chapping and cracking are signs of extremely dry, dehydrated skin.
Dryness is exacerbated by wind, extremes of temperature and air-conditioning, all of which cause the skin to flake, chap and feel tight. This type of skin is tightly drawn over bones. It looks dull, especially on the cheeks and around the eyes. There may be tiny expression lines on these spots and at the comers of the mouth.
Causes
* The oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin. As a result, the skin becomes dehydrated.
* Skin gets exposed to the elements especially in winter.
* Dry skin could be due to a genetic condition.
* Poor diet. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins, can also contribute to dry skin.
* Environmental factors such as exposure to sun, wind, cold, chemicals, or cosmetics, or excessive bathing with harsh soaps.
* Conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, or seborrhea.
How To Care for Dry Skin
Avoid the use of tap water when cleansing dry skin. The deposits are too drying on the skin. And never, ever use hot water. Use mineral water to freshen your face. Don’t use a washcloth-a rough texture can irritate. In the morning, apply a spray of mineral water on your skin misted on with a plant sprayer. (Do not use a sprayer that had been used for spraying insecticides.) Lightly pat dry.
Dry skin needs plenty of thorough but gentle cleansing, regular stimulation with massage and generous quantities of oil and moisture. It also needs extra careful protection. Washing dry skin with soap and water not only removes grime but also the natural oils protecting the skin. A moisturizer increases the water content of the outer layers of the skin and gives it a soft, moist look.
Use nondetergent, neutral-pH products to cleanse your skin. Avoid using any commercial soap. And always touch your face gently. Double-cleanse with a cream, leaving a light, thin trace of it on the skin after the second cleansing.
Follow a bath or a shower with a mild application of baby oil. Massage your face with home-made nourishing cream every night before retiring. Be generous with the cream in the areas surrounding the eyes where tiny lines and crows feet are born.
Avoid coming in contact with highly alkaline soaps and detergents like washing sodas and powders which contain highly alkaline and drying ingredients.
Moistening with water, then applying a thin film of air-excluding moisturizer, restores the suppleness of the dry skin.
Dry skin most often occurs on the shins, hands and sides of the abdomen. It is more common during the winter months, when humidity is low. Some people also have a genetic, or hereditary, tendency to develop dry skin. In addition, elderly people tend to have more trouble with dry skin due to the natural changes in skin that occur with age.
Treatment is important because extensively dry skin can lead to dermatitis, a more severe inflammation of the skin.
Dry skin may be prevented or treated by:
* Taking lukewarm baths or showers (instead of hot ones)
* Limiting baths/showers to 5 to 10 minutes
* Applying a moisturizer right after drying off from a shower or washing your hands
* Using a moisturizing body soap and hand soap
* Using heavier creams or ointments during the winter months and lighter lotions in the summer
How Do I know if I Have Dermatitis?
Dry skin is defined as flaking or scaling — which may or may not be itchy — when there is no evidence of dermatitis, or inflammation, of the skin. Some flaking along with redness, however, may be a sign of an underlying dermatitis. There are different types of dermatitis that may cause dry, itchy, flaking skin.
They include:
* Seborrheic dermatitis. This type involves a red, scaly, itchy rash on various areas of the body, particularly those areas that contain many oil glands. Seborrheic dermatitis can occur as scaling on the scalp, eyebrows and sides of the nose.
* Allergic contact dermatitis. This occurs when the skin comes into contact with a substance that causes an immune reaction, such as poison ivy. Allergic contact dermatitis of the hands often causes scaling on the fingers.
* Atopic dermatitis. Also known as eczema, this is a long-lasting type of dermatitis that often runs in families. It also may cause excessively dry, itchy skin.
* Athlete’s foot. In many cases, athlete’s foot, a fungal infection, shows up as dry flaking on the soles of the feet.
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