How to do away with dry skin

There is nothing worse than a dry, itchy skin. It’s uncomfortable and may be embarrassing. When the skin turns dry, it means the cutaneous barrier is often disrupted or compromised. Also, dry skin has a tendency towards scaling, feeling rough and appearing dull.

What causes dry skin?

The skin contains layers of lipids which form a relatively waterproof barrier. When the lipid is damaged, water loss can result and may lead to dry skin.

There is no single cause of dry skin but causes can be classified as external and internal: 

 

External factors, like cold temperatures and low humidity, are the most common underlying causes but they are the easiest to address.

 

Internal factors include overall health, age, genetics, family history, and personal history of other medical conditions like asthma, allergies, and atopic dermatitis. In particular, those with thyroid disease are more prone to developing dry skin.

 

Bathing and soaps – Although bathing adds water to the skin, it is the evaporation of this water after the completion of the immersion that results in skin dryness. Here, skin that feels overly tight after bathing may indicate excess removal of natural skin oils.

 

 In addition, frequent application of harsh soaps could also cause dryness of skin. Soap is an emulsifier that removes oils on the skin. The more often skin is scrubbed with soap, the more oil is removed, and the drier the skin gets. Excessive use of soaps can worsen dry skin.

 

Clothing – Sometimes, the fabric of different clothing can also accentuate dry skin condition. Fabrics such as wool or synthetic fibers tend to irritate the skin more.

 

Drugs – Some medicines, when taken, cause dryness as in the skin. Some examples are drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, allergies, and acne. Occasionally, a dry skin problem can be a sign of an internal medical condition. For instance, eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and malnutrition are all associated with dry skin.

 

Treatment

The moisture in the air is actually good for your skin. Your skin needs more than 30 percent humidity to stay properly moisturized.

 

For soft skin on the feet – Cover feet in a thick moisturizer, wrap, and then pull on a pair of socks for a couple of hours. Try to sit or lie down while the moisturizer soaks in.

 

On the hands – The same treatment can be done on hands. Half-hour should do for this.

 

Protect your face too – If you have sensitive skin, avoid rinsing your face with tap water (contain harsh minerals that are especially drying to the skin. Instead, use a cold cream to cleanse your face or use bottled water. 

 

To heal dry skin, get a cream with derma-membrane structure technology which mimics the skin structure, thereby protecting and strengthening dry and sensitive skin. This improves the comfort and softness of the skin, thereby promoting lasting hydration through a repair action on the lipid film.