More severe cases of dry skin can be accompanied by severe itching, red or white patches of skin, cracking, bleeding, severe tightness, and pain. There are lots of reasons to do something about dry and itchy skin.
One of the most common skin conditions that may be influencing you is dry skin. You can have dry skin all over your body or you may just have patches of dry skin in certain spots. In extreme cases, some areas of the skin can become scaly or cracked. Dry skin has many forms. The mildest cases can be recognised by a dry look to your skin, some mild flaking of the skin, and a slight tightness in the feel of your skin.
Most dry skin is caused by environmental exposures. In common, your skin is driest in winter, when heats and wetness levels plummet. Winter conditions also mind to make several existing skin conditions badly. People in cold weather countries naturally complain about dryness of the skin. Getting into artificially cold climate like in air conditioned rooms can also deceive the skin and result to dry skin. Pollution is also an environmental cause of dry skin. Frequent showering or bathing, especially if you like the water hot and your baths long, breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin.
Harsh soaps and detergents are caused of dry skin. Many notorious soaps and detergents stripe lipids and water from your skin. Deodorant, shampoos and antibacterial soaps dry the scalp. Dry skin could be due to a genetic condition. Genes also play a role. If relatives suffer from dry skin, you are more likely to develop the condition. In extreme cases, fish-like scaling of the skin is sometimes seen (ichthyosis). Central air and heating wood, burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces all draw moisture out of your skin. Some drugs, such as diuretics, antihistamines and isotretinoin (Accutane) causes skin to dry.
Alcohol and caffeine can visibly dry your skin. Lack of vital lipids, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and vitamin A in the diet can influence the integrity of the skin. Severe diarrhea, vomiting, high fever and sweating can also reason dry skin. End-stage renal disease, biliary disorders, diabetes, hyper-parathyroidism and Hodgkin’s disease also cause dry skin disease. Using too many cosmetics will also cause dry skin. The ingredients in these are often skin irritants. Lastly, lack of sleep also promotes dry skin. The body naturally repairs damaged skin cells during this resting phase. Getting enough sleep is probably the simplest thing you can do to avoid dry skin.
