Everything you wanna know about your Dry skin!!!!!
Do you have dry skin troubling you day and night? Do you feel more itchy and less of glow on your skin? Are you worried of the sudden breaks or cracks in your skin because it remains annoyingly-dry?
Well not only you, many more people out there including me(lol) are frustrated by the dry skin issues. Dry skin is less appealing and it destroys your image, making you feel less confident at times.
Dry skin is referred to as Xerosis cutis or Xeroderma in medical term. The word "Xero" is a Greek word which means "dry". "Cutis" means related to "skin".
Dry skin can be really annoying and it may lead to frequent itching and scratches. Let us know all about Xerosis cutis or Xeroderma, the dry skin condition inlcuding its signs and symptoms, the causes, treatment and tips to get rid of your dry skin.
It is commonly seen due to dry weathers and extreme cold, ageing or other skin problems. Maintaining moisture within our skin may become a challenge as we age. Many elderly people have dry skin all over their body. It is because the oils and natural moisture tend to decrease as the sebaceous/oil glands and sweat glands become inactive due to ageing.
What are the signs and symptoms of Xerosis Cutis or Xeroderma?
- Skin feels dry most often
- Redness or color changes on the skin
- Skin feels tightened after shower
- Feels like the skin will get breaks or cuts easily
- Flaky skin, easily scratchable
- Itching
- Skin in legs feel cracked and may easily bleed on scratching
- Discomfort
How do I know if I have a dry skin?
So you want to know how does a dry skin look like? Right!
Well the dry skin may look like:
Flaky, red, cracked, patchy, parched, visible cracks like dry riverbed., etc.
when you gently scratch the part of your skin with your finger tips, you may notice it starts to flake out. While doing this test make sure you do not scratch it hard. A whitish line may form on the skin where you tested for dry skin as if you just drew a line using a chalk-piece on the board.
Dry skin is easily visible and besides this, it feels more tight soon after you take bath. It may feel like stretching and causing some sort of itching and discomfort or need to scratch.
You may have some mild to deep cracks on your skin sometimes if you have a trouble of dry skin.
What are the causes of Xerosis cutis or dry skin?
Dry skin happens when the body's natural oils get washed away either due to the lack of knowledge about the bathing products or due to the seasonal/climatic factors or inactivity of our oil/sebaceous glands overtime.
Some of the major causes of dry skin or Xerosis are:
- Ageing
- Dehydration, e.g due to diarrhea or dysentery,etc.
- side effects of medications
- Excess exposure to heat
- Use of chemicals and fragrant bathing cleansers
- Weak immunity
- Underlying health conditions such as malnutrition, diabetes, kidney disorders, etc.
- Skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema,etc.
- Living in cold and dry environmental conditions
- Occupations that require to wash hands frequently such as health care workers/professionals such as surgeons, doctors, or farmers, salon artists etc.
Let us now talk about the top 10 reasons why you are having a dry skin instead of a nourished and glowing one.
Top 10 reasons your skin is dry: Did you know this before????
- You are dehydrated. This means your daily intake of water is less than recommended intake. Every adult must have at least 4-6 liters of water daily.
- You are living in a dry and cold climate and this makes your skin dry all the time.
- Your bathing cleanser or soaps are loaded with harmful chemicals that drain away the useful oils that nourish your skin.
- Your sebaceous glands are less active and they produce less oils.
- You take hot showers quite often that washes away the oils on your skin.
- You rigorously wipe your body after shower with your towel.
- You are using harmful make-up products or beauty creams that are eventually causing harm to your good skin. It means it has harmful chemicals that take away your skin's moisture leaving it dry and cracked.
- Your skin gets overexposed to the sun and it starts to get dry.
- You are using some central heating source to prevent cold. This makes the circulating air around us dry. Dry air causes dry skin.
- You are having some skin disorders or some other medical conditions like kidney disorders, diabetes, etc. that makes your skin dry and itchy.
What are the complications of Dry skin or Xerosis cutis/Xeroderma?
Dry skin can cause the complications such as :
- Infections: dry skin can easily break open and germs may enter the skin and produce infections
- Scratches and bleeding: Dry skin may bleed easily.
- Discoloration: skin color may change considerably due to the dryness, constant itching or flaking of the skin.
- Body image disturbances: You may feel less confident or frustrated by your dry skin.
What is the treatment of dry skin or Xerosis cutis or Xeroderma?
So now when you know your skin feels dry, too tight, cracked, flaky, looking like a drought, you probably know now it's time to rejuvenate the skin by adding a good amount of moisture to it.
Treatment of dry skin includes:
- Having plenty of water intake
- Use of moisturisers
- Eating healthy, and well-balanced diet daily
- Applying natural oils to the skin at regular intervals.
See your doctor if your at-home tips do not work out. Your doctor may prescribe medicated creams, and ointments along with the moisturiser.
How to prevent dry skin? What are the skin care tips to avoid or prevent the dry skin or Xeroderma?
Dry skin is a common health complaint and it is actually possible to get rid of it easily by trying out some skin care tips and preventive measures.
Skin care tips to prevent dry skin naturally at home:
Dry skin may cause discomfort and you may feel annoyed. Here are some useful skin care tips that may help you gain healthy glowing skin at home:
- Always drink enough water. Water is the best nutrition for skin and it also keeps up the moisture level maintained within our skin.
- Always use luke-warm or warm water for bathing.
- Avoid hot showers and limit your shower time to ten minutes.
- Avoid using harsh soaps or chemical deodorants that cause you dry skin.
- Do not rub vigorously while wiping with towel after a bath. Instead pat the skin dry or gently wipe out.
- Apply moisturiser after shower.
- Use natural or less chemical containing make-up products.
- Stay away from direct heating source.
- Wear sunscreen daily if you need to work out in sun for long hours.
- Use natural oils for nourishing your skin. Olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, etc. are some oils that naturally impart moisture to your skin and keep it glowing.
- If you have any underlying medical conditions such as elevated sugar(diabetes) or kidney disorders, consult your doctor for necessary skin care.
- Limit washing your hands too often. Wash your hands with gentle hand cleanser.
- Always carry your moisturiser and sunscreen with you if you know you have dry skin.
- Try aloe vera gel for your dry skin, it may help.
- Wear full-sleeved clothes when going out in cold and dry air climate.
- Choose your beauty products depending on your skin type.
Dry skin or Xeroderma is not a serious problem but still it can cause discomfort and personal self-image issues. Once you know you've a problem of dry skin, try out some skin care tips and see if that works. You may need to consult your dermatologist if your dry skin alarms any underlying medical conditions. Natural oils are the best alternatives that help you regain the soft, silky and smooth skin.
So what do you do for your dry skin? ???
Please leave your comments down there and let me know if you wish to know anything about some skin condition or some other topic.
Stay healthy. Stay fine!
Note: This blog post is for educational and informational purpose only. It is not a substitute for any medical advice or treatment. Please seek the help of your doctor in any case.
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