Dry skin is not in itself worthy of disease. However, because it is extremely sensitive to various environmental influences, dry skin is prone to irritation. Those who suffer from it can do a few things themselves to properly care for dry skin.
What is dry skin?
Schematic diagram showing the anatomy and structure of the skin. Dry skin can be treated with moisturizers or masks and packs. Click to enlarge. Dry skin is without luster, often rough and brittle. Redness, an unpleasant feeling of tightness or itching often occur. Sometimes scales or small cracks form. Dry skin does not produce enough of the skin’s own fats. Due to the acute lack of fat, dry skin constantly loses moisture and is therefore insufficiently protected. The accompanying symptoms of dry skin are highly unpleasant. Because it is constantly itching, dry skin is often scratched open. The resulting sores can lead to skin infections and further damage dry skin.
Causes
Dry skin can have very different causes. First, the skin type is constitutional. In addition, the skin tends to dryness with age, because the sebum production decreases. Therefore, many older people suffer from dry skin. The general state of health and hormone levels also have an influence on the skin. For example, taking birth control pills causes dry skin in some women. Some medications also promote the development of dry skin. These include preparations that have a dehydrating effect. Skin diseases such as neurodermatitis or psoriasis are also among the causes of dry skin. Allergy sufferers also frequently suffer from dry skin. In addition to these internal factors, environmental influences and care errors are usually responsible for excessively dry skin. Thus, air-conditioned rooms, strong temperature fluctuations, extensive sunbathing and frequent washing with skin-irritating detergents favor the development of dry skin.
Diseases with this symptom
- Neurodermatitis
- Eczema
- Ulcer cruris
- Psoriasis
- Allergy
- Celiac disease
- Malnutrition
- Ichtyosis vulgaris
- Diabetes mellitus
Course
Dry skin does not produce enough of the skin’s own fats. Normally, the horny layer of the skin stores water. Protective lipids located on the skin surface prevent this water from evaporating. Frequent washing and other environmental influences attack this protective layer of the skin. If the hydrolipid layer cannot regenerate, this leads to water being lost through the skin. As a result, the skin dries out. Dry skin is sensitive to weather conditions, prone to redness, inflammation and burst veins. In addition, dry skin tends to wrinkle. In pronounced cases, dry skin acquires an appearance reminiscent of parchment.
Complications
Dry skin can have a wide variety of causes, which are accompanied by various complications. For example, atopic dermatitis causes an inadequate skin barrier, allowing further pathogens to invade and additionally infect the body, worsening symptoms. In addition to typical bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, fungi can also infect the skin. In itself, neurodermatitis only causes itching and dry skin, but this can be a great psychological burden for the person affected, so that he or she can develop depression, which in the worst case ends in suicide. Psoriasis takes a similar course to neurodermatitis. Both skin diseases can take a chronic course and thus worsen the psychological symptoms. In general, dry skin can also be caused by an increased excretion of fluids as is the case with diabetes. The consequences of diabetes are numerous. The sugar that accumulates in the blood can, in the course, clog the small vessels, especially in the retina and kidney, leading to a lack of blood flow. In the eye, this can lead to anything from impaired vision to blindness (diabetic retinopathy), while progressive failure develops in the kidney (diabetic nephropathy). Nerve damage and injury also lead to ulcers in the foot, resulting in amputation in the worst cases.
When should you go to the doctor?
A brittle and dry skin is of course not always a clinical picture that must necessarily be treated by a doctor. Affected people who suffer from dry skin can of course also resort to their own measures that contribute to the regeneration of the skin. Moisturizing creams or ointments can treat dry skin effectively and quickly. However, if these remedies do not have any effect, a doctor should be consulted promptly. Anyone who avoids a visit to the doctor at this point is taking a very big risk. Under certain circumstances, dry skin areas can cause so-called chapped skin. A chapped skin is a small but at the same time deep crack in the skin, which can no longer grow together independently. A visit to the dermatologist or family doctor is inevitable in such a case. Those who seek medical treatment for a deep skin crack at an early stage have a very good chance of a complete and quick recovery. The healing of a fissure can be stimulated with appropriate medication. However, anyone who leaves such a fissure completely untreated runs the risk of dangerous inflammation. Bacteria can settle and multiply ideally in such a skin crack. This can lead to a severe inflammation that requires urgent treatment. Only in this way can serious consequential damage be avoided or treated accordingly.
Treatment and therapy
Dry skin requires intensive care to compensate for the lack of fat and moisture. The most important measure for treating dry skin is to limit soap washes. Alkaline soaps strip the skin of lipids, which it desperately needs for its own protection. When caring for dry skin, it is important to regenerate and maintain the skin’s protective film. Often, cleansing with lukewarm water is quite sufficient. Hot water is not good for dry skin. Only mild cleansing agents should be used to cleanse the skin. Acidic soaps, cleansing lotions with refatting substances or pure vegetable oil soaps are best suited. However, even gentle washing removes oil from the skin. Therefore, regular re-lubrication is indicated for dry skin. Ointments and creams with a high proportion of plant lipids are best suited for this purpose. Plant oils such as almond, avocado or olive oil also care for dry skin. To relieve itching and soothe dry skin, care products with anti-inflammatory active ingredients – such as chamomile extract or allantoin – can be used. Products containing urea or glycerin effectively balance the moisture levels of dry skin. Home remedies recommended are face washes with buttermilk or sweet cream and taking capsules with wheat germ oil or cod liver oil. Drinking a glass of carrot juice daily is also said to work wonders for dry skin.
Prevention
The best way to protect against dry skin is a healthy lifestyle. Sufficient sleep and a balanced diet are the best basis for healthy skin. The daily consumption of plenty of mineral water is also good for the skin. Solariums, prolonged exposure to bright sunlight and extended sunbathing are just as dangerous to the skin as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. Walks in rainy weather and fog, on the other hand, are balm for dry skin.
What you can do yourself
Dry skin can be counteracted by certain factors. Too frequent showering or extensive bathing only dries out the skin unnecessarily. Therefore, showers should not be taken more often than once a day. Those who like to bathe should not do so more than twice a week. The right temperature is also relevant. When showering, the water temperature should not exceed 36 degrees Celsius. A bath should not be hotter than 39 degrees Celsius. If these temperatures are exceeded, additional fat is extracted from the skin, which leads to dryness. In order to provide the skin with fat and moisture at the same time, oil can be added to the bath. It is also important to use suitable care products. Soaps from the drugstore are usually very alkaline and do not correspond to the natural pH of the skin. When buying shower gels, make sure that the ph value is adapted to the skin. After showering, it is better to dry off gently and not to rub dry too hard, especially on irritated areas of the skin. Those who tend to have dry facial skin should avoid cleansing products that contain alcohol. Facial toners and peelings should also be used sparingly.These can dry out the skin even further. To prevent the skin from becoming too dry, it is advisable to take in sufficient fluids every day. Water and teas are particularly suitable for covering the liquid requirement. Especially in winter, the skin is very stressed by the dry heating air. Regular ventilation ensures good air humidity. Furthermore, humidifiers and green plants can provide a better climate in rooms.
