Dry skin

Synonyms in a broader sense

dehydrated skin Medical: Xerosis cutis

Definition

There are three different skin types: Most people, however, have so-called combination skin, especially on the face, which consists of normal, oily skin and dry skin. It is also not uncommon to have different skin types in different parts of the body, for example, someone with otherwise dry skin has oily facial skin.

  • Dry skin
  • Oily skin
  • Normal skin

Dry skin is characterized by the fact that it feels tense and often itches.

In contrast to oily skin, the pores are usually small and it looks rather cracked or brittle. Many people who are completely healthy have dry skin. In this respect, dry skin is usually not a disease, but merely a variation of the norm, which however often requires treatment, as people affected not only suffer from complaints such as itching, but also and often especially for optical reasons from their dry skin.

Some factors, which can be both genetic and environmental, favour the appearance of dry skin. In addition, there are some diseases that primarily affect the skin, but also other organs that can be associated with dry skin. In principle, one can have dry skin all over the body, but predestined for this are those areas that are poorly supplied with blood and/or contain a relatively low density of sebaceous glands, such as the lower leg.

Epidemiology

Very many people are affected by dry skin, although it is difficult to give an exact figure, as it is mainly personal perception that determines whether one considers one’s skin to be dry or not. Especially in old age, dry skin is more common.

Symptoms

Dry skin on the face

Dry skin on the face is usually characterized by a dry, red nose and wrinkled cheeks and forehead. Older patients in particular suffer from dry skin, which is usually primarily noticeable on the face. On the one hand, this is due to a certain lack of water, as older patients often forget that they should drink about 2-3 liters per day.

On the other hand, there is a lack of sufficient sebum production in old age. The sebaceous glands, which are located in the skin, no longer produce enough protective fats (in puberty, however, the sebaceous glands are overproductive, which is why pimples develop). Since the protective fat film on the skin is missing, dry skin on the face is particularly easy to develop.

Especially when the sun is too strong, but also when it is cold and the heating air is dry, the skin dries out quickly. Daily cleansing of the face with face tonic can also dry out the skin. Here it is recommended to change to moisturizing facial tonic and especially to the daily care with moisturizing face creams to avoid dry skin on the face.

Younger skin is also quickly dried out by external influences such as cold, heated air or sunlight. Especially the nose is often affected in winter, because in addition to the cold, frequent blowing of the nose with rough handkerchiefs puts a lot of strain on the nose and makes it more easily susceptible. But also the lips are often dry in winter, because the cold causes a narrowing (vasoconstriction) of the blood vessels and thus the face, but especially the lips, do not receive enough fluid supply.

Here it is particularly important to pay attention to the correct lip care. As a matter of principle, creams that are as fragrance-free as possible should be used for the lips. Vaseline is therefore a good choice if the lips are too dry. In general, it is important to pay special attention to the face, as the face is usually unprotected in cold weather and is often exposed to direct sunlight even in summer. As these factors quickly lead to dry facial skin, one should pay particular attention to high-quality care products, especially on the face, and in addition not put unnecessary strain on the face (for example, wear a cap in summer to provide shade for the face and thus prevent it from being dehydrated too much).