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Dry and Cracked Skin

Foot & Ankle Care of Colorado

What is Dry and Cracked Skin?

Dry skin, also known as xerosis or xeroderma, manifests as rough, itchy, flaky, or scaly patches on the skin. Its occurrence and severity can vary widely among individuals. Common causes include exposure to cold or dry weather, sun damage, use of harsh soaps, and excessive bathing.

Managing dry skin involves several self-care strategies, such as regular moisturizing with appropriate products and practicing year-round sun protection. It’s often beneficial to experiment with different skincare products and routines to find the most effective approach for alleviating dry skin symptoms and maintaining skin health.

Causes of Dry and Cracked Skin

Dry skin is due to water loss from the outer layer of skin. It might be caused by:

  • Heat. Central heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces all reduce humidity.

 

  • Environment. Living in cold, windy conditions or low-humidity climates.

 

  • Too much bathing or scrubbing. Taking long, hot showers or baths or scrubbing your skin too much can dry your skin. Bathing more than once a day can remove the natural oils from your skin too.

 

  • Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps, detergents and shampoos strip moisture from your skin because they are formulated to remove oil.

 

  • Other skin conditions. People with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis are more likely to have dry skin.

 

  • Medical treatments. Some people develop dry, thick skin after undergoing treatment for cancer, receiving dialysis or taking certain medications.

 

  • Aging. As people age, the skin thins and produces less of the oils needed for the skin to retain water.

Dry and Cracked Skin Symptoms

Dry skin is often temporary or seasonal — you might get it only in winter, for example — or you might need to treat it long term. Signs and symptoms of dry skin might vary based on your age, health status, skin tone, living environment and sun exposure. They include:

  • A feeling of skin tightness
  • Skin that feels and looks rough
  • Itchiness (pruritus)
  • Slight to severe flaking skin, which causes the ashy look that can affect dry brown and black skin
  • Slight to severe scaling or peeling
  • Cracked “dry riverbed” look to leg
  • Fine lines or cracks
  • Skin that ranges from reddish on white skin to grayish on brown and black skin
  • Deep cracks that may bleed

Dry and Cracked Skin Diagnoses

To diagnose dry skin, your doctor is likely to examine you and ask about your medical history. You might discuss when your dry skin started, what factors make it better or worse, what your bathing habits are, and how you care for your skin.

Your doctor may suggest that you have some tests to see if your dry skin is being caused by a medical condition, such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Often, dry skin is a symptom of another skin condition, such as dermatitis or psoriasis.

Nonsurgical Treatments

Dry skin often responds well to lifestyle measures, such as using moisturizers and avoiding long, hot showers and baths. If you have very dry skin, your doctor may recommend a moisturizing product formulated for your needs.

If you have a serious skin disease, a doctor may want to treat it with a prescription cream or ointment. If your dry skin becomes itchy, you may use a lotion with hydrocortisone in it. If your skin cracks open, your doctor may prescribe wet dressings to help prevent infection.

Home Remedies

The following measures can help keep your skin moist and healthy:

  • Gently wash your face at least twice a day. Use a gentle, alcohol-free, nonfoaming cleanser on your face twice a day and after sweating. Products with stearic acid (found in shea butter) or linoleic acid (found in argan oil and others) can help repair your skin. If you have sensitive skin, wash with a cleanser in the evening and just rinse with water other times.While your skin is still damp, apply any topical medication you’re using, wait a few minutes (see medication packaging for specifics), then apply your moisturizer. If you use cosmetics, consider selecting products with a cream or oil base. Use a moisturizer that contains sunblock or a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours — or more often if you’re swimming or sweating.

 

  • Moisturize. Apply moisturizer several times a day, especially when your skin feels dry and after handwashing or bathing, while your skin is still moist. Ask your doctor about the pros and cons of various products for your skin and condition. You may need to try several products before you find those you like, that help you and that you’ll use regularly.Look for healing ingredients such as urea, ceramides, fatty acids and glycerol (also known as glycerin), shea butter, and cocoa butter. Look for fragrance-free products that don’t cause acne (noncomedogenic) and don’t contain allergy-causing substances (hypoallergenic). Avoid products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is drying.For the face and neck, you might want to use a cream. Choose something that’s easy to apply and leaves no visible residue. If you are acne-prone, avoid products on your face that contain petroleum jelly, cocoa butter or coconut oil. If you skin is very oily, try using a sunscreen instead of a moisturizer. If you have mature skin, you might prevent scaly, flaky skin by using products that contain antioxidants or alpha hydroxy acid. Moisturizers often form the basis for wrinkle creams, with added retinoids, antioxidants, peptides and other ingredients.

    If nonfacial skin is very dry, you might want to use a thicker moisturizer (Eucerin, Cetaphil, others) or an oil, such as baby oil. Oil has more staying power than do lotions and prevents the evaporation of water from the skin’s surface. Another possibility is a petrolatum-based product (Vaseline, Aquaphor, others). If it feels too greasy, use it only at bedtime or just on tiny cracks in your skin. For very dry hands, apply petroleum jelly liberally at bedtime and put on plain cotton socks or gloves.

 

  • Use warm water and limit bath time. Long showers or baths and hot water remove your skin’s natural oils. Limit bathing to no more than once a day and no longer than 5-10 minutes. Use warm, not hot, water.

 

  • Use allergen-free moisturizing soap. For handwashing, use fragrance-free (hypoallergenic) moisturizing soap. Then apply a moisturizing cream while your hands are still damp.In the shower or bath, try a nonsoap cleansing cream or shower gel, and use soap only in areas where needed, such as the armpits and groin. Avoid loofahs and pumice stones. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

 

  • Use a humidifier. Hot, dry, indoor air can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking. A portable home humidifier or one attached to your furnace adds moisture to the air inside your home.

 

  • Choose fabrics that are kind to your skin. Natural fibers, such as cotton, allow your skin to breathe. Wool, although natural, sometimes irritates even healthy skin.For laundry, use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin. These types of products usually have the word “free” in their names.

 

  • Relieve itchiness. If dry skin causes itchiness, apply a clean, cool, damp cloth to the affected area. You might also apply an anti-itch cream or ointment, containing at least 1% hydrocortisone.

 

If these measures don’t relieve your symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, see your doctor or consult a dermatologist about creating a personalized skin care plan based on your skin type and any skin condition you may have.

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