Causes of dry skin of the body. Proper skin care

There are three main types of skin: oily, normal and dry. In this article I want to consider the causes of dry skin of the body and face in adults and small children.

Terminology

At the very beginning, it must be said that dry skin has its own medical name. So, this problem doctors call "xerosis." In this case, the causes of this condition are most often external, you can cope with them with the help of cosmetics and medical products. The heavier condition of the patient, which is also accompanied by dry skin, is ichthyosis. In this case, dry skin disfigures the patient and delivers him not only physical, but emotional suffering.

Symptomatics

If a person suffers from dryness of the skin of the body, the reasons for this can be very diverse. However, in the first place I want to talk about those symptoms that are manifested with this problem.

1. Dry skin is often accompanied by a feeling of tightening. This can be especially pronounced after taking a bath.
2. Dry skin looks dehydrated, wrinkled.
3. You can also observe roughness, and not smoothness of the skin.
4. People with this problem are often concerned about the itching. He can be pretty strong.
5. Dry skin almost always peels off. Peeling can be very different: from almost imperceptible to very strong.
6. Dry skin may crack. Often, such cracks bleed, hurt.
7. Well, another symptom is the redness of the skin in limited areas of the body.

When to contact a doctor?

It is worth mentioning that most often with the above symptoms can be managed independently. However, in some cases it is still better to seek help from a doctor. This should be done in the following cases:

1. When the condition does not improve, despite all the measures taken.
2. When the dry skin turns red.
3. In case the itching and dryness of the skin prevent a person from normal existence.
4. It is necessary to seem to the doctor if after scratching of a dry skin there are wounds, jazvochki.
5. Well, to seek help from a dermatologist should be in case the skin is flaky on fairly large areas of the body.

Further - about why this problem appears.

Climate

Now we need to consider the causes of dryness of the skin of the body. First of all I want to say that one of the main reasons are the climatic conditions. So, this type of skin is more typical for people who live in cold regions with lower humidity. In the middle zone, people begin to suffer from dry skin most often in the winter season.

Heating, air conditioning

What other causes of dry skin of the body and face? So, the most common heating or air conditioning of the premises contributes to the development of this problem. Fireplaces, air conditioners, central heating, convectors - all this very much drains the air, respectively, and the skin. To avoid the problem, you need to moisten the room, where the technique works. In this case, it is worth remembering that the ideal humidity is in the range of 55-65%.

Hot tub

What else is the cause of dry skin of the body and hair? So, this phenomenon is often exposed to people who like to take a very hot bath or shower. Those who like to splash for a long time in the water, there is a partial destruction of the lipid barrier of the skin. This causes dryness. Also worth mentioning is that it is best to avoid too chlorinated pools.

Soap

We further consider the causes of dry skin of the body. So, to cause a similar condition can be a hard soap, as well as certain shower gels. After all, in their composition they have so-called surfactants - surface-active substances that destroy the upper lipid layer of the skin. This causes a feeling of dryness.

The sun

What else can cause dry skin of the body and face? So, the normal sun also negatively affects the skin. Or rather, its UV rays. They are able to penetrate through the upper layer of the skin - the epidermis, affecting the dermis itself. With too frequent and prolonged stay in the open sun, even elastin and collagen can be destroyed in a person through these rays, which leads to a problem such as solar elastosis (which, of course, is accompanied by severe dry skin).

Certain diseases

If a person suffers from dryness of the skin of the body, the reasons for this can be covered in certain diseases. What could it be?

1. Atopic dermatitis. This is one type of eczema that affects dry and sensitive skin.
2. Psoriasis . This is a serious skin disease. In this case, scales form on the skin, coarsening areas appear. Also, one of the accompanying symptoms is severe itching.
3. Hypothyroidism or other diseases of the thyroid gland. In this case, the activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands decreases in the body, which causes a strong dryness of the skin.
4. Follicular keratosis. In this case, the patient appears a lot of small pimples that look like acne. They give the skin a rough look of sandpaper. This disease is also accompanied by a strong dry skin.
5. Xenotic eczema. This disease causes not only dry skin, but also its cracks. At the same time the skin becomes inflamed, very itchy, itches and it hurts.
6. Ichthyosis. With this disease on the skin of a person are formed outgrowths, like scales. Their color can vary from white to brown. At the same time, the skin becomes very dry, cracking. The most painful are cracks on the soles of the feet and palms.

Genetic predisposition

Physicians say that the dryness of the skin can be inherited. If a person has similar problems, it is necessary to ask if older relatives have suffered from such diseases.

Avitaminosis

What are the causes of dry skin in the winter? So, it can be the most common deficiency of vitamins. After all, in the autumn-winter period a person receives much less useful microelements. Because of this, the entire body and the skin are affected in isolation. Such problems can result in a deficiency of such fat-soluble groups of vitamins, such as A, B and E.

Risk groups

Considering the dryness of the skin of the body (causes and peeling), it is also worth mentioning about those people who are primarily at risk:

1. Fans of a hot shower or bath.
2. Residents of countries with a cold climate.
3. Aged people.

About children

Separately, I want to consider the causes of dryness of the skin of the body in a child. Why is it often possible to observe such a condition in a baby? If we talk about newborn babies, the dryness of the body in the first weeks of their life is normal. The thing is that in the womb of the mother the baby is always in the liquid, which moistens his skin. After birth, the habitat of crumbs changes dramatically, so the first few days in children it is very dry. It must necessarily be lubricated with baby oil. After a while, the skin of the baby adapts. What are the other causes of dryness of the skin of the body and face in the child?

1. Too dry and hot air in the room. Parents should remember that the temperature in the room where the baby is staying should be 18-22 ° C, humidity - at least 55%.
2. Wrong bathing. Some parents still bathe babies in manganese. And she very much dries a skin of the child. It also negatively affects the skin condition too hard or hot water.
3. Means for care. The kid needs to choose the right means for caring for the body. So, soap or shower gel should be with a neutral pH. Shampoos and foams should not have too bright and persistent smell. This means that they contain flavors that can cause an allergic reaction. It is also important to say that you must competently choose a detergent powder.
4. If the baby has very dry skin of the legs, the child should walk barefoot as much as possible (at home, but not in the street) or in maximally open shoes.
5. To the skin of the crumbs was breathing and not overdried, all the child's clothing (including shoes) should be made of natural materials.

In all other cases, excessive dryness of the skin, which does not pass after the application of certain funds, may indicate that the baby is sick. In this case, you should definitely contact the doctor and conduct some tests.

Complications of xerosis

If the skin is not treated on time, the xerosis can develop into a more serious disease. So, to the main complications physicians carry:

1. Atopic dermatitis.
2. Folliculitis (when the hair follicle is inflamed).
3. Infection of subcutaneous tissue.

Prevention

We consider further the topic: "Dryness of the skin of the body: causes and treatment." So, not to resort to various medications, it is enough just to follow preventive measures. What then should I do?

1. Humidification . If a person by nature has dry skin, it should be moistened. To do this, it is good to use cosmetic creams, which are based on collagen, lecithin, propolis, hyaluronic acid, as well as a complex of vitamins and minerals. However, it should be remembered that too frequent use of moisturizing creams can lead to the fact that the skin itself can not practically hold moisture.
2. A careful attitude. People who have dry skin should not use too aggressive scrubs. After taking a bath or shower, you should always lubricate the body with a fat cream. And choosing a cream for the winter period, you need to take one, which contains avocados or shea butter.
3. Power . Dry skin should not only be moistened, but also nourished with useful substances. So, we need masochki, in the composition of which there is cedar oil or jojoba oil.
4. Exfoliation . Necessary necrotic skin areas should be removed from the body. To do this, it is best to choose an oil or cream based.
5. Selection of clothes and shoes. In order to avoid the drying of the skin, all clothing should be made of natural materials (especially with regard to underwear). The same applies to shoes.

Treatment

What should I do if a person suffers from dry skin? Treatment in this case may consist in the use of cosmetic and medicament means. However, the traditional medicine also helps to cope with this problem.

1. Knees and elbows. If a person is drying these parts of the skin, the usual lemon will help to cope with the problem. So, for this it is necessary to take two wadded disks, to squeeze out lemon juice on them. Next, for 10 minutes, all this must be applied to dry skin. Do this no more than 3-4 times a week until the problem is gone. Maximum after 15 days you can see the result. In addition, the elbows and knees will get a well-groomed appearance.
2. Foot and heel. If a person has a very "dry" leg, you can fight the problem in various ways. However, the most successful is the following set of procedures. So, every day feet should be soared in warm water with the addition of sea salt. After that, under running water, the legs must be rinsed, while exfoliating the dead skin areas. Use for washing soap is not necessary. After the procedure, the feet should be greased with a fat cream. Excellent also struggles with the problem of dry foot skin sunflower, olive or linseed oil.
3. Hands . To combat dry skin of hands, you can use a cream made at home. This requires pork and lamb fat. Take the ingredients in equal proportion, then - melt in a water bath. The mixture should be cooled and placed in a refrigerator. Lubricate it with your hands once a day before bedtime.
4. The face . Coping with dry skin will help decoction of flaxseed. To do this, one teaspoon of seeds should be placed in a glass of cool, clean water. All this is placed on the fire, brought to a boil. After that, the medicine is removed from the fire, cooled. Lubricate them need a face twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
5. Body . To deal with dry skin of the body you need to take "right" baths. To do this, add a mixture of decoctions of chamomile and flaxseed (100 ml) into warm water. In such a bath it is necessary to lie for 10 minutes (but not more than 15). Doing such procedures need a couple of times a week. The effect will be visible in the shortest possible time.