Repeated rubbing and scratching can produce areas of thickened, rough skin (lichenification). Dry, thickened skin can crack, especially in areas subject to chronic trauma (e.g., hands and feet), causing painful cracks in the skin.
The truth is, scratching dry, itchy skin actually makes things worse. When you scratch, your fingernails hurt your skin and it gets all inflamed (red and angry). And guess what? This makes your skin even itchier.
DON'T SCRATCH DRY SKIN
So don't forget, although it might feel good to start with, scratching is one of your dry, atopic eczema-prone skin's worst enemies.
It can lead to skin wounds, infections, and scarring.
You should let peeling skin slough off naturally. The peeling is part of your skin's natural healing process. Picking at or pulling off peeling skin can create an opening that lets in bacteria. This increases your risk of infection.
Examples include picking at pimples, patches of dry skin or scabbed-over cuts and scratches (those wounds can come from picking or from other causes). Picking can create new wounds or reopen old ones, leading to bleeding and scarring.
While some people believe that this improves the appearance of their skin, it's not for everyone. If not done properly, it could do more harm than good. If you choose to exfoliate, it's important to do so safely so that it does not damage your skin or lead to increased redness or acne breakouts.
Scratching sends your brain a pain sensation, which distracts it from your itch. You can even feel better for a few moments, but you might notice, as many others do, that after you scratch one itch another itch occurs somewhere else on your body.
Curcio says this isn't a good idea. “Do not pull off your peeling skin, and avoid active exfoliation,” she says. “Instead, allow it to slough off your body on its own. Peeling usually stops when the burn has healed — about seven days for mild to moderate burns.”
The “black stuff” when you rub your skin is nothing but dead cells, dirt and surface grime. It comes off due to friction caused by rubbing your skin.
Skin that is healthy and properly hydrated is naturally capable of defending itself against the causes of dry skin and continuously repairing itself.
This can be an uncomfortable or bothersome sensation that will only resolve if you scratch your skin. Sometimes, pruritus can be painful and other times, it could feel like something is tickling your skin. Scratching your itch can lead to more pain and irritation and won't always resolve your itch.
Pure petroleum jelly is very gentle on skin, making it perfect to soothe dry skin on all areas of the body and keep it hydrated at the same time. Choosing a good moisturizing lotion containing micro droplets of Vaseline® Jelly will help heal dry skin deep down for fast relief from itchy dryness.
Intense, repeated sun exposure that results in sunburn increases your risk of other skin damage and certain diseases. These include premature aging of skin (photoaging), precancerous skin lesions and skin cancer.
It's best to use cleansing creams, gentle skin cleansers and bath or shower gels with added moisturizers. Use hypoallergenic soap or fragrance-free soap without alcohol. Apply moisturizers immediately after bathing or washing hands. Gently pat your skin dry with a towel so some moisture remains.
Dry skin and scratching may result in a dermatitis or eczema when the skin becomes red in addition to dry and scaly. Round, scaly, itchy, red patches scattered over the legs, arms, and trunk may appear. The appearance of yellow crusts or pus in these areas indicates that a bacterial infection is developing.
Results. Average itch intensity and scratching pleasurability ratings at the ankle and back were significantly higher than on the forearm. For the forearm and ankle, the higher the itch while scratching, the higher was the pleasurability.
When your skin is weak, particles from the outside world can more easily get into it. This is why dry skin can feel itchy. Toxins, allergens and irritants activate your immune system, which can cause redness and swelling. They also activate your nervous system, triggering the sensation of itch.
Paste bandages and wet wrapping can both be helpful in reducing the itch–scratch–damage cycle (especially at night, when scratching is often an unconscious action in sleep).
Dermatitis neglecta is a skin condition that can occur when a person does not or cannot thoroughly wash and exfoliate the skin. Dead skin cells, oils, bacteria, and other factors can buildup, leading to scaly plaques that may be hard to remove. These plaques may be hyperpigmented and firm.