Health conditions and genetics: You could be more at risk of getting dry skin if you're born with genes that make you more prone to it or you have a health condition that causes dry skin as a symptom. Some conditions that lead to dry skin include allergies, eczema, diabetes and kidney disease.
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.
When skin loses water too quickly, it becomes dry. This can happen for many reasons. Everyday things, such as using deodorant soaps and harsh cleaning products, can strip oils and fats from our skin. Taking long, hot showers can also dry your skin.
In most cases, dry skin is harmless and usually just a sign of environmental or lifestyle factors you can work to improve. However, if you don't take the proper care, dry skin could also be telling you that a couple worse conditions are approaching: Eczema: Excessive dry skin can lead to the activation of eczema.
You're deficient in certain nutrients
Stubborn dryness may occur if your body is low in vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, niacin or zinc, all of which are a must for healthy skin. Talk to your doctor about whether you might be deficient in one of these nutrients, and if you are, whether or not to take supplements.
Vitamin C may be useful in preventing dry skin because it strengthens the skin barrier, which protects against moisture loss.
Athlete's foot: Athlete's foot can mimic dry skin on your feet, but a fungus causes it. When this fungus grows on your body, it's called “ringworm.” People who have athlete's foot may have dry, flaky skin on the soles of their feet.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is currently enjoying a moment in the sun as a dairy-free, soy-free, and environmentally friendly alternative to milk. But, it can also be good for your skin. As anyone with naturally dry, eczema-prone skin knows, oats have natural calming and soothing properties.
Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, or when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood. Learn more about itchy skin and kidney disease.
Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that makes your glands produce less moisture than they should. It causes chronic (long-term) dryness throughout your body (especially your eyes and mouth). Sjögren's syndrome is pronounced “SHOW-gren's syndrome.”
Do vitamin deficiencies cause dry skin? Having a specific vitamin deficiency can cause dry skin. For example, if you are deficient in zinc, iron, niacin, vitamin D, or vitamin A, your skin may get dry.
High-dose vitamins B6 and B12 have also been linked to rosacea fulminans, a condition that looks like acne. Rosacea is marked by large red bumps and pustules that typically appear on the nose, chin, and/or cheeks.
With aging, the outer layer of the skin gets thinner, paler, and less stretchy (elastic). Because blood vessels get more fragile with age, older adults tend to bruise more easily. Also, older adults may produce less sweat and oil from the glands in their skin. Many factors influence how aging affects your skin.
Environmental factors, such as cold weather or dry air, can cause dry skin. It may also be due to health conditions, including eczema, dehydration, and diabetes. People can resolve most cases of dry skin by taking simple steps, such as using moisturizer.
Petechiae from leukemia often resemble a common skin rash, such as atopic dermatitis. However, leukemia rashes have a distinguishing characteristic: When pressure is applied, the spots will retain their red, purple or brown color. Conversely, when pressure is applied to any other type of rash, the skin will turn white.
Psoriasis. Psoriasis is an immune-related skin disease that causes itchy rashes and scaly patches, much like eczema. 4 Both psoriasis and eczema can appear anywhere on the body, but psoriasis is more likely to develop on the: Scalp.
A correlation was observed between vitamin D levels and skin moisture content, individuals with lower levels of vitamin D had lower average skin moisture.