Dry Skin–A Skincare Issue Or A Health Issue?

Having dry skin on the face and body manifests itself by providing you with a feeling of tightness, redness, and unpleasant roughness. Excessively dry skin is prone to irritation, is hypersensitive to cosmetics, and sometimes even to water. The skin can start peeling off, even cracking, and starts to itch unpleasantly. Such symptoms may be a result of improper skincare, but also can be a sign of other diseases. If you’ve been asking yourself the question “why is my skin so dry?”, here are some reasons.

What causes dry skin?

The main and direct cause of skin dryness is the reduced ability to bind and retain water in the epidermal layer. It also stems from the lipid deficiencies in the epidermal layer. This can be caused by many factors, both external and internal.

Most often, having dry skin on your face is the result of improper care. Your face can also dry out after taking medication or after excessive exposure to the sun. It will react similarly to strong winds or low temperatures. The level of hydration of your skin is also regulated by your diet and the level of hydration in the body. If you’re not drinking enough water, you’ll see the effects on your skin soon. Finally, some people, unfortunately, have the tendency to have dry skin, which is genetically determined.

Dry skin on your legs and face–are these symptoms of an illness?

Sometimes, dry skin is a symptom of a health issue much more serious than a skin care problem. Problems with proper skin hydration should be a red flag, your body letting you know that something is wrong. Dry skin can be a symptom of various somatic and dermatological diseases. The most common are:

Diabetes

Dry skin on your face may be a symptom of a chronic disease, for example, diabetes. The cause of diabetes is improper work of the pancreas, and more specifically the way it produces insulin. By reducing or stopping insulin production, the natural regulation of blood sugar levels stops.

Diabetes is a disease that very often attacks silently. Therefore, one of the first symptoms may be a skin problem. Excessive dryness, flaking, and itching, these may be diabetes manifesting. The epidermis of people with diabetes is very thin, making it prone to wounds that later are difficult to heal.

If you’re suffering from very painful and cracked heels, you should visit a doctor. The so-called diabetic foot syndrome is one of the complications of this disease. It consists of excessive drying of the skin on your heels, leading to cracks that may result in serious infections.

Thyroid issues

Thyroid diseases may cause an over or underproduction of hormones. As a result, many people feel chronic fatigue and weakness, experience weight fluctuations, dizziness and face problems with becoming pregnant.

Skin symptoms when it comes to thyroid diseases include excessively dry and flaky skin. Skin also becomes dark and dry on the elbows, knees and feet. Therefore, the skin of patients with thyroid problems requires constant hydration, and the elbows, knees and heels should be often moisturized.

Dehydration

Dry skin on your face can also be a symptom of dehydration. Dehydration is a medical condition that results from the loss of water and electrolytes. It may appear as a result of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. It can also happen during hot days or after exercising, when you don’t drink enough water after sweating a lot.

When the level of hydration drops drastically, you experience increased thirst, dry skin on your face and body, chapped and dark lips, and the skin under your eyes becomes visibly tired. It’s extremely important to drink enough water to restore proper balance.

Psoriasis

In the beginning, symptoms of this disease are red patches of dried, flaky skin. This problem first affects areas such as the feet, elbows or knees. Over time, however, it moves to other parts of the body as well.

Patients with psoriasis show an improper and significantly accelerated cell transformation process. As a result, new cells mature too quickly, and the old ones don’t have time to come off naturally. This creates layers of dead skin cells to form on the body.

Psoriasis is a disease that requires medical treatment. In order to soothe the skin issues that come with it, doctors recommend greasy and thick, highly moisturizing products. They are able to retain water in the skin, to calm down the symptoms.

Treating dry skin 

Dry skin requires special care, as it’s subject to faster aging. It has to be properly moisturized, both from the outside and the inside. Here are the basic tips:

• Eat clean and drink plenty of water
• During everyday skincare opt for hypoallergenic and alcohol-free products
• Avoid using bar soap, as it will further dry your skin
• Use creams with SPF protection in the summer and rich moisturizers in the winter

Dry skin can be a symptom of improper care, but it can also be a symptom of a serious illness. Whatever the case, you shouldn’t brush off the issue. If you have doubts about your skin or health, visit a specialist.