William Truswell, MD, is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngology (head and neck) surgeon. He is president of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and treats skin cancer patients as part of his practice.
Dry skin is a condition in which low water levels or oil in the skin can create a tight, uncomfortable feeling, among other symptoms. Dry skin is common, though it can sometimes be a sign of more significant health issues.
This article covers the symptoms, types, and causes of dry mouth, diagnosis and treatment of dry skin, and when to get help for dry skin.
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The most common symptoms of dry skin are:
There are several reasons why someone could have dry skin, including:
Some underlying health issues that can cause dry skin include:
There are several medications that may cause dry skin as a side effect, including:
At times, untreated dry skin can lead to various forms of eczema, including:
Untreated dry skin could also lead to itchy skin and infections if the skin's surface is not strong enough to protect the body. Persistent dry skin could also indicate an undiagnosed health issue, like an under-active thyroid or blood sugar problems. It could also indicate an autoimmune disorder like psoriasis.
If your dry skin seems untreatable, a healthcare provider might consider the following to diagnose your condition:
Your healthcare provider might also run tests to diagnose any underlying issues causing your dry skin, including:
Seek medical attention for dry skin if:
Moisturizing daily and often, preferably while skin is still damp, is the most common way to treat and prevent dry skin. Other ways to treat or prevent dry skin include:
If your dry skin can't be treated at home, you might talk to your healthcare provider about:
Dry skin is when the skin lacks moisture because of low oil or water. It can be caused by aging, weather, bathing too often, harsh soaps and chemicals, or underlying issues like eczema, psoriasis, low thyroid, diabetes, and other conditions.
Treating dry skin can include moisturizing several times a day, avoiding hot showers or baths that are too long, staying hydrated, using a humidifier, and treating any underlying health issues that could cause dry skin. It's also important to test for undiagnosed health issues that can cause dry skin.
If dry skin cannot be treated at home, or if itchiness occurs without a rash, it's advised to seek medical attention. A healthcare provider will likely ask about family and medical history and examine the skin. A blood test could also be needed in case of a more serious illness.
Dry skin can affect how we feel about ourselves, but the good news is that it's largely treatable at home. Thicker lotions, keeping bathing water lukewarm, avoiding harsh soaps, and staying hydrated are simple ways to get softer skin at a low cost.
If your dry skin doesn't seem to go away, it's important to consider underlying health issues, like low thyroid or diabetes. However, these conditions are treatable, and with the proper treatment, you can get back to soft skin in good time.
Bathing too often or in water that is too hot, using harsh soaps and detergents, not moisturizing after bathing, and being dehydrated can all cause dry skin. Aging is another factor since our skin loses oil and water as we get older. An underlying health issue, including a mineral deficiency, a thyroid disorder, diabetes, or psoriasis, could also be why your skin is always dry.
Dry skin is usually easily treatable at home. However, if dry skin persists, what could make it dangerous is either a lack of protection from irritants in the environment if skin is flakey or an undiagnosed health issue. Some conditions that dry skin could be masking are hypothyroidism, the autoimmune disorder psoriasis, diabetes, mineral deficiencies, and kidney disease.
Moisturizing often, not bathing too often or with hot water (use lukewarm water instead), drinking water regularly, avoiding harsh soaps and chemicals, and using a humidifier could help with dry skin. Getting tested by a healthcare provider and treating the underlying disorder could be key to treating dry skin if yours does not seem to respond to home remedies.
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Neha is a New York-based health journalist who has written for WebMD, ADDitude, HuffPost Life, and dailyRx News. Neha enjoys writing about mental health, elder care, innovative health care technologies, paying for health care, and simple measures that we all can take to work toward better health.
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