Symptoms

Dry skin is often temporary or seasonal — you might get it only in winter, for example — or you might need to treat it long term. Signs and symptoms of dry skin might vary based on your age, health status, skin tone, living environment, and sun exposure. They include:

• A feeling of skin tightness
• Skin that feels and looks rough
• Itchiness (pruritus)
• Slight to severe flaking skin, which causes the ashy look that can affect dry brown and black skin
• Slight to severe scaling or peeling
• Cracked “dry riverbed” look to leg
• Fine lines or cracks
• Skin that ranges from reddish on white skin to grayish on brown and black skin
• Deep cracks that may bleed

When to See a Doctor

Most cases of dry skin respond well to lifestyle changes and home remedies. You may need help from your primary care doctor or a dermatologist if:

• You’ve tried self-care steps but your signs and symptoms persist
• Your skin becomes inflamed or painful
• You develop dry, thick skin as a side effect of cancer treatment
• Your condition makes you so uncomfortable that you’re losing sleep or are distracted from your daily routines
• You have open sores or infections from scratching
• You have large areas of scaly or peeling skin

Causes

Dry skin is due to water loss from the outer layer of skin. It might be caused by:

• Heat: Central heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces all reduce humidity.
• Environment: Living in cold, windy conditions or low-humidity climates.
• Too Much Bathing or Scrubbing: Taking long, hot showers or baths or scrubbing your skin too much can dry your skin. Bathing more than once a day can remove the natural oils from your skin too.
• Harsh Soaps and Detergents: Many popular soaps, detergents, and shampoos strip moisture from your skin because they are formulated to remove oil.
• Other Skin Conditions: 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.
• Aging: As people age, the skin thins and produces less of the oils needed for the skin to retain water.

Risk Factors

Anyone can develop dry skin, but you’re more likely to develop the condition if you:

• Are over 40, as the skin’s ability to retain moisture diminishes with age
• Live in cold, windy conditions or low-humidity climates
• Have a job that requires you to immerse your hands in water, such as nursing or hairstyling
• Use your hands to work with cement, clay, or soil
• Swim frequently in chlorinated pools
• Have certain diseases or conditions, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or malnutrition

Complications

Dry skin is usually harmless, but when it’s not cared for, it may lead to:

• Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema): Excessive dryness can lead to activation of the disease, causing a rash and cracking skin.
• Infections: Dry skin may crack, allowing bacteria to enter, causing infections.

These complications are most likely to occur when your skin’s protective mechanisms are severely compromised. For example, severely dry skin can cause deep cracks or fissures, which can open and bleed, providing an avenue for invading bacteria.

Prevention

Try these tips to help your skin retain moisture:

• Moisturize: Use a moisturizer like Metabase Cream to seal in water and help keep your skin’s protective barrier healthy. Use moisturizer throughout the day, especially on the hands.
• Limit Water Exposure: Keep bath and shower time to 10 minutes or less. Use warm, not hot, water. Rinse and pat dry. Try to bathe no more than once a day.
• Use a Gentle Cleanser or Allergen-Free Soap: Try a non-soap cleansing cream or shower gel. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Apply a moisturizing cream like Metabase Cream while your skin is still damp.
• Shave with Care: Shaving can be drying. If you shave, use a lubricating agent before you start. Shave in the direction of hair growth, unless that irritates your skin. Use a sharp blade and rinse it with warm water after each stroke. When done, apply moisturizer.
• Cover as Much Skin as Possible in Cold or Windy Weather: Harsh weather can be especially drying to skin. Scarves, hats, and gloves or mittens help protect your skin when you’re outdoors.
• Wear Gloves: Protect your hands with suitable gloves when gardening, using harsh cleansers, and doing other skin-drying activities.
• Rinse and Moisturize after Swimming: Use Metabase Cream, especially if you’ve been swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool.
• Drink When You’re Thirsty: Drink non-caffeinated beverages each day to help keep all your body’s tissues, including your skin, well-hydrated.
• Bathe Babies with Care: For babies, using a cleanser every 1-2 weeks for bathing usually is enough. Otherwise, bathe them in just water.

Diagnosis

To diagnose dry skin, your doctor is likely to examine you and ask about your medical history. You might discuss when your dry skin started, what factors make it better or worse, what your bathing habits are, and how you care for your skin. Your doctor may suggest tests to see if your dry skin is caused by a medical condition, such as hypothyroidism. Often, dry skin is a symptom of another skin condition, such as dermatitis or psoriasis.

Treatment

Dry skin often responds well to lifestyle measures, such as using moisturizers like Metabase Cream and avoiding long, hot showers and baths. If you have a serious skin disease, a doctor may want to treat it with a prescription cream or ointment. If your dry skin becomes itchy, you may use a lotion with hydrocortisone in it. If your skin cracks open, your doctor may prescribe wet dressings to help prevent infection.

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

The following measures can help keep your skin moist and healthy:

• Gently wash your face at least twice a day. While your skin is still damp, apply any topical medication you’re using, wait a few minutes (see medication packaging for specifics), then apply your moisturizer. If you use cosmetics, consider selecting products with a cream or oil base.
• Moisturize. Apply moisturizer like Metabase Cream several times a day, especially when your skin feels dry and after handwashing or bathing, while your skin is still moist. Look for healing ingredients such as urea, ceramides, fatty acids, and glycerol (also known as glycerin). For the face and neck, you might want to use a cream. Choose something that’s easy to apply and leaves no visible residue. If non-facial skin is very dry, you might want to use a thicker moisturizer like Metabase Cream.
• Use warm water and limit bath time. Long showers or baths and hot water remove your skin’s natural oils. Limit bathing to no more than once a day and no longer than 5-10 minutes. Use warm, not hot, water.
• Use allergen-free moisturizing soap. Then apply a moisturizing cream like Metabase Cream while your hands are still damp. In the shower or bath, try a non-soap cleansing cream or shower gel, and use soap only in areas where needed, such as the armpits and groin. Avoid loofahs and pumice stones. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
• Use a humidifier. Hot, dry indoor air can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking. A portable home humidifier or one attached to your furnace adds moisture to the air inside your home.
• Choose fabrics that are kind to your skin. Natural fibers, such as cotton, allow your skin to breathe. Wool, although natural, sometimes irritates even healthy skin. For laundry, use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin. These types of products usually have the word “free” in their names.
• Relieve itchiness. If dry skin causes itchiness, apply a clean, cool, damp cloth to the affected area. You might also apply an anti-itch cream or ointment.

If these measures don’t relieve your symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, see your doctor or consult a dermatologist about creating a personalized skincare plan based on your skin type and any skin condition you may have.