How Thick Is Skin On Stomach

Dry Peel

Every bit you age, your sweat and oil glands don't produce as much wet. You may develop dry out skin on your legs, elbows, arms or other parts of your trunk. The medical term for dry skin is xerosis (ze-ROW-sis). Allergies (dermatitis), irritants and peel weather condition similar eczema can also make skin dry out. Treatments can provide relief.

Overview

What is dry peel?

Dry skin is skin that doesn't have enough moisture in it to proceed it feeling soft and supple. People with dry out skin may have rough-feeling patches that flake off or look scaly. It may or may not be itchy (pruritis). Astringent dry skin may crack and bleed.

How common is dry skin?

Dry skin is a common condition that affects people of all ages.

Who'due south near probable to get dry peel?

People who live in dry climates, piece of work outside or wash their hands frequently become dry peel. Dry skin can be related to some health bug, similar allergies, hormones, and diabetes.

Older people are more than prone to dry skin for many reasons:

Moisture-producing oil and sweat glands dry up.
Skin becomes thinner.
Fat and collagen, substances that gives peel its elasticity, decrease.

What are the types of dry skin?

Your healthcare provider may use the medical term for dry skin: xerosis. Dry skin is frequently made worse during the wintertime because of low humidity. However, it can occur year-circular. If it's severe, dry out pare can cause itching and rashes called dermatitis (inflammation of skin). There are several different types of dermatitis, including:

Contact dermatitis: This occurs when something comes into contact with your skin, which causes an irritant or allergic reaction. Your pare may be dry out, itchy and ruby-red, and you may also accept a pare rash. Some examples include jewelry metals (nickel), cosmetics, detergents or medications.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis): This group of skin conditions causes cherry, dry, bumpy and itchy patches of skin. Severe forms tin can crusade keen of the peel, which makes y'all more prone to infection. This common skin disorder often affects children and tin be inherited. Irritants, allergens and stress can brand eczema worse.
Seborrheic dermatitis: Dry out skin on the scalp causes a condition known as dandruff in adults or cradle cap in infants. Seborrheic dermatitis tin too cause dry, flaky skin patches on the face, navel (omphalus) and inside creases of the arms, legs or groin. This type of dermatitis is actually acquired when your body reacts to a normal yeast that grows on your pare.
Athlete's foot: This can mimic dry skin on the feet, but it is actually caused by a fungus. When this fungus grows on the torso, information technology'due south called "ringworm". People who have athlete's pes may have dry, flaky skin on the soles of their anxiety.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes dry out skin?

You tin can develop dry skin for many reasons, including:

Age: Older adults are more prone to dry skin due to natural skin changes. As you age, oil and sweat glands dry up, and peel loses fatty and elasticity, causing information technology to become thinner.
Climate: People who live in dry, desert-like environments are more decumbent to dry pare because there's less wet, or humidity, in the air.
Genetics: Some people inherit certain pare conditions, such as eczema, that cause dry skin.
Health atmospheric condition: Some illnesses, including diabetes and kidney illness, tin crusade dry, itchy skin.
Occupations: Healthcare providers, hairstylists and other professionals are more likely to develop dry, blood-red skin because they wash hands frequently.

What are the symptoms of dry skin?

Signs of dry skin include:

Cracked, crude-looking skin.
Flakes or scales.
Itchiness.
Redness.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is dry skin diagnosed?

Dry out skin is fairly like shooting fish in a barrel to diagnose past its advent. Depending on your symptoms, your healthcare provider may society tests to check for wellness atmospheric condition that cause dry skin, such as:

Allergy examination to identify substances that cause allergic reactions.
Blood exam to check for bug like diabetes or kidney disease.
Pare biopsy (tissue sample) to test for eczema or other skin conditions.

Management and Treatment

How is itchy dry skin managed or treated?

Your healthcare provider may recommend moisturizing your skin with:

Moisturizers: Moisturizers are the mainstay of handling for most types of dry peel. They shine and soften dry out skin to assist forestall dandy and piece of work to recreate your natural peel bulwark. Moisturizing products come up in ointments, creams, lotions and oils.
Medications: For extremely dry skin that's itchy or prone to cracking, your healthcare provider may prescribe a topical steroid or other steroid-sparing amanuensis, both of which human activity to decrease the inflammation in the pare that causes the rash and itching. In severe cases, oral or injectable medication may exist advisable.

What are the complications of dry skin?

Pare that's too dry may crack open and bleed. These cracks betrayal the trunk to germs that tin cause infections. Rarely, dry, itchy peel can indicate a more serious health problem, such as diabetes or kidney illness.

Prevention

How tin I forestall dry skin?

Applying moisturizers every twenty-four hour period tin can help soften dry out skin. You tin as well try these at-domicile methods:

Cleanse with a mild, fragrance-free, moisturizing soap.
Limit showers or baths to no longer than ten minutes, and employ warm (not hot) water.
Manage stress (it tin aggravate eczema and other skin atmospheric condition).
Minimize sunday exposure, which evaporates oils and moisture from the skin.
Moisturize as before long every bit you finish bathing, while your pare is damp and soft.
Pat skin dry out with a soft towel.
Forestall dehydration and keep peel hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
Stop smoking (nicotine reduces blood flow, which dries out pare).
Utilize a humidifier to add together moisture to your dwelling'due south air.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with dry out skin?

Most people can successfully care for dry peel past using a daily moisturizer and taking proactive steps similar minimizing exposure to hot water and other irritants. It's a good idea to have care of dry skin for your overall health. Crude, dry skin can feel uncomfortable and look cruddy. And if your skin gets and then dry out skin that information technology cracks open, you'll be more than prone to infections.

Living With

When should I call the doctor?

You should telephone call your healthcare provider if your skin:

Itches constantly and interferes with sleep or daily activities.
Looks infected (carmine, warm or swollen).
Is painful to impact.
Develops a rash.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

If you're concerned almost skin dryness, talk to your healthcare provider. You lot may desire to ask:

What is making my skin to then dry out?
Should I get tested for allergies or eczema?
What are the best treatments for dry skin?
How can I prevent dry peel?
What are the best treatments for itchy skin?
What over-the-counter cleansers and moisturizers do yous recommend for dry skin?
Should I await out for whatever signs of complications?

Summary

Dry skin may look unattractive, and dry out, itchy, flaky peel feels uncomfortable. Fortunately, dry out skin causes few long-term bug. Although it is typically a chronic condition, it is very manageable. Talk to your healthcare provider nearly how to forestall and soothe dry skin. If other conditions, like eczema, cause dry skin, your healthcare provider can prescribe medications and offer tips to care for the problem.