Dry skin causes your skin to have a rough texture because it doesn’t have enough moisture. Dry skin is very common. The medical term for dry skin is xeroderma. You can treat dry skin at home by using moisturizers. Talk to a dermatologist if you have dry skin that doesn’t go away or keeps returning.
What are the symptoms of dry skin?
Symptoms of dry skin include skin that’s:
Cracked.
Rough.
Tight.
Flaking.
Scaling.
Itchy.
Lighter or darker than your normal skin tone or red to purple.
If you have severely dry skin, a rash could develop on your skin. The rash could have small, pimple-like bumps, be itchy, swollen or be a different color than the skin around it, usually red to purple. The medical term for this rash is dermatitis, which is another word for skin swelling and inflammation.
Where on my body will I have dry skin?
You can have dry skin anywhere on your body, but the most common places include:
Hands.
Feet.
Face.
Elbows.
Around your mouth.
Genitals.
Legs.
How do I know if I have dry skin?
You can test your skin at home to see if you have dry skin by lightly dragging your fingernails across your skin. When you do this, make sure you don’t put any pressure on your skin with your fingernails and avoid scratching yourself. This test works well on your arms or legs where you have a large surface area of skin. When you perform this test, look at your skin and see if it flakes. Flaking skin is a sign of dry skin. This could look like tiny snowflakes or dust. You might even see a light mark on your skin that’s similar to a line on a chalkboard where you performed this test.
What causes dry skin?
A lack of moisture within the layers of your skin causes dry skin. Factors that cause dry skin include:
Age: As you age, your skin’s moisture-producing oil glands dry up. This causes the fat and collagen (elasticity) in your skin to also dry up, which leads to thinning skin. This is a natural part of your body’s aging process.
Climate: The temperature of your environment can affect your skin’s hydration. Climates that lack humidity like desert-like climates or cold climates where there’s heavy wind cause dry skin. Dry skin is often worse during the winter, but dry skin can occur year-round.
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.
Occupations: Certain professions can lead to dry skin, especially if you work outdoors, with chemicals or wash your hands frequently. Some professions that make you more likely to develop dry skin include healthcare providers, hairstylists and farmers.
How is dry skin diagnosed?
Dry skin can be easy to diagnose by its appearance. Your healthcare provider will diagnose dry skin after a complete medical history, a physical exam and learning more about your symptoms.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your healthcare provider may order tests to check for health conditions that cause dry skin, such as:
Allergy test to identify substances that cause allergic reactions.
Blood tests to check for problems like diabetes or kidney disease.
A skin biopsy or tissue sample to test for eczema or other skin conditions.
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