Dry Skin – When To See The Doctor

Dry skin is a common problem and in most cases, is easily treatable at home. An examination by a doctor is advisable if after making dietary, lifestyle and skincare regime changes, you still have chronic dry skin problems. It is then we might need to investigate whether there is an underlying health problem that needs to be resolved.

Dry skin can be part of a symptom picture for a number of underlying medical conditions, some of which can be quite serious. If you have dry skin that has cracked and bled, medical advice should also be sought. Some medications that you have been advised to take can have dry skin as an unwanted side effect.

Why the skin is so important?

Skin is the primary defence system of the body and is actually classified as the largest organ of the body. If the skin is damaged in any way or becomes drier and drier until cracking in the skin occurs, there is danger that microbes can enter the skin. These microbes can enter causing bacterial and fungal infections.

Untreated dry skin can lead to dermatitis – inflammation of the skin, causing itchiness, redness and swelling and again can become open to infection, especially if it is scratched due to the itchiness. So we can see it pays to look after our skin – if you are worried about your dry skin or it is making you miserable – see your doctor.

Medical Causes

• Hypothyroidism – a low thyroid condition that can cause dry skin by reducing the amount of oil produced by the body and other symptoms such as intolerance to cold and weight gain.

• Dehydration – dry skin associated with infrequent, dark urine, headaches.

• Underweight – especially if fats have been avoided in an effort to lose weight.

• Malnutrition – linked to low oil and fatty acid intake. A healthy body and healthy skin need some oils and essential fatty acids to maintain the lipid barrier and these are some of the body’s best natural moisturisers.

• Diabetes – fluctuations in glucose levels can lead to dehydration and this also will cause the skin to dry.

• Genetic Predisposition.

• Eczema and psoriasis – skin conditions that may be diagnosed.

Medications that can cause Dry Skin

There are a number of medications that can cause dry skin such as:

• High blood pressure medication – diuretic action

• Allergy treatment such as antihistamines

• Retinoids used in the treatment of acne

If you notice you develop dry skin after taking a new medication, speak to your doctor. Many cases of dry skin are easy to treat and are not a sign of more serious health conditions, but if in doubt – get it checked out.

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How to treat aging skin

Changes in our skin as we age

As we get older the skin can become drier, less supple and elastic with some degree of thinning. In part this is due to changing hormone production. The thinner skin can be susceptible to bruising and tearing while itching, cracking and scaling can all be a problem. The signs of aging become more evident on our skin with increased roughness and wrinkling and uneven pigmentation.

Care should be taken that so called age spots are checked carefully as precancerous and cancerous lesions can occur in aged and photo aged skin – if you are unsure, get your skin checked by your doctor. Age spots are more related to accumulative sun damage than due to aging.

Skin care for older skin

Your skin requires different skin care as you age. If you had oily skin when you were younger it is now this becomes a benefit more than a problem. Your skin will be less prone to dryness from aging and may well have developed less lining and wrinkling. As we grow older, our skin doesn’t produce new cells at the same pace and this reduced cell turnover rate means our skin does not have the fresh glowing look of when we were younger. Daily moisturising with a moisturiser that effectively hydrates will plump the skin cells and give a fresher look.

What to do?

• If you smoke – stop smoking and help not to accelerate the aging of your skin.

• Good nutrition is important – try to eat a healthy well balanced diet with the good oils included such as olive oil, fish oils from salmon and tuna, flaxseed oil and avocado fruit or oil. All will help to keep aging skin supple and smooth.

• Treat your skin gently with an effective moisturiser that will help provide all day hydration – hydrate your body as well, dehydration shows on the skin.

• Changing hormone production can be treated naturally with certain herbs and supplements or hormone replacement therapy can be sought through a doctor.  Balancing hormones can have a positive effect on the skin.

• Use cleansers that are creamy and have no drying ingredients such as soap and detergents.

• Sun protection is as important now as it ever was – use a sunscreen when outdoors.

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A Winter Dry Skin Plan

Why does the skin dry out in winter?

Some of us suffer from dry skin all year round but for some people dry skin only becomes a problem in winter, in the coldest months of the year. Cold weather can wreak havoc with our skin making it dry, itchy and uncomfortable.  In fact there is a skin condition commonly called winter itch that happens when the skin becomes dried out and irritated in the winter months. Even though the weather can be wet and cold the skin often becomes dried out as we live with central heating which sucks all the moisture out of the air. If we use alternative heat sources, we often sit too close which also has a drying affect on the skin – particularly our faces as this is the part that is uncovered and exposed.

Often we don’t think about moisturising our skin in winter as it is not exposed and on show as it is in the summertime but one of the best things we can do is to moisturise daily. Dry skin is due to lack of moisture so we are adding this back. If we moisturise when the skin is damp after a bath or shower, it will help to trap moisture in the skin. Winter itch can be aggravated by hot water and cleansers that have soaps and detergents as ingredients as these dry out the skin making it worse

Dry Skin Treatment Plan

• Moisturise daily, choose a creamy moisturiser that fully hydrates the skin.

• Dry skin can often be sensitive too, so choose a moisturiser with no irritating ingredients such as colours or perfumes.

• Cleanse gently with a cleanser that does not strip the skin of natural oils that help keep it supple and smooth in the winter months.

• Have lukewarm baths and showers – we tend to have longer, hotter ones in winter that dry out the skin.

• Have a humidifier in the home or at the least bowls of water in the bedroom to help counteract the drying affects of heating in the home.

• Protect your face from the wind and re apply an effective moisturiser if you do need to be outside.

• Treat the skin gently when washing and pat rather than rub dry.

• Seek medical advice if the skin if the mild discomfort of dry skin becomes more severe or the skin cracks or bleeds.

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