A person’s skin is like clothing that they wear all the time. Would you like wearing an itchy sweater all the time? That is almost what your skin feels like when you have dry skin. Dry skin not only looks bad, but it feels bad too. Dry skin can cause the skin to be red, itchy, and sometimes in more severe cases, it can cause the skin to burn.
What Causes Dry Skin?
There are many factors that can lead to dry skin. The more you know about the causes, the better are your chances of stopping dry skin before it starts.
–Weather: One factor which you cannot control is weather. Usually winter is when the air is the driest. When the temperature and the humidity levels drop, the air becomes drier. This can also cause other skin conditions such as exzyma. The opposite is true for people who live in the hot desert. As the temperature reaches up to 100 plus degrees and the humidity levels drop down to ten percent, dry skin is very likely.
–Heating sources and Cooling Sources: Heating and cooling sources are both causes of dry skin. Central heating systems can cause the air to be dry, causing your skin to be dry. Other heating sources which can pull the humidity out of the air are space heaters, wood burning stoves and fireplaces. Air conditioning can also pull the humidity out of the air.
–Water: It may sound strange but water can also cause dry skin. If you take frequent hot showers or long hot baths, this can break down the lipid barriers in the skin. This can pull the moisture out of your skin. Another cause is frequent swimming in heavily chlorinated pools. This can dry the skin out severely.
–Deodorants and soaps: Many detergents and deodorants on the market today can cause dry skin. Harsh products can strip the lipids and the water from your skin. Many shampoos are also responsible drying of the scalp.
–Diseases and medical conditions: Certain diseases and medical conditions can cause dry skin. Psoriasis is a skin condition which is categorized by a large amount of rough, dry, dead skin cells. These cells cause severe scaling.
Another condition which causes dry skin is thyroid disorder. Hypothyroidism is one of them. This is a condition which slows the sweat and the oil glands. This can lead to rough-dry skin.
–Alcohol and Drugs: Alcohol and caffeine can cause noticeable dryness to the skin. Some medications can also dry the skin. Medications such as Accutane, antihistamines, and diuretics can cause drying.
–Dehydration: When a person has a high fever, diarrhea, or vomits, a person can become dehydrated. If a person sweats profusely, as in after extreme exercise, the body can become dehydrated as well, causing the skin to dry out.
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