Dry skin becomes dull, rough and scaly, which makes the skin feel less flexible, cracks and flakes more easily. In this article, we explain the reasons behind dry skin and how you can best treat it. Disturbances in the epidermis' fatty substances and the epidermal cells weaken the skin's ability to retain moisture. The causes of dry skin are age, low humidity, excessive body washing and use of soap. Other causes can be the skin diseases atopic eczema or ichthyosis, but this is usually discovered in childhood. You can read more about atopic eczema here.
Dry skin becomes dull, rough and scaly, which makes the skin feel less flexible, cracks and flakes more easily. Itching and skin irritation are common and bothersome, and some people develop eczema. You can read more about various causes of itching here.
Moisturizers have different compositions of fatty substances such as vaseline and paraffin, and other moisture-binding substances such as carbamide and glycerol. This makes the skin supple, strengthens the skin barrier, protects against irritants and relieves itching.
Choice of moisturizer is influenced by severity, preference, availability and price. It is recommended to use liberally at least twice a day, always after washing the body and when the skin itches.
If the dry skin becomes red and itches excessively, eczema may have occurred, and then a cortisone cream or other treatments will often help. If the skin becomes red, tender and fluid, an infection may have occurred, which is important to have assessed by a doctor. Superficial and uncomplicated skin infections can often be managed with antimicrobial creams.
Antibiotics are given for more serious infections.
