One of the main reasons for dry skin is the change in the epidermis, which is the topmost layer of the skin. This layer has naturally occurring oils and fats that help in retaining moisture and keep irritants from entering the skin. Over a period of time, our skin loses some of these oils and fats, resulting in the skin becoming thin. This might occur especially as you start aging. As a result, the skin becomes cracked, itchy, and dry.
Should dry skin be a reason to fret?
Dry skin may not cause much of a worry, and in most cases it is harmless. Dab and spread a little moisture from time to time and you are good to go. But have you ever thought about you keep seeing those cracks or rashes on your skin? Why does your skin always look as if all the moisture has been taken away despite applying all sorts of creams and lotions on it? Maybe it is time you take more serious measures. Let us focus more on what constant dry skin may lead to.
Skin and health conditions that dry skin may point toward
Dry skin may be a sign of a serious skin condition or health problems, some of which are listed below:
Eczema
Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a type of dry skin condition, which is mostly found in children, but it may also be diagnosed in adults as well. The difference between eczema in adults and children is that while the latter have eczema because of an inherited defect in the skin, the former develop itchy and dry skin due to a skin barrier, because of which skin easily loses all its water.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is signified by red and thick raised skin that has silver patches on it. The most commonly affected areas are the elbows, trunk, scalp, and knees. It is caused as a result of an overactive immune system that causes skin cells to grow rapidly.
This process is opposite to how skin cells grow naturally. Instead of new cells growing in the lower layers and gradually rising to the upper layers as older ones shed, here cells pile up right on the surface. The condition may occur in childhood or in the middle age.
Diabetes
In diabetes, when your sugar levels are extremely high, the body loses fluid at a much higher rate, because of which the skin becomes dehydrated. If you have diabetes you may also not perspire normally, because of which you would not have an adequate amount of moisture on your skin.
If the situation worsens, cracked skin becomes vulnerable to bacteria that feed on glucose on your skin. As a result of this, you may have other infections, too. Dry skin alone is mostly not a sign of diabetes. The dryness is accompanied by extra thirst, frequent urination, more hunger than usual, and blurred vision and fatigue. Your doctor may prescribe a simple blood test to get to the root of the problem.
