9 Signs That You Have Dry Skin!

Dry skin is a condition in which your skin feels and looks very rough, scaly, flaky or itchy. Their appearance on a person's body is in the form of dry patches. Its appearance and form can vary from person to person. This is considered to be a very common condition and is affecting people of all age groups. This condition of dry skin is known by other terms such as xeroderma or xerosis. This condition can be caused by many factors, some of which are sun damage, cold or dry weather, overbathing and usage of harsh soaps. 

There are many ways which you can follow by yourself to improve this condition of dry skin. The methods that you could follow are application of sun protection or moisturizer all year long. You can also find other ways or other products too by yourself which proves to be very helpful in the treatment of dry skin for yourself. 

Symptoms

Dryness of the skin is considered a condition which is temporary and seasonal. There are few people who suffer from this condition in winter only. Some people suffering from this condition have few other reasons for its cause and it may take a long time for its development. 

The symptoms and signs of this condition of dry skin may be different depending on the person's age, skin tone, environment in which the person lives, sun exposure and health status. Few symptoms are listed below: 

1. Dehydration:

This is a prominent condition during the problem of dry skin. Due to excessive loss of moisture from the skin results in dehydration. When your skin is dehydrated it becomes very itchy and many fine and noticeable lines begin to appear.  This condition of dehydration appears due to lacking radiance and getting comfortable with persistent and intense tightness of the skin. This can be treated by following a healthy skin care routine. You should avoid intake of caffeine and alcohol and use a humidifier.

2. Cracks of the skin:

This condition is very much common when a person has dry skin. This condition arises because the skin starts shrinking because of its drying out. This shrinking leads to formation of cracks and these cracks sometimes can go deep and start bleeding too.This condition arrives as a result of drying out of skin because the natural oils present could not help in the retention of the moisture. This is also a treatable condition but the treatment depends on the cause of the crack. But, the most common way of treating them is application of moisturizer in this area (moisturizer should have certain elements such as glycerine, lanolin, olive oil, mineral oil, urea etc).

3. Flakes or rough texture:

This type of skin feels very coarse when it is touched. This commonly occurs on the person's face and body, this is a result of dryness of skin of person.To get rid from this problem you need to follow a healthy skin care routine which includes 2-3 times exfoliation per week, application of SPF everyday, using a facial oil to keep it hydrated and a collagen booster. 

4. Itch:

Some (or most of them) people who suffer from or have a condition of dry skin usually feel that their skin is very itchy all the time. Because of this continuous itching the person is unable to focus on their every day chores and errands, even driving or doing their work becomes very difficult for them to do. The person even experiences problems sleeping and this can also ruin your proper sleep by waking you up. You can get rid of it by using certain anti fungal or microbial powders and other medications.

5. Painful, stingy or burning sensation in the skin:

When a person has dry, cracked or raw skin it is very common that he feels pain in those areas. When these painful areas are touched by anything, even water, this area will start to give you a sensation of burning on your skin. People who have wet hands most of the time such as hairdressers can experience this condition while they are at work during a cold and dry climate.

6. Rough, loose texture along with wrinkles:

When a person starts to age his skin begins to become loose and this makes his skin lose a lot of moisture which leads to the development of wrinkles and a rough texture on the skin.

7. Skin Infections:

Because of formation of breaks on the other later due to very dry skin, germs may enter inside the skin which will lead to certain skin Infections such as discoloration and swelling amod the skin, pus like fluid is been leaking from that area of the skin and on the skin a yellow crust is formed. These conditions are to be treated medically otherwise they can result in severe conditions.

8. Painful, irritated and raw skin:

This is mainly observed in women who have nicks and cuts on their hands and this bleeds too. This is a condition that makes you feel raw because of the bleeding or cracking in the skin. This is also an issue that signifies drying of the skin.

9. Peeling of the skin:

Renewing of the outer layer of our skin on a continuous basis is done for shedding down the dead skin cells present on the skin. Usually you will not be able to observe any shedding but when there are occasions that there is shedding of the skin more than the usual number of the cells of the skin. This is a result when you have excess dry skin.

Causes:

Dry skin is caused because of loss of water from the outer part of the skin. This loss of water from the skin can be caused because of :

• Heat, which reduces humidity

• Too much scrubbing or bathing leads to removal of natural oils

• Using harsh soap and detergents can strip moisture as they are meant for doing so.

• Environment (living in cold or low humid regions)

• Aging, because the skin starts to become thin (moisture retention reduces as oils production decreases)

• Skin conditions such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis (eczema)

• Medical treatment such as dialysis, cancer treatments or other medications.

You should follow a healthy skin care routine so as to avoid this condition. This condition can sometimes prove to be fatal. If you notice any of the symptoms you should immediately consult with a doctor expert in the field. And keep the causes in mind and if you can avoid few of the causative agents then you must avoid them.