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Treatment
Before talking about the treatment of dry skin, lets find out something about the outermost layer of the skin that is called stratum corneum. This layer mainly consists of dead skin cells, which are replaced by healthy cells in the skin. This outer layer has oils (lipids) and moisture. The lipids protect the skin from losing its moisture. When you remove the lipids from your outer skin, the barrier between the skin and the environment is removed. This causes loss of water from the skin. Moisturizers keep the lipids intact and add more to the protection. That is how they moisturize the skin. Many people believe that moisturizers add water to the skin. That is not true. Some of the moisturizers do attract water from the atmosphere but most of them protect the skin from losing water.
To keep the skin moisture intact, you have to take care that you don't strip away the outer fat layer and that you don't live in a very dry atmosphere. This dry atmosphere makes the skin water evaporate. Taking very long baths, bathing with hot water, frequent washing, etc. all remove the outer lipid layer. Take bath with warm water. Don't take very long baths. Add bath oils if you are taking a tub bath. Moisturize yourself immediately after taking a bath and pat yourself dry.
Don't live in a very dry atmosphere. Heaters and air conditioners strip the air of water. Add a humidifier to them so that the air is also well humidified. Moisturize as frequently as possible. Avoid harsh soaps. Use mild soaps with added moisturizers. Along with moisturizers, use of AHA mixed formulations may help because they keep the outer skin healthy. Vitamin A derivative formulations, if used correctly, may help. But they can create more dry skin if overused. You need to talk to your doctor and decide about a regimen that will help you keep your skin moist. Use anti-oxidant and AHA enriched moisturizers especially formulated for dry skin and take basic care to keep skin moist.
Age
As you age, your skin reduces its capacity to produce sebum that creates the lipid layer on the outer surface. With aging, your skin loses its moisture and becomes dry. Therefore more moisturization becomes more important in old age.
Complications
Extreme dry skin that is not being cared for also produces many complications such as eczema, folliculitis, cellulitis, etc.
Article created on: July 11, 2006
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