raasm007

Overview

Few things are more beautiful than healthy human skin.
And few things are more burdened by symbolism or more
wrapped up with people's identities. Qualities people
attribute to skin — sensuality, youthfulness,
vitality, beauty, even goodness — are also qualities
they see in themselves. That skin often seems the
outer reflection of the inner being may explain, at
least in part, why problem skin is so distressing and
why Americans spend billions of dollars a year on
moisturizers and other cosmetics.

Ordinary dry skin (xerosis) usually isn't serious, but
it can be uncomfortable and unsightly, turning plump
cells into shriveled ones and creating fine lines and
wrinkles long before you're due. More serious dry skin
conditions, such as the inherited group of disorders
called ichthyosis, can sometimes be disfiguring and
may cause psychological distress to people living with
them.

Fortunately, most dry skin results from environmental
factors that can be wholly or partially controlled.
These include exposure to hot or cold weather with low
humidity levels and to wind, long-term use of air
conditioning or central heating, excessive bathing,
especially tub baths, and the use of strong soaps or
detergents. Metabolic changes that occur with normal
aging or with certain medical conditions also can
affect the moisture content of your skin.

Chronic or severe dry skin problems may require a
dermatologist's advice. But you can do a lot on your
own to improve your skin, including drinking more
water, showering less, and above all, moisturizing,
moisturizing, moisturizing.

Signs and symptoms


Dry skin can be a temporary problem — one you
experience only in winter, for example — or a lifelong
concern. And although skin is often driest on your
arms, lower legs and the sides of your abdomen, this
pattern can vary considerably from person to person.
What's more, signs and symptoms of dry skin depend on
your age, your health status, your locale, the amount
of time you spend outdoors, and the cause of the
problem.

If you have dry skin due to environmental factors or
normal aging, you're likely to experience one or more
of the following:

A feeling of tightness or tautness, especially after
showering, bathing or swimming
A loss of plumpness — your skin appears shrunken or
dehydrated
Skin that feels and looks rough rather than smooth
Itching (pruritus) that sometimes may be intense
Slight to severe flaking or scaling
Fine lines or cracks
Severe redness
Deep fissures that may bleed
Specific dry skin conditions
Certain medical or age-related conditions can lead to
dry skin problems that have unique signs and symptoms.
These include:

Ichthyosis vulgaris. Sometimes called fishscale
disease or fish skin disease, ichthyosis vulgaris
develops when skin cells fail to shed normally and
instead accumulate in thick, dry scales. The scales
are small, polygonal in shape and range in color from
white to brown. They're most common on the lower legs
and may be especially thick and dark over your shins.
Ichthyosis vulgaris may also cause scalp flaking and
deep, painful fissures on your palms and soles.
Children with the inherited form of the disorder
usually have normal skin at birth but develop scaling
and roughness in the first few years of life. At
times, ichthyosis vulgaris may disappear during the
adult years, only to return as you age.
Lamellar ichthyosis. This severe form of the disease
is present at birth and lasts throughout life. Infants
with lamellar ichthyosis are born encased in a filmy
membrane that's shed after 10 to 14 days, revealing
skin that's covered in scales. The scales can range
from fine and white to thick and dark and generally
occur over the entire body, although they may be
larger on the legs. Lamellar ichthyosis can be
extremely disfiguring and may cause great
psychological suffering for children and adults with
the disease.
Asteatotic eczema (eczema craquele). This condition
causes dry, scaly, deeply fissured skin that some
doctors have described as resembling cracked porcelain
or a dry riverbed. The affected skin may become
inflamed, itchy and may bleed. Although asteatotic
eczema can affect anyone, it's especially common in
older adults, occurring primarily on the shins and
sometimes on the thighs, hands and trunk.
Psoriasis. A frustrating and sometimes disfiguring
skin condition, psoriasis is marked by reddened skin
with dry, silvery scales that sometimes resemble
dandruff. In severe cases, your skin may crack, bleed
and form pus-filled blisters. Psoriasis is a
persistent, chronic disease that tends to flare
periodically, and although it may go into remission,
it usually remains active for years. It can occur at
any age, but the onset is usually gradual and the
diagnosis is commonly made between the ages of 15 and
35.

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