Can dry skin be a symptom of an illness? Causes of dry skin

Dry skin appears through redness, roughness and an unpleasant feeling of tight skin. Dehydrated skin is fast to become irritated and happens to be hypersensitive to cosmetics, and even water. What are the causes of dry skin and how to take care of it? Can dry skin be a symptom of an illness such as diabetes, thyroid gland disorders, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis?

Causes of dry skin

The direct causes of excessive skin dryness are the reduced ability to bond and lock water in epidermis as well as the shortage of lipids in corneum. This condition in turn might be a result of various external and internal factors, especially improper care, medications, overexposure to the sun as well as influence of low temperatures and strong wind. Additionally, the level of skin moisture is also affected by food consumed daily. Moreover, some people have natural, genetic predisposition to skin dehydration.

How to take care of dry skin?

Dry skin ages faster therefore it’s worth supplying it with water from the inside and outside. Firstly, dry skin care should be based on applying hypoallergenic irritation-soothing preparations which leave skin lubricated and create a lipid film that prevents water from evaporating. Secondly, it’s advised to resign from cleansing products containing soap and alcohol, and replace them with delicate washing preparations with neutral pH. Equally important is keeping skin protected against adverse weather conditions by applying sunscreens (UV) and lubricating products (frost). Moreover, it’s a good idea to consume vegetables, fruit and water (at least one and a half liter per 24 hours).

Can dry skin be a symptom of an illness?

Sadly, dry skin isn’t always the result of improper care or action delivered by the aggressive external factors. Sometimes dry skin might appear as a symptom of some diseases. Which ones?

Dry skin as a symptom of diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic illness which main cause is insulin secretion disorder. Reduction or discontinuation of insulin production results in lack of natural regulation of sugar level in blood. Skin disorders are the first visible signs of diabetes. This condition is often accompanied with excessive dehydration and skin exfoliation, thin and extremely delicate epidermis, wounds that heal up long as well as painful and cracking heels.

One of diabetes complications is so called diabetic foot which appears through excessive heel dehydration, which leads to inevitable cracking. This in turn may encourage serious infections. In order to prevent such problems, skin must be exposed to moisturising and lubricating care products.

Dry skin as a symptom of thyroid disorder

The core of thyroid gland disorders is either hyper- or hypo-production of thyroxine and triiodothyronine hormones. Such disorders result in chronic fatigue and weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, body mass fluctuation and even problems with getting pregnant. When it comes to the symptoms of thyroid gland disorders, this is dry, dull and exfoliation-prone skin. In this case, thicker skin located in knees, elbows and feet happens to be exceptionally dry therefore it requires constant hydration and softening.

Dry skin as a symptom of psoriasis

The first signs of psoriasis are red spots of dehydrated and exfoliated skin. At the beginning, the spots appear on body parts such as feet, knees and elbow to spread to other skin parts later. In people affected by psoriasis the process of cellular transformation is disturbed and clearly accelerated. For that reason, new cells age fast whereas the old cells don’t have enough time to exfoliate. As a consequence, body starts featuring layers of dead skin cells in the form of lumps covered with cuticles. Although psoriasis requires medical attention, it’s advised to treat the skin with thick and rich moisturizing preparations that help lock water in skin.

Dry skin as a symptom of atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, autoimmune skin disease which is accompanied with a problem of serious skin dehydration and itching. The symptoms intensify when being in contact with allergens or detergents and even as a consequence of stress. Fight with this disease requires application of cosmetic rich in emollients and irritation-soothing agents. Also, a person affected by atopic dermatitis should refrain from using water and soap.