Dry Skin

Dry Skin

Dry Skin


Dry skin can occur at any age, but it is more
common as you age. Sun exposure, cold weather, indoor dry heat, and
irritating soaps or chemicals can strip the skin of its natural
oils. As a result, skin becomes dry, flaky, and can appear more
wrinkled. The goal of treatment is to minimize moisture
loss:

• Try substituting warm (not hot) showers for
  baths.
• Use soaps with a heavy fat content, glycerin
  bars, or soap substitutes.
• Avoid highly alkaline soaps.

Moisturizers work best when applied while your
skin is still damp. All moisturizers are either water-in-oil
lubricants or lighter, oil-in-water preparations. Some products
include substances like glycerin, urea, pyroglutamic acid, and
sorbitol that draw moisture to the skin. Others containing lactic
acid, lactate salts, or alpha-hydroxy acids are particularly good
for extremely dry, scaly skin. Moisturizers that contain fats not
only preserve but may even increase the water content of the outer
layer of skin (the epidermis).

When you buy over-the-counter products, read the
labels for additives. Avoid preparations with alcohol, which dry
the skin. Lanolin can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Sometimes dry skin is so severe that a prescription-strength lotion
or cream is required; if you have extremely dry skin, ask your
physician for advice.

Copyright 1999 © by President and Fellows of Harvard College
Reprinted with permission from the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, Simon & Schuster 1999. Art copyright © Harriet R. Greenfield, Newton, Mass.