{"id":15027,"date":"2022-02-02T14:00:59","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T20:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=15027"},"modified":"2022-06-08T08:37:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T13:37:12","slug":"dealing-with-dry-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/dealing-with-dry-skin\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with dry skin"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Dry skin is annoying. It can make your skin feel irritated and itchy. There are many reasons for dry skin \u2013 from dry, seasonal air to hormonal changes to excessive bathing or washing. It\u2019s important to find out why you have it, so you can find a treatment before your skin becomes flaky or scaly.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>If you\u2019re one of the millions of people who suffer from dry skin, <a href=\"https:\/\/providers.osfhealthcare.org\/provider\/Anne+M.+Orzechowski\/1916829?name=Anne%20M.%20Orzechowski&amp;sort=networks%2C%20relevance&amp;from=search-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\">Anne Orzechowski,<\/a>\u00a0an advanced practiced registered nurse with OSF HealthCare, gave us the lowdown on how to spot it and find some relief.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/healthlibrary.osfhealthcare.org\/Search\/85,P00281\">Dry skin<\/a>, also known as <em>xeroderma<\/em>, can be a pesky nuisance that creeps up any time of the year, but especially during the winter months when the air is dry,\u201d Anne said.<\/div>\n<h2>How do I know I have dry skin?<\/h2>\n<p>Dry skin is one of those conditions that you know when you\u2019ve got it. You can usually tell you have dry skin when your skin is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Red<\/li>\n<li>Flaky<\/li>\n<li>Rough<\/li>\n<li>Itchy<\/li>\n<li>Tight<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In more severe cases of dry skin, your skin might crack or bleed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can get dry skin on any part of your body,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<p>Many people experience dry skin on their arms, legs, elbows, knees, face, feet and especially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/what-can-you-do-about-those-dry-hands\/\">hands<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith flu season and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/covid19\/\">COVID-19,<\/a> everybody is washing their hands a lot more. Every time we wash our hands, the natural oils that coat and protect our skin \u2013 called sebum \u2013 get stripped off by harsh soaps,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<h2>Causes of dry skin<\/h2>\n<p>Dry skin can depend on many factors \u2013 for instance, age, other medical conditions, the season of year, your lifestyle, where you live and so much more. It usually isn\u2019t a big deal, but that doesn\u2019t make it any more fun to live with.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15068 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Dry hands\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-710x472.jpg 710w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-500x332.jpg 500w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_789226480-1.jpg 1775w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Environmental factors can make a big difference, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring winter, the air doesn\u2019t hold as much humidity, which means our skin isn\u2019t soaking in as much moisture. Plus, who doesn\u2019t love hot showers during the cold months to warm up? But when we take really hot showers, the hot water opens every pore, which makes it harder for our skin to lock in moisture,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<h2>Solving the dry skin problem<\/h2>\n<p>The solution?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you\u2019re jumping in the shower, use warm or more tepid water, a soft cloth and a soft soap that doesn\u2019t strip away your body\u2019s oils,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized the importance of a mild, soft soap. Harsher soaps strip the skin of oils that provide necessary moisture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAvoid using a lot of soap. I always tell people struggling with dry skin to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/how-often-should-you-shower\/\">only wash the most necessary parts of the body<\/a>,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<p>That means you get a free pass on washing areas like arms and legs.<\/p>\n<p>If your kids are suffering from dry skin, Anne said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/child-bathing\/\">bathing them less frequently<\/a> is not only OK but also encouraged.<\/p>\n<p>She also suggested slathering on the lotion as soon as you get out of the shower or get the kids out of the bath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny petroleum-based product, like Vaseline or Eucerin, works for adding moisture,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<p>The same goes for washing hands. Try not to use water that is too hot or too cold and use a gentle cleansing soap.<\/p>\n<h2>When to see a doctor<\/h2>\n<div class=\"alignright cta\">\n<p>Suffer from dry skin?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/providers.osfhealthcare.org\/search?primary_care=Primary%20Care%20Providers&amp;sort=networks%2C%20relevance\"> &gt; See your doctor for relief.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>If your skin is often cracked and bleeding and you can\u2019t seem to get the dryness under control, a doctor can help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019ve tried over-the-counter products, like a mild <a href=\"https:\/\/healthlibrary.osfhealthcare.org\/Search\/208,11582-3245\">hydrocortisone<\/a>, and still have no relief, that\u2019s when a doctor can step in and provide something a little bit stronger,\u201d Anne said.<\/p>\n<p>Dry skin is usually nothing serious, but it certainly is no fun. Taking a few simple steps can make dealing with dry skin nothing to even think about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dry skin can depend on many factors \u2013 for instance, age, other medical conditions, the season of year, your lifestyle, where you live and so much more. If you&#8217;re one of the millions of people who suffer from dry skin, here are a few ways you can find relief. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":15062,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[129,116],"tags":[32,602,54],"coauthors":[1051],"class_list":["post-15027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","category-pediatrics","tag-handwashing","tag-primary-care","tag-skin-care"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dealing with dry skin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re one of the millions of people who suffer from dry skin, here are a few tips on how to spot it and find some relief.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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