Dehydrated, irritated, reddened and hyper-reactive – this is how you can define dry skin. Would you use the adjectives to describe your skin? I hope your skin is in a perfect condition. However, if you think that it may need some help, let’s focus on what causes dry skin and how you can combat this problem? Keep reading my entry to learn pretty everything that you should know about taking care of water-deprived skin correctly. Enjoy reading!
What makes skin dry?
In most cases skin dryness is the aftermath of exposing our body to ill-matching and improper beauty treatments. Also, this skin condition is often linked with advanced age. With time skin is getting thinner and dryer since it loses water faster than it used to in the past. Sometimes this condition intensifies due to hormonal fluctuations and some diseases like psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.
Types of dry skin
We can distinguish the following types of dry skin:
- dry – has rough and matte surface, is thin and tight, ages faster;
- super dry – is cracked, tight, itches and flakes off;
- dry and sensitive – thin, clearly tight and hyper-reactive to the touch;
- dry and deprived of protective layer – its dryness is caused by the reduced amount of sebum (natural lubricant).
Causes of dry skin
If you don’t replenish your skin with water regularly and if it has problems with locking the water inside, then it turns dry really fast. The medical term for the skin being unable to hold water inside is called Transepidermal Water Loss and this disturbs natural protective barrier. Moreover, skin loses water when the intensified process of keratinization is on.
What weakens skin protective functions?
The factors responsible for weakening skin protective functions are:
- UV rays – they negatively influence hydro-lipid barrier and the epidermal intercellular cement. Sunbathing and using solar beds contribute to skin dehydration;
- weather conditions – low temperature, freezing weather, strong wind and air conditioning encourage faster water loss;
- detergents – the use of chemical washing agents contributes to removal of protective hydro-lipid coat. Detergents also damage fatty compounds in the epidermal intercellular cement;
- improper skin care;
- genetic predispositions;
- age – together with passing time skin loses its ability to store water along with other nutrients responsible for maintaining hydration at the right level;
I hope now you know how to prevent your skin from being dry.
