Dry skin doesn’t seem to be such a terrible problem, it’s worth applying a moisturizer and that’s it! But in fact, the reasons for this can be varied, and there are a great many funds on the market now. It is necessary to understand in order to preserve not only your beauty, but also your health. Dermatologists have not yet come to a consensus on what causes dry skin. It is a complex organ, which is exposed to external influences, and at the same time its condition depends on the internal work of the body.
External factors causing dry skin of the body are widely known:
• The sun. Many dermatologists believe that ultraviolet radiation is one of the main factors leading to early skin aging. In addition to the banal "overdrying" of the skin, the sun stops the renewal of the epidermis, leading to its thickening and malnutrition.
• Temperature irritants. When deviating from the temperature optimum, an increase in moisture evaporation from the skin surface occurs.
• Chemical irritants. All cleaning products, soaps and shower gels wash off the protective lipid layer of the skin, which serves as a barrier against external irritants and protects against excessive moisture loss.
• Wind and low humidity. These factors, both together and individually, contribute to increased skin loss of water.
The internal factors that have a negative effect on the skin condition are much greater. Understanding them is also much more difficult. As they say, the skin is a mirror of the body as a whole, which is sensitive to all changes.
• Lack of vitamins. Dry skin often develops in the winter-spring period, when many of us suffer from hypovitaminosis. For a long time, people began to use olive oil - the first cosmetic product for dry skin. Unfortunately, it is difficult to use natural oils: in the morning after their application, a greasy shine remains, and in the evening you can stain bedding. In addition, certain oils (shea butter, shea butter, etc.) are strong allergens and can cause redness and increase irritation. It is worth recalling that a high degree of comedogenicity is a constant companion of natural oils: with frequent use, they are able to “clog” the pores, in which sebum accumulates, which oxidizes, and “black spots” are formed - comedones.
• Age. In children, the skin is better permeable, which leads to its greater sensitivity to dryness. Dry skin of children must be removed with the help of baby emollients and moisturizers.
• Hormonal background and its imbalance. Oddly enough, female hormones protect the skin. However, do not forget about the change in the normal hormonal background of a woman with age.
• Diabetes. An increase in blood glucose affects not only thirst and appetite. This violation of carbohydrate metabolism causes a number of other pathological changes: the nutrition of cells is disturbed, their innervation, sensitivity, and neurotrophic changes in the skin occur. The skin of patients with diabetes becomes not only dry, but it also becomes thinner, constantly injured, which requires additional care.
• Hypothyroidism. With this thyroid pathology, the first symptom is dry elbows and knees. Due to the violation of the metabolic rate, as well as regenerative processes in the skin, which are regulated by thyroid hormones, the surface layer of the epidermis does not exfoliate, remains in place.
• Hereditary predisposition. Different diagnoses are often associated with dry skin caused by this factor: atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis, neurodermatitis, dyskeratosis, and so on.
As you can see, the causes of dry skin are diverse. Keep this in mind, if dryness does not go away for a long time, consult a specialist!