Dry Skin Survival Guide

Know how feeling dehydrated can give you a headache? Well, your skin gets dehydrated, too, and it has its own way of letting you know.

Dry skin feels tight, especially after showering. Ankles, knees, elbows or heels will look ashen, rough and scaly. On knuckles, fine lines become visible, and eventually the skin might even crack and bleed.

These symptoms are increasingly common as the thermometer heads southward. “In the fall, we are layering our clothing more, going in and out of buildings that have heaters on already, and because of that we lose water out of our skin,” says dermatologist Debra Luftman, M.D., of Beverly Hills, co-author of The Beauty Prescription.

What Causes Dry Skin?
Most causes of dry skin are environmental. Forced-air heating systems are especially drying. Long, hot showers can strip the body of oils. Cleansing products with fragrances and alcohol can irritate the skin.

In rare cases, dry skin can signal a medical problem. For example, nerve damage caused by diabetes can result in dry, cracked skin in the legs and feet. Another cause of dry skin is hypothyroidism, which limits production of oil. Primary skin diseases can cause dry skin too, such as psoriasis and eczema.