We all are familier with this problem, most of our skin cracks in winter. Do you know why our skin cracks in winter? I will write here about the skin crack problem in winter, how the cracked or dry skin looks like and what are the reasons behind the dry skin or cracked skin. Dry skin is oftenly called "xerosis" or "asteatosis".
How the dry skin looks like?
When our skin is dry (mostly in winter)the normally fine line on the skin are more visible. Our skin becomes rough and dull. Dry skin mostly seems on legs and arms. In simple sense the dry skin looks like the scales of fish.
What problem does the dry skin cause?
1)The main problem of the dry skin is itching.
2)Due to itching our skin may crack.
3)Dry skin and scratching makes you skin red.
4)Bacterial infection may develop in the effected area.
Why our skin becomes dry in winter?
"Normal skin can be considered as a multi-layer cake covered by a single sheet of clear plastic food wrap to keep it fresh. The plastic food wrap prevents the frosting and underlying layers of the cake from drying out by preventing loss (evaporation) of the water from the cake into the air. It is the moisture in the cake that gives it its freshness. The outermost layer of the skin, which acts like the plastic food wrap and is about the same thickness, is called the stratum corneum. (This is the layer that peels off after a sunburn). The stratum corneum consists of dead skin cells embedded in a mixture of natural oils (lipids) that are made by underlying living skin cells. These natural skin oils keep the water inside our body from escaping into the air and also keep irritating substances and germs from entering the body. Both the skin oils and the dead skin cells hold a certain amount of water in the stratum corneum and it is this stratum corneum water that helps keep the skin soft, pliable and smooth.
Dry skin results when there is not enough water in the stratum corneum for it to function properly. One way this can happen is when protective oils in the stratum corneum are lost and the water that is normally present in the skin is allowed to escape. Too much soapy water, exposure to harsh chemicals, the normal aging process and certain types of skin diseases are some of the causes of decreased amounts of protective skin oils. As the stratum corneum dries out it shrinks and, as it shrinks, small cracks can occur. This exposes the underlying living cells to irritating substances and germs in the environment.
How to treat the dry or cracked skin?
Following is the points by which you can treat your dry or cracked skin.
1)You can apply water in the infected area to control the problem.
2)After bathing or showering, quickly and gently pat the skin partially dry with a towel but donot rub your skin. Within 3 minutes of getting out of the water apply a moisturizer to seal the water in the skin before it can evaporate. Bath oil, if selected as a moisturizer, can be directly rubbed into the skin after showering or bathing, but should not be added to bath water since this can make the tub dangerously slippery. Moisturizers should be reapplied liberally during the day and evening when possible especially to those areas prone to dryness and when itchy.
3)Be careful before using any skin cream and moisturizers because most of these may contain harmful chemicals.
4)You can treat red dermatitis patches with a topical topical cortisone cream or ointment for a 5 to 15 day course.
I hope this tips are helpful for you, for more details please view these links.
