what can cause dry skin
Certain diseases and skin conditions cause dry skin for different reasons. Dry, flaky skin is the hallmark symptom of two common skin diseases: atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Malnutrition, kidney disease, and dialysis can all cause dry skin because they can deprive the skin of essential vitamins.
Potential causes of dry skin include: 1  Weather. Skin tends to be driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. 2  Heat. Central heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces all reduce humidity and dry your skin. 3  Hot baths and showers. Taking long, hot showers or baths can dry your skin.  Harsh soaps and detergents.
Some people are more likely to have dry skin. Some causes of dry skin are: Age: As we age, our skin becomes thinner and drier. By our 40s, many people need to use a good moisturizer every day. Climate: Living in a dry climate such as a desert. Skin disease: People who had atopic dermatitis (also called eczema) as a child tend to have dry skin as adults. Psoriasis also causes very dry skin. Job: Nurses, hair stylists, and people in other occupations often immerse their skin in water throughout the day. This can cause the skin to become dry, raw, and cracked.
Skin owes its soft, pliable texture to its water content. Dry air (low humidity), probably the most common cause of dry skin, causes an evident reduction of water content. Furthermore, dry skin results when lipids are depleted and there is not enough water in the stratum corneum for it to function properly.
Older age is one of the most common causes of dry skin. As we age the epidermis becomes thinner and the stratum corneum can't retain as much water as it once could. Many people start getting dry skin in their 50s; by our 60s, almost everyone is experiencing some degree of dry skin. Unfortunately, it's unavoidable.