DRY SKIN

DRY SKIN can be a real problem for some people, and it’s not just a question of beauty. Some people get such flaky, itchy skin that they’re uncomfortable and distracted, and if the skin cracks, it’s vulnerable to infection.

Before you decide that your reddened, irritated skin is dry skin, check to be sure that you’re not using a cosmetic that is giving you a case of contact dermatitis. Some people, in an effort to make their skin more supple, use a battery of moisturizers only to find that it gets worse. Usually these people complain to me in passing about their dry skin, and when I examine it [ find that they have contact dermatitis from one or more ingredients in their moisturizers. A dermatologist can test which ingredient you might be allergic to, but alternately, you can simply stop using all moisturizers for a week or two: If the problem clears up, you had contact dermatitis and you should try a new, non-allergenic moisturizer, taking care to observe any reaction your skin might have.

If your problem is indeed dry skin, you’re no doubt dealing with dry air. In normal humidity, most skin is naturally supple and moist. But when the air is dry, as in certain climates or in a heated house or office, the air leaks moisture from the skin. There are two ways to combat this process: You can humidify the air so it’s not competing with your skin for moisture, and you can keep your skin from losing moisture by creating a barrier on the skin in the form of a lotion or moisturizer.

You must remember that if you have a dry skin problem it’s not something that’s going to go away with a single treatment. ]t requires that every day you are in a dry climate, house, or office, you add moisture to the air and to your skin.

The best way to humidify the air is with a cool mist humidifier. Set one up in your bedroom and keep it on at night. If your home is large you might also want to have one somewhere else in the house. Plants can help humidify the air and can be especially appropriate in offices where a humidifier might be impractical. One of my patients told me that the hot air in her office made her skin parched until she arranged a row of colored vases filled with water along her windowsill. Putting pans of water on top of radiators is a time-honored way of getting some moisture into the air.

If you’ve shopped for moisturizers, you know how confusing it can be. What really is the best moisturizer? The best, cheapest moisturizer is probably Vaseline. But most people don’t want that slippery feeling, l tell patients to use Vaseline at night-on their hands, elbows, shins, arms, anyplace that’s dry. It will protect against moisture loss all night. Doctors frequently recommend Crisco to people who have had work, such as a chemical peel, done on their faces. If you try it, use just the smallest amount and rub it in well. It’s best used only at night. For the daytime, you’ll want something lighter like Nivea or Lubriderm. Sea Breeze Moisture Lotion was rated highly by Consumer Reports.

The best time to use a moisturizer is when you’re fresh from the bath or shower and are slightly damp. If you cover your damp skin with a moisturizer, it will help trap the additional water, giving your skin an extra boost.

If your hands are frequently wet, you should take two measures against dryness: Wear lined rubber gloves and keep a moisturizer on the sink to use each time you dry your hands.

If you have a severe problem with dryness, your doctor can prescribe a lotion called Lac-Hydrin. This lotion has to be used regularly; it actually changes the surface of the skin, increasing its ability to retain moisture. There are over-the-counter preparations called Lac-Hydrin Five and LactiCare that contain a lower percentage of the active ingredient in Lac-Hydrin-lactic acid-and should help severe dryness.

I’ve often heard that Bag Balm, an udder ointment sold in farm supply stores, can be helpful against dryness. It may be of great benefit to some people, but I have had patients who have had reactions to the lanolin in the product. A and D Ointment, Keri, and Lanoline are other preparations that contain lanolin. If you have a tendency to be allergic to wool, watch carefully to see if you have an allergy to lanolin in skin preparations.

Many people don’t realize that water is really an enemy of dry skin-and not only for hands that work in water doing dishes or cleaning. Hot baths and showers can rob the skin of moisture, and soaps used for cleaning dry it further. If you have a dry skin problem, limit your bathing and showering-try to avoid taking a shower in the morning and after exercising if possible. When you do shower and bathe, use warm, not hot, water; the hotter the water, the more drying to your skin. And go easy on the soap. Dove is known as a good mild soap. Many people mistakenly think Ivory is mild, but it’s really a strong, pure soap and thus drying. If you suffer from severe dryness, ask at your pharmacy for one of the preparations that are soap alternatives. They’ll get you clean without the drying effect.

I’ve seen some patients who, because they’re trying to control weight or cholesterol levels, have eliminated virtually all fat from their diet. They complain of dry, cracked skin. If they add just a small amount of olive oil (one or two tablespoons) to their diet, the dryness is often eliminated.

I’ve also found that people who take large doses of zinc-amounts greater than 100 mg. daily-often suffer from dry skin.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR DRY SKIN

• Be sure that your dry, reddened skin is not a case of contact dermatitis: especially if you’ve been using lots of different moisturizers. Use no moisturizers for a week or so to see if the redness clears up.
• Humidify the air with cool mist.
• Use Vaseline at night on dry areas.
• Use a moisturizer like Nivea or Lubiderm during the day.
• Try to Use moisturizer after bathing when your skin is damp, to trap additional moisture.
• Protect hands from water by using lined rubber gloves.
• Keep moisturizer on the sink to use each time you dry your hands.
• Severe dryness problems can be solved with prescription Lac-Hydrin cream that actually changes the surface of the skin to help it retain moisture.
• Over-the-counter preparations like Lac-Hydrin Five and LactiCare can help dry skin.
• Bag Balm can be helpful for dry skin, but be sure you don’t have an allergy to lamolin, one of its principal ingredients.
• Bathe or shower only as needed.
• Use warm, not hot, Water.
• If dryness is severe, use a nondrying soap alternative like Cetaphil for cleansing.
• If you are on an extremely low-fat diet, add one or two tablespoons of olive oil to your daily diet,
• If you are taking doses of zinc in excess of 100 mg. daily, reduce that amount.