As colder weather approaches so does the appearance of flaky, itchy skin. Winter temperatures and dry indoor heat brings an increase in the number of cases of xerosis, the medical term for dry skin. Xerosis is the most common cause of flaky, itchy skin.
Before assuming that your itchy skin is due to xerosis, it’s important that you see your doctor for a diagnosis, particularly if your itching is diffuse and of recent onset. Itching can sometimes be a sign of a more serious medical problem such as diabetes and even some types of cancer. Once you’ve been cleared of medical problems, it’s time to work on restoring the proper moisture balance to your skin to reduce the dryness, flaking, and itching that comes with xerosis.
One of the primary factors responsible for flaky, itchy skin is a lack of moisture in the air. When temperatures drop along with humidity levels, protective moisture is easily lost from the surface of the skin, particularly if you live in a home with dry heat without a humidifier to normalize moisture levels in the air. If this is the case, you may want to add a humidifier to your bedroom to raise ambient moisture levels. If you can afford it, keep a humidifier in several rooms of your home. Not only will this help flaky, itchy skin, it can also reduce your risk of developing colds and flu by keeping your mucous membranes moist.
If you have dry, flaky skin, it’s also important to re-evaluate your bathing habits. If you enjoy soaking in a warm tub of water, you may be reducing your stress levels but you’re making your dry skin worse by stripping delicate skin surfaces of their protective moisture barrier. Try switching over to showers, keeping the water temperature cooler and your showers short in duration. Excessive use of soap or use of the wrong soap can also worsen flaky, itchy skin due to xerosis. Choose a soap that’s moisturizing and lacks fragrance products which can irritate dry, itchy skin. An even better choice is to avoid soap entirely and use a skin cleanser such as Cetaphil which is available at your local drugstore. Minimize the use of soap or skin cleansing products as much as possible and don’t shower more than once a day.
Now that your skin is clean, it’s time to restore those natural oils that help to protect your skin from moisture loss. Use a body moisturizer that lacks fragrance and has a minimal alcohol content since alcohol can further irritate and dry out flaky, itchy skin. Lotion moisturizers tend to be higher in alcohol than cream based ones. Some good cream body moisturizers that are inexpensive include Eucerin and Nutraderm creams. An ointment such as petroleum jelly also works well but is too greasy for many people’s taste. Whichever moisturizer you choose, apply it generously after every shower and use it as often as possible throughout the day.
Be constantly aware of what you’re putting next to your flaky, itchy skin. If you have sensitive skin, your skin may react to certain fabrics such as wool. If wool or synthetic fabrics seem to make your itchy skin worse, avoid wearing it for a few days and see if your symptoms improve. Use fragrance free detergents on your clothes and avoid spraying your body with fragrances such as perfumes and colognes.
If your flaky, itchy skin fails to improve with these measures, follow up with your doctor or dermatologist to make sure there isn’t another underlying cause for your symptoms.
