Causes of dry hand skin. How to deal with discomfort and prevent their recurrence?
Dry skin of the hands is a disorder that occurs under the influence of external and internal factors. Unsuitable cosmetics, harsh household chemicals, cold wind or hot sun adversely affect the condition of the skin, causing a feeling of dryness and discomfort. The epidermis becomes thinner, flakes off, and its sensitivity increases.
What does dry hand skin look like?
In the photo, dry skin of the hands
Dry skin of the hands is a common disorder that manifests itself not only in the form of physical but also psychological discomfort. This condition of the skin is called "xerosis".
External signs that indicate a violation:
- The skin loses its elasticity, firmness and becomes more compacted. Decreased moisture in the dermis results in a loss of firmness and volume.
- Dryness provokes the formation of roughness and flaking. The upper stratum corneum completely loses its elasticity.
- When the cells are exfoliated, the skin begins to peel off, looks like fine dust.
The described external signs of dry skin of the hands are often accompanied by itching, burning, and irritation. Sensitivity increases, the ability to withstand the effects of external adverse factors is lost.
The main causes of dry hand skin
The reasons why the skin of the hands is dry may be associated with a pathological condition (dermatitis or eczema). Therefore, it is important to treat dermatological diseases in a timely manner. Remember that any process needs to be influenced from the inside, and the external application of creams and ointments gives only a temporary result.
Also, discomfort can be caused by such factors:
- frequent hand washing in hard, chlorinated water - leads to the destruction of the natural protective barrier;
- the use of aggressive detergents, antiseptics, hand gels with antibacterial components;
- lack of quality care: creams, serums, oils for hands and cuticles;
- regular use of harsh scrubs that disrupt the natural microbiome of the skin surface and destroy the protective barrier of the epidermis;
- the use of aggressive household chemicals, solvents, acetone;
- exposure to adverse weather conditions: strong, cold wind, scorching sun;
- decrease in air humidity in the room;
- poor nutrition, in which there is not enough protein, fats, vitamins, microelements.
The causes of dry skin of the hands can be associated not only with the influence of external factors, but also internal ones. Dry skin is a frequent companion of people who do not drink enough water and suffer from dehydration, take medications, and eat poorly.
Dryness can also occur under the influence of pathological conditions: allergies, diabetes mellitus, decreased immunity, fungal infections, iron deficiency anemia, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, etc.). regular stressful situations provoke an increase in the concentration of cortisol and adrenaline, which can also dry out the skin.
