WHEN DRY MEANS SOMETHING ELSE: What If It’s Not Dry Skin?
Jan 14, 2012 Posted by Corrie Shenigo
Earlier in the week we covered a few handy-dandy little tips to winning winters dry skin battle… but what if it’s more than just dry skin?
You: Wait a second! You mean that there might be some other evil conditions that might be ‘causing what I think might just be super-dry skin?! That’s a lot of mights!
Me: Yes… maybe.
Before you get all ‘let’s kill the messenger’ on me, you should know that there are actual skin conditions that no amount of moisturizer and good habits can tame. According to a recent article in Shape magazine called, “When It’s More Than Dry Skin” there are several different skin conditions that you might be mistaking for merely dry skin.
Are you noticing flaky areas forming on the typically oily parts of your being, like your eyebrows, nose, chest back and scalp? Well… it could be a little something called seborrheic dermatitis. (Ooo... fancy big word) Oh wait, you might also know it as… dandruff. (*screech) Yes. On your face, back and chest.
Indeed folks, methinks there might a fungus among us, ‘cause doctors like to speculate that, while the exact cause of dandruff is unknown, it seems to be associated with a yeast or fungus. And the best thing to fight this particularly offensive f-word is to use a dandruff shampoo for the scalp and spot-treat any other offending areas with a topical cortisone cream or gentle cleanser with pyrithion zinc. Your trusty doctor can tell you what course of action is best.
If your problem is less flaky and more covered-like-some-prehistoric-beast with thick, silvery and sometimes itchy scales on your scalp, ears, knees and elbows… you might be hosting a sleep-over-camp on your skin for a little something called psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a fairly common, recurring condition that is caused by your skin cells jumping the gun and turning themselves over to quickly—essentially clumping themselves together. This is another one you might thank your parents for, as it tends to be genetic and is caused by an overactive immune system (damn overachievers.) Since the reduced sunlight and increased dryness of the winter season tends to lead to flare-ups, it’s easy to think this might just be a stellar case of dry skin. Do Not Be Fooled.
Instead, fight back by alternating between a shampoo that contains salicylic acid and one with coal tar to diminish scales on the scalp. And if your psoriasis is elsewhere, try a cream with alpha hydroxy acids to help exfoliate and hydrate. And if those scales still won’t vamoose, visit your doctor, who might recommend more serious treatments like prescription creams, oral medication or UV therapy.
Allergetic reactions are also a common cause of what you might be mistaking for a mother-load case of dry, chapped hands. Here’s the tell-tale sign (at least a pretty good one). Is the chapping and cracking on your paws accompanied by itchy bumps or fluid-filled blisters (Ewww.)? Perhaps you’ve come in contact with something your hands don’t like, like soaps or hand sanitizers or the slimy sludge at the bottom of the garbage disposal (Is that just me?). Doctors like to call this irritant contact dermatitis. I like to call this B*S*. Try washing the hands with a glycerine-based soap and then, while they’re still a touch damp, slap on a thick hydrating cream. You can also try slathering your hands in petroleum jelly and wearing cotton gloves to bed (Princess = you.)
Finally, and most importantly, if you’ve noticed a small, dry, rough patch of skin that is possibly raised, slightly red or sore to the touch, go see your doctor. Do not pass 'Go'. Do not collect $200. Actinic keratosis (AK) is a pre-cancerous growth that can be mistaken for dry skin but, in actuality requires monitoring, if not removal by your doctor. AK is caused by sun exposure (please insert any number of my sunscreen tirades here… and here… and here.), 5% of AK’s will turn into squamous cell carcinoma, which is the second most common type of skin cancer.
Thank you Shape magazine, for pointing out some possible reason’s behind our moisturizers failure to… um… moisturize. Forewarned is forearmed. Carry on, dry skin warriors. Carry on.
You: Wait a second! You mean that there might be some other evil conditions that might be ‘causing what I think might just be super-dry skin?! That’s a lot of mights!
Me: Yes… maybe.
Before you get all ‘let’s kill the messenger’ on me, you should know that there are actual skin conditions that no amount of moisturizer and good habits can tame. According to a recent article in Shape magazine called, “When It’s More Than Dry Skin” there are several different skin conditions that you might be mistaking for merely dry skin.
Are you noticing flaky areas forming on the typically oily parts of your being, like your eyebrows, nose, chest back and scalp? Well… it could be a little something called seborrheic dermatitis. (Ooo... fancy big word) Oh wait, you might also know it as… dandruff. (*screech) Yes. On your face, back and chest.
Indeed folks, methinks there might a fungus among us, ‘cause doctors like to speculate that, while the exact cause of dandruff is unknown, it seems to be associated with a yeast or fungus. And the best thing to fight this particularly offensive f-word is to use a dandruff shampoo for the scalp and spot-treat any other offending areas with a topical cortisone cream or gentle cleanser with pyrithion zinc. Your trusty doctor can tell you what course of action is best.
If your problem is less flaky and more covered-like-some-prehistoric-beast with thick, silvery and sometimes itchy scales on your scalp, ears, knees and elbows… you might be hosting a sleep-over-camp on your skin for a little something called psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a fairly common, recurring condition that is caused by your skin cells jumping the gun and turning themselves over to quickly—essentially clumping themselves together. This is another one you might thank your parents for, as it tends to be genetic and is caused by an overactive immune system (damn overachievers.) Since the reduced sunlight and increased dryness of the winter season tends to lead to flare-ups, it’s easy to think this might just be a stellar case of dry skin. Do Not Be Fooled.
Instead, fight back by alternating between a shampoo that contains salicylic acid and one with coal tar to diminish scales on the scalp. And if your psoriasis is elsewhere, try a cream with alpha hydroxy acids to help exfoliate and hydrate. And if those scales still won’t vamoose, visit your doctor, who might recommend more serious treatments like prescription creams, oral medication or UV therapy.
Allergetic reactions are also a common cause of what you might be mistaking for a mother-load case of dry, chapped hands. Here’s the tell-tale sign (at least a pretty good one). Is the chapping and cracking on your paws accompanied by itchy bumps or fluid-filled blisters (Ewww.)? Perhaps you’ve come in contact with something your hands don’t like, like soaps or hand sanitizers or the slimy sludge at the bottom of the garbage disposal (Is that just me?). Doctors like to call this irritant contact dermatitis. I like to call this B*S*. Try washing the hands with a glycerine-based soap and then, while they’re still a touch damp, slap on a thick hydrating cream. You can also try slathering your hands in petroleum jelly and wearing cotton gloves to bed (Princess = you.)
Finally, and most importantly, if you’ve noticed a small, dry, rough patch of skin that is possibly raised, slightly red or sore to the touch, go see your doctor. Do not pass 'Go'. Do not collect $200. Actinic keratosis (AK) is a pre-cancerous growth that can be mistaken for dry skin but, in actuality requires monitoring, if not removal by your doctor. AK is caused by sun exposure (please insert any number of my sunscreen tirades here… and here… and here.), 5% of AK’s will turn into squamous cell carcinoma, which is the second most common type of skin cancer.
Thank you Shape magazine, for pointing out some possible reason’s behind our moisturizers failure to… um… moisturize. Forewarned is forearmed. Carry on, dry skin warriors. Carry on.