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What causes dry itchy skin? What does dry itching skin mean on eyelids, hands, back and breast? What is the treatment and relief for dry, itchy and flaky skin?
- How to treat dry itchy skin
- What to do for dry itchy skin?
Your skin is the largest organ and therefore, can cause you massive embarrassments with its various conditions. If you are not suffering from acne breakouts due to enlarged pores, you will probably be dealing with skin pigmentation disorders. This is not all as your skin can get dry and start to itch like never before. This can be embarrassing because the urge to itch gets the better of you without being mindful of whether you are in a public place or in your house alone. It gets worse if the urge is in around your groin.
It is hard to fight the urge to grate on your skin depending on the underlying cause and your friends may avoid you for fear of contracting a deadly skin disease. If you have dry itchy skin, I will provide you with the possible causes in this article and give you treatment and possible relief for your predicament. You could be scratching due to a cleaning routine you can change from now henceforth. Here is what causes dry itchy skin on various parts of the body such as eyelids, hands, back and around the breast. The treatment and relief is also readily available.
What Causes Dry Itchy Skin?
There are various reasons as to why your skin may not let your fingernails rest. Too bad if you have long fingernails you may make the situation worse. What causes dry itchy skin has to do with various skin diseases, diseases inside the body and things that are exposed to your skin.
What causes dry itchy skin could be:
- Inflammation from pimples, cuts, burns, or laser procedures such as laser hair removal
- Excessively dry skin
- Insect bites
- Allergic reactions
- Skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, fungal infections, scabies, hives and chicken pox among others
- Diseases such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, cancers, pinched nerves, iron deficiency and herpes zoster
- Overheating the air
- Excessive air conditioning
- Sun exposure
- Hydration
- Smoking
- Stress
- Vitamin A, B, and E deficiencies
- Aging
- Taking steamy baths
For some of the causes that can be avoided, you can implement them and see how your skin reacts. If the itch is persistent, you should see a dermatologist or physician for clear diagnosis.
Dry Itchy Skin on Eyelids, Hands, Back and Breast
Itching on skin occurs mostly on particular areas such as the hands, back, breast and around the eyelids. Dry itchy skin on eyelids, could be an allergy from makeup around the eyes in the form of eye shadow, foundation and concealers. This is why it is important to ensure that you are buying skin products made from natural ingredients only.
You could also have dry itchy skin on eyelids from using harsh hair products. Long hair tends to fall around the eyes and if you are using oils, mousses or sprays that contain harsh chemicals, the allergic reaction will then occur.
When it comes to itching hands, the sensation especially occurs around the wrists where jewelry may be worn. The common cause of itchiness there is contact dermatitis especially if you wear jewelry made of heavy metals such as silver and gold among others. Eczema, scabies and fungal infections may also attack your hands as well as around your breasts. Underneath the breasts, you will feel the urge to scratch when you have these skin conditions. Sometimes an itchy skin rash may or may not accompany them.
It is hard to reach the back for most people, therefore, when it comes to that area, it is always dry. Therefore, dry skin is the main contributor to the itchiness. However, food allergies may also cause you to itch on the back.
Dry Itchy Skin in Winter and Summer
Dry itching skin is common all year round depending on the cause. However, in winter and summer, it may be more notorious than ever and it is with a good reason. For starters, when it is cold, people are forced to overheat their homes and offices in order to fight the cold in the air.
This heat removes moisture from the air. The result of that is dry air and skin as well. Therefore, dry itchy skin in winter is nothing alien. It is quite common and if you do not have any thyroid problems or nutrients deficiencies, there is no need to worry; you just need to keep your skin moisturized.
Furthermore, in order to counter dry itchy skin in winter, you must avoid hot steamy baths or showers and instead opt for lukewarm. You should also bathe or shower quickly by taking only about 5 or 10 minutes. After bathing, you should pat the skin dry and moisturize the skin while still damp.
In summer, you are not free from dry itching skin either due to air conditioners that are kept on throughout to cool the heat. What happens in winter with the heaters, is the same thing that happens with the air cons. They remove moisture from the air, leaving it dry. Hence, your skin suffers from lack of moisture and becomes excessively dry.
Dry Itchy Scaly Skin and Red Spots
Dry itchy spots on skin could be of various colors depending on the underlying cause. If you have dark spots that are itchy that just occurred very recently it is important to have them checked out especially if they are on your legs if you are woman. As we have seen above dry itchy skin can be caused by cancer. However, if you have dry itchy scaly skin, and have silver spots, they could be caused by psoriasis. Another color of itchy spots is red. If you have red itchy skin or rash, it is wise to be checked for scabies by a doctor, as the parasites causing this skin disease cannot be seen with naked eyes.
Dry Itchy Skin Treatment and Relief– How to Treat Dry and Itchy Skin
Knowing the underlying cause of your dry itchy skin is imperative to finding the right treatment. However, you can find relief from the grating variously. For starters, you can make use of over the counter creams such as steroids creams at 1%, steroid combined with antifungal cream or simply hydrocortisone cream. It is best to consult with your doctor before buying these creams over the counter.
Another dry itchy skin treatment and relief involves changing your soaps, cleansers, cosmetics, detergents and even hair products. Avoid products with harsh chemicals. You can know the soap you are using is affecting you by switching to a mild one and seeing how the second one treats you.
Heavy moisturizers are the other relief for dry itching skin. In winter, you should make use of oils while in summer you should make use of creams, which happen to be lighter. Regardless, of the season, it is also important to wear sunscreen as any sun rays that hit your skin could lead to hyperpigmentation.
Home remedies also make good dry itchy skin treatment and relief. You can use the following to soothe your itchy skin and leave it hydrated:
- Baking soda bath
- Oatmeal scrub
- Essential oils
- Coconut milk
- Honey and milk
- A blend of unsalted butter, beeswax and juniper berries among others.
These tips should also help you find relief from the itching:
- Taking fish pills and flaxseed oil
- Exfoliating skin weekly
- Investing in a humidifier
- Moisturizing your skin and wearing gloves and socks in cold weather, remove the gloves when you begin to sweat, however, make sure that you sleep in socks if you have dry itchy feet.
Best Soap for Dry Itchy Skin – Brands and Qualities
The best soap for dry itchy skin should not be:
- Fragranced
- Full of alcohol
- Antibacterial
- Harsh
The best mild soaps for dry itchy skin include:
- Dove
- Lever2000
- Caress
