Causes of xerosis

Xerosis - Introduction

Xerosis isn’t so severe skin condition and it is manifested when the skin can not moisturize naturally and retain water content. It is more of a problem than a condition, and it results in dry skin. It is more likely to affect people whose skin is exposed to different weather conditions, because any person, regardless of their age and sex, who is overexposed to severe weather conditions can have xerosis. The only exceptions are the ones who have moist skin so the weather doesn’t have that kind of effect on them.

Xerosis is more likely to develop on body parts that are exposed, although it can also develop on skin that is covered with clothes. Xerosis appears during winter, because of heavy weather and drywind.

Symptoms and Causes

Xerosis is strongly connected with lifestyle and the fitness of our body. Most usually, symptoms that indicate xerosis are itching skin and inflammation, and the skin becomes hot and dry. Some other symptoms of xerosis are wrinkles and roughness of the skin.

Causes of xerosis development may vary from a type of soap to external weather conditions. This problem occurs when your skin has a small amount of the oil in the outer layer of skin. If a person is spending too much time swimming or if having several hot showers during a day, it will make them more prone to xerosis.

There are some diseases that can lead to xerosis; for example, psoriasis is a skin condition that is manifested with red spots that develop on the face, and it can be followed by xerosis. Malfunction of thyroid glands can be one of the causes for xerosis. Alcohol and consumption of certain drugs can also lead to xerosis. People who have been dehydrated due to some other problems have a tendency to xerosis.

Diagnose and treatment

In order to diagnose xerosis, a doctor needs to have a view of your medical history so that he can see if you had some skin disorders in the past. He has to be informed about your lifestyle and your skin care. Some additional tests of thyroid glands may be required so that he could have an insight of your thyroid function.

The process of treatment is simple and you will be given some medications that will heal your skin. In some cases, due to itching, the treatment can last a little bit longer. When healed from xerosis, you can take some measures in order to avoid this problem in the future. Avoid taking hot baths and use quality soaps in order to retain water in your skin. Wear loose, cotton clothes because they are good for your skin, and apply moisturizer after taking a bath.