Dry skin malnutrition

There are a lot of causes that lead to dry skin. Some of them are more common than others and malnutrition is a common cause of dry skin among elderly people. The main reason why that is so is because the body of old people cannot maintain the balance between various nutrients as it could when it was younger. If the body does not have the proper nutrients that it needs, the skin will no longer be as healthy as it once was and then wrinkles and other signs of aging will occur.

Malnutrition as one of dry skin problems

A person who suffers from malnutrition means that he or she lacks certain nutrients which are important for some bodily function. In most cases, it is the vitamins and minerals that a person is lacking. People should not think that the only way a person can suffer from malnutrition is by not consuming the right amount of food. It is not uncommon for a person to suffer from malnutrition even if he or she is eating a lot. If the nutrients are not in a balanced state, a person is highly likely to suffer from malnutrition. A person who suffers from malnutrition will have dull-looking skin because of the minerals or vitamins he or she is lacking. The relationship between dry skin and malnutrition

There are various kinds of malnutrition but vitamin deficiency is probably the most common kind. A person who lacks vitamin E is going to have certain problems with the skin. His or her skin will look dull and dry due to the fact that a person is lacking that vitamin. Vitamin E is important for the skin because it guards it against the usual pollutants and external factors. The skin that lacks this vitamin will not be able to retain the basic amount of moisture that it needs and that leads to dryness. The healing mechanism of the skin needs vitamin E in order to function properly. Without the vitamin the skin will not be able to perform the daily rejuvenation process and will develop a scaly and dry exterior. This exterior will be formed of dead skin cells.

If the skin lacks the vitamin it will be more prone to developing rashes as well. The skin will also be unable to defend itself from the damaging UV rays. Apart from vitamin E, vitamin B3 or Niacin is also important for the skin.