Dry or Flaking Skin

Dry or flaking skin is a common skin concern for a lot of Irish people – young and old. Dry or dehydrated skin is often tight, irritated, inflamed and itchy, and it is generally worse in areas with few sebaceous glands such as the cheeks and eye area as well as arms, legs and torso. Skin looks rough rather than smooth with slight to severe flaking or scaling, fine lines, cracks and redness.

We offer several treatment and product options to remedy this condition. Depending on your individual condition, our skin care professionals will prescribe the proper treatment and/or products at your complementary consultation.

• Most cases of dry skin are caused by environmental exposure. Certain diseases can also significantly alter the function and appearance of your skin. Potential causes of dry skin include: 
• Weather. In general, your skin is driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. Winter conditions also tend to make many existing skin conditions worse. But the reverse may be true if you live in desert regions, where temperatures can soar, but humidity levels remain low. 
• Central heating and air conditioning. Central air and heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces all reduce humidity and dry your skin. 
• Hot baths and showers. Frequent showering or bathing, especially if you like the water hot and your baths long, breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin. So does frequent swimming, particularly in heavily chlorinated pools. 
• Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps and detergents strip lipids and water from your skin. Deodorant and antibacterial soaps are usually the most damaging, as are many shampoos that dry out your scalp. 
• Poor Nutrition. Eating a well-balanced diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and drinking 2 litres of water daily will give your body the proper vitamins and nutrients to help alleviate many common skin conditions. Drinking too much caffeine dehydrates the body and the skin so make sure that you are balancing out your caffeine intake with an extra glass of water on top of your daily 2 litres. If you are not getting enough nutrients from your diet be sure to supplement with vitamins, minerals and EFA’s. 
• Sun exposure. Like all types of heat, the sun dries your skin. Yet damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrates far beyond the top layer of skin (epidermis). The most significant damage occurs deep in the dermis, where collagen and elastin fibres break down much more quickly than they should, leading to deep wrinkles and loose, sagging skin (solar elastosis). Sun-damaged skin may have the appearance of dry skin. 
• Atopic dermatitis. This is one of the more common types of eczema, and those affected have more sensitive and drier skin. Many people with mild eczema confuse this skin condition with excessive dryness. Areas commonly affected include the face, sides of the neck, and fold areas around the elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. 
• Psoriasis. This skin condition is marked by a rapid build-up of rough, dry, dead skin cells that form thick scales. 
• Thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism, a condition that occurs when your thyroid produces too little thyroid hormones, reduces the activity of your sweat and oil glands, leading to rough, dry skin.