Saturday, October 16, 2004

Dry skin

Healthy skin must have enough water and lipids. Lipids are special types of fat cells. Skin becomes dry when there is not enough water and lipids. Naturally, there are thousands of products which claim to restore water and lipids to your skin.

There are several types of dry skin according to medbroadcast.com:

Delicate skin: This skin type is essentially normal and not oily, but sometimes can be fine and delicate. Delicate skin offers little resistance to the physical and chemical assaults of the environment. This type of skin reddens quickly and suffers easily from a skin condition called rosacea where the skin flushes and stays flushed for long periods of time.

Temporarily dry skin: This skin type is temporarily dry when exposed to physical elements such as sunburn, burns, cold temperatures, abrasions, and certain medications. When the skin repairs itself after being exposed to these elements, dryness and flaking usually occurs. Other factors also play a role, such as changes in humidity and the use of soaps and detergents.

Dry skin in people over 55: As your skin ages, oil production and sweat secretions slow down, resulting in extreme drying of the skin.

Genetically dry skin: This type of skin is dry, rough, and scaly. The outer, or epidermal, layer is covered in tiny cracks, mainly on the back of the hands, outer side of the arms, forearms, and legs. These conditions worsen when the skin is exposed to the elements. This skin type is found in people with a skin condition called atopic dermatitis in people with fair skin, and in certain families.