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Dry Skin Care

Your skin maintains its smooth, soft appearance due to the water content of the outer layer of skin cells. These cells are like sponges — they can hold a lot of water. To keep water from evaporating from these cells, your skin produces oil to form a protective layer, much like plastic wrap around a sandwich keeps the bread from drying out. In the winter when humidity is reduced, water evaporates more readily from skin cells, leading to dryness, flaking, irritation around the hair follicles of the thighs and arms, and occasionally redness, itching, and general discomfort. Bathing frequently with soap also promotes drying by stripping away the oils.

Prevention and Moisturizing

Prevention of dry skin includes maintaining skin moisture and preserving the protective oil layer. Using soaps that are less likely to remove oils is recommended. Some examples are unscented Dove soap, Neutrogena, Basis, Keri, and Oilatum.

Since showering or bathing removes oil from the skin, it is important to apply a protective agent to the skin right after bathing to rebuild the oil layer and prevent dehydration. Occlusive ointments often yield the best results.

Recommended Products

  • Occlusive ointments: Aquaphor, Eucerin, Vaseline, vegetable lard (i.e. Crisco)
  • Creams: Vani cream, Eucerin cream, Nivea cream, Acid Mantle Crème
  • Lotions: Keri Lotion, Nutraderm Lotion, Nivea Lotion, Lubriderm Lotion, Wondra Lotion, Acid Mantle Lotion

Treatment for Severe Dry Skin

For patients with more severe dry skin conditions such as eczema or dry skin dermatitis, a daily 20-minute tub soak in warm water is recommended. Immediately after the tub soak, quickly towel off and apply the moisturizing agent directly to the damp skin in order to trap as much moisture as possible. If showers are taken, the 20-minute tub soak should follow immediately after. Good moisturization prevents the itching associated with dry skin and the itch-induced scratching that in turn causes skin rashes.

If you have any questions, contact our office: Omaha: 402-391-1800 Lincoln: 402-464-5969

Call to Schedule an Appointment!

Lincoln: 402.464.5969          Omaha: 402.391.1800

  • Did you know?
    Depending on your degree of allergies, allergen avoidance steps and medications by themselves may not be entirely effective in managing your symptoms.
    View Pollen Count

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