Our skin, which covers our entire body, is a magnificent organ that can protect our body from microorganisms that may cause infection, harmful chemicals and toxins, ultraviolet rays, heat and cold. In order for our skin to perform all these vital functions, it must be structurally and functionally healthy.
Dry skin is a common skin problem during the winter period. Dry skin usually manifests itself with itching, tightness and flaking on the arms, legs, outer thighs and sides of the abdomen. During the winter, the cold air outside and the warming environment inside cause the humidity to decrease. A decrease in ambient humidity causes a decrease in moisture in the skin. Dehydrated skin becomes dry, cracked and more vulnerable to external irritants. All these factors cause redness, flaking and itching on the skin, which we call eczema.
Other factors that cause dry skin are stress, fatigue, genetic factors, insomnia, nutrition style, old age and bath frequency.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT PROVIDE THE NATURAL MOISTURE OF THE SKIN?
The upper layer of the skin is a tissue that constantly renews itself. Regeneration begins with the controlled proliferation of stem cells at the base. The newly formed cells differentiate structurally, mature and are shed in a period of approximately 3 weeks. With the aging of the skin, this shedding in the upper layers of the skin slows down considerably. Failure to shed the dead cells of the upper layer of the skin causes hardening and dulling of the skin. During this breakthrough, dead cells are separated and shed one by one, so no visible peeling occurs.
The natural moisture factor is a factor that changes according to the production needs of the cells. When ambient humidity decreases, such as in dry climates and winter months, natural moisture factor production increases. This increase manifests itself slowly over days. One of the reasons why many people's hands become dry, red and cracked during the winter months is that the natural moisture cannot increase quickly enough. The oil layer on our skin is also one of the factors that provide moisture to our skin. This fat layer, consisting of various fatty acids, ceramides and cholesterol, is a very good water retainer as long as it is balanced and in sufficient quantity. It prevents moisture loss by covering the skin surface like a mantle.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT DRY OUR SKIN?
Dry skin may occur due to environmental and chemical factors, various skin diseases, aging, internal diseases and medications. Environmental factors include dry climate, cold and sun exposure. As the skin ages, some substances that provide the skin's natural moisture (hyaluronic acids, ceramides, etc.) decrease. For this reason, after a certain age, these substances need to be given to the skin externally.
The main chemical factors are personal care products such as soap, shampoo and shower gels. The common features of these products are their oil-dissolving effects, which erode the skin's protective oil layer. Since the hydrolipid film layer on the skin surface also contains water, the pH value of our skin can be measured. The average pH value of the skin is 5.5. This value is produced by acidic substances (sweat, sebum and skin cells) found in the skin. The function of the acidic property of the skin is explained by the term "protective acid mantle". Disruption of this acid mantle makes the skin vulnerable to external factors. Many chemical substances such as detergents, cleaning products, alcohol, acetone and chlorine, with their strong and degreasing effects, disrupt this protective acid mantle and cause dryness. Various cosmetic cleansers, peelers, and medications constantly used in acne treatment can also cause dryness.
< br /> Many skin diseases, especially eczema, and nutritional disorders such as both deficiency and excess of factors such as zinc, essential fatty acids and vitamin A can also cause skin dryness.
Adequate fluid intake can prevent skin dryness. . Normal daily water intake should be at least 8 glasses. However, many individuals complain about dry skin despite drinking plenty of water. The reason for this is that if there is no protective oil layer that traps water in the skin, water cannot be retained and is lost by evaporation.
Inadequate functioning of the thyroid gland and malabsorption due to digestive system disorders can also cause dryness in the skin. Diuretic drugs used in the treatment of blood pressure, cholesterol-lowering drugs, vitamin A-derived drugs used in the treatment of acne and some chemotherapy drugs are among the factors that cause skin dryness.
Skin. Dryness is the leading cause of localized itching, especially in the legs and arms, and body itching seen in the elderly. Dry skin cracks and causes some allergens that are normally prevented from passing through the skin to easily pass through. The most important cause of hand eczema seen in housewives in the winter is skin dryness.
HOW TO PREVENT SKIN DRY
When cleaning the body in the bathroom, colorless, odorless shower gels or soaps with a PH close to the skin PH should be used. It should not be washed with hot water, and the duration of stay in the bathroom should not be kept short. After bathing, moisturizing should be done within half an hour before the water on the skin evaporates.
Contact with cleaning materials without using gloves should be avoided as much as possible, and after each hand wash, the hands should be moistened with a barrier moisturizer, especially during winter months.
Moisturizers used for skin moisturizing work with two different mechanisms. Some moisturizers create a layer on the skin surface and prevent the natural moisture of the skin from evaporating. Such moisturizers include oils such as petroleum jelly and lanolin. Although they are effective moisturizers, they are difficult to apply.
Other groups of moisturizers provide moisturization of the skin by drawing the moisture in the air or the moisture in the lower layers of the skin to the surface. Examples of these are glycerin and vegetable oils. Moisturizers used regularly for skin moisturizing work with two different mechanisms. Some moisturizers create a layer on the skin surface and prevent the natural moisture of the skin from evaporating. Such moisturizers include oils such as petroleum jelly and lanolin. Although they are effective moisturizers, they are difficult to apply.
Other groups of moisturizers provide moisturization of the skin by drawing the moisture in the air or the moisture in the lower layers of the skin to the surface. Examples of these are glycerin and vegetable oils. Care should be taken to use moisturizers regularly and to consume a diet rich in vitamins (vitamins A, C, E), which increase the moisture of the skin, minerals and some essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acid) that are not produced in the body.
The air of the environment we live in must be humidified during the winter period.
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