Extremely Dry Skin/Cause????

19 years ago

I've had terribly dry skin for several years now. It just seems to get worse as time goes by. I use lots of skin cream and special bath lotions to help but they're only temporary help. I take lots of meds for Rheumatoid Arthritis that may complicate the problem but I've been on these same meds for many years and can remember a time when this skin problem wasn't so bad. I am 62 and on hormone (Premarin) and have been on it for many years. If I've gone through Menopause I didn't know it. lol I remember a few years ago that I had night sweats real bad and my doctor increased my hormone. That took care of the problem. But now I'm wondering if this horrible skin problem could be from Menopause???? Any ideas? I will probably have to be referred to a dermatologist in the long run. I'm very tired of trying to deal with this.

Dancey

Featured Answer

Jonesy

19 years ago

I used to have dry, flaky skin and itched something awful. I read a skin care article, it and a little effort on my part, solved my problem completely. It said to use a soap like Dove because it is made to slide off the side of the tub leaving no soap ring, for the same reason it slides off your skin. It also said, it is not oils your skin needs it is moisture. If you use oils in the tub, fill the tub with water, get in and get wet, then add the oil. That traps the moisture on your skin instead of sealing it out. I put the oil in after I wash. Everytime I put lotion on my legs, arms or face during the day I wet my skin first. I am living proof it works. BTW, I found a light oil at Wal Mart called Palmer's Coca Butter Formula Moisturizing body oil. I put it directly on the skin when I bathe in the evening. It's the best oil I have found. I don't use any oils except at night because of getting it on my clothes.

Comments (7)

Carina
19 years ago
I do believe dryer skin is an effect of reduced estrogen. I've noticed my skin tends to get drier than it ever used to.
Have you tried taking fish or flax oil? Might be worth trying at solve it from inside out...wouldn't hurt to try.
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Here's my 2 cents worth *LOL* : I have two sons who have both had the problems you are describing to a certain extent. Part of the problem was traced to simple skin sensitivity, but the main culprit was pet allergy and dairy allergy. You might try taking milk, cheese, yogurt, etc out of his diet for 2 weeks and see if the skin problems and constipation ease up. You can purchase soy milk or rice milk that is enriched with calcium, A & D if you need to. My kids have since outgrown their dairy allergy, but do still tend to be dry. I agree with other posters to make sure he is getting enough fats in his diet. Little kids need more fat than adults for proper brain development and all that good stuff :). Here is how we handle bathing: Daily: 15 minute bath in water only. Just wash hair at the very end. Pat dry and immediately slather up with "Vanicream" (a dye free, perfume free, lanolin free, alchohol free...etc etc lotion that is available from the pharmacy, but you don't have to get a prescription for...it is what works for us. A one pound tub is around $12 here in Indy)It helps to seal the moisture in his skin. Laundry: always use "Free & Clear" detergents. We *don't* use any fabric softener, although we do put some white vinegar in a downy ball which helps make sure all the soap gets rinsed out and does have a softening effect on the clothes. Clothing: My kids do best with cotton clothing. Haven't noticed a problem with a little polyester in a blend, but wool does make them itch more than usual. Another question that hasn't been asked is: do you have a cat or dog in the house? You could very well be dealing with a pet dander allergy. We used to have housecats, but we had to give them up for adoption because my older one's eczema got so bad it would crack and bleed and then get infected. It could be dust mite allergy too. Anyway, I hope things are getting better for your little guy. Cheers, Carrie
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Woodrose, I'm so happy to find someone else who loves that stuff. I've tried Amlactin, O'keefe's and a ton of other stuff. That cheap Assured Creamy Petroleum Jelly works better. The only thing that works even better for my hands when they are in really tough shape (been doing stupid stuff & not wearing gloves) is Vaseline (plain petroleum jelly) and even better than Vaseline is Mary Kay's "Extra Emollient Night Cream"...which seems like a mixture of petroleum jelly & beeswax. You need to use gloves with Vaseline & the Mary Kay stuff. What helps a lot with any of the heavy creams is to use a bit of water when you apply the moisturizer. The Mary Kay stuff is The Best thing for winter raw, chapped lips. In the winter, I like to use Avon's perfumed Skin Softener for dry scaly legs. It works better than lotions. It comes in a ton of different scents (I like the Night Magic scent). I have a dozen or so jars of it bought from garage sales for 25-50 cents each. I don't use it except in winter because I live in mosquito country. Have never used it for hand cream but need to try it. Will give it a go tonight if I remember.
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sheri60
19 years ago
I use to have very dry skin too. my skin looked all wrinkly and parched like I was 80 instead of 50. I read an article about taking oil of primrose for dry skin. I have been taking it every day and I can't believe the difference in my skin. I looks more like younger skin. I told my doctor I was taking it and he said fine it's safe to use.
Shrimpie
19 years ago
Dancey sorry to hear about your skin troubles. I cannot speak to the menopause and hormone issues (though I remember my older sister telling me her skin became super-soft following hysterctomy hormone therapy) - but I have lived with dermatitis, exzema, and fussy skin allergies all my life and over the years have found these helps:
1. To the extent you can, try to reduce the total chemical load in your environment - do not use dryer sheets, fabric softener, room fresheners, hair creme rinse (or minimize it at least); put your clothing through a double rinse cycle; use gloves/other barrier to protect your skin from harsh detergents, etc.
2. Add evening primrose, flaxseed, tocotrienols, and more fish to your diet (the inside-out approach).
3. I have fussy impossible skin, and my red-head spouse has his own set of skin troubles (sun damage, pre-actinic keratoses, etc.). We're both in our 50s now, and though we're fit, free of health problems, and comfortable with our ages, we wondered if we might improve the appearance of our sun-damaged faces. Together we read Perricone's Cosmeceuticals book, and decided to try some of his recommendations. We found the author's products to be way beyond what we considered reasonable to spent, but we have had stunning results with similar products we found online through Amazon.com from Reviva Labs: Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamin C Ester and DMAE Cream (for the face and neck day and night); Firming Eye Serum (night-time eye cream); and their hand lotion from the same line (sorry my bottle is out in the car so I can't give you specific name). My skin responded immediately (thank god I was getting a little worried about lip creases and papery eye and throat). We're both looking a lot clearer and more well-rested, with much-improved skin texture - that's as much as we can expect because we'd never go for elective surgery - only a natural approach... and no, we have no financial interest in the above-noted products.
4. Two other creams that settle my skin, as well as seeming to change the texture, are Nivea Skin Firming Lotion with Q10 plus Biotin, and Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal, Lavender, Chamomile and YlangYlang. You can find these at any of the larger drugstores (I am on West Coast) - they're a bit more expensive than, say, Jergens, but I have been thrilled to find them.
Sorry for the rambler, but I hope you'll try any or all of the above. So nice to have happy skin. Good luck!
d_lovely
17 years ago
Dancey,

Should any of the above tips fail you, try the products in the following list, (they've radically changed my skin):

"Sheer Lustre Day Moisture SPF 15" Â Contains avocado, omega-3, and omega-6 oils, as well as essential fatty acids, soy and wild yam, and vitamins C & E. This combination of ingredients prevents many skin problems, but most importantly provides all the hydration youÂre obviously lacking.

"Age Balancing Night Cream" Â Offers chaparral extract, shea butter, soy and wild yam, retinol, soybean and omega-3 oils, in addition to various other conditioners. My favorite of the list, this evening product leaves your skin looking and feeling like a babyÂs bum.

"Renewing Cleansing Cream" Â Features apricot, primrose, and borago oils, in addition to papaya, algae, and chamomile. It doesnÂt get much better than this.

You really canÂt go wrong whether you use all of the products as a regimen (which is recommended), or simply one. I bought all three at http://www.murad.com/hormonal-aging-recommended.html

I hope IÂve been of some helpÂgood luck! :)

Best,
d_lovely
maryjo24
17 years ago
Cold/cooler/chilly temperatures can make your skin dry. Also a thyroid problem can make your skin & scalp dry.
graysolidmatter
9 years ago
It's too late for me to answer your question. In ten years that this question stayed here, there are a lot of products that have had been formulated for this. Your symptoms clearly point out a certain skin disorder characterized by extremely dry skin. If your case was keratosis Pilaris or Ichthyosis vulgaris, I wish you had already been given treatment. For the others who might come across this post, if you have the same symptoms, or if the doctor says it's KP or ichthyosis, then get SR Lotion. This is the newest discovery for controlling and managing these kind of skin disorders. The skin starts flaking after 5 days of using the product. I bet, this is the fastest result you can get. SR Lotion is a treatment not a cure, but the smoother skin it gives is already a blessing.

Extremely Dry Skin/Cause????

Jonesy

Comments (7)

Carina

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