Scaly and peeling skin and tips to overcome it

As the largest organ in the body, the skin has a variety of functions. The skin protects the organ systems in the body, regulates body temperature, and becomes the sense of touch. However, sometimes you may find a type of skin that is scaly or peeling suddenly.

Causes scaly and peeling skin

Because of its protective function, your skin must be able to heal itself when you are injured. This process is known as skin regeneration. The goal is to replace damaged skin cells with new, healthy cells.

The process of molting the skin continues regularly. The dead skin cells peel off, then are replaced by a new layer of skin. However, sometimes the skin continues to renew itself even when it's not the time yet.

Cells on the surface of the skin also accumulate and are exposed to many things from the environment. Over time, the cells in the top layer of skin can dry out, break down, and become detached from one another. As a result, the skin looks dry, scaly, and peeling.

Reporting from Cleveland Clinic , scaly, peeling skin is usually characterized by skin that feels dry and turns red. This condition often occurs when the skin is in the process of healing the disease, but many other factors can play a role.

Below are the various causes of the most common scaly and peeling skin.

1. Dry facial skin

This is the most common cause of scaly and flaky skin on the face, hands, and fingers. Unlike healthy skin, dry skin cells cannot bind tightly to one another.

Lack of moisture on the skin can be caused by several factors, including:

• dry climate,
• the weather is too cold,
• too often exposed to warm water,
• use of care products that irritate the skin, and
• chlorine compounds in swimming pools.

This is why when you are in cold areas, your skin tends to dry out faster. In fact, your skin can become flaky just by working all day in an office in a room that is too cold.

2.Sun burns (sunburn)

Sunburn is a skin condition that burns due to prolonged exposure to the sun. Sunlight can kill and damage skin cells before it's time to be replaced. As a result, the skin peels off to replace with new cells.

In some cases, the burned skin will blister first before peeling off to remove dead skin cells (exfoliation process). Dry blisters can create a scaly appearance on the skin of the face, hands, or fingers.

3. Wash your hands too often

While washing your hands is important to prevent the spread of bacteria, washing your hands too often can actually strip your skin of its natural oils. The skin eventually can't keep its moisture, so it becomes dry, scaly, or even peels off.

To fix this, you only need to wash your hands if necessary and use products that are safe for the skin. You only need to wash your hands if they are dirty, before and after eating, and after using the toilet.

4. Use of certain drugs

The use of certain drugs, especially acne medications, can also cause scaly and peeling skin. In addition, drugs containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid also have the same effect, especially on sensitive skin.

First of all, you may find a white crust like after drinking milk around your mouth. If this happens, you should consult your doctor to determine whether there are drugs that should be reduced in use.

5. Use of products with harsh chemicals

Certain chemicals in moisturizers, soaps, and other beauty products can cause skin irritation. The most common characteristic is that the skin on the face, hands, or fingers appears scaly and peeling.

The best way to avoid harsh chemicals is to look for products specifically designed for sensitive skin. These products are usually free of fragrances and other irritants.

6. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism is a condition when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. As a result, the body's energy breakdown process slows down and causes a variety of quite disturbing symptoms.

Thyroid hormone plays an important role in the formation of new skin tissue. For people with hypothyroidism, the lack of thyroid hormone production makes the skin drier, making it prone to scaling and peeling.

7. Health problems that affect the skin

Apart from environmental factors, scaly and peeling skin can also be caused by the following health problems.

• Eczema (atopic dermatitis). This condition causes inflammation characterized by dry, red, peeling, and itchy skin.
• Allergies to the skin. The immune system's overreaction to foreign substances causes a number of allergic skin symptoms.
• Rosacea. The signs are redness and bumps on the face that make the skin dry and flaky due to sensitivity.
• Psoriasis. This inflammatory skin disease occurs because new skin cells grow faster, while old skin cells have not had time to peel off.
• Pityriasis rosea . This condition is characterized by a pink or red rash. It looks like a scar or red lump that resembles a patch.
• Ichthyosis vulgaris . A congenital skin disorder that makes dead skin cells accumulate on the skin looking scaly, rough, and grayish-white in color.

How to treat scaly and peeling skin

The process of changing the skin to dry, scaly, or peeling skin cannot be stopped. Even so, you can do a number of home remedies to improve skin condition and prevent further damage.

Here are some simple tips for treating facial skin, hands, or fingers that are scaly and peeling.

1. Cold water compress

Applying compresses can help soothe inflamed skin. This step can also relieve pain from irritation, skin disease, or skin conditions that are too dry.

Wet a clean cloth in cold water, then wring it out until the water doesn't drip much. Place the cloth on the peeling skin and let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes. You can repeat these steps as needed.

2. Cover with cold milk or pureed oatmeal

Milk can cool dry, scaly skin. This is because the lactic acid in milk helps remove dead skin cells, while the fat content plays a role in moisturizing the skin.

Alternatively, use porridge oatmeal cool as a scrub, and let stand for 10 minutes. After that, rinse your skin with cold water until it is clean. Oatmeal has moisturizing, repairing and protecting properties of the skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

3. Apply a moisturizing lotion to scaly skin

Use moisturizing lotion often if your skin is dry and prone to damage. As much as possible, avoid scented moisturizers and choose products with ingredients that soothe the skin, such as aloe vera and vitamin E.

4. Exfoliate regularly

Exfoliating is important for removing dead skin cells. When exfoliating, use it gently scrub small grained or chemical exfoliator such as alpha and beta-hydroxy acid (AHA and BHA).

Always use a gentle exfoliator, especially on areas of skin that are scaly and peeling. Do not rub the skin too hard or use other scrubbing tools as this can cause further damage.

5. Do not scratch or peel

Scratching will worsen the skin condition and lead to infection. If you really want to clean scaly skin, use small scissors to trim any untidy skin. After that, apply a moisturizing lotion to protect your skin.

Scaly, flaky skin is a long-term effect of overly dry skin. Usually, the parts of the skin that peel off are the face, hands, and fingers because they are the most exposed to care and environmental products.

If you experience this problem, the first step to solve it is to add moisture to the skin. Use a moisturizer free of chemical additives and avoid the factors that can make the skin dry.

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