The phenomenon of dry skin in different parts of the body is quite common. You need to find out why the skin on your legs is dry and itchy; this will determine whether you can cope with the problem on your own or whether you need the help of a specialist.
After analyzing the causes, you can try to eliminate them at home. But if dryness occurs as a result of some serious illness, then you may need the help of a specialist or even treatment in a hospital setting. Let's figure out why the skin on your feet dries and itches, and what actions you can take to get rid of this problem.
Itchy skin on the legs can be caused by both internal and external factors.
Often, several reasons lead to the skin on the legs becoming dry and itchy.
External stimuli can act either once or over a long period of time. Some of them are quite easy to deal with, while others will require mental and physical strength, as well as financial costs. Let's take a closer look at each provoking factor of dry skin on the feet and try to figure out what to do and what to do in each individual case.
Thus, insufficient external hydration can be corrected by starting to treat the skin on the legs with special moisturizing and nourishing creams and ointments. Expensive creams are not suitable - replace them with a simple baby cream without additives. In some cases, additional hydration and nutrition may be needed: turn to foot masks. You can prepare such mixtures yourself.
Don't be afraid to experiment: replace natural vegetable masks with fruit ones and vice versa. Do not neglect folk remedies; your efforts will definitely not be in vain. Your legs will rest, gain strength and be grateful to you.
If you constantly take care of yourself, but the result leaves much to be desired, try changing your foot cosmetics to another, more gentle and suitable for your skin type. This also applies to leg shaving foams and gels, cooling lotions and any other products used. Pay attention to the washcloth - it should not be too hard, so as not to damage the top layer of skin, and too soft: it will not be able to remove dead skin.
It will be more difficult to combat the effects of adverse atmospheric phenomena. Most people experience cold (winter) itching when it gets cold. The skin on your legs, if they are not insulated enough, freezes outside and when you get into a warm room, it starts to itch wildly. Every woman has probably experienced this.
After all, sometimes you really want, despite the terrible cold, to take a walk in thin tights. If you are very cold, when you come home, immediately take a warm, but not hot, shower. Try not to scratch the skin on your legs or rub yourself with a hard washcloth. After showering, apply moisturizer to your feet.
Another winter danger is constantly staying in heated rooms. As you know, the air in them becomes very dry, which also leads to excessive dryness of the skin. Try to ventilate the room more often, monitor the air humidity. Use room humidifiers, or cover hot radiators with a wet cloth, placing a container of water next to it, which will evaporate and humidify the air.
In summer, your skin also needs to be protected from harmful atmospheric factors. Prolonged exposure to sunlight often leads to dry and flaky skin on the feet.
Also, dry skin on the legs can be caused by a single severe hypothermia or frostbite in winter, and excessive tanning in the sun in summer. In these cases, you will need special medications in the form of creams and ointments. You can consult about their selection directly with a pharmacist at the pharmacy; if the situation is dire, it is better to visit a dermatologist who will prescribe the most appropriate drug treatment.
But what to do if you suddenly changed your place of residence or left for an indefinite period to a place where the climate is completely different from what you are used to? All that remains is to wait for the body to acclimatize, while eating intensively and properly, and continue to care for the skin of your feet, moisturizing and nourishing it in all available ways.
Skin often gets dry after going to the pool. The fact is that the water there is very hard, highly chlorinated, so after swimming you need to take a shower and moisturize your feet with a double portion of the chosen cosmetic product. In case of allergic manifestations in the form of rash and itching, you need to take anti-allergy medications.
After long-term use of antibiotics or other potent drugs, severe itching, peeling, and a rash may occur throughout the body, including the legs. All of these are the consequences of an allergy to medications, and if they bother you greatly, it is better to stop taking the medications or replace them, on the doctor’s recommendation, with others. If allergy symptoms are short-lived and localized in small areas, appropriate medication will help relieve itching and eliminate dry skin on the feet.
All of the above reasons do not suit you? Pay attention to the clothes. For example, very tight tights made of synthetic materials can prevent the skin from breathing and contribute to the death of epithelial cells. Clothing made from low-quality materials causes skin itching, the skin of the legs becomes dry and begins to peel. Try changing your usual tights or pants for clothes made from natural fabric - you will immediately notice changes in the condition of your skin and stop being nervous about it.
Uncomfortable shoes that cause discomfort when walking are the main cause of dry skin on the feet. Dealing with chafing and calluses is quite difficult. This is almost daily work that requires a lot of time, attention and financial investment in good cosmetics. It is necessary to take soothing and softening foot baths, use moisturizing and healing cosmetics and medications. In advanced cases, it is better to contact specialists - cosmetologists and massage therapists.
Remember that properly selected shoes are not only the key to healthy feet, but also a guarantee of your peace of mind and well-being. Take care of your feet. After all, the foot is the support not only of the leg, but of the whole body.
As you can see, coping with external causes that cause dry skin on the legs and provoking itching is not easy, but it is quite possible. But what about the internal ones?
One of the main reasons leading to dry skin is insufficient water consumption. We simply forget or ignore drinking regular water, that is, we do not hydrate ourselves from the inside. Because of this, dry skin occurs, since the body is not washed with clean water, which is replaced by other drinks that often irritate it.
If you eat monotonously, then your diet lacks the vitamins and minerals your body needs. And the skin requires a constant supply of vitamins A and E from food, first of all. Vitamin A is found in large quantities in orange vegetables and fruits. Vitamin E - in vegetable oils and nuts. Fatty amino acids contained in sea fish will help make your skin soft and moisturized.
Sedentary work - standing or sedentary - leads to the fact that the cardiovascular system does not pump blood well. As a result, oxygen slowly reaches the skin cells and the functioning of the sebaceous glands is disrupted. All this again causes dry skin. Additional physical activity and taking a contrast shower will help improve blood circulation.
Various stress and nervous fatigue also provoke dry and itchy skin. Avoid these unpleasant effects. Learn to relax, do relaxation exercises and breathe deeply: the skin will be filled with oxygen, become soft and pleasant to the touch.
Of course, the most difficult thing is to avoid age-related changes. But regular exercise, a balanced diet and eliminating bad habits from your life will make your skin look younger.
If no measures help, it is necessary to undergo examination for the presence of diseases. If the skin continues to itch, this may be a sign of dangerous diseases: diabetes, psoriasis, eczema, etc. Without delay, rush to see a doctor.
So, we have looked at the main external and internal reasons why the skin on the legs becomes dry and itchy. By correctly and timely identifying the cause of skin irritation, you can carry out a set of measures to moisturize and nourish the skin. In this way, you will protect the skin of your feet from unpleasant dryness and save yourself from unbearable itching. Remember, the main thing in treatment is prevention. Take care of your feet daily and seek professional help if necessary.
Itchy skin is an uncomfortable sensation that makes a person scratch the body or a separate affected area of the skin. If the skin (for example, an arm, a leg) itches slightly and occasionally, without causing any discomfort, this is normal, but if it is constantly and severely, you should find out the reasons why you began to experience this kind of inconvenience. Itching of the skin, accompanied by redness and peeling, are the first symptoms of a disease associated with the nervous system, dermis or internal organs.
The reasons for the appearance of itching are very different, for example, a mosquito bite, an allergy to a certain type of product/drug, or lack of personal hygiene.
Harmless scratching of the entire body or a separate area of it can be a consequence of serious problems. To prevent negative consequences, you need to know the symptoms that indicate disturbances in the functioning of the body.
Symptoms indicating external manifestations of the disease:
You should not ignore the symptoms, as they are sometimes a signal of serious disorders in the body.
Some causes of damage to certain areas of the skin:
Also, signs of intense itching may indicate prolonged exposure to cold/heat.
Causes of itchy skin in diseases associated with internal organs:
Itching of the skin of the legs, in addition to the reasons described above, may result from:
To get rid of intense, annoying itching, treatment is necessary. With the help of properly selected medications and specialist recommendations, it will be possible to cure the identified disease that provoked severe itching of the skin.
An itchy scalp is just a consequence of the disease that caused it. To find out why your head itches, you need to identify the cause of the disease that caused the feeling of discomfort.
Sometimes, to relieve the scalp from itching, it is enough to change the shampoo. If this is not the reason, then in such cases, treatment will take more than one month. It should be noted that the disease can be cured only if the cause of its occurrence has been correctly determined.
The reasons why your head itches can be very different, for example:
If your hand itches badly, you should identify the cause of the unpleasant sensation. The hand may itch as a result of dermatological diseases (pediculosis/scabies). This kind of discomfort can be caused due to high blood sugar levels, liver failure, problems related to the thyroid gland and kidneys.
Chemical/thermal effects can also cause dermal irritation. As a result, the hand begins to itch and red spots appear. Itching can also occur as a consequence of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.
Sometimes, the hands of many people with dry skin begin to itch due to wearing woolen and prickly mittens and sweaters. Symptoms: red spots, itching. Special creams will help heal and soothe your hands.
The hand may begin to bother you for other reasons, for example due to severe stress, anxiety or nervous disorders.
Is your hand itchy? People with low blood pressure and vegetative-vascular dystonia may encounter a similar problem as a symptom of the disease.
The hand may begin to itch as a manifestation of an allergy to medications or some food product (especially citrus fruits). If this is the reason, you should stop eating citrus fruits, and also change your diet - remove salty and sweet foods from the list of allowed foods.
Has your hand been bothering you (severely itching) for three days? In this case, you should consult a doctor, he will determine the cause and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
If the itching does not go away after three days, it is necessary to take action - start treatment.
Of course, you can try to cure the dermis and get rid of the unpleasant sensation without seeking the help of a doctor. Of course, itching can be successfully treated without the participation of a specialist only if the cause of the unpleasant sensation (the whole body itches or a certain area of the skin) has been identified correctly. Otherwise, self-medication will not bring the expected results.
If you decide to try to treat the skin from itching, you can change your diet - give up salty, hot and spicy foods. You should also temporarily eliminate coffee and tea in large quantities. Such treatment will be relevant if the cause of the discomfort is caused by an allergy to some food product.
If your body begins to itch due to frequent stress, you need to calm down. If you cannot relieve irritation, you should resort to sedatives.
In order for the treatment to be successful and the body to no longer itch, you need to resist temptation - under no circumstances scratch the affected area.
You can try to treat itching by taking medications that contain calcium and iodine.
Does your body or a separate area of the skin (for example, head/arm) itch and cause severe discomfort?
There are several general rules that you can follow to get rid of itching. They should also be followed for preventive purposes.
During water procedures:
Regarding clothing and bedding, follow these rules:
First of all, it should be noted that if you have not independently identified the cause that contributed to the appearance of severe itching, you should consult a doctor. Having identified the cause, the dermatologist will prescribe the appropriate treatment.
You should see a doctor if:
It should be noted that in no case should you start treatment at home, using medications, without first consulting a doctor. This way the disease cannot be cured. Many drugs have a side effect - severe itching.
You should not try to cure the skin if you have not identified the cause. Sometimes it is difficult even for an experienced specialist to determine the cause.
Do not use ointments with hydrocortisone without a doctor's recommendation, as it is not suitable for all cases.
To cure/get rid of itching, you should consult a doctor and then follow his recommendations.