WEBMD – Many things can cause dry skin, and what you can do it about it depends on what brought it on.
Possible Cause: Your Age
You can have dry skin at any age, but if you’re in your 50s or older, the reasons for it might be different. This is because the glands that make oil for your skin get smaller as you age and make less.
Older adults are also more likely to have medical conditions like diabetes and kidney disease that are linked with dry skin.
Possible Cause: Atopic Dermatitis
This is the most common kind of eczema. Dry, itchy skin is the most noticeable symptom, but you may also have a rash inside your elbows, behind your knees, and on your face, hands, and feet.
It’s most often caused by an allergic reaction and usually can be managed if you moisturize your skin and stay away from what triggered it — detergent, perfume, sand, or cigarette smoke, for example.
Possible Cause: Your Job
You’re more likely to get dry skin and chronic skin conditions if you work with certain chemical and biological materials, or with extreme temperatures.
Examples of these kinds of jobs are in food service, cosmetology, health care, agriculture, cleaning, painting, mechanics, printing, and construction. You can use protective gear and try to limit exposure to the materials.
Possible Cause: Water
Soaking in the tub or showering for long periods is a common cause of dry skin. And the hotter the water, the worse it is. Pools and hot tubs that have a lot of chlorine in them are bad, too, because the chemical dries out your skin.
It’s a good idea to keep the water on the cool side and your showers to a minimum.
Possible Cause: The Weather
Winter tends to dry out your skin more than other seasons because the humidity (moisture in the air) is typically much lower.
Heating systems also dry out the air, and that doesn’t help, either …
