Some people have naturally very dry skin, whilst other only suffer from reddened and itchy areas of skin during the winter months. For some, when untreated these reddened and itchy winter month areas can also turn into short periods of extreme dry skin. These then develop into rough and chapped areas and give the skin an uncomfortable tight feeling.
This is often due to the sebaceous glands, as it is their job to provide the skin with oils and thus protect it from drying out. If there are only a few sebaceous glands, or if they aren't working properly, the skin will dry out quickly. This can be a leading contributor to extreme dry skin.
Very dry skin will therefore often occur in areas with not many sebaceous glands and not much subcutaneous tissue. This is particularly true of areas such as the elbows, knees or shins.
Whilst the sebaceous glands produce plenty of sebum during puberty, sebum production decreases as you get older. The skin needs increased and richer care, in a bid to prevent really dry skin before it occurs.
External factors can also cause very dry skin to develop. This includes cold, heat, sunlight, excessive contact with water, a poor diet or a lack of moisture.
Many people suffer from very dry skin especially during the winter months, as the cold deprives the skin of moisture. On top of that, the sebaceous glands produce less sebum in winter. This drying out is then worsened by dry air from heating systems.
You should therefore give your skin plenty of attention during the winter months and pamper dry and very dry skin with a moisture care cream. Find out more about the reasons for dry skin here.
