Ordinary dry skin (xerosis) usually isn’t serious, but it can be uncomfortable and unsightly, turning plump cells into shriveled ones and creating fine lines and wrinkles. Most dry skin conditions result from environmental factors that can be wholly or partially controlled. These include:
Weather. In general, your skin is driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. Winter conditions also tend to make many existing skin conditions worse.
Central heating and air conditioning. Central air and heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces all reduce humidity and dry your skin.
Hot baths and showers. Frequent showering or bathing, especially if you like the water hot and your baths long, breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin. So does frequent swimming, particularly in heavily chlorinated pools.
Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps and detergents strip lipids and water from your skin. Deodorant and antibacterial soaps are usually the most damaging, as are many shampoos, which dry out your scalp.
Alcohol, drugs and nicotine. Alcohol and caffeine can visibly dry your skin. Prescription drugs such as diuretics, antihistamines and isotretinoin (Roaccutane) also have a drying effect. The nicotine found in tobacco constricts blood vessels which decreases blood flow and oxygen and nutrient delivery to the skin cells. The result? Dull, lifeless skin with grey undertones.
Dehydration. One of the first signs of dehydration is skin that has lost its elasticity. When you become dehydrated, your skin loses its fullness and natural glow. Make it a practice to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to keep skin tissues well hydrated. Avoid excessive alcohol which can promote fluid loss and contribute to the problem of dull, lifeless skin.
With ageing, the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) begins to thin, causing the junction with the dermis (inner layer) to flatten. Sun Damaged Skin also has a thicker epidermis (keratin), which is "dead" and irregular. There is increased water loss from the skin and a decrease of the sebaceous glands, which provides natural moisture to the skin. Your skin gets about 10 percent drier every decade. While oil production decreases, the lipid barrier of skin, which traps and holds in moisture, becomes increasingly defective over time. With ageing you’ve got a double whammy of less moisture production and less ability to hold moisture in the skin.
Here are some options for starting a new product or product range;
– Try a light cleansing cream rather than a soap which strips the skin of its natural oils such as Dermaheal Gentle Cleanser or Nimue’s Cleansing Gel.
– Always apply moisturizer immediately after facial cleansing to allow it to be maximally absorbed such as the Lamelle Hydrating serum, Neostrata’ Sheer Hydration or Nimues’ Super hydrating Serum depending on your budget and recommendations from a skin expert or therapist. Home prescriptives such as AHAs, PHAs particularly Lamelle barrier repair cream, NeoStrata Bionic and Biohydrating cream are recommended to hydrate the skin. Any creams containing Hyaluronic acid and Shea Butter such Dermaheal Ultra moisturiser, Luminesce Brighter Day and Evening Gloware also great for dry skin.
For treatments that assist in improving the appearance of dry skin are on offer such as the Anti Ageing Hydrating Facial which is a three-in-one treatment and is exciting everyone who uses it. It’s versatile, suits everyone and leaves skin tighter, younger fresher and more hydrated.
It starts with microdermabrasion using fine crystals to polish away surface debris.
Next, transdermal mesotherapy pushes the latest in anti ageing technology Growth factors, Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid deep into the dermis. The Growth Factor and Peptides signal the cells that produce collagen to switch on and the hyaluronic acid gives instant hydration to the skin as it pulls in water.
It’s very good at encouraging lymphatic drainage and reviving lifeless and neglected skin but the best results come down the line when the results of collagen production begin to manifest.
