Dry skin on hands and feet: causes, recipes, treatment and prevention

Causes of dry skin on hands and feet

As mentioned above, one of the reasons for dryness is when a woman enters menopause. The herbal Lignarius will help correct the situation. It contains phytohormones that regulate estrogen levels. Hormonal balance is restored, dry skin stops bothering you.

There are other reasons why the skin of the hands and feet is dry:

• genetic predisposition;
• vitamins A, B, C are not present in the body in the required quantities;
• incorrectly selected cosmetics for care;
• you wear uncomfortable shoes and synthetic gloves;
• unfavorable climate: wind, sun, frost;
• chronic diseases;
• swimming in the pool: chlorinated water has an aggressive effect on the skin of the hands;
• Frequent hand washing leads to abrasion of the protective film.

You can name several dozen more reasons: for each woman they are individual.

What causes dry hand skin

The reasons why hands become rough and dry can be divided into two groups: external and internal.

Internal factors include:

• disruption of the functionality of internal organs and systems;
• weakened immune system;
• hereditary predisposition to dry skin of the hands;
• hypovitaminosis or vitamin deficiency (insufficient amount of vitamins);
• changes in hormonal balance;
• an allergic reaction to something;
• stress reactions.

External factors that lead to dry skin:

• negative effects of detergents;
• low-quality or unsuitable cosmetics;
• improper hygiene;
• adverse weather conditions;
• deficiency of moisture and fats;
• frequent contact with hot water;
• harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.

If a moisture deficiency occurs, which is accompanied by roughness, cracking, tightness and wrinkling, it is recommended to thoroughly reconsider your lifestyle and find out what led to dehydrated hand skin.

Folk remedies for treating dry skin on hands and feet

Products from the refrigerator help if the cause of dryness lies in external factors and is leveled by restoring the fatty film. Write down effective recipes:

• wash your hands and feet with warm water without soap. Soak thick disposable wipes in sunflower oil and wrap your limbs. Remove after an hour, dry with a towel, but do not rinse. Do the procedure at night every day for a month;
• Boil two potatoes and grind in a blender. Add 2 drops of olive oil and lemon juice. It will whiten spots on the skin of your hands and feet. Apply a thick layer to dry areas and wrap with gauze. Rinse off after 20 minutes, lubricate with cream;
• Buy coltsfoot leaves at the pharmacy, brew, strain the juice. Mix it with equal amount of milk. The solution can be prepared for several days. Lubricate problem areas every time you get ready to leave the house. It is not necessary to apply cream on top;
• before the start of winter, lubricate your hands and feet with olive oil: this will prevent peeling;
• Apply warmed honey to the skin of your hands and feet. To avoid getting dirty, wrap it in plastic. After 10–15 minutes, rinse off. Honey removes redness and saturates the skin with nutrients and moisture.

1.General information

Such phrases as “healthy shine of hair”, “silky skin”, “strong nails”, etc. - often used in advertising and literature. Nature itself provides certain optical, tactile, physical-mechanical (firmness, strength, elasticity) characteristics of the external structures of the body, which are unconsciously perceived as signs of health, and therefore beauty. And on the contrary, the loss of these characteristics signals one or another problem.

Dry skin, brittle nails and hair that has begun to fall out are not a cosmetic problem. This triad of symptoms is well known in many areas of medicine, and the list of diseases in the clinical picture of which it is included is surprisingly wide. This includes pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, and diseases of the kidneys, respiratory organs, and oral cavity; chronic infectious and inflammatory processes, dysfunction of the hematopoietic and immune systems; a number of neuropsychiatric disorders (endogenous depression, anorexia, etc.). There are even more known external and situational risk factors: environmental and occupational hazards, stress, bad habits, hypovitaminosis, overwork, taking medications, household chemicals and personal care products, etc.

However, upon careful study of the problem, it turns out that all these causes and factors, no matter what area they belong to, ultimately come down to metabolic disorders. In turn, these complex biochemical processes are under the control of neurohumoral regulation, which is carried out by the interaction of the nervous system and its faithful “executor” - the endocrine system, i.e. a complex of endocrine glands that produce hormone regulators. Some changes in the skin, nails and hair are inherent in almost any hormonal disorder (diabetes mellitus, genetic, inflammatory, oncological diseases of the endocrine glands, age-related changes, etc.). But in cases where there are no more severe and obvious symptoms, you should pay attention to the condition of the thyroid gland. This dicotyledonous, butterfly-shaped (sometimes compared to a logo) endocrine gland is located in the front of the neck and is involved in a number of key physiological processes - bone formation, growth and maturation, control of iodine in the body, provision of cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, mental activity. Thyroid hormones - thyroxine, triiodothyronine, calcitonin - must be in a strictly defined concentration and balance, any displacements of which (hypo- and hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis) have an extremely detrimental effect on the condition of the entire organism as a whole. And the first, preclinical signs are often those phenomena that are included in the title of the article.

A must read! Help with treatment and hospitalization!

Treatment and prevention of dry skin of hands and feet

If dryness does not go away for a long time, folk remedies and creams do not help, visit a doctor. The therapist will listen to the problem and take standard tests that will allow you to understand which doctor to refer you to. Prolonged manifestation of dry skin, accompanied by cracks and peeling, is a clear signal of disease. What exactly it is, doctors have to find out.

During treatment, follow preventive measures:

• After washing your hands and feet, dry them thoroughly with a towel. Especially between the fingers;
• lubricate with rich cream: it retains moisture inside the cells;
• before going outside, apply sunscreen cream to visible areas;
• Do all housework with gloves;
• change your socks every day;
• drink at least 1.5 liters of water daily.

If, after examination, the doctor identifies dermatological problems, begin treatment. Do not use medications based on experience and intuition. Listen to the doctor, and then dry hands and feet will go away quickly and painlessly.

How else can you get rid of dry and flaky skin on your feet?

What else can you do if the skin on your feet is dry and peeling? First of all, review the basic rituals of caring for your feet. Here is a small list of tips that may help you.

• It is better to apply daily care products not with regular, but with massage movements: from bottom to top, from the foot to the ankle, then onto the shin and the area up to the knee. This helps relieve fatigue, increase tone and lightness.
• After shaving or hair removal, it is advisable to use an intensively moisturizing and skin-regenerating product. For skin prone to severe dryness, it is permissible to use a special cosmetic oil, which can help further nourish and soften the skin irritated by hair removal. Please note that all products that are suitable for use after hair removal contain a note about this on their packaging.
• You can combat dry feet not only with proper care, but also by using additional products: nourishing masks, soothing baths, soft scrubs and atraumatic pedicures. Remember that if there are cracks, calluses and wounds on the skin, these procedures should be used with extreme caution, or they should be postponed altogether.

Nutrition for dry skin

If the skin is insufficiently moisturized and, as a result, it becomes dry and flaky, change your diet and menu. Get used to eating at the same time, avoid spicy, fatty, and sweet foods. This will have a beneficial effect on your skin and weight. about how to properly create a menu at the age of 40–45 in this article.

Dear women! If you are worried about dry skin on your hands and feet, don’t despair. It’s easy to get rid of this manifestation: with a systematic approach, you will need 1-2 courses of homemade masks or treatment from a doctor. The latter, as a rule, does not exceed 1–3 weeks. Have a good day!

Basic rules for caring for dry skin on feet

While the general principles of skin care are widely known, the nuances of caring for dry skin on the legs and feet raise questions for many. Do I need to carry out a separate cleansing procedure? Is a single body cream enough to nourish and moisturize? Let's figure it out.

Cleansing

Yes, the skin on your feet needs regular cleansing just like any other area of ​​your body. This usually requires regular showering with a mild cleanser that may have an additional moisturizing effect, such as CeraVe Hydrating Cleansing Cream-Gel.

It contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid, gently cleanses the skin without damaging the protective barrier, and promotes intense hydration. The cream-gel is suitable for normal to dry skin and does not contain soap, fragrances or parabens.

If the skin on your feet is very dry and flaky, you can periodically use a scrub with soft abrasive particles while showering to exfoliate dead cells and skin particles. This not only helps to cleanse the skin more effectively, but also helps improve oxygen access to the upper layers of the epidermis.

Moisturizing cleansing cream-gel

For normal to dry skin of the face and body

Effectively cleanses and moisturizes the skin, helping to restore its protective barrier.

More details

Softening and moisturizing

For dry and rough, very dry skin on the legs in the foot area, it is recommended to use special products to soften and restore it - for example, CeraVe Restoring Foot Cream. It gently exfoliates and moisturizes dry and cracked foot skin without causing discomfort, and also helps restore and strengthen the skin's protective barrier.

CeraVe restorative foot cream contains:

• ceramides, which help strengthen the hydrolipid barrier and protective functions of the skin;
• hyaluronic acid, responsible for intense skin hydration;
• salicylic acid and ammonium lactate, which gently exfoliate the skin without drying it out;
• Niacinamide, which helps soothe the skin.

The cream is hypoallergenic, does not contain fragrances, parabens and is suitable for regular use on normal, dry or very dry, rough skin of the feet.

Revitalizing foot cream

For very dry, rough skin

Effectively exfoliates and moisturizes chapped foot skin without irritating it.

88 ml

More details

When should you contact your healthcare provider?

Call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:

• temperature rises to 100.4°F (38°C) or higher;
• chills;
• symptoms do not go away or get worse;
• any of the following symptoms appear on the skin of your palms or soles: skin that is hard, warm, or hot to the touch;
• bright yellow or green discharge;
• bleeding;
• unpleasant odor from the palms and feet;
• increasing redness or swelling;
• increasing pain or discomfort;

to come back to the beginning

Eliminating symptoms

Tell your healthcare provider as soon as you develop symptoms. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have diabetes, vascular disease, or peripheral neuropathy. These diseases cause destruction of the skin, prevent wound healing and can cause infection.

Follow the tips below to help you manage these symptoms.

It is forbidden:

• Pop blisters. Apply a petroleum-based ointment, such as Vaseline®, and cover it with a bandage (Band-Aid®).
• Immerse your hands and feet in hot water or a hot bath.
• Take hot baths.
• Wearing socks, tights or shoes that are too tight.
• Doing anything that requires rubbing your palms or soles, other than lightly applying lotion or cream.

Need to:

• Wear thick, soft cotton socks with all shoes. We also recommend using wicking foam insoles and shock-absorbing inserts to ease the pressure of shoes on your feet.
• Wear heavy cotton gloves when doing chores around the house or outside the home, such as cleaning the house, gardening, or grocery shopping.
• Keep your hands and feet well moisturized. To do this, soak them in cool water for 20 to 30 minutes, pat them dry with a towel, and then apply a fragrance-free moisturizer such as Eucerin®. This should be done at least once a day.
• Use unscented lotion or cream containing petroleum products, for example: Urea cream;
• Kerasal® One Step Exfoliating Foot Moisturizer Therapy™;
• Udderly Smooth®;
• if you are over 18 years of age, you can also use the tools below; do not use these if you are under 18 years of age: salicylic acid;
• moisturizer CeraVe® SA.

to come back to the beginning

Medicines that may cause a reaction

Hand-foot syndrome

The following medications may cause hand-foot syndrome.

• capecitabine (Xeloda®);
• Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®)
• Fluorouracil (5-FU®)
• Liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®)
• Cytarabine (Cytosar-U®)

Palmoplantar skin reaction

The following medications may cause hand-foot reaction.

• Sorafenib (Nexavar®)
• Sunitinib (Sutent®)
• Cabozantinib (Cometriq®)
• Regorafenib (Stivarga®)
• Axitinib (Inlyta®)
• Pazopanib (Votrient®)
• Vandetanib (Caprelsa®)
• Vemurafenib (Zelboraf®)
• Dabrafenib (Tafinlar®)

to come back to the beginning

3. Symptoms and diagnosis

Depending on which direction the hormonal balance associated with the thyroid gland shifts, metabolic processes in the body are either pathologically accelerated or inhibited. Accordingly, when “unexplained” dry skin, brittle nails and hair loss appear, you should also pay attention to appetite, rapid weight gain or loss, blood pressure stability, the state of cognitive functions and general intellectual productivity, emotional stability (neurasthenic irritability and fatigue are very typical for thyroid dysfunction), in women - on the regularity of the menstrual cycle. Unhealthy, “lifeless” skin, hair and nails most often signal decreased hormonal activity of the thyroid gland – hypothyroidism.

Diagnostics includes a thorough and detailed collection of anamnestic information (concerning heredity, prevailing diet, past and background diseases, psychophysical stress, etc.), palpation examination (size of the gland, presence of nodules), ultrasound, scintigraphy; According to indications, histological analysis (biopsy) may be prescribed.

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