Dry itchy skin

[avrildsa]

I have a very dry itchy skin in winter and if I try and put any form of cream or oil on it seems to bring out a rash and irritate my skin. I would dearly love to find something that I can put on my skin to relieve the itch and help with the dryness.  I have cortizone cream which the doctor prescribed which seems to stop the itching but I cannot find anything to help with the dryness.  Any suggestions?

[avrildsa]

Thank you for your reply, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you, but I have been away on holiday.  I eventually saw a dermatologist who said that I had chronic eczema.  He put me on a cream which was Dovate mixed into E45.  This took a week or so to clear and I am now fine.  He has also told me to use a good moistureriser which I now apply liberally and it seems to be working.  Thank you for your help. Kind regards.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Dry skin results when there is not enough water in the stratum corneum for it to function properly. Too much soapy water, exposure to harsh chemicals, the normal aging process and certain types of skin diseases are some of the causes of decreased amounts of protective skin oils which in turn causes dry skin.

The mainstay of management is liberal use of moisturizers after washing with luke warm water. Soap should be used minimally. Moisturizers should be reapplied liberally during the day.You can also use a topical cortisone (steroid) cream or ointment like dermacort(hydrocortisone). Adding a humidifier to the central heating system of your home or using a humidifier also helps.

If still the symptoms persisit then possibility of eczema or atopic dermatitis,psoriasis, or pitted keratolysis is there.Please consult a dermatologist for clinical examination in that case as treatment is specific for each one and without clinical examination,it is difficult to make a diagnosis.

I hope that helps.Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.