Could You Have Xerotic Eczema?

It’s that time of year again. With the cold, dry weather, your skin may get much drier. It might even get so bad that it cracks, itches, flakes, or even bleeds.

If this sounds like your skin, there is a possibility that you may have xerotic eczema, also known as “winter eczema” or “winter itch.”

To learn more about xerotic eczema, we are going to look closely at the causes, symptoms, and changes that you can make so that your skin is happier and healthier during the dry months of winter.

What is Xerotic Eczema?

If you have eczema, you know that dry skin can make your condition worse. For some, however, dry skin is the cause of eczema. For those who have xerotic eczema, the lack of moisture in the skin becomes so bad that it actually develops into an eczema flare-up.

The areas of the body that are most commonly affected by xerotic eczema are the arms and legs as well as the trunk.

Symptoms of Xerotic Eczema

• Dry and scaly skin
• Scales that vary in pigmentation (for example: white, brown, light or dark gray scales)
• Itchiness
• Deep and painful cracks in the palms of hands or soles of feet
• Fine cracks
• Peeling
• Redness
• Flakes
• Bleeding, especially if scratched

Xerotic Eczema Irritants

Believe it or not, there may be some things that you are doing to aggravate xerotic eczema. The most common factor in whether or not someone develops xerotic eczema is too frequent bathing.

This is because water has a tendency to wash away the natural oils that are produced by the body to moisturize and lubricate the skin. When water washes these oils away, the skin is left defenseless against the dry winter air.

Another factor that can contribute to xerotic eczema is indoor heating, which has a tendency to also be very dry.

A final xerotic eczema aggravator is dryer sheets. As the name implies, dryer sheets serve the purpose of drying out clothing. If they are handled too much, however, they will also remove the moisture from your skin.

Even if you are not handling dryer sheets directly, residue may cling to your clothing, which will continue to dry out your skin throughout the day or even as you sleep.

What Can I Do?

The most effective thing that you can do to prevent or treat xerotic eczema naturally is to bathe less often. If you can’t stand going longer without bathing, however, make sure to slather your skin with intense moisturizing lotion immediately after getting out of the shower or bath.

A study conducted in 2005 showed that moisturizing skin affected by eczema is most effective when the skin is only partially dry.

This same study showed that those who soaked their skin for 20 minutes prior to going to bed and then covering their skin with moisturizer while it was still damp experienced significant improvement to the moisture of their skin.

Using a humidifier in winter is also effective, because it replaces some of the moisture in the air that is lost during the winter.

Along with this, drinking more water will help to naturally moisturize your body from the inside out.

Finally, avoid any soap or moisturizer with dye, fragrance, or other synthetic chemicals as they have been shown to severely reduce moisture levels in the skin. Instead, look for moisturizing soap and lotion that hydrates the skin best.