Skin Care

Chapped Skin - Causes and Treatment Methods

One common skin problem that most people often complain about is chapped skin. Skin cracks and fissures appear on the surface due to a combination of dry and scaly skin and exposure to extreme climatic conditions. Extreme heat or extreme cold can cause the skin to get cracked and dry.

Parts of the skin which are thickened and elastic are highly susceptible to get cracked or have fissures. Eyelids, palms of the hand, the ridges over the knuckles and clefts are most affected regions when a person suffers from chapped skin. Clefts between the fingers and toes also get cracks and appear dry when exposed to extreme heat or cold.

Causes of Chapped Skin

Skin becomes chapped and cracks start appearing on the skin surface when the natural oils from the body begin drying up and the immunity system also loses some of its force. Exposure to elements like the wind, sun and cold is also said to be the cause of chapped skin. Dryness and cracked surfaces begin to appear when exposed to elements like these. When the body comes into frequent contact with harsh chemicals, water and even soaps, skin starts getting too dry and appears fissured.

Soap removes the natural oils making the skin dry and more liable to crack. Lack of essential fatty acids and fluids in the body is also responsible for causing chapped skin. Not taking proper care of the skin in winter or summer months or not applying moisturizers or sunscreen lotions can trigger factors that cause formation of fissures or chapped skin. Most people often suffer from dryness and sore skin due to excessive contact with rough objects or high exposure to water.

Nutritional Therapy for Chapped Skin

Chapped skin can be treated effectively after finding out the exact cause and nature of the disease. If you find that it is the lack of fluids and essential fatty acids in the body then you need to go for nutritional therapy to ensure that the right foods can provide the body with natural oils needed to stay healthy and beautiful. A well-balanced diet, including foods rich in fatty acids, vitamins like vitamin A and essential fatty acids can help in removing the problem of dryness and treating the cracks appearing on the skin surface. Incorporate leafy vegetables, carrots, legumes, grains, unrefined vegetable oils, nutritional yeast for promoting moist skin and treating chapped skin.

Herbal Remedies

Use of herbal medicines and drugs can work wonders in removing fissures or cracked skin. Dermatologists most often prescribe comfrey cream for aiding new cell growth. Applying olive oil, calendula ointment or even use of mashed avocado to chapped skin in dry weather can retain the moisture in the skin and prevent skin chapping.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medications are generally instrumental in preserving the skin’s radiance and moisture. You can use jelly petroleum for crack appearing at the corners of the mouth, knuckles and palms of the hand. Cracks on the fingertips will diminish with the use of silicea. Dry, red, itchy and blotchy skin can also be treated effectively by taking products containing sulphur. Consult an experienced and reputed homeopath for cracks arising due to some kind of infection or persistent skin chapping problems.

Tissue Salts

Doctors often prescribe tablets like calc fluor when the hands appear cracked and chapped, especially due to exposure to extreme cold. Dryness in the palms of the hands can also be treated by taking Nat mur.

Some Common Remedies for Chapped Skin

Use humidifiers to make up for the loss of moisture caused due to heater of any other devise. This way you can reduce your exposure to natural-oil depleting substances.

Apply primrose oil supplements on the affected skin areas to make the skin appear smooth and moist. With the use of such oil supplements, you can repair and boost skin cell growth and increase the moisture content.

Inadequate sleep is also one triggering factor that hampers the skin cell activity and slows down cell repair. Therefore, it is necessary to get adequate sleep to improve the skin cell repair activity since skin cell strengthen when a person is taking rest.

Skin becomes dry and appears cracked often because blood circulation level is not normal. Exercising can step up the blood circulation and improves blood flow to skin, thereby making it appear young, fresh and naturally beautiful without cracks and soreness. Stimulate the sebaceous glands by opting for natural dry brush skin techniques.