Surprising Causes Of Dry Skin You Never Expected

Your skin undergoes all sorts of changes under the influence of fluctuating hormones, reports Everyday Health. Our hormone levels often go overlooked until there's something a bit off. "Hormones play a key role in skin health. We know this because certain hormonal disorders manifest themselves in the skin and hair, in addition to internally," S. Tyler Hollmig, director of dermatologic surgery at UT Dell Medical School and Ascension Seton, told Everyday Health.

A common side effect of low levels of thyroid hormones, called hypothyroidism, is dry skin (via Mayo Clinic). Thyroid hormones stimulate the oil glands (called the sebaceous glands), which produce a natural oil called sebum to hydrate and protect the skin, according to research published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine. When thyroid levels drop, the skin doesn't produce a sufficient supply of sebum, causing it to become coarse and scaly.

Another hormone that can throw your skin out of whack is estrogen, which plays a key role in sexual development during a woman's life, including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, per Everyday Health. Estrogen enables the skin to stimulate the right amount of sebum in order to keep it healthy and supple, but as a woman gets older, her estrogen levels start to fall, which leads to dryness and itchiness of the skin.

Hormone imbalances can arise from a number of factors, notes Everyday Health. "You can improve your skin health by getting plenty of sleep, having a balanced diet, exercising regularly, reducing alcohol consumption, and avoiding smoking," Hollmig advises.

There's nothing quite as romantic as snuggling up in front of a crackling fire during winter. Though, unfortunately, that dry indoor air can have a pretty harsh effect on your skin, leaving it dry and stressed, according to Refinery29,. A major contributing factor is your indoor heating system. "The heating systems we use are mostly dry air that sucks the moisture out," dermatologist Howard Sobel told the publication, adding that: "The old-time, water-heating systems were much less drying." There's also the impact of moving back and forth from inside to out, as some people's skin is particularly sensitive to changes in temperature (via WebMD).

When it comes to coping with dry indoor air, Sobel recommends investing in a humidifier which can counter the lack of moisture and add it back into the atmosphere. Alternatively, he suggests that you: "Put a pot of water on, and it will release moisture into the air as you heat the room." Another tip Howard gives is to use blankets instead and to use a timer to switch off or turn down your heater when you're sleeping.

Indoor heaters also spit out dust particles, pollen, and other allergens into the air, which not only have a deleterious impact on the condition of the skin but can inflame your sinuses and trigger respiratory problems like asthma or hayfever, per WebMD.  

It's common knowledge that what we eat can have a notable impact on the health and condition of our skin. But, you may not be aware that an excess of salt in our diet poses a particular problem, leading to severe dehydration. "Excess salt in the body draws more fluid out of the cells to help neutralize the salt and draw it out of the body," dietician Beth Warren told Bustle. "As a result, your skin gets drier because of the lack of fluid."

Research demonstrates that salt can exacerbate the symptoms of eczema, which is characterized by patches of inflammation, itchiness, swelling, and cracked skin (via Medical News Today). A 2019 study in Science Translational Medicine revealed that consuming too much salt, known scientifically as "sodium chloride," aggravates the body's T-helper cells, which — as the name suggests — help other cells of the immune system and play an important role in protecting the body against infections. When these cells go haywire, the body becomes more vulnerable to allergy-based illnesses and inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema (via ScienceDaily). The researchers of the study discovered that salt accumulation was 30 times higher in the skin of people suffering from moderate to severe eczema compared to those without eczema.

It's not just the bacteria in your gut that affects your skin health, but the bacteria on the skin itself is said to play an equally pivotal role. Your skin houses billions of bacteria, referred to as the skin microbiome — sometimes the skin flora — says research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, protecting you against harmful pathogens.

A 2017 study in the World Allergy Organization Journal shows that a balanced and harmonious microbiome on the skin's surface helps sustain the skin's vitality. When this ecosystem of bacteria is disrupted, depending on its environment or the characteristics of the individual, its protective barrier is compromised, which can influence the way your skin looks and feels. Studies published in Science Magazine have shown that moist versus dry skin areas "are likely as ecologically dissimilar as rain forests are to deserts." For example, the skin microbiome of a postmenopausal woman is vastly different to that of a hormonal, teenage boy.

The lack of diversity of your skin flora can knock your skin's pH off balance, bringing on dry skin, acne, redness, an overproduction of sebum, and numerous other problems (via World Allergy Organization Journal). While there certainly appears to be a strong relationship between your skin's microbiome and dryness, further research is required to better understand the science behind this.

It's not just the regularity with which you wash your face, but the type of water you're splashing it with that can have an effect on your skin, warns the U.S. Geological Survey. The term "hard water" describes water that contains high amounts of naturally-occurring, dissolved calcium and magnesium ions. You may notice the buildup of these minerals by the stains on your drinking glasses. Your skin might also display the tell-tale signs of being afflicted by hard water.

Hard water can upset the skin's natural oil balance, thereby causing redness and dryness (via Refinery29). "The calcium settles on the skin and changes one's own oil chemistry, which compromises the skin's ability to moisturize itself. It also leads to large pores, acne, rashes, itching, and rosacea," dermatologist Dennis Gross reported via Refinery29.

Consultant dermatologist Anjali Mahto also told the publication: "Research has shown that hard water — water that passes through chalk and limestone rock and carbonates along the way — can damage the barrier of the skin and contribute to the risk of developing eczema, as well as increasing its sensitivity."

To combat the problematic effects of hard water, be sure to cleanse and moisturize your skin with brands that replace the water content in their products with mineral water, advises Refinery29. Since calcium is a molecule, most shower-head filters won't be able to remove this, according to Dr. Gross; they can only remove dirt and sand particles.

Alcohol tends to have pretty unfortunate consequences for the skin. Due to its diuretic effect (i.e. it makes you pee more frequently), it can cause your body to lose a significant amount of fluid, vitamins, and nutrients (via Healthline).

Too many boozy nights out can quickly add up to dry, dull, and unhealthy-looking skin (via Cleveland Clinic). It can also bring about symptoms of rosacea, which include a flushing of the cheeks, persistent redness, bumps or pimples, and tiny dilated blood vessels on the surface of the skin. This is triggered by inflammation to bodily tissue, "releasing a histamine that dilates the blood's capillaries, so that the net effect is redness of the skin," Amy Spizuoco, dermatologist and dermatopathologist, explained to GQ, adding that, over time, this can lead to permanent damage.

Caffeine is another dehydrator, which is metabolized in the liver and acts as a diuretic, stripping the skin of its moisture, per GQ. Too many caffeinated beverages can stress the liver in a similar way as alcohol. This can be toxic to the body's tissues, yielding breakouts of dry, cracked, and peeling skin, as well as causing wrinkles, and premature aging.

It might surprise (and disappoint) you to find out that those soothing hot showers could be to blame for your skin troubles. According to Harry Dao, an assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, a hot, steamy shower or bath — as inviting as it may be during wintertime — is a common, albeit somewhat unexpected, contributor of excessively dry skin, and can even damage the skin's surface, spiraling into serious conditions like eczema and skin inflammation.

A bit like those harsh or chemical-laden products, hot showers and baths can disturb the skin's natural balance of moisture and strip it of its natural oils and vitamins, increasing the likelihood of redness, itching, and even peeling that resembles sunburn (via UPMC HealthBeat). In this vulnerable condition, your skin tends to be more susceptible to infections and viruses. "Dry skin is the most common cause of itchy, irritated skin, so it is important to avoid overly hot baths and showers," recommends Dao, advising people who struggle with dryness to take lukewarm baths and showers instead.

Dry skin can usually be attributed to a fairly innocent and easily-treatable cause. Nevertheless, every now and then, it might signal a more serious underlying condition that's screaming for your attention. If your skin is appearing scaly and red and generally feels itchy and uncomfortable, it could be due to a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema, noted WebMD. Psoriasis typically involves patches of thick, red skin and silvery white scales, while eczema manifests as red, scaly patches on the body or scalp, which can itch, burn, and even bleed. There's strong evidence published in Annals of Translational Medicine to support a genetic predisposition to both conditions, but infections, stress, and lifestyle choices are said to increase your risk for developing them, per WebMD.

Persistent skin dryness could also indicate a seemingly unrelated health issue, such as diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid issues or, more severely, skin cancer, whereby problematic skin often manifests as thick, rough, and scaly red patches (via Prevention). Dryness on its own is rarely an indicator of a life-threatening illness, but rather it's usually accompanied by other symptoms. However, if you've been battling dry skin for a while, it's worth consulting with a doctor to make sure that a more serious illness or health issue isn't at the root of your chronic skin woes.