Managing dry skin

Whether you spend time after skincare and grooming yourself or not, dry skin is a problem that even the most unperturbed person loathes. It has more to do with your health than your appearance.
There are a number of reasons that could cause dry skin. From age to climate, a person's inherent genetics, diseases, and of course, their lifestyle.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Believe it or not, taking long showers are not overly healthy for you. They can have harsh effects on your skin. This only gets worse if you take hot showers. Remember, taking warm showers are good, hot showers — not so much. They dry out your skin from all moisture, which can not only lead to dry skin but also skin related discomforts.
After you have finished your shower or are done washing yourself, pat your skin dry rather than harshly rubbing the towel on your skin. Such actions can aggravate skin irritations.
Using a moisturiser is strongly recommended if you want to get rid of dry skin. They work by trapping moisture, which is why it is suggested that you use moisturisers within few minutes of finishing your shower while your skin is still damp. Moisturisers can come in different forms — whichever one you are using, make sure that it suits your skin type.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Using cleansers, soaps or shampoos during shower or washing is a good idea, but careful not to use any product that are heavy in chemicals or contains alcohol. Alcohol dries out the skin, which is highly undesirable. If you are about to use any homemade ointment, make sure that they are not detrimental to your skin. For people with sensitive skin, extra caution should be exercised.
Keep in the mind that the weather has a big effect on your skin health. Staying too long in direct sunlight is not ideal and sometimes you might be tempted to take frequent showers, but more than one shower a day is not recommended. Avoid using any fabric that irritates your skin.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Try to drink as much fluid as often you can. If your body is dehydrated, your skin will suffer. Bad habits such as smoking also have an effect, as does stress. So, try to bring positive changes to your lifestyle.
If the dry skin irritates you too much and is turning into red scaly patches and there's no change despite your best efforts, then perhaps it is time to see a dermatologist.