Skin - dry; Winter itch; Xerosis; Xerosis cutis
Dry skin occurs when your skin loses too much water and oil. Dry skin is common and can affect anyone at any age.
Symptoms of dry skin include:
You can get dry skin anywhere on your body. But it commonly shows up on the hands, feet, arms, and lower legs.
Dry skin can be caused by:
You can ease dry skin by restoring moisture to your skin.
Contact your health care provider if:
American Academy of Dermatology Association website. Dry skin: diagnosis and treatment. www.aad.org/diseases/a-z/dry-skin-treatment#overview. Accessed July 25, 2023.
Dinulos JGH. Atopic dermatitis. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide in Diagnosis and Therapy. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 5.
Lim HW, Gelfand JM. Eczemas, photodermatoses, papulosquamous (including fungal) diseases, and figurate erythemas. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 405.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 7/8/2023
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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06/01/2025
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