Dry skin in diabetes treatment is possible at home, Our skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet. The skin protects us from microbes and the elements helps regulate body temperature and permit the sensations of touch, heat, and cold.
When anything wrong happens in the body our skin shows the very first signs of it.
Dry skin occurs when skin doesn’t retain sufficient moisture. This can happen as a result of frequent bathing, use of harsh soaps, aging, or certain medical conditions. And for those in colder climates, it can stem from cold, dry winter air.
In diabetes there are two types of skin conditions one appears as the warning of increasing blood sugar and body’s inabilty to control it.
why skin gets dry in imminent diabetes
When there’s too much sugar circulating in the blood, the body tries to get rid of it. Excess sugar spills into urine, drawing water out of the body to flush it out of the body.
It makes you pee frequently—and in large amounts. It can make you really thirsty because you’re dehydrated and your body is unable to retain moisture for long leaving you with dry skin.
Some people feel extremely hungry and may experience sudden or unexplained weight loss because the cells of the body aren’t getting the sugar they need as a fuel source.
In diabetes, you need help from a dermatologist because it is different from everyday dry skin,
Symptoms of severe dry skin
1. Dehydration
Excessively dry skin has lost a lot of moisture, so it’s noticeably dehydrated. Signs of dehydrated skin include dryness, more noticeable fine lines, and itch.
2. Flakes, rough texture
When the skin loses enough moisture, it starts to flake off. This causes a rough texture.
3. Cracks in the skin
As the skin dries out, it shrinks. This shrinking causes cracks to form. Some cracks can become deep and may bleed.
4.Itch
Some people who have excessively dry skin say their skin itches all the time.
The nearly constant itch can make it difficult to focus on everyday tasks, such as driving or getting your work done. The itching can make it difficult to fall asleep and can wake you from a sound sleep and doing day-to-day tasks.
5. Skin feels painful, may sting or burn
Dry, cracked, or raw skin often feels painful. When something touches the already painful skin, such as water, some people say their skin burns. In a cold, dry climate, this can happen to those who often have wet hands while at work.
Wrinkled with a rough, loose texture
When skin loses a lot of moisture, it wrinkles and develops a rough texture. With age, it also becomes loose, as shown here.
Ingredidients that can helps in moisturizing your skin
Skin moisturizers, which rehydrate the top layer of skin cells and seal in the water, are one of the best ways to treat dry skin. They contain three main types of ingredients:
Humectants. These substances help attract moisture. They include ceramides (pronounced ser-A-mids), glycerin, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid, and lecithin.
Occlusives. These ingredients —including petrolatum (petroleum jelly), silicone, lanolin, and various oils—help seal moisture within the skin.
Emollients. These products contain oil, water, and an emulsifier to keep the two from separating. They are lighter and easier to apply than petrolatum or oils. Many commercial moisturizers contain both an emollient and a humectant, such as linoleic, linolenic, and lauric acids.
What you can do every day to prevent dry skin
- Use a humidifier in the winter. Set it to around 60%, a level that should be sufficient to moisturize your skin.
- Keep showers short. Limit yourself to one 5- to 10-minute bath or shower daily. If you bathe more than that, you may strip away much of the skin’s oily layer and cause it to lose moisture. Use lukewarm rather than hot water, which can wash away natural oils.
- Minimize your use of soaps. Consider soap-free cleansers. Steer clear of deodorant soaps, perfumed soaps, and alcohol products, which can strip away natural oils. Use fragrance-free laundry detergents and avoid fabric softeners, too.
- Be gentle to your skin. Stay away from bath sponges, scrub brushes, and rough washcloths. For the same reason, pat or blot (don’t rub) the skin when toweling dry.
- Don’t scratch. Most of the time, a moisturizer can control the itch. You can also use a cold pack or compress to relieve itchy spots.
- Stay warm without cozying up to a fireplace or other heat source. Sitting in front of an open flame or another heat source can dry your skin.
- Wear gloves. Our hands are often the first place we notice dry skin. You can reduce dry, raw skin by putting on gloves before you:
- Go outdoors in winter. Perform tasks that require you to get your hands wet. Get chemicals, greases, and other substances on your hands (mild ones).
- Use only gentle, fragrance-free skincare products. Some skincare products, such as deodorant soaps, are too harsh for dry, sensitive skin. Dermatologists recommend using products labeled “fragrance-free.”
- Check for unscented products twice: If you see the word “unscented,” the product can contain chemicals that neutralize or hide the odors of other ingredients. These chemicals can irritate dry, sensitive skin.
- Apply moisturizer immediately after washing. Ointments, creams, and lotions (moisturizers) work by trapping existing moisture in your skin. To trap this much-needed moisture, you need to apply a moisturizer within few minutes of shower
- Use an ointment or cream rather than a lotion. Ointments and creams are more effective and less irritating than lotions.
- Stop using skin care products that contain any of the following:
Alcohol (except for hand sanitizer)
Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA)
Fragrance, including deodorant soaps
Retinoids
Avoiding these products will help your skin retain its natural oils.
Blurry vision in diabetes, 6 ways to control & treat at home
