13 Reasons You Have Scaly Skin—and How to Get Rid of It
If your skin is dry, rough, and scaly,
psoriasis, eczema, athlete's foot, or other skin conditions could be to blame.
Our guide to the many causes of scaly skin will help you pinpoint your
problem–and identify the steps you can take to fix it.
Why you have dry, itchy, scaly skin
Feel like you’re alone in dealing with the autoimmune disorder? We promise
you’re not. In this video, we’re spotlighting nine super famous celebs who
openly struggle with psoriasis too.
Psoriasis
If you
develop raised red patches with a silvery-white coating over your knees,
elbows, lower back, or scalp, you probably have plaque psoriasis. It’s the most common form of
psoriasis, a chronic disease that seriously speeds the process by which skin
cells mature and reach the skin’s surface. Because the rate at which old cells
are shed remains unchanged, the new cells stack up and become thickened patches
covered by the dead, flaking skin.
The
precise cause of psoriasis isn’t known. “Something is happening at the level of
the T-cell, one of the immune cells in our body, that signals the skin to
overproduce,” explains Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of
dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. Heredity is definitely a factor—about
one-third of sufferers have a close family member who’s also affected,
according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis
can begin at any age—“You can come out of the womb with it or develop it late
in life,” says Dr. Gohara—but most people get it between ages 15 and 30.
Three-quarters of people who are going to develop psoriasis have it by age 40.
Psoriasis
can come and go with varying degrees of severity, and attacks may be triggered
by emotional stress, skin injury, and physical illness. There’s no cure for the
condition, but many treatments are available, and your dermatologist will chose
the right one based on the degree of your psoriasis and where on the body it
occurs.
Eczema
Red,
scaly, or even oozing crusty patches that itch a lot usually signal eczema,
which is often called “the itch that rashes.” An umbrella term for a group of
conditions, eczema is very common, affecting more than 30 million Americans.
It’s not known what causes eczema, but researchers believe a combination of
environmental factors and genetics are involved. People with eczema tend to
have very dry skin, possibly the result of a mutation of the gene that controls
creation of filaggrin,
a protein that helps create a healthy barrier on the top layer of skin to keep
moisture from escaping and bacteria from entering, according to the National
Eczema Association. The immune systems of people with eczema also tend to
overreact to allergens or irritants, attacking their bodies instead of
protecting them. The result: inflammation that leads to red, itchy, and painful
skin.
Eczema
can be exacerbated by a variety of things, including hot baths and heavy use of
soaps; tight, scratchy clothing; anything that makes your skin hot and
bothered, such as sunbathing or excessive sweat-inducing exercise; scratching,
which only inflames the already irritated skin even more; and stress, which can
precipitate or aggravate an outbreak. Everybody’s eczema triggers are different, though, so it’s important to identify yours.
There’s
no cure for eczema, but there are many treatments, including over-the-counter
remedies, prescription meds, light therapy, immunosuppressants, and biologic
drugs. But self-care, including regular use of a moisturizer
with a high oil content to keep the skin hydrated and less reactive, is key to
managing flares.
Seborrheic dermatitis
Got white
or yellowish greasy scales on oily areas of the body? Then you probably have
seborrheic dermatitis, a very common condition that usually affects the scalp,
ears, eyebrows, sides of the nose, eyelids, and chest. (Many babies develop a
type of seborrheic dermatitis known as cradle cap.) The cause isn’t entirely
understood but may be related to yeast that naturally lives on the skin
flourishing in oily secretions to a degree that your skin finds irritating.
Seborrheic
dermatitis usually affects adults between the ages of 30 and 60, and men are
slightly more prone to developing it. Once you get it, you tend to have it for
life. The condition comes and goes, often clearing and flaring without warning.
Cold, dry weather can trigger flare-ups, as can stress.
To shake
the scales, Dr. Gohara recommends using a dandruff shampoo that contains zinc
pyrithione, selenium sulfide, or ketoconazole. These ingredients have
antifungal properties that may keep the yeast on the skin at bay. You may need
to try several shampoos to find the one that works best for you. Massage the
shampoo onto the scalp and other affected areas and leave it in place for a few
minutes before rinsing to give the active ingredient time to work. Seborrheic
dermatitis can be stubborn, so if an OTC shampoo isn’t working, see a
dermatologist.
Tinea versicolor
Yeast on
the skin can also cause tinea versicolor, a condition that triggers dry, scaly,
discolored patches on areas of high sweat—usually the neck, chest, back, and
groin. “Yeast loves moist environments, so when some people sweat, it
overgrows,” explains Dr. Gohara. The spots can be lighter or darker than your
skin and may itch. The spots may become more noticeable after spending time in
the sun.
Tinea
versicolor is very common in tropical or subtropical areas of the world; some
people who live in these environments have it year-round. The solution is the
same as for seborrheic dermatitis: “Reel the yeast in with an antifungal
shampoo,” says Dr. Gohara, who recommends using it head to toe every day for a
month and then once or twice a week for the following month to maintain the
results. Tinea versicolor often returns, especially if you live in a warm,
humid environment, so using an antifungal cleanser once or twice a month can
help prevent the yeast from overgrowing again.
Dryness
Dry skin
can happen to anyone, but because your skin loses its ability to retain water
as you age, it’s more common as you get older. To understand the problem,
imagine skin’s outer, protective layer as a brick wall, with the cells being
the bricks and a matrix of fatty materials being the cement that surrounds
them. For a whole host of reasons—cold weather, indoor heat, hot water,
aggressive washing, and aging, which reduces the cellular cement—skin can
spring a microscopic leak and allow moisture to escape. When the water content
drops below a certain point, it becomes dry, scaly, and itchy. Dry skin can
crop up anywhere, but some parts of the body—like the extremities, which don’t
have as many oil glands as the face—are more prone to becoming parched.
Moisturizing
daily is an obvious solution to dryness, but your entire skincare regimen
should help you avoid dry skin. Wash with a mild cleanser, take shorter showers
with lukewarm water, and apply sunscreen every day, as UV rays can also lead to
dryness. Opt for moisturizers with ingredients that supplement those found
naturally in the skin, such as lipids, ceramides, cholesterol, and hyaluronic
acid, suggests Dr. Gohara. “You can’t beat Mother Nature.”
Actinic keratosis
These
crusty, scaly, precancerous growths form on skin that soaks up a
lot of sun over the years. The most common spots for actinic keratosis are the
face, ears, bald scalp, shoulders, neck, forearms, and the backs of the hands.
Actinic keratoses develop slowly and initially are felt rather than seen: “It’s
like you’re running your finger over sandpaper,” says Dr. Gohara. Most actinic
keratoses become red, but some are light or dark tan, white, pink, and/or
flesh-toned, or even a combination of these colors. Often several actinic
keratoses show up at the same time, and they may disappear only to reappear
later. The growths are considered precancerous because if left alone, they
could turn into a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. “Only
one in 1,000 develops into cancer, but since the potential is there, actinic
keratoses should be treated,” says Dr. Gohara. Treatment typically includes one
of a number of different surgical procedures to remove the growth or the use of
a prescription medication.
Allergies
From
fragrance to hair dye, there are many things you might put on your skin that
you could be allergic to—and those irritants can cause inflammation that leads
to itching, redness, and rough, scaly skin, technically called allergic contact
dermatitis. Nickel
is a common culprit: Between 10% and 20% of people are sensitive to this metal,
according to the CDC, and nickel allergies affect more women than men.
Identifying
a nickel allergy can be tricky for two reasons. First, the reaction is often
delayed. “You can wear jewelry that contains nickel but you may not get a rash
for another two weeks,” says Dr. Gohara. Secondly, the reaction can occur
suddenly after years of exposure: You may have worn nickel-laced earrings for
20 years, and then one day it’s as though skin reaches a tipping point where it
simply can’t handle any more contact with the metal. A dermatologist can
perform a patch test to confirm whether you are indeed allergic to nickel.
Avoiding
nickel seems like a surefire way to prevent this type of scaly skin, but it’s
harder than you might think to steer clear of. Nickel can be found in zippers,
bra hooks, jewelry, belt buckles, eyeglass frames, cell phones, laptops, and
your computer mouse. To avoid exposure and reduce skin symptoms, buy
nickel-free jewelry (opt for surgical stainless steel, titanium, sterling silver,
or yellow gold), shield electronics with a protective cover, and replace metal
bra hooks, zippers, buttons, and snaps with plastic. You can also create a
barrier between metal items and your skin by coating them with clear nail
polish.
Skin cancer
Especially
at an early stage, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common form
of skin cancer, typically appears as scaly patches on areas of the body that
receive a lot of sun exposure. (The name makes sense, since “squama” is Latin
for scale.) These spots can also look like warts and sometimes appear as open
sores with a raised border and a crusted surface. Unlike dry skin, these
lesions, which range from pea-size to chestnut-size, can bleed if bumped,
scratched, or scraped. They may persist, but they can also heal and then
return. Anyone can develop SCC, but people with fair skin, light hair, and light
eyes are at highest risk. SCC can become disfiguring and sometimes deadly if
allowed to grow, so be sure to see your doctor if you notice any change in a
preexisting skin growth or the development of a new one.
Hypothyroidism
An
underactive thyroid,
also called hypothyroidism, can affect many parts of the body, and the skin is
no exception. A small gland that sits at the base of your neck, the thyroid
produces hormones that control your metabolism. Along with feeling colder and
sluggish and becoming forgetful and depressed, having a thyroid that produces
too little thyroid hormone leaves many people with dry, rough, and scaly skin.
If you
think you might have an underactive thyroid, your doctor can confirm it with a
series of blood tests. The most common reason your thyroid gland can’t make
enough thyroid hormone is due to an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's disease, in which your immune system
mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland.
Ichthyosis
This
disease gets its name from the Greek word for fish, and that’s no accident:
When someone has ichthyosis, the skin often looks like it’s covered in fish
scales. Ichthyosis results from the same gene mutation that may cause eczema
that results in having too little filaggrin in your skin. Without enough of
this protein, skin cells aren’t shed as they should be and tend to pile up on
the surface, causing thickened, scaly skin, explains Dr. Gohara.
Ichthyosis
usually begins at birth or in a baby’s first year, but it can affect people at
any age. People inherit the gene mutation from one or both parents, neither of
whom needs to have the disease to pass on the genes. There are more than 20
different types of ichthyosis, but 95% of people who develop it get the mildest
form of the disease, according to the American Osteopathic College of
Dermatology. There’s no cure for ichthyosis, but exfoliating and moisturizing
regularly can usually control the symptoms. Dermatologists recommend taking long
soaking baths to soften the scales, then using a washcloth, loofah, or pumice
stone to gently slough them away. Once out of the tub, apply moisturizer to
damp skin to help seal in water. Opt for a moisturizer that contains urea,
glycolic acid, or lactic acid, ingredients that can both hydrate skin and
reduce scaling. If the problem persists, see a dermatologist.
Sunburn
Scaly
skin due to a peeling sunburn might not seem like a good thing at the time, but
it’s actually how the body gets rid of the UV-damaged cells, explains Steven
Wang, MD, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and chair of the
Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee. “As a reaction to the massive
UV assault, the cells commit suicide as a way to prevent those with an
excessive amount of DNA mutation from propagating.” Unfortunately, this process
isn’t perfect, and some of the surviving cells stick around and cause further
mutations that could eventually become cancerous. Scary stat: A single
blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your risk of
developing potentially deadly melanoma later in life.
If you
get burned, take quick action to prevent peeling: Cool your skin with cold
compresses or take a cool shower or bath, then moisturize skin while it’s still
damp (steer clear of petroleum or oil-based ointments that can trap heat and make the burn worse,
advises the Skin Cancer Foundation). To avoid getting burned in the first
place, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on all
exposed skin; seek shade whenever possible; and cover up with hats, sunglasses,
and UV-protective clothing.
Athlete's foot
You don’t
have to be an athlete to get this fungal infection, but the warm, dark, moist
environment inside a sporty sneaker is the perfect place for fungus to grow,
says Brian Adams, MD, a dermatologist in Cincinnati and chair of the American
Academy of Dermatology Sports Committee. The condition is particularly common
between the toes, though it often spreads to the soles, the heels, and the
edges of the feet. The fungus can cause skin to redden and crack, and the
affected scaly areas flake and may become itchy.
Unlike
most other causes of scaly skin, athlete’s foot is highly contagious. It’s also
difficult to get rid of, so prevention is key. Athletes should opt for
synthetic, moisture-wicking socks, which keep feet cool and dry, and wear
flip-flops in community locker rooms and showers—contracting athlete’s foot is
as easy as stepping on a tiny flake of skin from someone with the infection.
Topical antifungal creams, gel, or sprays usually clear the infection quickly,
but to be sure the skin is completely free of the fungus, you may need to treat
it for a week or two after the rash has gone (follow the instructions on the
label). Many other problems of the feet—including contact dermatitis, psoriasis,
and dryness—may mimic athlete’s foot, so if the problem persists, see a
dermatologist.
Pityriasis rosea
This rash
follows a very distinctive pattern, appearing first on the body as a single,
oval, scaly patch. Known as the “herald” or “mother” patch, this isolated spot
usually develops on the trunk, upper arms, neck, or thighs, and rarely, on the
face, scalp, palms, and soles. “Then, a couple of weeks later, you erupt in
smaller patches from your neck to your thighs,” says Dr. Gohara. One telltale
sign of pityriasis rosea: The patches often form a pattern that resembles a
Christmas tree.
The cause
of pityriasis rosea isn’t known, but it’s thought to be triggered by a viral
infection. What is known is that the condition is harmless, neither contagious
nor sexually transmitted, and usually clears up on its own after a month or two
without treatment—though doctors may prescribe topical steroids if the skin
itches, as it does about half the time. (Tip: Getting overheated can worsen the
rash, so take lukewarm showers and baths.) “Pityriasis rosea can really freak
people out because it’s this weird thing that pops up, and then it just sort of
goes away leaving no trace,” says Dr. Gohara. See a doctor if you think you
have this distinctive rash.
If your skin is dry, rough, and scaly,
psoriasis, eczema, athlete's foot, or other skin conditions could be to blame.
Our guide to the many causes of scaly skin will help you pinpoint your
problem–and identify the steps you can take to fix it.
T