Dry skin is often a temporary or seasonal problem — one that you experience only in winter or summer, for example — but the problem may remain a lifelong concern. Although your skin is often driest on your hands, arms, lower legs and sides of your abdomen, the locations where these dry patches form can vary considerably from one person to the next.
Signs and symptoms of the condition will depend on your age, health status, living environment, the amount of time you spend out doors and the specific cause of your problem. With dry skin, you may have one or more of the following:
• Sensation of skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming.
• Skin that appears shrunken or dehydrated
• Skin that feels and looks rough rather than smooth
• Itching that sometimes may be intense
• Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling skin
• Fine lines or cracks in the skin
• Redness
Dry skin (xerosis) often has an environmental cause. Certain diseases also can significantly affect your skin. Potential causes of dry skin include:
• Weather. Skin tends to be driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. But the season may not matter as much if you live in desert regions.