Why do the elbows on men's hands dry out?

Not long ago I encountered such an unpleasant problem as dry elbows. I work at the computer a lot and often lean on my elbows to rest or just think. But I couldn’t even imagine that such a nuisance as dryness and flaking could happen to my elbows. The most interesting thing is that I regularly use creams and always apply cream not only to my hands, but also to my elbows before going to bed. And then suddenly I discovered that I had a dry elbow, and just one – the left one. I don’t know why this happened, but only one was injured. Naturally, I didn’t like it, and I decided to scour the Internet and look for affordable and homemade ways to solve this problem.

The content of the article:

Cause of dry elbows

After reading the information on the Internet, I learned that my problem is quite common and is more common in women. In addition to the reasons I mentioned, there are others, due to which the skin on the elbows becomes dry, rough and begins to crack. I must say that this is quite unpleasant and uncomfortable.

So, the causes of dryness are:

1. Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.
2. Vitamin deficiency, especially lack of vitamins A and E.
3. Insufficient or improper care, or its complete absence.
4. Seasonal exacerbations.
5. Diabetes.
6. Anemia.
7. Temperature changes.
8. Poor quality clothes, synthetics.

In order to get rid of this problem and choose the right treatment method, you must first accurately determine the cause. It is best to do this together with a dermatologist. , but I understand perfectly well that few of us will go to see a doctor with such a “nonsense” problem. And I’m almost certainly sure that you will try to solve this issue on your own. So that you do not harm yourself and do it as correctly as possible, I offer you several proven recipes.

Treatment for dry elbows

If the skin on the elbows has a slight thickening and has become rough, treatment should begin with the use of exfoliating and softening preparations. The best and most affordable drug is salicylic ointment. . It must be applied to dry elbows for 10 days, after which be sure to apply a nourishing cream.

If dry skin is caused by a lack of vitamins, then an experienced doctor will definitely prescribe vitamin complexes in order to replenish and restore the level of vitamins in the body. If your elbows have become dry due to a lack of vitamins A and E, then they should be taken in courses, taking a break of at least two weeks . At the same time, do not forget to enrich your diet with foods containing these vitamins. But without fanaticism, an excess of vitamins in the body also has its negative consequences.

Is the cause of dryness a failure in the endocrine system? There is no way to do this without an endocrinologist. You will never cure your elbows until you are treated by an endocrinologist and get this system working.

During an exacerbation, when the skin is especially irritated, experts recommend using the following medications: Lipikar balm, Atoderm cream or Radevit ointment . They need to be applied twice a day until the condition of the skin on the elbows improves. If you are bothered by itching in the elbow area, then use fish oil to relieve it.

If you notice that the skin on your elbows has begun to change color or become rough, crack or peel, do not let the situation worse, but take action immediately: After each water procedure, be sure to apply moisturizing and nourishing creams to them . Apply the cream with light massage movements. Pay attention to the composition of these creams; it is important that they contain chamomile. It will not only soften and moisturize the skin of the elbows, but will also promote the speedy healing of cracks. If the skin on the elbows has an uneven surface, then your cream should contain glycerin.

With temperature changes and seasonal exacerbations, the skin on the elbows often begins to peel off and become rough, and sometimes a rash appears. This indicates that the water-fat balance in your body is disturbed. To begin with, you should avoid any hard soap, as it dries out the skin too much. . Replace it with liquid soap or gel, which has moisturizing and softening properties. You should wash your elbows carefully using a special hair brush, after applying foam with glycerin to it.

Various oils can be used effectively to treat dry elbows. , especially olive (although I personally make do with sunflower). You can make various compresses and lotions based on oil, or regular baths for the elbows. Only the oil must be preheated. After the bath, the skin on the elbows will soften greatly, you need to carefully remove the top layer of skin using the same hair brush, and at the end of the procedure, apply a rich moisturizer to the elbows. All these procedures are best done before bed, and compresses are generally ideal for the night.

After treatment is completed, you should not “throw away” elbow care until the next exacerbation. As you know, it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it. Therefore, do not forget about prevention and daily moisturizing of your elbows. For prevention, use an exfoliating scrub 1-2 times a week, and also make nourishing masks several times a week. . You can buy these products, or you can use proven advice from traditional medicine.

Folk remedies for dry elbows

Traditional medicine is an indispensable assistant in solving many problems. For example, I try to use her recipes to the maximum. She has helped me out more than once, and this time she did not let me down.

So, what does she suggest for treating dry elbow skin:

1. To lighten dark skin on your elbows, use fresh lemon or grapefruit juice, rice broth, or sauerkraut juice. . To do this, soak a cotton pad in any of the above liquids and apply to your elbows for 15-20 minutes. Kefir or sour cream, or a leaf of white cabbage are also perfect.

Attention! Do not use citrus juice if there are cracks or damage to your elbows!

1. Excellent nourishing and softening mask for elbows : 10 grams of hard cheese, grated on a fine grater, mixed with 1 potato and 1 tsp. honey and apply to elbows. Secure with a bandage and leave for 30-40 minutes, then remove (do not rinse!) and apply any rich nourishing cream.
2. And this is my favorite mask, which I use regularly and recommend to you : mix one teaspoon each of full-fat sour cream, fine salt, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide. Mix well and apply to pre-steamed skin. Wrap in a plastic bag and leave for 40 minutes, then remove and apply nourishing cream to your elbows. The effect is amazing. But only on condition that you do this mask regularly, 2-3 times a week. Within a week, the result will pleasantly surprise you. I recommend!
3. Exfoliating homemade scrub . Combine in equal proportions: honey, sour cream, fine salt and coffee grounds, stir until smooth, then apply to one elbow and massage thoroughly for 3-5 minutes. Rinse and do the same with the other elbow. After the procedure, be sure to apply a nourishing or moisturizing cream.
4. A very simple but effective remedy - a bath for dry elbows with starch . It’s very simple: dilute 2-3 teaspoons of starch in a glass of water (37-38° C), pour into a bowl and dip your elbows in this mixture for 15 minutes. Then rinse with cool running water and apply the cream.
5. There is no need to talk about the benefits of honey . Besides all its known benefits, it is also an excellent emollient for dry skin. An excellent compress is made based on honey and almond oil: combine honey and heated almond oil in equal proportions. Dip a bandage folded several times into this mixture and apply to your elbows. Then wrap it in polyethylene and wrap it with a warm cloth on top, leave for 30-40 minutes. After the specified time, remove the compress and rinse off the residue with cool water. There is no need to apply cream after this procedure!

Finally

If dry elbows cause you discomfort and you want to get rid of this problem quickly, then it is worth carrying out intensive treatment using both medications and traditional methods. With maximum effort, you will see results in just a week. But you shouldn’t immediately rejoice and quit the procedure. Secure the result and continue treatment for at least another 15 days . And only then you can move on to caring for your elbows in a relaxed manner. But do not forget that even in normal mode, you need to use various masks, compresses, scrubs more often and apply a moisturizing or nourishing cream to your elbows every day before going to bed.

Using my recommendations, you can easily restore smoothness to your elbows. And regular care will allow you to forget about the problem of dry elbows forever.

Alas, body care is carried out very unevenly. Some of its zones receive maximum attention, while others are not remembered at all.

• they do not fall into the constant field of view of their owner;

• most of the time they are hidden under clothing;

• some consider such care unnecessary and unjustified.

Most often they are remembered with the arrival of the spring-summer period, when it is time to put on T-shirts and short-sleeved blouses, dresses and sundresses. This is where they begin to wonder: why is there dry skin on the elbows, and most importantly, how to quickly get rid of this problem, returning them to a presentable appearance?

Dry elbows: cause and treatment

This problem can cause inconvenience, as dry skin cracks, itches, and clings to clothes. If this problem happens periodically, then you can get by with moisturizing creams and lotions, but if dry elbows are chronic, then you should take it more seriously, consult a doctor, and undergo the necessary examinations. Experts will be more precise about why there are dry elbows, because the cause can be either simple mechanical damage and improper daily routine, or problems associated with hormonal imbalances.

Main reasons

1. Vitamin deficiency. If the body does not receive enough vitamins A, E and D, then this primarily affects the condition of the skin: both the elbows and the whole body.

2. Mechanical impact. This reason is more common among office workers, people in sedentary professions, whose working day is spent at the desk. Not everyone knows, but one of the rules of good manners - not to put your elbows on the table - was originally invented for young nobles. Girls were forbidden to rub their tender elbows on the wooden tabletop, so that the skin would not ruin or darken.

3. Hot foam bath. Almost every person loves to lie in a warm bath and relax after a hard day at work. It has been proven that this method really helps relieve stress, especially if you add sea salt, various aromatic additives and special foam to the water. Frequent relaxation in such a bath can lead to dry skin, as the water contains chlorine. And soap foam balls contain cocamines, which also adversely affect the neutral pH of the skin.

4. Health problems are another reason why there is dry skin on the elbows. Dark and dry elbow bends are a reason to immediately consult a doctor, primarily an endocrinologist. Because there are hormonal imbalances in the body caused by improper functioning of the pancreas and adrenal glands. Also, nervous shocks and regular stress can cause hormonal imbalances.

6. Seasonal problem. Dry skin on the elbows is more often observed in the autumn-winter period, since this time is characterized by sudden changes in temperature, as well as dry air in living and working areas caused by the operation of air conditioners and heating radiators.

Methods to combat dry elbows

As soon as the reason for dry elbows is established, you need to immediately begin to eliminate it, so as not to start and worsen the situation. There are many ways, but your doctor will help you choose the right one.

Changing food

The problem of “dry elbows”, the cause and treatment of which lies in the lack of vitamins and their replenishment, can be eliminated not only with the help of medications, but also by adjusting your own menu. For example, you should increase your consumption of sunflower seeds, almonds, and chicken eggs, as they contain a high content of vitamin E.

To compensate for the lack of vitamin D, you need to eat fermented milk products, cheese, and fish liver.

If you eat more spinach, carrots, sorrel and beef liver, then the problem of insufficient vitamin A will be unfamiliar to you.

If a change in diet does not help improve the condition of the skin, then you should avoid using more concentrated multivitamin complexes.

Dry elbows in men and children

Not only women, but also men face this problem; sometimes even children have dry elbows. In babies, this is usually due to the fact that delicate skin rubs against diapers, also due to hard water and unsuitable bathing products, so it is recommended to rub children with oil after each bath to properly moisturize and nourish sensitive skin.

If men have dry elbows, the main reason for the problem is the lack of proper care for this area of ​​the body. Strong friction may even cause calluses to appear on them. A rich cream that needs to be rubbed into the skin of the elbows twice a day for at least 10 days will help cope with this cause.

Traditional medicine recipes

The main assistant in the fight against dry elbows, according to traditional healers, is lemon.

Saving elbows with a mask

There is one old, time-tested way to improve the condition of your elbow joints. To prepare a miraculous mask, you need to take fine salt, heavy cream or sour cream, hydrogen peroxide and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply this mixture to softened, exfoliated elbows. All this is wrapped in cling film and left in place for half an hour.

If you are faced with such a common problem as dry elbows, the cause and treatment should be determined as soon as possible, and the course of healing should be continued for at least 10 days, and for better results it should be extended by a month. The next stage is prevention, which consists of lubricating your elbows with cream every two days, and taking moisturizing and nourishing baths 2-3 times a week.

If you regularly take care of the skin on your elbows in the same way as on your hands, then there will be no serious problems with them, and they will always look healthy and soft to the touch.

Our body gives signals of danger much earlier than the onset of the disease. You just need to be able to recognize them correctly and take timely measures. For example, very often skin problems occur on the elbows. It is difficult to hide these defects under a layer of clothing, especially in the summer. To carry out competent treatment, you need to find out the reasons: why your elbows are peeling, and based on this, choose the right product for treating the skin.

What is peeling on elbows

The skin on the elbows is always a little denser than on other parts of the body. This phenomenon is considered absolutely normal and is associated with the constant work of the joints: flexion and extension of the arm. In addition, the elbows are always drier than the rest of the arm due to the fact that there are practically no sebaceous glands in this place. However, it happens that roughness and dryness of the skin develops into a real problem. How to distinguish the norm from the beginning of pathogenic processes?

Peeling of the elbows, in essence, is the rejection of dead epidermal cells from the surface of the skin. It is not difficult to distinguish normal exfoliation from pathogenic exfoliation. If the skin on the elbows is soft, does not cling to clothing and does not cause discomfort, then there is nothing to worry about. You should visit a doctor or pay attention to the frequency of hand care if an unpleasant crust, cracks appear, or when your elbows begin to turn gray.

Why does the skin on my elbows dry out?

The so-called elephant skin effect can appear at any age and in people of different genders. There are many reasons why elbows peel, but special attention should be paid to:

1. Health. Dry elbows are a common symptom of many diseases. For example, this is how the body can make it clear about disturbances in the endocrine system, problems with the adrenal glands, thyroid gland or stomach. Dry skin often bothers patients with psoriasis, eczema, diabetes, hypothyroidism, dermatitis, and anemia.
2. Nutrition. A lack of vital micro and macroelements and vitamins can also affect dry hand skin. A monotonous diet and exhausting diets often become the reasons why elbows peel. In order to avoid the problem, you should include foods high in keratin in your diet: seaweed, fish, lean meat, dairy, fresh vegetables, oranges and other fruits.
3. Hygiene. Taking hot baths too often and scrubbing the skin is another factor that leads to peeling on the elbows.
4. Mechanical influences. Crust on the elbows, redness of the skin, and peeling are observed in those people who often work at the computer or with papers. In addition, improperly selected clothing can lead to such changes. Synthetics do not allow air to pass through well, which is why the skin on the elbows naturally becomes rougher.

Crusts form

If the skin on the elbows peels and cracks, the causes may be any problems with the internal organs: the stomach, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, kidneys or liver. Whitish, almost transparent crusts on the elbows also appear as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system: after severe stress, nervous strain, or increased mental activity.

If the red spot does not cause discomfort, does not hurt or itch, and the weather is cold outside, a temperature change may be the cause of the peeling. To prevent this from happening in the future, dermatologists recommend lubricating your joints with a rich cream in the winter, before each time you go outside. To prevent goose bumps during the cold season, you need to take special supplements with vitamins A and E.

Rough skin

Peeling of the skin on the elbows in tandem with a very roughened epidermis is a more alarming signal. Such manifestations usually indicate the development of endocrine problems. It is worth seeing a doctor and checking the functioning of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands. Diseases of these organs are difficult to detect with the naked eye, since they are almost asymptomatic. Due to insufficient production of hormones, metabolism deteriorates, causing all body processes to slow down, including skin renewal.

Elbows turn black

Another serious cause of peeling elbows is hypothyroidism. Moreover, young girls and women often suffer from this disease. Hypothyroidism manifests itself in many different symptoms, but the most obvious sign is darkening of the elbow bends. Why the skin on the elbows of women and girls peels, turns black or gray, while in men the same symptoms are completely absent, it is difficult for doctors to answer unequivocally. It is generally accepted that this is due to hormonal imbalance during the menstrual cycle and poor hormone production.

What to do

The first thing you need to do if peeling appears is to consult a doctor: first to a therapist, then to an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist or even a gynecologist. Only through a series of diagnostic procedures and a complete history can the exact cause of dry elbows be established. If these are internal problems of the body, adequate medical care will be needed. Only by eliminating the root of the problem can you get rid of the symptoms.

If the reason why the elbows are very peeling has not been established by doctors, you need to take a more careful approach to drawing up the menu. The diet should be enriched with foods rich in vitamins, healthy fats and amino acids. For greater confidence, you should take vitamin supplements, which will contain beneficial substances of groups A, B, PP, E. In addition, you should make it a habit to carry out pleasant procedures for caring for the skin of your elbows at least once a week.

Nourishing masks

Special homemade hand masks will help nourish the epidermis, externally saturate the skin with vitamins, cure dermatitis and make elbows softer. Try making a moisturizer from carrots. It will give firmness and elasticity to the skin, saturate it with vitamin A and help heal cracks or wounds on the elbow joint:

1. Grate half a raw carrot.
2. Mix it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Take two cotton pads and carefully place the resulting mixture in the center.
4. Apply the swabs to your elbows and secure with a bandage.
5. After half an hour, rinse off any remaining product with warm water.
6. To achieve maximum effect, you can take carrots internally.

If you don’t have much time to tinker with the recipe, you can try preparing a simple mask with ascorbic acid based on orange:

1. To do this, lightly heat castor or olive oil in a small bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed orange juice to the container.
3. Pour the crushed ascorbic acid tablet into the container and mix.
4. Using massage movements with your fingers, apply the resulting mixture to your elbows.
5. Leave the product on for about 5 minutes and then rinse off.

Ointments and creams

During periods of exacerbation of cold weather, when the skin of the elbows is especially susceptible to peeling, and there is a lack of vitamins in the body, you can nourish your hands with simple pharmaceutical products. Make it a habit to lubricate your elbow joints with baby cream, unscented fatty ointment, or other moisturizers after each bath or shower.

If symptoms from internal diseases intensify, the doctor will give a recommendation: apply medicinal ointments or anti-inflammatory balms to the elbows. The following will help to cope with dermatitis, rashes and prevent the occurrence of cracks on the elbows:

All of the above products should be applied to cleansed hands, in a thin layer once or twice a day. If persistent positive results are obtained, the use of pharmaceutical products can be suspended. When peeling of the skin is accompanied by a rough thickening of the upper skin, before applying the products, the elbows should be cleaned with a scrub or special exfoliating preparations should be used.

Folk remedies

Healing nettle baths will help make the skin on your elbows beautiful, elastic and smooth. This bath procedure stimulates metabolic processes, treats small cracks, promotes wound healing, and relieves redness in the affected area. To prepare the bath:

1. Take 300 grams of dried nettle leaves.
2. Pour the raw material with 1 liter of boiling water and let it brew for 15-20 minutes.
3. There is no need to strain the solution; immediately pour the tincture into a small bowl and lower your arms bent at the elbows to the bottom.
4. Leave the bath for at least 15 minutes.
5. After the procedure, dry your skin and apply moisturizer to your joints.

Olive oil baths soften the skin, remove flaking and make elbows smooth:

1. Heat 6 tbsp in a steam bath. l. oils
2. Divide the mixture into two portions and divide into saucers.
3. Soak your elbows in the oil for 5-10 minutes.
4. Rub the softened skin with a soft pumice stone, then rinse off any remaining product with water and baby soap.
5. Lubricate your elbows with nourishing cream.

To reduce redness, irritation and rashes on the skin, lemon juice, rice broth, and sauerkraut have long been used. These ingredients are considered natural brighteners. To eliminate peeling at home, you can make compresses on the elbows from sour cream or green tea, lubricate problem areas with honey, make decoctions of dry elecampane, chamomile and other herbs. The following oils will help quickly soften the skin on your elbows: sea buckthorn, buckwheat, almond.

Prevention of peeling elbows

To ensure that the skin on the elbows always remains beautiful, does not cling to clothes and pleases with its softness, you should always adhere to the following simple rules:

1. drink at least one and a half liters of water per day;
2. replace daily washing in bathrooms with a contrast shower;
3. do not use untested cosmetics;
4. wear clothes made from natural fabrics;
5. care for your elbows using special ointments, moisturizing creams or balms.