Why does the skin on the elbows dry out?

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 fatty cream before each time you go outside in the winter. To prevent goose bumps during the cold season, you need to take special supplements with vitamin 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.

The elbow is perhaps the most inconspicuous part of the hand. Often it becomes the object of attention only when some painful symptoms appear. The latter, however, may appear not due to lack of care, but due to illness, which will be discussed below. You will also learn about how to deal with the symptom.

Description of the symptom

Initially, the skin on the elbows is rougher and thicker than on the rest of the arm. This is due to the fact that at the bend site - the elbow joint, it is subject to constant stretching, and, in fact, becomes as strong as possible - thick and rough. In addition, there are quite a few sebaceous and sweat glands in this area, so there is simply not enough natural lubrication.

Dry skin on the elbows means a condition that causes discomfort:

1. thickening noticeable to the touch and coarsening;
2. roughness, literally relief;
3. peeling, and the scales peel off with great difficulty, painfully, in some cases bleeding appears during peeling;
4. cracks in the skin, sometimes deep;
5. itching – usually occurs with excessive peeling;
6. darkening – too slow renewal of the top layer leads to the accumulation of horny scales. Accordingly, the color in this area changes - the skin becomes gray or brown;
7. redness and pain are usually a sign of a secondary infection.

Roughness, cracks and itching on the elbows appear regardless of skin type. Moreover, there is no data to suggest that this phenomenon is less common in women with oily skin.

The reasons for the appearance of this annoying drawback are very diverse.

1. Most often, the appearance of dry skin is associated with insufficient care. The denser and thicker top layer is renewed too slowly. This leads to thickening of the skin, dirtiness, and the appearance of cracks, since the moisture content in the stratum corneum is, in principle, very low - 7–10%.

To avoid troubles, it is more than enough to scrub your elbows periodically - 1-2 times a week, and lubricate them with any moisturizer.

1. Another most common reason is a basic lack of vitamins.. The skin is known to be a protective barrier and receives nutrients on a residual basis. If there is a lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet, they will, first of all, be used in important areas - to ensure the functioning of internal organs. Accordingly, with constant poor nutrition, the skin becomes drier, thinner and rougher not only on the elbows, but the latter are a kind of “first bell”.

Most often, the cause is a lack of vitamin D and A. Therefore, in the spring, this symptom is observed in literally every second person - the lack of sun affects it.

1. Purely mechanical reasons contribute to the appearance of rough and cracked elbows, for example, the habit of resting your elbows on the table while working.
2. Too frequent baths, as well as visits to swimming pools with highly chlorinated water, irritate the skin no less, and can also lead to drying and roughening of the skin.

Possible diseases

Insufficient care, synthetic clothing, and even an incorrect diet are quite easy to correct. In this case, the condition of the skin on the elbows will recover on its own. However, the same phenomenon can be observed in a number of diseases.

1. Dermatitis – an inflammatory skin disease that appears as a result of a variety of mechanical and chemical factors. The complexity of the disease is represented by the activation mechanism: dermatitis refers to ailments based on an immediate or delayed allergic reaction.

Dermatitis manifests itself in the form of rashes, itching, swelling, sometimes inflammation and fever. There are acute and chronic dermatitis. The latter manifests itself slowly, is weakly expressed, but its consequences are very difficult to treat.

1. Hyperkeratosis – disturbance in the mechanism of exfoliation of the upper stratum corneum of the skin. In this case, the scales die off before they dry completely, do not separate, but accumulate. As a result, in the places where the skin is most stretched - elbows and knees - the skin becomes rough, dry, and covered with painful cracks.
2. Psoriasis – red spots with a specific “waxy” coating, consisting of small white and gray scales. The elbow joint most often becomes the first focus of the disease. The disease is extremely difficult to treat, is prone to relapses and causes not only physical but also psychological discomfort. Care for skin affected by psoriasis is determined by the attending physician.
3. Eczema – usually rashes are observed in areas exposed to the provoking factor. But if we are talking about solar eczema, then the elbows are also affected.

Not only skin diseases can cause roughening of the skin. There are quite a few ailments for which changes in the skin are one of the symptoms.

1. Anemia – pallor and dryness of the skin accompanies shortness of breath, constant fatigue, dizziness, and in women, menstrual irregularities.
2. Hypothyroidism – When the thyroid gland, hypothalamus, or pituitary gland malfunction, the smooth muscles of the blood vessels lose their tone, which leads to a wide variety of disorders. Among other things, it leads to dry skin, brittleness and loss of hair and nails.
3. Diabetes – provokes disturbances in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, proteins. Dry skin and the appearance of cracks are not the most serious consequences of the disease.
4. Autoimmune diseases – scleroderma, for example. In this case, the cells of your own body are attacked. Hyperkeratosis on the elbows is a typical sign of pathology.

Read also about the treatment of dry seborrhea of ​​the scalp at this address.

If the cause of rough skin on the elbows is a disease, every effort is made to treat the disease.

Treatment methods

Treatment should be understood as both the impact on the primary disease - eczema, dermatosis, anemia, and symptomatic treatment. And the latter requires special drugs. In addition, medicated ointments and creams cannot be used continuously: as soon as the symptom disappears, use should be discontinued.

Read also about dry scalp here.

Medications

Preparations of this kind are conventionally divided into 2 types: with an antibacterial effect and those providing restoration of the skin. In this case, body creams for dry skin will also be effective.

1. Pitival – a drug with antifungal and antibacterial effect. Their use is advisable when the disease is caused by pathogenic microflora.
2. Atoderm – contains various oils and effective moisturizing components. Atoderm ensures rapid restoration of water balance.

1. Lipikar – the main purpose of this ointment is to restore lipid balance. It provides a protective film on the surface of the skin, preventing further irritation of cracks and wounds, and promotes rapid regeneration.
2. Radevit cream – normalizes the exfoliation mechanism. In addition, radevit heals microcracks and wounds and helps relieve itching.
3. Bepanthen cream – contains dexpanthenol, which is transformed in the body into vitamin B5. The cream relieves irritation, redness, and helps remove swelling.
4. Zinc ointment - one of the oldest pharmaceutical remedies against fungus and skin diseases of an antibacterial nature. The cream is greasy and quite heavy; it will not help restore the water balance, but it will protect the skin during recovery.
5. Salicylic paste - another option for an ointment with a pronounced antiseptic effect. Salicylic paste does not eliminate dryness, but it will help get rid of hyperkeratosis, destroy the causes of inflammation and ensure the restoration of the normal peeling mechanism.

We also recommend reading about Bepanten Derma cream for very dry facial skin here.

The duration of use of the drugs is determined by the doctor. As a rule, the course is 2 weeks. It is recommended to apply the cream twice a day.

Pharmacy drugs will not be able to provide the desired effect if the patient still does not receive enough vitamins.

Folk

The vast majority of products in this category are caring. Masks and homemade creams may well restore the moisture of the stratum corneum, create a protective film, and help cleanse the skin of deposits.

With the exception of formulations containing tar, other folk remedies can be used as care without time restrictions.

1. Oil masks - or rather, baths. Oil – olive, sunflower, shea, cocoa, heated in a water bath, poured into 2 containers of the required shape and lowered the elbows into the “baths” for 15–20 minutes. You can get by by simply rubbing the skin with oil.
2. A mask of a tablespoon of honey, the same amount of almond oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 yolk placed on a piece of cloth to form a kind of compress. Hold for at least half an hour.
3. To get rid of peeling as completely as possible, resort to a mixture of cream, “Extra” salt, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide in equal parts - 1 teaspoon each.
4. A quick way to restore tenderness to your elbows is a fruit mask. It is made from the pulp of 2–3 apricots, which are previously pureed and heated. The mixture is kept for 20–30 minutes.
5. Tar soap can help with inflammation and rashes caused by pathogenic microflora. Birch tar is a very effective remedy against skin ailments. You just need to wash the affected skin with soap.

Hardware cosmetology

There is no special procedure for caring for elbows. However, most intensive skin care methods are fine.

1. Paraffin therapy – one of the most accessible and quite effective methods. Liquid paraffin is applied layer by layer to the roughened areas and held until completely hardened. Paraffin not only restores skin moisture, but also removes swelling, promotes rapid healing and resorption of various subcutaneous formations.
2. Gas-liquid peeling – the keratinized layer of skin is removed with a jet of gas under high pressure. This is the most gentle type of peeling. Since there are no abrasive particles or chemically aggressive substances, it is possible to remove roughness even with cracks and pain.
3. Microcurrent therapy - a rather specific method in which damaged areas are treated with electric current. Stimulation of this type normalizes metabolism, improves blood circulation, and, therefore, helps restore the skin, improve turgor, and relieve swelling.

We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Anti-rosacea products at the link.

Video

In this video we talk about the diseases that caused dryness and about traditional treatment for the problem.

conclusions

Restoring the skin on your elbows when it comes to insufficient care or lack of vitamins is quite simple. But if roughness and dryness of the skin are associated with diseases, treatment should concern not only the symptoms, but also the primary disease.

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