1. Does my skin look dry and dull, or does it look shiny and hydrated?

2. Do I have flaking, or scaling skin with any fine lines, cracks or redness?

3. Do I have patches of skin that are rougher than the rest of my skin? These are most commonly found on the legs, arms, abdomen, and back.

4. Do I find myself scratching these areas?

5. Am I itchy all over?

6. Do I shower every day?

7. What soap do I use in the shower? Do I use soap all over my body?

8. Do I moisturize?

9. Does this seem to happen every winter?

How did you get dry skin? Most dry skin occurs from excess bathing, cold weather, and exposure to central heating with low humidity. It is also important to note that as we get older, we produce less oil, and so our skin can becomes drier.

What can I do about my dry skin? One easy solution is to bathe less, but when I tell people not to shower every day, I usually get the "raised eyebrow are you kidding look". But hear me out, because bathing too much can strip your skin of some very important oils it produces. Think of your skin as a brick wall where the bricks are the cells and the mortar is the oil your skin produces. When you shower excessively, especially with long hot showers or baths, you are weakening the mortar from that wall. When you use harsh soaps, especially antibacterial or deodorant soaps, you are actually stripping that mortar away. The end result is an unstable wall that is now at higher risk for eczema, and bacterial infections. Here is a list of easy things that can make a big difference:

• Decrease bathing to every other day or less, using warm water.

• Use soaps only where you need them, such as private areas. You may not need to lather up those arms and legs every time- believe me.

• Stay away from antibacterial or deodorant soaps, such as Dial, Safeguard and Irish Spring. Use a more moisturizing soap. My personal favorites are Aveeno body wash, Cetaphil, Dove and Oil of Olay.

• Moisturize every day with a cream rather than a lotion because creams have more oil in them. My personal favorites here are Cerave cream, Eucerin lotion or cream, Cetaphil cream, or Aquaphor for the little ones.

• You may consider a 1% hydrocortisone cream to the more affected areas.

• There are also some new prescriptions nonsteroid creams that work better than the over the counter moisturizing creams. My favorite one is Mimyx by Steifel.

• Consider using a humidifier in your home.

When should I see my doctor? Let's say you have been diligent about your bathing and moisturizing, but you are still dry and itchy. Not everything dry and itchy is dry skin, so it may be time to see your dermatologist if you have any of the following:

• You have open sores from your scratching.

• You think you may have an infection.

• You have thick red plaques.

• Things are just not getting better.

I hope this was helpful, and I look forward to hearing your questions on other skin, hair or nail issues you or your children may have

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