Symptoms Of Dry Skin

Dry skin is often just a temporary problem — one you experience only in winter, for example — but it may be a lifelong concern. And although skin is often driest on your arms, lower legs and the sides of your abdomen, this pattern can vary considerably from person to person. What's more, signs and symptoms of dry skin depend on your age, your health status, your locale, the amount of time you spend outdoors, and the cause of the problem.

If you have dry skin due to normal aging, you're likely to experience one or more of the following:

* A feeling 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 (pruritus) that sometimes may be intense
* Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling
* Fine lines or cracks
* Redness
* Deep fissures that may bleed