What causes dry patches on your face?

Medically reviewed by Brendan Camp, MD

• Dry patches are often caused by weather, irritating skincare products, or aging, but they can also signal an underlying skin condition.
• Common conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and hormonal changes can all cause persistent dry, flaky skin.
• If dry patches don’t improve, spread, or become painful or infected, it’s a good idea to see a dermatologist.

Dry patches on your face—those spots of rough, flaky, or scaly skin—may be a temporary reaction to your environment and skincare products, or a sign of a long-term condition. Here are the most common causes.

1. Environmental Exposure

Drastic weather changes are a common cause of dry skin. Extremely cold weather can make it more difficult for your skin to retain moisture. Low humidity in the air creates dry heat indoors and outdoors. Extremely hot weather and overexposure to the sun can also dry out your skin.

2. Skincare Products

Some prescription and over-the-counter topical products, such as acne treatments and retinoids, can disrupt your skin barrier, causing irritation and dryness. 

Coming into contact with substances you may have an allergy to can also trigger allergic contact dermatitis. Chemicals, poisonous plants, metals, and antibiotics like neomycin are all common causes of contact dermatitis.

3. Aging

Although dry skin affects people of all ages, it becomes more common as you get older. As you age, your skin naturally produces less sebum, an oily substance that keeps your skin soft and moisturized.

Several studies suggest that dry skin is more prevalent in elderly adults, especially people living in nursing homes or community care facilities. Older adults are also more likely to have chronic or coexisting medical conditions that require medications that can increase the risk of dry skin, such as diuretics and statins. Certain medical treatments, like dialysis, chemotherapy, and radiation, can also cause dry skin. 

4. Eczema

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin condition that alters the protective layer of your skin. The exact cause of eczema is still unknown, but it’s believed to be passed down genetically, triggered by stress and environmental factors, or due to the skin not producing enough filaggrin, a protein that helps your skin stay moisturized.

Symptoms typically include itching, dryness, redness, and rashes that may ooze or crust over. Eczema flare-ups (short bouts where symptoms appear) can show up as dry patches anywhere on your body at any time. 

5. Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that makes skin cells grow rapidly on top of each other. The condition is caused by an overactive immune system, but researchers don’t know exactly what triggers this immune response.

Psoriasis causes red, white, or purple raised patches of inflamed dry skin. Depending on the severity of your psoriasis, some patches may crack or bleed. People with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may also experience stiffness or pain in their joints.

6. Hormonal Changes 

Your hormones have a major influence on the appearance and overall health of your skin. A hormonal imbalance can change the amount of collagen (a protein that helps form tissue) and sebum your skin produces.

Pregnancy, menopause, and thyroid health conditions can all cause hormonal imbalances. Lower estrogen levels can reduce sebum in your skin, while hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can cause dryness, rashes, and skin discoloration.

Less Common Causes

If none of the most common causes are the source of the dry skin on your face, a dermatologist may also consider the following:

• Chronic health conditions: Many health conditions, like diabetes, kidney disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and liver disease, can cause inflammation on your skin, sometimes resulting in dry patches.
• Dietary changes: Malnutrition and dehydration can dry out your skin.
• Precancerous cells: In rare cases, potentially cancerous cells can cause inflammation that shows up as dry patches of skin.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

If a specific product causes your dry skin, symptoms usually go away once you stop using it. However, see a dermatologist if irritation continues and dry patches spread to other parts of your body. Seek emergency help if you are also experiencing fever, rash, or swelling. 

Leaving extremely dry skin untreated for too long can cause it to break down over time. If you are experiencing excessive itchiness, cracks or openings can form, making your skin more vulnerable to skin infections. If your skin becomes infected, a dermatologist may prescribe a topical medication or an antibiotic to treat the infection.

Read the original article on Health