Why does the skin on your hands, feet and other parts of the body peel?

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Spoiler: we are talking about very serious things.

The main reason for peeling skin is loss of moisture. But it can be caused by a lot of things.

The outer layer of the epidermis can be compared to a brick wall that protects the body from damage. The bricks are corneocytes, which have lost water and are dead. The “cement” is made up of intercellular lipids (fats), as well as a mixture of amino acids, sugars, lactic acid, urea and sebum.

If the ratio of the ingredients in the “cement” changes, it loses its retaining properties. Moisture evaporates more actively, there are more dead skin cells, and they are more actively shed from the skin than usual. This is how peeling occurs.

Two types of influences can change the composition of the “cement”: external and internal.

What external causes cause peeling of the skin

If you have peeling skin on your hands, feet, or other parts of your body, you may:

• You wash too often. For example, you don't get out of the bath, sauna, or hot water. Hot water washes away natural oils from your skin and disrupts its hydrolipidic balance.
• You like to swim in a pool with chlorinated water.
• You wash dishes or use harsh detergents without gloves.
• You have recently been frozen. The sub-zero temperature and the associated dry air literally suck moisture out of your skin.
• Allowing the skin to dry on its own after water procedures, especially in the wind. Hand washing thins the lipid barrier, and the wind accelerates the evaporation of moisture, which is why weathered skin often peels.
• Sunburn. Ultraviolet destroys the bonds between the cells of the stratum corneum, which is why they begin to actively peel.

What to do about it

Protect the skin from harmful influences and regularly, at least in the morning and evening, use a moisturizer. This is enough for the peeling to stop after 2-3 days.

How to understand that peeling is due to internal causes

There are a number of quite obvious symptoms:

• The peeling does not go away, despite the fact that you protect and moisturize the skin.
• In the areas that are peeling, the skin changes color – for example, it turns red or yellow.
• The peeling is accompanied by itching – you repeatedly reach for the affected area to scratch.
• Because of the itching, you scratch the skin until it opens up.
• Areas of skin that increase in size and begin to spread throughout the body.

What internal causes cause peeling skin

Maybe everything is not so scary and the disorder that causes your skin to peel is safe and easily overcome. But this is not always the case. Here is a list of conditions and diseases that actively destroy the stratum corneum:

• allergic reaction (to food or the fabric your clothes are made of);
• vitamin deficiency;
• fungal and staphylococcal infections;
• hyperhidrosis;
• psoriasis;
• ringworm;
• side effects from taking certain medications;
• malfunctions in the immune system;
• oncological processes.

What to do about it

Go to a doctor – a therapist or dermatologist. Only he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis. Most likely, this will require a number of tests: take a skin scraping, do a blood test. Based on the results, the doctor will prescribe the treatment that will be most effective in a particular case.