Dehydration is generally the main cause of dry skin. While we notice the wrinkles in our face, and use various creams and lotions, we generally ignore the rest of the skin. It is taken for granted. It should not be.

The skin being the external face of the human organs to the environment is the first line of defense against anything in the external environment which threatens the human body. Of course, the human nose, mouth, and ears too get these messages, but the first reaction generally noticed is on the skin. If you are feeling feverish, or fatigued, your face shows it. There is nothing wrong with your ears, and neither has your nose told you that, unless you are catching cold. Even, as a precedent, the skin warns of approaching danger.

Dry skin hoists the first danger signal to the immune-response system of the body. When your body gets overheated, it opens it pores to let water out, and evaporate, leaving cool skin behind. Further, it activates the oil glands to produce a little more oil, so that the dryness of the skin is reduced by oiling it. Thus the oil glands also play an important role in helping the first defense mechanism. Sometimes it does happen that you have had to stay in the sunshine for a longer duration. To prevent such dry skin, or loss of fluids and oil, it is better to increase water intake. In winter, also, dry skin is as much prevalent.

If you notice, generally before you catch a cold, you feel tired, and next time it happens, just check the skin on your arms; you will find them a little dry and withdrawn: so too in the case of fever. The palms of the hand show up in a reddish color and your hands feel clammy without any moisture being present. This is dry skin again notifying that an attack or bout of cold, fever, other health conditions are going awry.

Even if you are always indoors with air-conditioners or heaters, what matters most to the dry skin is the moisture available to it, and the supply of oil from its own glands to keep it functioning properly. Both these climate conditioners do not supply moisture, or what is known as relative humidity, inside the room. Instead, they tend to draw away a lot of the moisture content, especially heaters. That is why it is recommended, but never followed, that when using heaters, keep a window, or door slightly open.

What you could do to avoid dry skin, if you are not having any ailment, or disease, is to take water, water, and water. Try an oil bath if you can do it yourself; or go to a nearby massage parlor, either Chinese or Indian, and get a real massage done. They use herbal oils, and they also provide shower and other facilities for taking off the excessive oil left behind. And yes, during that massage, they would encourage you to take liquids such as fruit juice, or water with a little bit of salt and sugar (known as ORS – Oral Rehydration Solution). Anyway, during that massage you would feel thirsty!

If all these do not help, then there is no other way but to take recourse to a specialist. Indeed it would be wiser to consult a specialist in the first instance itself before taking the advice given above, which is given out by a layman.