Xeroderma
Xeroderma, xerosis or xerosis cutis, or simply dry skin, is a skin condition characterized by excessively dry skin.
| Xerosis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Xerodermia, xerosis cutis, dry skin |
| The surface of the knuckles of a hand with xeroderma | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| Symptoms | Low skin moisture, itching, scaling, skin cracking |
| Causes | Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, exposure to detergents, sunburn, choline inhibitors |
| Risk factors | Low relative humidity of surrounding air, frequent bathing or hand washing |
| Prevention | Skin lotions |
| Medication | Emollients |
The medical term xeroderma, meaning 'dry skin', derives from Greek ξηρός (xeros) 'dry' + δέρμα (derma) 'skin'.
In most cases, dry skin can safely be treated with emollients or moisturizers. Xeroderma occurs most commonly on the scalp, lower legs, arms, hands, knuckles, the sides of the abdomen, and thighs. Symptoms most associated with xeroderma are such skin conditions as scaling (the visible peeling of the outer skin layer), itching, and skin fissures (cracked skin).
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