What should you know about eczema dry skin?

Atopic dermatitis can cause dry, inflamed patches, while asteatotic eczema often produces fine cracks and a rough, parched surface. Psoriasis can also shed scale, so appearance alone cannot identify the cause. Dryness may be felt on the hands, face, arms, legs, or elsewhere, and scratching can deepen irritation and create openings in the skin.

Use lukewarm water, a gentle fragrance-free cleanser, and pat the skin dry rather than rubbing it. Apply a thick, bland moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp, then reapply whenever tightness returns. Emollient therapy helps trap water and reduce friction. Keep nails short, choose soft breathable clothing, and notice whether heat, sweating, fragranced products, or harsh detergents trigger flares.

Arrange a medical assessment if dryness persists despite consistent moisturising, spreads, disrupts sleep, or repeatedly cracks. Seek prompt care for increasing warmth, swelling, tenderness, pus, yellow crusting, fever, or rapidly worsening redness, because these changes can signal infection. Urgent help is needed for facial swelling or breathing trouble after a suspected exposure.

Could this be atopic dermatitis, asteatotic eczema, psoriasis, or another cause? Which moisturiser texture suits the affected area? Should an anti-inflammatory treatment be used, and how should it be applied during a flare?