After a good night’s sleep, you awake one fine morning to find that the skin on your face is peeling. What are you going to do? Ignore it, believing it’s just dry skin or the weather being a bad guy? Then you put on make-up to cover it up!
In many cases, facial skin peeling can be attributable to the weather or chemical exfoliation. However, neglecting this problem for too long might be problematic in the long run because an underlying ailment can cause skin peeling. We explain what the various causes are and how you might address them.
Sunburn
Anyone who has returned from the beach with flame-red shoulders knows that peeling isn’t far behind. Peeling will occur after the initial phases of sunburn when the skin is red, painful, and occasionally hot to the touch since the skin is attempting to repair its upper layer.
Those sunburned [skin] cells will eventually die, causing the barrier to be breached. Normally, the cells would be ‘glued’ together, but these dead or dying cells begin to lose their ‘glue,’ so to speak. And it’s only after these injured skin cells “unstick” that you’ll observe any peeling.
Cool compresses, moderate and soothing skin protectants like aloe vera, and pain medicines might help lessen the discomfort of sunburn in milder situations.
However, if your sunburn is more severe, meaning it’s a darker shade of red and much more painful, the lower areas of your skin are likely to be impacted and inflamed as well. In these circumstances, your skin will most likely blister before sloughing off; thus, the first step in treating a severe sunburn should be to take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, within 24 hours of getting burned.
Your dermatologist may also prescribe a topical steroid to reduce inflammation in the early stages. Do not pick at your sunburn, whether it is mild or severe.
Dry Skin
Some people’s skin is inherently prone to dryness. However, dry skin can occur in anyone who avoids low-humidity surroundings (such as an apartment heated by forced air), harsh soaps, and scalding-hot showers. Whether you have naturally dry skin or not, these variables can quickly rob the skin of its natural moisture, resulting in a compromised skin barrier.
When the skin is damaged, the barrier that keeps harmful things out while allowing water and other nutrients is compromised. As a result of the disruption, the body will lose water to the environment and become increasingly dehydrated. This produces skin tightness, itching, cracks in the skin, and a proclivity to flake and peel off.
So the goal of treating dry skin is to rebuild the skin’s barrier and replenish its moisture. First, apply a thick cream-based moisturizer to areas of your skin that are dry (such as your hands or face) and apply it after every time you wash that portion of your body. Otherwise, you’re merely robbing your hands of their natural oils, which causes discomfort, minor skin breaches, and inflammation.
You can boost the effectiveness of your moisturizer by using it immediately after showering or cleaning. The secret is to apply moisturizers to wet skin before drying it off, and the moisturizer will draw that water in and refresh the skin.
To avoid dry skin, use a humidifier, take moderate showers rather than hot ones, and mild cleansers. Wearing gloves in the winter, for example, helps protect your skin from drying environmental conditions.
Psoriasis
The most common psoriasis manifests as red, dry, itchy plaques of thickened skin. Because this skin is thicker than eczema areas, it is technically more prone to flake than peel.
Psoriasis is a condition in which our body begins to attack its skin cells, causing skin regeneration to accelerate dramatically. Instead of the usual 28 days, the skin cells will be lost in four days. Because of the underlying condition, these skin cells shed considerably more easily, which is why patients with psoriasis experience a lot of flaking of the skin.
Psoriasis is a difficult condition to understand and manage, and the appropriate treatment is determined by the type and severity of your symptoms. Your dermatologist may advise you to use topical medicines, light therapy, or a combination of these treatments. It’s also critical to avoid anything that could trigger a flare-up in the first place, such as skin damage or injury, infections, and stress.
Psoriasis is another condition that can manifest as dry skin, but if your skin doesn’t improve with greater moisturizing, it’s a sign that you have an underlying issue like psoriasis. Consult your dermatologist if your skin isn’t improving or is flaking and peeling more.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
A scaly, flaky rash characterizes seborrheic dermatitis. It most commonly appears in areas with a high concentration of oil glands, such as the scalp (where it resembles a severe case of dandruff), face, and groin, or in high-friction locations, such as the armpits or between the fingers.
Seborrheic dermatitis is distinguished by redness, scaliness, oiliness, and irritation. It is frequently caused by an overproduction of oil and yeast, which causes inflammation and causes the skin’s top layer to flake away.
Seborrheic dermatitis can sometimes resolve on its own. On the other hand, other cases can be tenacious enough to necessitate frequent treatment and maintenance to keep yeast and oil from building again.
Unlike many of the other disorders on our list, Seborrheic dermatitis is not related to dry skin. So moisturizing won’t help much—you’re better off treating the yeast accumulation with an antifungal lotion or shampoo. These are only available with a prescription, but dandruff shampoos with chemicals like selenium sulfide, tar, salicylic acid, or pyrithione zinc can also help treat seborrheic dermatitis on the scalp. Alternating between two or three products with different active components will likely produce the best results.
Book an appointment now to answer all your queries. You can book an appointment with the top Dermatologists in Islamabad through Marham by calling the Marham helpline: 0311-1222398 or by online booking facility through the website or Marham mobile app.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1- Why is my face so dry and peeling?
Dry skin (xerosis cutis), eczema, and psoriasis can cause facial skin peeling. Cold air, hot showers, and changing humidity can cause peeling skin in the winter. Exfoliative dermatitis is skin that peels over a significant area of the body.
2- Is it bad that my face is peeling?
Dry, peeling skin is usually a sign of sunburned epidermis, and peeling skin can indicate an immune system problem or other illness. Consult your doctor if your skin is peeling without a sunburn.
3- How can I heal peeling skin overnight?
Peeling skin has no quick remedy because it has to run its course once it starts. To speed up the healing process, keep the area covered to prevent further skin injury.
