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Dry skin around Nose – What are the reasons? & How to Cure it?

As annoying as it can be, the dry skin condition is easy to tackle & amend, by figuring out the cause & then knowing how to fix it.

Let’s know all the causes of dry skin around nose

A picture of a girl with Dry flaky skin around nose in winters

Reasons for Dry skin around the nose

  1. Skin type- People who have dry skin or combination (oily T zone) skin or conditions like Psoriasis, Eczema & type-2 diabetes, are more prone to having dry skin around the nose.
  2. Weather- Cold dry weather mostly leads to dry skin problems
  3. Hot water- Long hot water showers contribute to extremely dry & harsh skin
  4. Dehydration – not to mention, we all know drinking less water has countless drawbacks for our bodies, including skin dryness
  5. Skin care products- Over-exfoliation, wrong products for the skin type & alcohol-based harsh ingredients create dry problematic skin.
  6. Allergies & cold- Allergy which can make you sneeze a lot & cold, where you must wipe & rub your nose constantly, both conditions can lead to a peeled red nose
  7. Nutritional Deficiency- Severe dry skin can be caused by some nutritional deficiencies of Biotin, Zinc, protein, fatty acids, B3, and B6.
  8. Age- Older age leads to thinner skin & no moisture. 8/10 aged people complain about having itchy flaky skin esp. in winter.
  9. Medicinal side effects- Dry skin could sometimes be a side effect of a few medicines if you are taking like oral acne retinoids called Isotretinoin, cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, or blood pressure drugs are known as Diuretics, etc.
  10. Washing your face too much can contribute a lot towards dry dehydrated skin.

Tips for preventing dry skin around the nose

A girl in the picture applying moisturizer to heal her dry skin

 

Healed moisturized skin

  1. Gentle facial cleansers- Avoid cleansers with alcohol, fragrance, or sulfate. If you have dry itchy skin, wash your face once a day, preferably at night with a non-comedogenic cleanser.
  2. Moisturize- Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid & ceramides. Apply moisturizer/cream on slightly damp skin for better absorption.
  3. Sun Block- UV Rays can make that dry patchy nose worse, always use sunscreen when stepping in daylight.
  4. Humidifier- If you live in a dry cold place, invest in a humidifier for moist hydrated air around you. Low humidity can make your skin chapped & sinuses dry.
  5. Noncomedogenic makeup- Buy cosmetics that don’t block your pores or look for hypoallergenic products that are best suited for people with sensitive skin.
  6. Hydration level – Have 2-3 liters of water every day. This seriously has enormous benefits.
  7. Warm showers- Not hot! Warm showers, around 5 minutes add moisture to the skin & exfoliates dead cells.
  8. Diet – add loads of antioxidants, omega 3 & hydrating food to your everyday diet. Like blueberries & all kinds of berries, watermelons, cucumbers, kidney beans, carrots, dark chocolate, pecans, kale, spinach, artichoke etc.
  9. Don’t pick the flaky skin- You’d have this utmost urge of picking your flaky dried skin around the nose, don’t do that & spread the fungus.
  10. Natural Remedies- Coconut oil, vitamin E, mineral oil, glycerin, cica, jojoba oil shea butter, petroleum jelly, Oatmeal face mask, rosewater, honey, avocado face mask
  11. Oily skin type- wash your face twice a day, Dry skin type- wash your face once a day
  12. Blood test- Serious nutritional deficiencies I mentioned above can only be known by getting blood work done. It is an important diagnostic tool & can lead to appropriate treatment.
  13. Don’t rub your face after washing, rather gently pat it dry with facial tissues
  14. Use a small amount of petroleum jelly with the help of a Q-tip & apply it on the outer linings of your nose to prevent that annoying flaky skin.
  15. Nasal Sprays- Saline nasal sprays can help a lot with any nasal congestion & can moisturize inside while cleaning dust, dirt & pollen.
  16. Exfoliation- Don’t over exfoliate the skin by vigorously scrubbing away dry flaky skin at once, will do bad damage! Rather see the following methods to exfoliate safely,2 kinds- Manual & Chemical Exfoliation

Manual Exfoliation – Uses a tool, brush, or scrub to remove dead cells physically.

  • Washcloth- Very safe method esp. for sensitive skin types. Use a muslin, cotton cloth, or soft towel, dip it in lukewarm water & gently wipe your face in small circles to remove the debris.
  • Charcoal or a natural sponge- Dip it in lukewarm water & light strokes on your face in a circular motion. It will loosen up all the dirt & clogged pores. Don’t put too much pressure on the skin.
  • Face scrubs- There are scrubs containing microbeads that are too damaging & can cause micro tears on the skin surface which weakens the skin barrier & invites more skin troubles. Common culprits are fruit pit scrubs, like the apricot ones we all have used! Ugh, grain & gritty materials like grounded nuts. Personal suggestion- stay away from physical scrubs.

Chemical Exfoliation- Exfoliates by dissolving the bonds between skin cells, revealing fresh, smooth skin cells underneath. Oily skin type can take the maximum benefits from this exfoliant.

  • AHA’s- Best for Dry skin. Glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid. The most popular is Glycolic acid. It comes in peels, face washes & masks. It dissolves the top layer of the skin containing all the debris & reveals young skin cells underneath. It has shown beautiful results.
  • BHA’s- Best for Oily skin. Salicylic acid is the most common form of BHA. It penetrates the pores, breaks all the blockages & unclogs the pores.
  • Retinol- Derivative of Vitamin A, it’s a strong exfoliator that can penetrate deep within the layers of the skin, exfoliates the dead cells & generates new ones. Not for people with Rosacea, or eczema conditions.
  • PHA- For sensitive skin types, the Mildest form of chemical exfoliation. Exfoliates the same way as AHA, just less irritating & does not increase the photosensitivity of the skin unlike AHA & BHA & Retinol.

Natural face masks for dry and flaky skin

  • Almond face mask- make a paste of soaked almond, yogurt, honey & oats & apply for 20 mins on the face. Wash it off with lukewarm water. Do it 4 times a week.
  • Gram flour face mask- mix gram flour & yogurt. Apply for 15 min. wash it off. It is very mild & brightening. You can even use it every day.
  • Neem face mask- mix neem powder (or best if you have fresh neem paste) & turmeric. It is antibacterial & will leave your skin very fresh and clean.
  • Avocado face Mask- Take ½ avocado, 1 tsp honey & some yogurt, mix them & apply. It’s a pure hydration bomb for your skin & will relax your itchy skin.
  • Oatmeal- Oatmeal calms the irritated skin. You can make a face mask of it by simply mixing it with rosewater or you can put some oat powder in the bathtub & soak your body in it completely for 20 minutes. Then Pat dry & apply a hypoallergenic moisturizer. If you’re low on time, buy a damn organic oatmeal soap.
  • Tee tree face mask– a few drops of tee tree oil, rose water, and fuller’s earth. Apply for 20 mins and rinse. Tee tree is anti-bacterial, rose water will hydrate your skin & fuller’s earth will clean the pores beautifully.
  • Banana face mask– Add ½ banana mashed, 2 tablespoons of plain cottage cheese, and 1 t-spoon of honey. It’s a very creamy hydrating mask.
  • Wheat grass mask– It’s a cooling hydrating mask, add ¼ cup plain yogurt with 3 tsp of aloe vera gel & 2 tsp of wheat grass juice. Mix them together & leave it on for 20 mins. Rinse off with warm water.

Types of Dry skin

Extremely dry skin is medically termed DermatitisThere are several types of Dermatitis:

Picture of a severe case of Seborrheic Dermatitis (a type of dry skin condition)

 

Seborrheic Dermatitis

  1. Seborrheic Dermatitis– When the skin produces excess oil. It’s basically having dandruff on the face. White-yellowish scales form on sebaceous glands. Use topical anti-fungal creams or Ketoconazole shampoo as a face wash
  2. Atopic Dermatitis- Known as Eczema, it’s a chronic skin condition causing dry scaly patches on the skin.
  3. Contact Dermatitis– It happens when your skin reacts to something it touches, resulting in inflammation. There are 2 types
    1.  Irritant Contact Dermatitis- When skin gets irritated from chemical agents like Bleach.
    2. Allergic Contact Dermatitis- Itchy rash develops when you are in contact with a substance, you’re allergic to things like nickel, metal, fragrances, junk jewelry, and plants.

How much time will it take to treat dry skin around nose?

While everybody has different skin & conditions, Results should be start seeing in less than 2 weeks, but if nothing cures your condition. You should see a board-certified Dermatologist to find any underlying causes.

What are the symptoms of Dry skin?

  • Peeled/flaky skin
  • Weird tightness of the skin
  • Cracked skin
  • Skin burns/stings
  • Itchy rough skin

Is dry nose a serious symptom?

Apart from looking physically weird, uncomforting, and dry feeling with mild irritation/pain, it’s rarely serious. Excess dryness can sometimes cause the skin to crack & bleed, but that’s not something to worry about. Your skin will be healed in a few weeks, just follow the above-mentioned tips.

A Few Products Suggestions to heal the dry skin condition

  • Cereve healing ointment is a great emollient
  • Hyaluronic acid – The ordinary
  • Cereve – Hydrating facial cleanser
  • Cetaphil moisturizing cream
  • Aveeno Eczema relief balm with oatmeal
  • Eucerin advanced repair cream

Have healthy plump skin guys, Love ~ Beauty Stroll

By Aayushi S
By Aayushi S
Aayushi is a New York based freelance writer and a content strategist. She is a computer science graduate, a health and skincare fanatic and is also the founder of “Beauty Stroll “. She aims to make science-backed skincare easy to understand for her readers.

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