Dry skin: pathophysiology and treatment

Dry cutis is found in different conditions, both hereditary and acquired due to general or local factors, and the condition is also found in old people as a result of natural skin aging. The mechanisms accounting for this alteration of the eudermic state are complex and not always clear. As well as the involutionary changes of dermo-epidermal structures and functional components, particular attention must be drawn to the changed water/lipids/NMFs ration. From the standpoint of treatment, action must be directed towards the elimination of the specific causes in the case of cutaneous dehydration from acquired general factors. In the other cases, along with the local or general 'cosmetic' treatment, action is needed to try and prevent damage. We believe that the corrective cosmetic treatment must take into account that the principal of the cosmetic can have a replacing activity (collagen, PCA, urea) or restoring activity (glycine, hydroxyacids, vitam A derivatives).