It commonly affects hands, arms, and legs. In many cases, lifestyle changes and overthe-counter moisturizers may be all you need to treat it. If those treatments aren't enough, you
should contact your doctor. Frequent hand-washing and using hand sanitizer can also cause your
hands to become dry.

Hot baths, dehydration, beauty or hygiene products, cold wind during outdoor activities,
and hot air from forced-air systems can cause dry skin. Before you can solve your moisture issue,
you need to understand the root cause. In some cases, a diagnosable dermatological condition,
such as eczema, may masquerade as common cracked skin. While you can have both at the same
time, if your dry skin is something more, your dermatologist needs to examine the issue and
create a treatment plan.

 Yes. Dryness is a common adverse effect of many oral drugs like amlodipine, clobetasol,
acne medications like isotretinoin and cholesterol lowering drugs like statins

Certain diseases like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, psoriasis and malnutrition can be
associated with dry skin, although the link is not clearly established.

Very few dry skin diseases are hereditary in nature like ichthyosis. Majority of dry skin
cases are due to environmental factors and lifestyle of the individual.

Allergies can cause a type of dermatitis called allergic dermatitis. In this condition the
allergy to the triggering substance induces dry skin and redness.

Having a parent with psoriasis increases the risk of a child developing it, and having two parents with psoriasis increases the risk further. A parent with the disease has about a 16 percent chance of passing it down to their child. If both parents have psoriasis, there’s a 50 percent chance of passing down the trait.

You need to discuss with your dermatologist how to manage your psoriasis during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, it would be advisable to discuss as early as possible with your doctor to ensure a treatment plan can be put into place.

Some things that can make psoriasis worse are stress and infections. Some medicines can make it worse, too. These medicines include lithium, and certain high blood pressure medicines, such as beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, as well as pain relievers like some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen).

Keeping your skin moisturized with over-the-counter products is a good first step. Prescription creams, ointments and lotions (called topical medicines) that you put on the affected areas are often used. Shampoos are used for psoriasis on the scalp. In more severe cases, medicines are taken in pill form. Other treatments include a special type of ultraviolet light therapy. Sunlight can help psoriasis. You should use a sunscreen on the parts of your skin that aren't affected by psoriasis. It's especially important to put sunscreen on your face.

No, there is no cure for psoriasis. But proper treatment can control the disease so it doesn't bother you so much.

Anyone can get psoriasis. Men, women, children and people of all races get psoriasis. It isn't contagious. You can't catch psoriasis from another person. The disease sometimes runs in families.

No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis. The reason your skin becomes thick and red is that the skin cells are growing faster than normal. Because of their rapid growth, there isn't enough time for the cells to shed (fall off). As a result, the cells pile up on top of each other, making thick, scaly patches on your skin.

Psoriasis is a very common skin disorder. It causes large red or purple patches on your skin, with scaly skin on top of them. The patches look thick and bumpy. They are usually on the elbows, knees and scalp, but they can be anywhere. In mild cases, psoriasis affects a few areas; in severe cases, it can be over your whole body.