Hypothyroidism and Dry Skin: How to Maintain Healthy Skin
It’s easy to despise hypothyroidism. Not only does it make you tired, it makes you cranky, forgetful and sometimes your hair falls out. It’s easier to gain weight, harder to lose it and to top all that off, your skin tends to look like something a crocodile would be ashamed of. Yes, this condition can seriously impact your skin and dry skin is one of the hallmarks of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Before you blow off hypothyroidism and dry skin problems as nothing to worry about, consider this: the skin is the biggest organ of the body. That’s right. The BIGGEST. It is responsible for regulating the body’s temperature, protecting the internal organs from injury and infection and good skin makes you look young and healthy. If you are suffering from chronic dry skin, hypothyroidism could be a cause, especially if you are female and over fifty.
If you are recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, dry skin might not be a problem right away, but chances are it will develop over the course of the condition. It’s important to maintain your skin for overall health, plus healthy skin is pretty skin.
Here are some ways you can maintain healthy skin even with hypothyroidism:
1. Stay hydrated. It is recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. While this may require extra trips to the bathroom, drinking water flushes the toxins from your system and keeps your skin hydrated and healthy.
2. Moisturize frequently. Lotions and creams are your friend. Keep those skin cells moisturized to avoid dry, scaly patches which can lead to infection.
3. Use sunscreen. The sun is not your friend. Use a sunscreen of at least an SPF 30 to help reduce damage from UV rays. You don’t want to look like an old piece of leather, and over-exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer.
4. Eat a balanced diet. What you eat is reflected in your skin. A diet high in antioxidents and vitamins really has an effect on your skin and is recommended by leading dermatologists. Vitamin A and vitamin E are thought to be especially effective in people with skin problems.
5. Quit smoking. Smoking dries out your skin and causes wrinkles, and we won’t even get in to the other health concerns, of which smokers are usually quite aware. However, think about how quitting could be the best gift you give yourself.
6. Cleanse gently. Don’t be so rough on yourself! Occasional exfoliating might be good for you, but for daily cleansing use warm, not hot, water; gentle soaps; pat dry. Be good to your skin.
7. Lower your stress. Emotional situations and high stress can lead to breakouts of the skin such as acne and rashes. Try to keep stress to a minimum.
8. Get enough sleep. It is a proven, scientific fact that the skin regenerates 60% faster while you sleep. Yep, you’re snoozing and your skin is busy, busy busy while you’re dreaming. Not enough sleep, and your skin gets as cranky as you do.
9. Exercise once in a while. Your skin needs the increased blood and oxygen flow. Moderate exercise wakes up all your organs. Just remember #3 above if you take your exercise outside.
Any one of these suggestions may improve your health in many ways, but in particular these changes are very beneficial to your biggest organ. Just because you have hypothyroidism and dry skin or other issues don’t have to be a problem. Take good care of your skin, and it will take good care of you.
