Dry Skin And Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a disease that occurs generally in human beings and animals. It is generally caused due to the improper working of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland sometimes over secretes or under secretes the thyroid hormone. The over secretion leads to Hyperthyroidism, while the under secretion leads to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism leads to many other external disorders. Some of these are related to the skin.

The skin is the external cover of the body. The outer layer of the skin is called the epidermis. The epidermis is formed by the stack of skin cells. The functions that are performed by the skin cells are dependent on the working of many organs including the thyroid hormone. The hair growth depends on the working of the thyroid hormone. The thickness of the skin also depends on the functioning of the thyroid hormone.

There are a number of changes that occur in the skin due to hypothyroidism. The basic change in the skin is the swelling that occurs in the skin. The reason behind this is the growth of the base substance in the foundation of the skin. Thus the skin becomes dry, pale and swollen. Also in some cases the hypothyroidism results in a broad nose, puffy eyelids and swollen lips. The general effects are the coarse dry scalp and hair, the skin becomes yellow, the nails become brittle and thick, there is absence of sweating, the wounds if formed are not healed early. Also in some cases these disorders are seen only in some parts of the body and not throughout, means that it occurs in patches. In some cases the skin can get rashes on a particular portion of it and can become red. The problem resulted with skin are generally more aggravated in the winter season. May be that the disorder is not related to Hypothyroidism but the skin problems are more prominent in the winter season. Also the skin problems become more serious with the age of the person.

In the treatment the most common thing is the use of mild soaps and lotions as against the harsh soaps and lotions. The water used for bathing must not be too hot. One can also apply moisturizer or some creams so that the skin problems are further reduced.