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CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT 2.1 Emollient therapy Introduction The complex functions of the skin can be compromised by variations in skin structure. Drying of the skin, either through normal processes or disease, represents the most common such phenomenon. The vulnerability of dry skin includes susceptibility to heat and further water loss, infections and allergy, and through itch, general damage caused by rubbing and scratching (Fig 2.1). As the skin dries, it becomes relatively brittle, and easily cracks. Surface movement causes shearing forces both within the epidermis, and between the epidermis and dermis. These forces would normally be accommodated by healthy skin, but can have disastrous effects when the skin is dry. Emollient therapy for dry skin is therefore important for both moisturising and lubricating, enabling a return to healthy flexibility, resilience and strength.
Genetic factors
Fig 2.1 The Vulnerabilities of Dry Skin Water and heat loss
Infections and hypersensitivities
Mechanical damage
There is a wide variation in the characteristics of skin, regardless of disease. One of the most significant of these variations is in dryness. A general dryness of the skin can be an expression of multifactorial genetic inheritance that is not linked to atopy. Some patients with atopy will have such constitutionally dry skin (xerosis), but this is not necessarily the case. Moreover, constitutional dryness of the skin, with or without atopy, does not necessarily manifest itself throughout life. After adolescence a previously dry skin can become essentially normal, though for some individuals dryness of the skin will remain a characteristic throughout life. Otherwise constitutional dryness only manifests itself under certain
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