Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It IsCauses of Ashy SkinHow Is Ashy Skin Diagnosed?Ashy Knees Treatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What It Is
Causes of Ashy Skin
How Is Ashy Skin Diagnosed?
Ashy Knees Treatment
Ashy skin may cause few symptoms or it may itch, crack, or burn. Excessively dry skin is calledxerosis.
This article discusses ashy skin and what causes it. It also goes over some of the treatments that can help relieve symptoms of ashy skin.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Is Ashy Skin?
Ashy skin describes dry skin that is pale gray or white and resembles ashes. The term is most often used to describe the way dry skin looks on people with darker skin tones. Although the color may be more noticeable in some people than in others, the symptoms of dry skin are the same.
Common Symptoms of Ashy Skin
What to Know About Skin Fissures
Symptoms Specific to Skin Conditions
Although ashy skin can be a common factor for many, there comes a time when it is necessary to contact your healthcare provider for help. Some reasons to call your healthcare provider include:
It is also important to consider the skin tone. Individuals with darker skin tones have more pronounced ashy skin. Research suggests that this may be because some people with darker skin tones lose water and shed skin cells more rapidly than people with light skin tones.
Common Body Parts That Are Dry or AshyCommon ashy body parts include: knees, feet,elbows, hands, and some areas of the face.
Common Body Parts That Are Dry or Ashy
Common ashy body parts include: knees, feet,elbows, hands, and some areas of the face.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoIchthyosis.DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
Most people will experience dry and/or ashy skin at some point in their lives. In general, this is due to factors such as the environment, weather, and dry or cool air indoors.
Environment
Depending on where you live, the environment can be a big factor behind ashy skin. Living in extreme cold and dry temperatures can cause dryness.
Consistently going from heat to highly air-conditioned indoor spaces will also reduce the natural water or moisture from the skin.
Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy diet and drinking enough water will help yourskinstay healthy and hydrated. Using certain detergents and soaps or bathing too long can also cause dry and ashy skin. Smoking is also another cause of ashy skin.
Age
As people age, thesebumnaturally declines. This starts at about 40 years old and continues as age progresses. Sebum is the body’s natural ability to moisturize skin. As the aging process continues, the skin will naturally become thinner.
Why Are Middle Age and Older Adults Prone to Ashy Skin?Aging makes skin more susceptible to dryness.Dry skin in older adults can be simply a sign of age-related skin changes or signify underlying medical problems. Because dry skin can lead to other skin complications, it’s important to monitor carefully.
Why Are Middle Age and Older Adults Prone to Ashy Skin?
Aging makes skin more susceptible to dryness.Dry skin in older adults can be simply a sign of age-related skin changes or signify underlying medical problems. Because dry skin can lead to other skin complications, it’s important to monitor carefully.
Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions that affect the skin can cause it to dry and/or look ashy. Some of these include:
If an individual is deficient in certain vitamins like vitamin D, iron, niacin, zinc, or vitamin A, this can also cause ashy skin.Illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, and cancer, are also associated with dry, ashy skin.
Medications and Treatments
Certain medications used to treat cancer are associated with dry and ashy skin.Patients undergoing dialysis also report a high incidence of xerosis.
Xerosis Cutis (Dry Skin) Symptoms and Treatment
Dry and ashy skin is pretty visible. If you are at the point where moisturizers are not working and the symptoms are getting worse, it is time to call the practitioner.
When you visit your healthcare provider to determine if your ashy skin needs additional attention, they look at a few factors. The dermatologists will look at your skin and create a treatment plan that is specified for you. They will ask questions including:
Home Care
There are many at-home remedies that you can try for ashy skin, including:
Why Is My Skin So Dry Even When I Moisturize?
Prescription Medications and Topical Treatments
If you’ve tried at-home options and don’t notice any improvement, call your healthcare provider. They can help you establish a treatment plan aimed at healing your skin and preventing symptoms from recurring.
Each person has different needs, so your plan will be geared towards your specific condition and what is causing your symptoms.
Some prescription medications or topical treatments include a moisturizer with ingredients like glycerol, lactic acid, and urea, which aid in reducing dry skin.Working with your healthcare provider, you can learn more about these treatments and what you can do to protect your skin.
Summary
Dry or ashy skin can have a number of causes, from changes in the weather and environmental conditions to chronic skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. Dry or ashy skin may appear pale and scaly and can itch or hurt from scratching.
Lifestyle changes, home remedies, and over-the-counter topical medications can help in some cases. More severe cases may require treatment with prescription medication.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mekić S, Jacobs LC, Gunn DA, et al.Prevalence and determinants for xerosis cutis in the middle-aged and elderly population: A cross-sectional study.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019;81(4):963-969.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2018.12.038
Rather PA, Rashid KA.Dermatoses among snow skiers in North India.Our Dermatol Online. 2022;13(4):393-397. doi:10.7241/ourd.20224.9
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Dry skin: Overview.
Mariano M, Donati P, Cameli N, Pigliacelli F, Morrone A, Cristaudo A.Ribociclib-induced erythema dyschromicum perstans (ashy dermatosis)-like pigmentation in a metastatic breast cancer patient.J Breast Cancer. 2021;24(1):117-121. doi:10.4048/jbc.2021.24.e1
Augustin M, Wilsmann-Theis D, Körber A, Kerscher M, Itschert G, Dippel M, Staubach P.Diagnosis and treatment of xerosis cutis - a position paper.J Dtsch DermatolGes. 2019;17 Suppl 7:3-33. doi:10.1111/ddg.13906
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