Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Question again about dry skin

February 4, 2020 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello again Mrs. Gehring... unfortunately, the follow-up question was not adequately answered (which I understand!), so here is a new post.

You have already answered the question regarding the risk of infection. I am aware that you are not a dermatologist, but I had trouble finding one on the portal, so I am reaching out to you again.

I know that I am probably making a big deal out of minor irritations, as everyone experiences dry skin, etc. I just don't quite understand the timing of this. The rash was there, then healed quickly, as expected. However, there are still slight redness on the upper arms that are not visible at first glance, but reappear with slight exertion and increased blood flow.

What surprises me the most is that the skin peeling occurs at different times. When I touch it, I can even provoke the peeling, and after showering, some areas were very dry yesterday. I applied Linola Fett, and the dryness disappeared for a while, but upon touching it again, there is slight flaking, and it feels a bit tight. Should I just give the skin some time? Is the healing process sometimes just longer? Is the fear of something worse completely unfounded, and why do you consider Sezary to be absurd based on probability?

Thank you once again.

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

Please excuse the late response.

Yes, you tend to make a big deal out of the smallest irritations, then google and find obscure and ridiculously rare syndromes and believe that you are suffering from them. Even though some of them are serious conditions that would require immediate hospitalization, not just minor redness or irritation. Unfortunately, you seem to have completely lost sight of reality, and I do not see that you are successfully combating your anxiety disorder in any way. It's a shame.

Of course, you need to give your skin time, and in winter it is often rough and irritated even in perfectly healthy people. Just leave it alone and don't constantly touch it.

Sincerely, Dr. Gehring