Persistent Dry Skin: Causes, Treatments & Relief

Question
hi, ive never really had a problem with dry skin, i rarely even had the need for moisturizer, until i moved to a new town when i noticed it a bit. So i started using baby oil after every shower for a few months with great results. then all of a sudden my skin was super super dry and flaky and i cant seem to cure it! ive stopped using the oil and have been using gentle lotions, ive also tried hydro cortozone cream and polysporin and vaseline and it just keeps coming back! its mostly on my stomach and under my bra. any help would be great cause im just not sure what i should be trying as i am getting mixed results from every product ive tried!

Answer
Is it itchy and red? You may should see a doctor, it sounds like eczema a bit. Also the fact that it's only in certain patches is odd to me eczema is patchy. Drier air can affect skin but also the water there might be hard, meaning there's a high level of minerals and there's a study out that says hard water can lead to eczema. I moved from an area with soft water to hard water in college and I get dry red patches one me, but mine were where the water hit, the chest, upper arms. The student doc said vit e oil helps ( it did some) Don't use hydrocortisone unless it's really itchy, long term use of it can thin the skin. make sure your bras are cotton not irritating synthetic fibers as they will exacerbate it. Try a the vitamin e (you can buy the capsules and stick it with a pin to get the oil out) and a lotion with colloidal oatmeal which is extremely hydrating and soothing, Eucerin and aveeno are two I can think of. I would start there but if you don't see relief see a dermatologist, so often I see people let things go until they get near unbearable and cause damage. You may want to go ahead and make an appt with a derm while you're trying these remedies, I know the derms in my area have a 6-8 month wait on new patients, that way you can call and cancel if my suggestions work but you have an appt if you need it.