Ever heard of peeling skin? Behind this scientific-looking word, hides simply the peeling skin. But beware, there are different types of peeling, which can be natural, or reveal a real skin health problem. Why does your skin show patches of flaking? What are the causes and how to react? Veld's answers your questions.
We speak of desquamation when the skin has areas where it seems to come off in small shreds. This creates little white skin , which cling or fall as soon as they are touched. The phenomenon of desquamation, more than a problem, corresponds to the natural functioning of the skin. Indeed, our skin is constantly renewing itself , this is called cell renewal. This process keeps it fresh and resistant, especially to protect you against everyday attacks (sun, pollution, dust, etc.).
Thus, the skin regularly eliminates its dead cells:they progress over the weeks to rise to the surface of the skin, in the epidermis, and are eliminated when you wash your face, or when you exfoliate the skin. In most cases, this renewal cycle lasts an average of one month. In people with desquamation of the skin , this cycle has been accelerated, either by an attack on the skin tissue, or because the nature of the skin is dry, or because of a skin infection.
Desquamation can appear on the face, but also on the body. The most common cause is, quite simply, dry skin. In people with this type of skin, the skin tissue lacks lipids , and has a tendency to tug, crack, and peel. This desquamation of the skin is observed in particular on the face and hands, which are the areas most exposed to external aggressions. But peeling skin can also have other causes:
In some cases, particularly pronounced or chronic flaking of the skin can also be a sign of a health concern. This may be linked to a vitamin deficiency , an immune system disorder, an infectious disease, or even a fungal infection. The latter case is quite common in areas prone to perspiration or friction, for example in the armpits or feet.
The scalp functions like the skin of our face or our body. It constantly renews itself, and can find itself attacked, or dried up. We rarely speak of desquamation of the scalp, to favor the term dandruff . We all eliminate dead cells from the scalp, but when these dead skin cells become very visible, they cause irritation or itchiness , then we can talk about dandruff.
Involved in this excessive flaking of the scalp? There may be internal factors, such as stress, fatigue, or poor diet. As for external factors, we can notably mention too aggressive shampoos , excessive use of heated appliances (dryer, straightener, curler), too tight ties, regular wearing of hats which cause friction and suffocate the skin. As with the skin, flaking of the scalp can also be linked to a skin infection, or a health concern.
You're tired of flaking patches, itching, that feeling of discomfort ? Don't let your skin suffer. Start a gentle beauty routine by cleansing your skin with cornflower water in the morning. It is ideal for dry and irritated skin, thanks to the soothing properties of cornflower. In the evening, cleanse your skin with a make-up remover oil, before using a gentle cleansing foam.
As for care, a soothing and nourishing mask once a week can help the skin regenerate better. Morning and evening, apply a moisturizer suitable for irritated skin, such as our Pure Pulp Neo gel. Its soothing virtues restore your comfort, while its moisturizing and plumping active ingredients give your skin a new radiance.
As for the scalp, adopt an anti-dandruff care range , asking your dermatologist or pharmacist for advice. Limit sources of heat, coloring and wearing a hat as much as possible, to let your scalp breathe.
Try, for two to three weeks, to pay attention to your skin and your lifestyle. Try to identify if your skin tends to react to fatigue , stress, or poor diet. Perhaps you will be able to identify peaks of desquamation after a stressful week for example, or after a period of dietary deviations.
This could allow you to treat the problem at the source :rebalance food, review your sleep cycles to give you more rest, develop stress management techniques. In case of severe or chronic desquamation , scalp or skin, a discussion with your doctor or dermatologist is in order.
