Age-related skin and eye dryness

[nancy324]

I've always had dry skin, and my heels have a tendency to crack if I don't keep them moisturized. However, most of my life I was able to keep my heels from drying out by applying some moisturizer a few times a week. Then suddenly, my heels weren't responding to moisturizer and I got an eye infection that the eye dr. hasn't been able to get totally under control, which she suspects may be caused by dry eyes. My hands are also drier than they've ever been.

I was talking to my mother about these problems and she said that they are related, and that she had the same "drying out" syndrome when her hormones started to change at around my age. My mother gave me a kit for dealing with my feet that involves day creams and night creams and pumice stones. I can't believe how much work she does to control her skin! She also gave me an article that said to take flax seed oil, which I already do.

I had never heard of this before and was wondering if anyone else has had this experience?

 

[fit_fairy]

Nancy,
I am only 39 but have premature ovarian failure- basically menopause but they won't call it that at my age. I started noticing major skin changes a couple of years ago- it was actually the first thing I noticed- came before the horrible hot flashes and night sweats. Drier everywhere. Now my face is dry except a tiny little bit of a T zone but even that is not as bad as it used to be. Under my eyes I look like a desert by the end of the day ;( . I've tried lots of stuff and have found nothing to help that area!! I can't do flax seed it makes my legs cramp for some reason. I experiemented with it started-legs cramped stopped it got better and repeated the process just to be sure. It wasn't a lack of water either as I drink tons. Oh well. Good luck in your quest with your skin care.

catherine

 

[Bunbun]

Hi Nancy. I recently went to the eye dr for an eye infection, and she told me that I have horribly dry eyes, apparently, and that it's age-related. I'm supposed to use preservative-free eye drops at least 4 times a day to see if that helps it. I do it some days, at work at least, where it seems to be worse because of the constant AC.

I also have horribly dry skin--in the winter my hands will actually bleed if I don't moisturize constantly, and I get flakey and really itchy skin over the rest of my body. The only thing that helps is Vaseline, applied in a really thin layer so that it's not greasy and gooey. I put it on after I shower in the winter and it's been a lifesaver. A dermatology professor I know used to say that it was the best moisturizer, except that it 's gooey and greasy and doesn't appeal to consumers.

 

[nancy324]

Very interesting Bunbun! Thanks so much for sharing.

Yes, my eye dr. wants me to use eye drops EVERY 2 HOURS. No way am I managing that. I'm lucky if I remember once in the morning and once in the evening. She mentioned that I could take Restasis or whatever it's called, but I'm not ready for that yet.

I never even heard about this effect of aging until it happened to me this year. Pretty weird stuff.

 

[nancy324]

Catherine-
My dr. told me that my leg cramps are probably caused by lack of magnesium, which is caused by my consumption of caffeine, which actually destroys the magnesium in my body. I get rid of the leg cramps by taking GNC Calcium Plus, which has calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and some other stuff I forget. Maybe the flax seed oil has some effect on magnesium? Just a thought. Can you take fish oil instead? Those EFAs are really, well, essential (as the name indictes).

 

[mogambo]

Walnuts are good too. And almonds.


But anyway, about dry heel skin. After your shower, put oil on your feet, not lotion. Any oil almond, walnut, olive. Or a massage oil. Then put socks on and sleep that way. If you shower in the morning, just rub a thin coating of oil, as though it were a lotion, and leave it on. It locks in moisture really well, softens the dryness, and you don't have any oddball chemicals to deal with.

 

[CandiK]

Nancy,

Hopefully you are not experiencing vaginal dryness yet . That's no fun at all.

Do you drink plenty of water. You may want to increase your water intake and make sure you're getting vitamin E as well.

 

[Rose11]

Vaseline is the best moisturizer indeed! You just have to use a tiny bit so it won't get gooey. If you use body lotion and apply a tiny bit of vaseline on top your skin will get super soft. The best secret ever for soft hands and feet is to apply lotion with a little bit of vaseline on top put on cotton gloves and socks and go to bed. The next day your hands and feet are super soft!

 

[nancy324]

Candi-
No, not yet. Just the feet, the hands and the eyes so far. Weird, huh? You're right, I should be sure to take my vitamin E every day. Sometimes I'm a bit lazy about it.

 

[ducky]

I have always had really dry skin. When I get out of the shower I feel like my skin is 2 sized too small. I've used tons of moisturizer all my life. I few months ago I switched to using pure natural oils on my skin and I can't believe the difference. My skin is better moisturized all the time now, even when I just get out of the shower.