Is that dry skin really something more serious?

Symptoms of dry skin, eczema, contact dermatitis, and psoriasis can overlap.

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It's easy to overlook dry skin during the winter, when indoor heating and dry air pull moisture from the skin. But sometimes it's tough to tell if dry skin is a consequence of the season or a sign of a serious condition. "I see a fair number of people who come in with psoriasis or eczema and had just assumed it was dry skin," says Dr. Jason Frangos, a dermatologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Why does skin dry out?

It's not just winter conditions that lead to dry skin; it's also a change in our skin's top layer, or epidermis. This layer is normally thick with naturally occurring fats and oils that act as a barrier to help retain moisture and prevent irritants from entering the skin.