Many people suffer from peeling skin and they may wonder what is the cause behind this. When skin is peeling it is usually due to a number of causes such as sunburns, allergies or a skin condition that is causing the skin to peel. In many instances those who suffer from skin peeling may pick at it which it not beneficial and can cause further complications and even infection.
In our previous articles we have discussed the important role the epidermis plays when it comes to the health of our skin and again it plays a crucial role when it comes to peeling skin. The peeling skin happens when the outer layer of your skin being the epidermis sheds. The skin peeling is actually a sign that your skin is recuperating and is healing from some type of skin damage. As mentioned the skin peeling is a sign that your skin has been damaged due to skin conditions such as allergies, sunburns or an infection and the epidermis is peeling to heal and recover.
Skin peeling can also be due to sunburns and we have a great article about how to treat a mild sunburn.
The essential role of epidermis and skin peeling
So, when you see skin peeling in the outer layer of the skin it is the epidermis that is actually peeling. Actually, the epidermis is the thinnest layer of the skin but still plays a crucial role when it comes to the health of our skin and keeping things balanced. Not only does the epidermis play a role when it comes to protecting our bodies against things like germs and bacteria at the same times it is also responsible for putting back and restoring the dead skin cells that are continuously dying. Signs of the peeling skin can appear in a number of ways such as dry skin which appears as flaky, irritated skin or itchy skin.
Sunburn and skin peeling
Sunburn is a very common cause of skin peeling. When we are overexposed to the sun and suffer from sunburn our skin begins to peel usually a few days after we have suffered from the actual sunburn. Skin peeling speed up the process of skin cell regeneration our body goes through regularly. Due to the sunburn the upper layer of our skin called dermis, makes new cells which are called keratinocytes. When these new cells are created the epidermis begins to peel to give space to the new cells produced.
Skin peeling and hot water and over cleansing
When we wash our skin too much it can cause dryness. Our skin has natural moisturizers that can be washed away when we over wash our skin. When it comes to washing your face, it is recommended to wash it at night and a quick rinse in the morning.
Another cause of flaky and skin peeling can be hot water. In a same way that we mentioned earlier when it comes to over washing hot water can also remove the natural moisturizers that protect our skin.
Allergies and Skin Peeling
When we have allergies we think of a runny nose, sneezing and puffy eyes but not usually of skin peeling. But when things that cause allergies such a pollen, molds or dust particles come into contact with the epidermis our bodies respond by releasing histamine. Due to this release of histamine our skin can appear dry and even peel at times.
