Did you know your skin is the heaviest organ in your body? So, it’s no surprise that your skin can also be one of the weirdest organs in your body. Did you know that after a shower, certain conditions can cause peeling skin on your shoulders, arms, and legs? Read on to learn more about this answer to why my skin peels after a shower.
Why Does My Skin Peel After a Shower?
Skin peels are common after a shower. But, it is not a serious condition. There are several reasons why skin peels after a shower. The main reason is the soap used in the shower causes the skin to dry out and makes it more prone to damage. So, the best way to prevent this problem is to use a body wash that doesn’t have harsh chemicals.
What Are The Reasons Skin Peel After A Shower?
Soap:
The use of soaps and cleansers can cause dry skin. Many soaps contain chemicals that can cause the skin to dry out. The main reason why the skin peels after a shower area are due to the soap that you use. So, always use mild soaps and cleansers to avoid this problem.
Change in weather:
As we mentioned above, changes in weather can also cause dry skin. When it is cold outside, it leads to the loss of oils in the skin which causes flaky skin. Also, when it is hot outside, your body loses moisture from sweating and water loss which leads to dryness of your skin. These changes in weather lead to a change in your body’s natural oils and moisture levels which causes flaking of your skin.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Symptoms:
As mentioned above, changes in temperature affect our body’s natural oils and moisture levels which causes flaking of our skin during winter time or when we are exposed to cold temperatures for long periods of time like during winters or when we are exposed to the sun for long periods as well as when we are under stress or depressed or under some other conditions that affect our body’s natural oils production (like any kind of illness).
Minor Illnesses and Infections:
Minor illnesses and infections can also cause dry skin. When you are under some kind of stress, which makes the skin lose moisture, it causes the skin to become dry. Also, when you have a minor illness or infection, it is likely that your body will be stressed and thus your skin will become dry as well.
Some Medicines:
Some rare medications can also cause dry skin. For instance, some antibiotics or pain killers can cause dryness of the skin. Also, some anti-depressants can also be responsible for causing dryness of the skin as well because they affect our body’s natural oils levels as well as our natural moisture levels too, and thus our skin becomes very dry and flaky after using them for a long time.
Some Diseases:
Some rare diseases like vitiligo (in which people lose the pigment in their skin) and alopecia areata (in which people lose hair from their head) causes great loss of moisture in our bodies which leads to flaking of our skin after a shower or bath because we try to moisturize ourselves with lotions but this does not help much in moisturizing our skins because these medications that we take affects our body’s natural oils production as well as its natural moisture levels too so that these medications do not help us much in moisturizing ourselves after a shower either because they do not contain any kind of moisturizing agent.
Some Over-the-counter Anti-Dryness Products:
Some over-the-counter anti-dryness products can also cause dry skin as well because they contain certain ingredients which work in a similar way to the medications that we mentioned above but these products have not been tested for a long period of time and thus it is possible that these products might have some side effects on our skin like causing dryness or flaking of the skin which might make us look older than we are because our skins become very dry and flaky after using these products for a long time.
Aging:
As we grow older, our body’s natural oils production decreases, and thus when our body’s natural oils production decreases, it affects our moisture levels which causes flaking of our skins after a shower or bath or when we try to moisturize ourselves with lotions but this does not help much in moisturizing our skins as well because these medications that we take affects our body’s natural oils production as well as its natural moisture levels too so that these medications do not help us much in moisturizing ourselves after a shower either because they do not contain any kind of moisturizing agent.
Pregnancy:
During pregnancy, your body produces more oils which help in moisturizing your skin thus during pregnancy, you should not use any kind of product to moisturize your skin as it can affect your baby’s growth negatively. Also, during pregnancy, you should avoid using any kind of product to moisturize your hair as it will cause dryness of the hair too and this will affect your baby’s growth negatively too.
How To Prevent Your Skin From Peeling After Showers?
- Use a good-quality moisturizer.
- Before you get in the shower, apply a good-quality moisturizer to your skin.
- Use a gentle soap or gel cleanser instead of harsh soaps and hair products that contain drying agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES).
- Do not use too much soap.
- Use a gentle cleanser for sensitive skin.
- Avoid harsh soaps and detergents that contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES).
- After showering, pat your skin dry instead of rubbing it with a towel as this can lead to irritation and dryness.
- Wash your hair every other day using a mild shampoo instead of daily use of a harsh shampoo that may contain drying agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES).
- Avoid frequent use of hair products containing drying agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES).
- Do not apply moisturizing creams after you have dried off with a towel, as this can cause skin irritation by causing the skin to over-dry and flake off easily after you have taken a warm shower or bath.
Conclusion
After taking a warm or hot shower, you may notice that your skin begins to peel on the back of your arms, shoulders, and legs. This is a normal occurrence when your skin is dry. If you have dry skin, you may notice mild flaking after washing. This is a good sign because it means your skin is shedding dead cells and regenerating new ones. However, if you have a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, you may notice more noticeable peeling. You should also be on the lookout for peeling on the back of your arms, shoulders, and legs if you use drying agents when laundering your clothes.
