Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become dry, red, and itchy. While it usually develops in childhood, it can also affect adults. Allergies, such as hay fever, and asthma have also been shown to cause eczema.
If eczema causes dry skin, does it then follow that proper hydration is the best way to counteract this? This article will explore the relationship between hydration and the skin.
The skin is made up of three layers:
Eczema causes the corneal layer to become damaged. This is usually due to inflammatory processes that occur within the skin.1 The area of the body that eczema most commonly appears on are the flexural surfaces - the areas in which joints bend inwards - such as the elbows or knees.
Some common symptoms of eczema are as follows:
It is likely you have heard the phrase ‘humans are 70% water’ at some point in your life, in a multitude of different contexts. However, what does this phrase actually mean on a physiological level? Water is a major component of cells and tissues within the body. As such, it makes up around 70% of our body composition. There are various roles that water plays within the body, including:
The elasticity of the skin refers to the skin’s ability to return to normal after it has been stretched. You can test your own skin elasticity very easily. Simply pinch an area of your skin, usually the back of the hand, for 5 seconds and see how long it takes to return to normal. We tend to lose skin elasticity as we age, therefore the time it takes to get back to normal will increase as you get older. Additionally, certain skin conditions can also affect the elasticity of the skin, including eczema.
People with eczema are more likely to suffer from skin breakages, due to the factors listed above. As such, it is important to understand what constitutes a good environment for the skin to heal itself effectively.
There are four stages of primary wound healing:
Once this process is completed, you have a healed area. Sometimes this process of healing will leave a scar.
Water is essential for wound healing due to the level of hydration needed for each stage of the healing process. If you are dehydrated, there will be a lower blood volume in your system. As a result of this, the time taken for the chemicals to travel in the blood will increase, leading to a longer recovery time. It also means that it will take longer for the recovering cells to receive oxygen and nutrients which are important for the healing process.
If internal hydration levels are important for wound healing, the external environment is equally so. When we are injured, plasters and wound dressings are helpful for a number of reasons, one of which is that they help prevent water inside the body from escaping through the affected area. However, it is important to keep wounds clean and dry before applying the dressing, so as to minimise the risk of infection. If the wound is too wet, it can slow down healing and may introduce bacteria to the area.3
Water is classified as ‘hard water’ if it contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. Links have been found between exposure to hard water and increased skin sensitivity to irritants, alongside damage to the skin barrier. As such, washing skin with hard water could potentially play a part in the development of eczema. It has also been proposed that calcium-containing water might lower the skin’s ability to heal. Given that people suffering from eczema often have more sensitive skin than others, it is likely they are more prone to experiencing the negative effects of hard water.
If water is so essential, how can we make sure we are maximising our hydration levels effectively? Drinking water is helpful, but the water consumed orally will be used for a lot of other functions around the body. As such, it’s important to make sure our skin is not being neglected. The best way to do this is by utilising external methods of hydration, such as moisturisers. This gives the skin a little boost in a more targeted manner.
Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become dry, red and itchy. Water is not only essential for us to function, both internally and externally, but it is also very helpful in reducing the severity of some eczema symptoms. It’s also important to remember that the quality of water will have an impact on your skin. If you are concerned about your skin you should seek medical advice for a tailored consultation and targeted advice.
