Dry Elbows

While people spend lots of money on having the perfect face, hands and legs, most of us forget about the elbows as it is something that one is not able to see directly. However, other people can obviously observe one's elbows and a dry and chapped elbows can be quite embarrassing. As not many of us bother to look at our elbows regularly, it becomes easy for them to become dry and discolored. Though one may think that it is actually not possible to bring back the lost glory of the elbows, it is not completely true. Rather, it is definitely not an impossible task, however, getting rid of this problem can be a little difficult. However, before we go into the details of how to get rid of them, let us take a quick look at its causes.

Causes

The skin on the elbows are very thick because it helps in protecting the elbow bone. As the skin that is thicker in texture is more prone to dryness, the elbows become dry quickly especially during the months of winter when moisture loss occurs. Apart from this, elbows are put into rough use even without actually thinking about it. Throughout the day, we tend to lean our elbows on different types of surfaces which leads to abuse of the elbows, making them dry and rough. Moreover, ignoring elbow care for a long time makes it more difficult to sustain the lack of moisture in the environment, due to which the elbows become dry.

Treatment

One of the biggest challenge that arises when it comes to cure is the thickness of the skin. However, as I said earlier, it is possible with the help of some proper remedies. So, here are some of the methods that one needs to use, to do away with dry elbow skin.

Exfoliating the Elbows
Just as exfoliation is an important way of moisturizing our face, it is also important to exfoliate the elbows to get rid of the dryness. One can get hold of an exfoliating body scrub which is easily available in the market. This process of exfoliating or scrubbing the area helps in removing the dead skin cells and thus, making the area soft and smooth. If your skin has become very dry, use this method for ten days continuously or till the elbows become soft. Once you have achieved what you wanted, you need to do it only occasionally, may be once or twice in a week.

Moisturizing the Elbows
Once you have exfoliated the elbows, the next step will be to moisturize it thoroughly. The moisturizer that one should use for the elbows should be one that contains vitamin E, hydroxy, comfrey and aloe. On the other hand, you can even rub some oil on your elbows to moisturize it. Some of the best oils that can be used for moisturizing the dry elbow skin include almond oil, grape seed oil, lavender oil, etc. However, it is important to stay away from fragrant oils as this can cause the elbows to become more flakier. Sometimes, this can irritate the skin on the elbows even more.

Apply the moisturizer or oil on the elbows thoroughly and cover it with a plastic sheet for at least thirty minutes, before washing it off. You can also use this at night and protect it with a pair of socks that have been cut from the foot area. This will prevent the cream or oil from spoiling the bedspreads. Take off the socks in the morning and wash it off with lukewarm water.

Remedy

Apart from the regular exfoliation and moisturizing, there are some more remedies that one can try to get rid of this problem. Here are some of the effective ways of curing this problem.

• Melt some butter in a microwave for ten seconds and rub it on both the elbows for 20 - 30 minutes continuously. Once this is done, wrap the elbows with a plastic sheet and rinse them only after an hour.
• Applying a sugar scrub is also an effective way of treating dryness on elbows. For this, one needs to take 1/8 cup olive oil and mix it with ¼ cup of brown sugar. Massage this mixture on the elbows gently and rinse after half an hour.
• Take lemon juice in a cup and combine it with some baking soda. Stir these ingredients together to make a thick paste. Rub this mixture on the elbows gently and wash after allowing it to sit for fifteen minutes.

Most of these remedies can also be used to cure dried ankles, knees and other dry areas. However, if the problem does not subside, or, if you experience pain along with dryness and roughness, it will be best to consult a dermatologist who will prescribe some medications to get rid of dryness in your elbows completely.