It's easy to miss.

You normally don't see it when you look at yourself in a mirror.

It's not the first thing potential partners look at.

Your friends probably won't tell you - because they have the same issue.

Dry elbow skin.

Granted, if that's your only personal appearance health issue, you're probably too busy meeting new partners and going out to be reading this.

Still, it's one of those seemingly small things that can make a big difference. Sooner or later, people will see your elbows.

Are they dry, scratchy, red and peeling?

Or as smooth, fresh and healthy-appearing as the rest of your skin?

Why is Elbow Skin Such a Problem?

Simple: 

1. The skin over your elbows is much thicker than over the rest of your body.

Your elbows are exposed to much more friction. When working at our desks, we often place our elbows on our desk top or the arms of our chairs. They simply contact surfaces, including hard surfaces, a lot more than most of our skin. We don't want our elbows to be soft and sensitive. We need that toughness.

2. The skin over your elbows and the backs of your lower arms contains fewer of the oil-producing sebaceous glands that keep the rest of your skin moisturized.

3. Your elbow moves a lot.

As you go about your day, you're almost constantly using your arms - which usually means bending your elbows. 

That stresses them out, resulting in dry skin.

4. Clothing also stresses your elbow skin.

That's especially true if you wear synthetic fabrics.

Polyester fabrics can irritate your skin, especially over your elbow because it's in contact with the artificial material for long periods of time.

Sweat makes this worse by remaining with the cloth, so there's more friction between the fabric and your skin. That takes up your skin's natural oils, leaving it dehydrated.

5. Extreme weather also causes problems

During the cold months, the air is less humid, and this dries out your skin - especially areas prone to dryness, including your elbows. Heating warms the air inside your home, but also dries it out. Running a humidifier along with a furnace should help relieve skin dryness.

During the warm months, direct sunlight dries out your elbow skin. 

Go inside? Air-conditioned air also dries out your skin.

Unfortunately, we can't do much about the above factors. We can't change the season or today's weather.

Other Factors Also Dry Out Your Skin - Especially Elbow Skin

These aren't specific to your elbows, but can make your elbow skin even drier and flakier.

1. Diet

If you're not fully hydrated, your body can't spare the water your elbow skin needs.

Your body needs a small amount of unsaturated fat to help moisturize your skin.

2. Smoking

Tobacco wrecks your blood circulation. All your skin, including over your elbows, gets starved for nutrients and moisture.

3. Hormonal changes

Menopause and other hormonal changes can dry your skin, including your elbows.

4. Chlorine

If you swim in a pool, your skin is exposed to chlorine.

Chlorine is a potent killer. In World War I, use of chlorine gas was an inhumane weapon.

It's added to swimming pools to make them safe to swim in by destroying harmful bacteria.

The amount added to swimming pools doesn't hurt people, but it does wear at your skin, irritating it and making it drier.

(Ask any member of a swim team.)

Exfoliate Once or Twice per Week

Exfoliation is the process of stripping off your skin's excess cells. Those're the ones that're old, dead and dry.

By removing these debris cells, you're enabling your skin to consist of new, young and healthy cells.

New skin cells rise to the top by growing up from deeper within. Exfoliation gives these new cells room to take their rightful places.

We normally shed old skin cells anyway. We just don't notice it. (Except dandruff.)

However, thanks to modern lifestyles and all of the possible causes of dry skin, the dead skin cells on your elbows remain in place. 

That's why your elbows are red, flaky, dry, patchy and scaly - and have clogged pores.

You can find many products for exfoliating your skin. Look for a kit that's designed specifically for thick, dry skin such as you have on your elbows. That could include a pumice stone. Those are good for areas of thick skin, such as your feet and elbows.

Start slowly, especially at first.

When you clear out the old, dry dead cells, the underlying skin begins to regenerate itself. This takes time, so let your skin start to recover before you scrape it again. It will remain sensitive for a while.

Wash With Gentle Shower Gels

Some strong and harsh soaps and cleanser ingredients themselves cause dry skin.

After you wash or shower, apply a nourishing moisturizer to your elbows, and everywhere else you want your skin to look good.

You can find many products that promise to moisturize your skin, including many 100% natural oils that nourish your skin and lock in moisture:

Shea butter. Argan oil. Baobab oil. Mango butter. Marula oil. Pomengranate oil.

You can find many more - and make sure they're certified organic.

Look for:

1. Humectants - they attract moisture

2. Occlusives - help seal moisture into your skin

3. Emollients - help smooth your skin by filling in rough patches

Be careful with commercial products. Unfortunately, many may also come with ingredients that may be risky in the long term. Often, we just don't know the long-term risk because nobody is carrying out long-term studies of those ingredients.

Avoid Things that Dry or Irritate Your Skin

Quit smoking. Wear only gentle, natural fabrics. Minimize skin exposure to direct sunlight, cold air and chlorinated water. 

CAUTION

If your elbows or other skin becomes painful, excessively dry and inflamed, or you just can't find relief, see your doctor.

You may have a condition requiring medical intervention, such as eczema, psoriasis, or diabetes. 

https://www.vaseline.com/us/en/articles/skin-concern/nine-simple-tips-to-help-treat-dry-skin-on-elbows.html

https://www.nivea.co.uk/advice/skin/how-to-exfoliate

https://www.nivea.co.uk/advice/skin/dry-skin-on-elbows

https://www.verywellhealth.com/dry-elbows-5190644