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Treatment for Dry Elbows

Deepa Kartha
Dryness on the elbows is a problem that is commonly experienced by people all around the world. As dry and discolored elbows look displeasing and prevent one from wearing short-sleeved dresses, it is important to know about the ways to get rid of this dryness.
While people spend lots of money on having the perfect face, hands, and legs, most of us forget about the elbows, as they are not directly visible. However, other people can obviously observe them.
As not many of us bother to look at our elbows regularly, they tend to become dry and discolored. Now, before we get into the details of how to treat dry elbows, let us take a quick look at the probable causes.

Causes

➜ The skin on the elbows is 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 winters when a significant amount of moisture loss takes place.
➜ Apart from this, elbows are put into rough use throughout the day. We tend to lean our elbows on different types of surfaces, which leads to their abuse, thus, 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 they further become dry.

Treatment

One of the biggest challenges that arises when it comes to curing this condition is the thickness of the skin. However, it is possible with the help of some proper remedies. So, enlisted here are a few of them.

► Exfoliating the Elbows

Just as exfoliation is an important step 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 that is easily available in the market.
This process of exfoliating or scrubbing helps in removing the dead skin cells, 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

After exfoliation, the next step will be to moisturize the elbows thoroughly. The moisturizer to be used should contain vitamin E, hydroxy, comfrey, and aloe. On the other hand, you can even rub some oil to moisturize.
Some of the best oils 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 even more.
Apply the moisturizer or oil on the elbows thoroughly and cover it with a plastic sheet for at least 30 minutes, before washing it off. You can also apply this at night and protect the area with a pair of socks that have been cut from the foot area.
This will prevent the cream or oil from spoiling the bedspread. Take off the socks in the morning and wash it off with some lukewarm water.

Some Home Remedies

Apart from the regular exfoliation and moisturizing, there are some more remedies that one can try to get rid of this problem.
>> Melt some butter in a microwave for 10 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 the dryness. For this, one needs to take ⅛ 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 some 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 15 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 the dryness completely.
Disclaimer: This is only for informative purposes and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.