Flaky Nose
Flaky Nose: Causes and Treatment
Flaky nose can be a visible symbol of a couple of different health issues. The context of a patient’s general health and other indications will help arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Doctors say that flaky nose can indicate excessive sun exposure, a fungal infection, perioral dermatitis, acne vulgaris or rosacea. Sometimes patients dealing with a bad bout of cold or sinus infections may also find themselves dealing with dry and flaky nose as a result of frequently wiping the area.
If you find yourself dealing with dry skin, the best thing to do is to cleanse it with soap and water and pat it dry. Then use a lotion or moisturizer, preferably one with Vitamin E in it, to soothe the skin. Vitamin E is found to be a great salve for irritated skin. If the skin is very flaky from excessive dryness, it is a good idea to use a loofah or wash cloth to try and exfoliate the skin first. Exfoliate does not mean rubbing the skin off but just gently rubbing the area to remove the dead skin cells. Once the loose cells are removed, you can moisturize the area. In particularly bad cases, it may be necessary to use Vaseline or petroleum jelly overnight to lock the moisture into the skin. Another recommendation is a topical cream with corticosteroid. Most often a mild sun burn or a side-effect of a sinus infection will be helped by such a treatment and the skin will be back to its smooth condition in a couple of days.
If this does not happen and the problem persists past 10 days, or if you cannot see any direct cause for the flaky nose, you should consider a visit to your doctor. It is possible that there is some kind of dermatological infection. Studying the scales of the flaking skin under a microscope will help a doctor determine the exact nature of the problem.
Conditions such as Perioral Dermatitis and Seborrheic Dermatitis usually involve redness and dry, flaky skin. So if there is some inflammation accompanying the flakiness, it is possible that it is one of these skin conditions. A dermatologist is likely to recommend a medicated cream to counter the symptoms. Colder temperatures and a reaction to some make-up or lotion seem to trigger these episodes. In most cases, the hydrocortisone creams are effective in countering the tendency of the skin to flake.
If the condition is diagnosed as an actual fungal infection, there may also be some pain associated with the problem. You can take an aspirin or other pain killer to deal with that problem.
While dealing with the problem, you may need to find ways to disguise the redness or flakiness with make-up to avoid drawing too much attention to the issue. In truth, the nose being the center of the face makes this a little hard. However, use a mild cleanser and frequently moisturizing the area are found to lead to immediate relief and so this should work. There are also concealers and blended foundations in the market that can be used effectively to limit the impact of the problem. However, unless absolutely necessary it is best to leave the area unclogged with powder or other applications while it is in the process of healing.
In general, using the right kind of sun screen , drinking plenty of water and avoiding oil build up on the nose are good ways of avoiding skin trouble. These basic principles apply to those dealing with flaky nose trouble also. As prevention is better than cure, those prone to the problem should make sure to moisturize the area at least once a day. Using soft or lotion-laced tissues and watching out for reactions to new skin products are all good ways of avoiding dry and flaky nose skin.