Could my dry skin be a sign of a serious health problem?

Your skin is a window to your inner beauty and health.

Tiny cracks and flaky, itchy skin are normal consequences of moisture-stealing cold or dry weather, or over-enthusiastic bathing with harsh soaps. Both can leave the outer layer of skin deprived of natural oils that keep your skin as soft as a baby’s bottom. While these environmental situations are responsible for most cases of dry skin, in some cases, dry, scaly, and itchy skin can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Your dry skin may be caused by eczema, the autoimmune disease psoriasis, an allergic skin condition (atopic dermatitis), or a reaction to a drug you are taking. Dry skin can even indicate a more serious problem below the surface. Sometimes dry skin is a clue that you are having trouble controlling your blood sugar (an indication you might be diabetic or are not controlling your diabetes well), or that you have a low level of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism), liver disease, kidney disease, or the blood cancer, lymphoma.