My face went from oily to dry in a couple of weeks... could it be a health issue?

[Meisje]

My skin used to be really oily. I started moisturizing, and that cut the oil slick down to a more manageable level.

This winter has been the mildest in years, yet over the last month I noticed that my eyebrow area is incredibly flaky and dry, and although I have been busy and stressed (a normal thing, so that's not the cause) I noticed that my oily areas have dried up completely.

Could this be a sign of an underlying health problem? I fully intend to go to a doctor, and I am in the process of getting a full blood panel done. But I was wondering if any of you have had the same experience and if it was due to thyroid, diabetes or something like that.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Selkie]

Hi - My whole family has thyroid problems, and this kind of thing happened to all the women (we don't really know if it happened to the men). I'm glad you're going to the doctor about it; a thyroid problem may not be the cause in your situation, but in case it is:

---If you become hypothyroid (low on it), your skin can get super dry & rough-feeling skin within a month (it happened to me!).
--- If you become hyperthyroid (too much), your oil glands can start pumping at an incredible rate!

The good part is that if you just have a simple thyroid imbalance, you just have to take a a tiny pill 1-2x daily daily & when your thyroid is balanced, your skin will right itself. Plus you'll feel a lot better!

Hope this helps!

 

[Meisje]

Thanks so much for your reply! I was thinking it was something like this.

 

[Simply Elegant]

If it's not due to a complicated problem, it could just be surface dryness or not drinking enough water.

 

[Meisje]

It's not usual winter dryness, it's a huge overall change in the texture and moisture level in my skin. Most noticeably on my face, but I've also developed eczema on my hand and all of my skin is dry. My hair also seems dry, limp and thin.

I'm well hydrated, and nothing about my diet or life has changed. So I think it probably is thyroid, since my father has the same issue. I've also noticed I've gained a little weight that's not easy to budge, and I'm fatigued all the time.

The blood tests will tell for sure.

 

[DownInAHole]

Just because your body is well hydrated does not mean that your skin is. Unfortunately, your skin is the LAST organ in the body to receive the water you ingest, so almost everyone has dehydrated skin as a skin condition.

I hope you find out your thyroid problems, but nonetheless, products with hyaluronic acid can hydrate the skin.

 

[astronaut]

My skin has always been extremely oily up until last year. I used to try so many different mattifiers to try to control my oil because it was so bad but they never worked. Well I noticed that my skin has gradually become dry and my doctor recently diagnosed me with seborrheic dermatitis. She gave me a prescription for Cortisone. I didn't pick up my prescription yet.