Flaking skin on the legs: causes and what to do

Why is very dry skin on the legs flaking?

The outer layer of skin normally holds moisture and acts as a barrier. When that barrier is impaired, skin holds less water and retains surface cells, producing roughness and scale. The medical term for dry skin is xerosis. The shins are a particularly common place for dryness, and severe dryness can lead to cracks and inflammation.13

Long, hot showers, harsh soaps and cold, dry weather can contribute. Indoor heating or cooling can also dry the air. Rough clothing and abrasives add friction, so trying to rub every flake away can add another aggravating factor rather than address the moisture loss.134

How to care for flaking legs

1. 1Keep baths and showers to five to ten minutes. Use warm rather than hot water, and avoid washing more often than necessary.
2. 2Wash gently with a cleanser free from dyes and perfume. Use cleanser where needed rather than covering your legs in a thick lather.
3. 3If you shave, do it at the end of the shower or bath, when water has softened the skin and hair.
4. 4Pat dry instead of rubbing. Apply a fragrance free moisturizer immediately afterward, while the skin is still damp.
5. 5Reapply moisturizer several times a day and whenever your legs feel dry. Gently massage it into the skin.

Moisturizers are the main treatment for ordinary dry skin. They help reduce water loss, support the skin barrier and reduce itch.3

Which moisturizer should you choose?

For very dry legs, choose a cream or ointment rather than a lotion: these add more moisture. Look for fragrance free rather than unscented, because unscented products can contain ingredients that mask smells and irritate dry skin. Useful moisturizing ingredients include glycerin, dimethicone, petrolatum and mineral oil.5

Creams or lotions containing urea or lactic acid are also options for dry skin. There is no single strength or application schedule for these ingredients that fits every product here, so follow the chosen product's directions rather than inventing a stronger routine to remove the flakes.1

What else can make the dryness worse?

Avoid directing a heater or hot car air at your legs. Choose loose cotton clothing instead of tight leggings or jeans that rub. A humidifier can help in dry indoor air; clean it regularly. Protect exposed legs with clothing, shade and a broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher.56

Avoid applying fragranced products, alcohol containing skincare or retinoids to excessively dry skin. Ask a dermatologist before adding an itch relief cream. For lower leg rashes, topical antibiotics, topical antihistamines and complex fragranced or herbal moisturizers can provoke contact allergy and should not be used as an improvised treatment.56

What causes dry, flaking skin on the lower legs?

A lower leg rash is often dermatitis, another name for eczema. Contact dermatitis follows contact with a particular substance; discoid eczema produces circular or oval patches. Psoriasis and fungal infections can also affect the legs. Flaking alone cannot tell you which condition is responsible, and treatment depends on the diagnosis.26

Dry, flaky lower legs with swelling, visible varicose veins or changing skin colour can be signs of varicose eczema. This condition is linked to increased pressure in the leg veins. Swelling often worsens after standing or toward the end of the day. Affected skin can look red or brown on white skin, and dark brown, purple or grey on black or brown skin.2

See a doctor for these symptoms: untreated varicose eczema can lead to leg ulcers. Treatment can include moisturizers, prescribed corticosteroid creams, keeping active, raising the legs and compression stockings. Have compression assessed before using it. A clinician can check circulation, because compression stockings can be unsafe when blood flow through the arteries is impaired.2

Who needs a closer look at the cause?

Skin produces less natural oil with age, making dryness more common. Certain medicines, including statins and diuretics, can contribute. Diabetes, thyroid disease and kidney disease can also cause excessive dryness. Tell your clinician about your medicines and health history if flaking persists rather than assuming a new body cream will address every possible cause.4

Dryness that began in early childhood, especially with a family history, can be associated with ichthyosis, a group of conditions that cause dry, scaly skin. Pregnancy increases the risk of varicose eczema by increasing pressure in the leg veins; swelling with flaky, discoloured lower legs deserves assessment.23

How long does it take, and when should you get help?

Dryness can improve when contributing factors are controlled, but a tendency to dry skin can persist throughout life. There is no fixed recovery deadline for flaking legs. Choose ongoing care around tolerance, cost and availability, rather than turning the bathroom shelf into a luxury goods department.3

If dryness continues despite these changes, see a dermatologist. Stop using a product that causes burning, stinging or irritation and tell the dermatologist. Cracks can allow infection into the skin, and a painful, blistered or wounded lower leg needs medical assessment rather than repeated cosmetic treatment. Inflamed, itchy areas sometimes need prescribed treatment as well as moisturizer.135

Why is skin on the face flaking?

Facial flaking can also come from dry skin, but the cause need not match the legs. Seborrheic dermatitis is a type of eczema affecting oily areas, including the scalp and face. It can cause redness, flaking and itch alongside dandruff. Persistent facial flaking with scalp symptoms needs its own assessment, rather than assuming both areas need identical treatment.7