Dry versus Dehydrated Skin – What is the Difference?

As the largest organ of our body, our skin is also a complex organ that contains thousands of hair follicles and tiny pores. The skin consists of 3 different layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer. They perform important roles and functions to keep the body healthy, including protection, secretion and sensation.

Protection: Our skin acts as our first line of defence and barrier against microorganisms, toxins, radiation and chemicals, harmful pollutants and more.

Secretion: Sweat, sebum and epidermal lipids are secreted from the skin. Toxins are removed from the body through sweat, while sebum helps to lubricate and waterproof the skin’s outer layer to protect the skin from outside invasion.

Sensation: The skin contains a vast number of nerve endings that transport stimuli, allowing humans to detect sensation such as touch, heat and cold, vibration, pressure and tissue injury.

Dry and dehydrated may seem like they are being used to described and discussed synonymously. But for skincare, they are different concerns with varying underlying causes.

Dry Skin
Essentially, dry skin lacks sebum (referred to as natural oils) or lipid barrier. When your sebaceous glands do not produce enough sebum, it will lead to dry skin. The lipid barrier also decreases as we age, hence the skin loses the ability to preserve moisture. Characteristics of dry skin include:
• Appears dry
• White flakes
• Irritation
• Feels rough
• Scaly skin

Dehydrated Skin
Dehydrated skin is characterised by the lack of water. This skin condition is caused by factors such as external elements (weather), lifestyle choices (caffeine or alcohol consumption) and ageing. These factors can deplete your skin’s water content, which results in less supple appearance.
Characteristics of dehydrated skin include:
• Feels tight
• Looks dull
• Sunken eyes or darker under eye circles
• Increased appearance of fine lines
• Accelerated skins of surface wrinkles

Hydrating vs Moisturising
Moisturisers and other moisturising products help to form a barrier over the skin’s surface and reduce the risk of existing moisture evaporating. People with a disrupted lipid barrier or have a dry skin type, can benefit from using a moisturiser or oil-infused products to seal the moisture within the skin.

Hydrating products are designed to increase the skin’s water content. This is typically achieved by using ingredients with the ability to attract water from its surroundings such as Hyaluronic Acid. In dehydrated skin, Hyaluronic Acid helps to retain moisture in the skin for long-lasting hydration.

Skin treatments available in aesthetic clinics in Singapore can also give a boost in your hydration levels.

At The Clifford Clinic, we offer Restylane Skinboosters to improve hydration and replenish moisture in the skin, for a dewy and smoother complexion. Using a fine microinjector, Hyaluronic acid is delivered precisely into the skin, providing deep hydration to the dermis layer. The skin can be better hydrated from within, thus improving the skin’s texture to look smoother and more radiant with reduced wrinkle lines.

For other skin concerns such as cystic acne or pigmentation, we also provide a suite of skin treatments to address your needs. Whether you are looking for the best acne scar treatment or laser for acne scars for your skin, our doctors will be able to discuss with you and advise on the appropriate procedure for a tailored solution. Book your appointment with us today.