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Only condition images were generated using AI for illustrative purposes. They do not represent real clients.
Dry skin
Dry skin is skin that does not produce enough oil, or lipids, to stay soft and protected, so it can feel tight, rough or flaky. It is worth separating from dehydrated skin: dry skin lacks oils, while dehydrated skin lacks water and can affect any skin type, even oily skin. Knowing which you have changes how you care for it.
The barrier that holds water in
Your outer skin works like a brick wall. The surface cells are the bricks, and a blend of lipids, including ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids, is the mortar holding them together. When that mortar is intact, it keeps water sealed in and cold, dry air out. When lipids run low, the wall turns porous, water escapes through every gap, and the surface becomes dry, tight and easily irritated.
What causes dry skin?
Dry skin develops when one or more of the systems that keep skin moisturized stops working well. Some causes are internal, like age or hormones, and some are external, like harsh cleansers, hot showers or the Canadian winter. Often several act together, which is why dryness tends to worsen in specific seasons or after particular habits.
A depleted lipid barrier
The stratum corneum relies on a lipid mortar of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids to seal moisture in. Age, harsh cleansers, very hot showers, winter air and indoor heating all strip these lipids away. As the mortar thins, the barrier becomes porous and can no longer hold water effectively. The skin then feels tight and rough and reacts more easily to irritation.
Low natural moisturizing factors
Inside your surface cells sit natural moisturizing factors, or NMF: amino acids, urea and lactates that act like tiny humidity magnets, grabbing and holding water. They are produced when a protein called filaggrin breaks down, in step with normal cell turnover. As turnover slows with age, NMF production drops too, so surface cells hold less water and the skin loses its soft, supple feel.
Accelerated water loss
Water constantly evaporates from skin into the air, a process called trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. A healthy barrier keeps this slow and steady, but a damaged one lets it speed up. The dry, cold air of a Canadian winter combined with heated indoor spaces pulls moisture out even faster, which is why dryness so often flares in the colder months.
Hormonal changes
Hormones help regulate how much oil and barrier lipid your skin makes. Around menopause, which arrives at about age 51 on average, estrogen drops noticeably. Since estrogen supports both sebum and barrier lipids, this decline reduces the skin's natural oils and weakens its moisture seal. Many people notice their skin becoming drier and more sensitive during this stage, sometimes for the first time.
How to Prevent
Personalized treatments for you.
Mesotherapy
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF)
SkinVive
Bela MD
Hydrafacial
OxyGeneo
Custom Facial
Line Refine Peel
