Dry flaky skin occurs when the body's natural oily layer on the skin dries out. In this case, the skin is unable to produce enough oil and moisture for the body to replenish the amount of water and oil being lost. This could happen due to a variety of reasons, one of them being the dehydration of the body as the body ages or due to a variety of other external causes.

One of the most popular dry skin ailments is caused due to the Athlete's foot infection. This is a form of fungus that produces dry white scaly, and sometimes-reddened skin, and must be shown to the physician before administering any drugs. Dry flaky skin is popularly referred to as ringworm infection and does not occur due to problems with kidney or lungs. Also, this is different from diseases like eczema and psoriasis.

When the skin is dry to the point of flakiness, this might sometimes lead to cracking, chapping, and a tightened feel of the skin. This tends to be itchy and painful and sometimes even leads to wounds due to excessive scratching.

Dry flaky skin can be genetic. Also, it does not depend on the type of skin but rather on the amount of moisture being retained by the body. People suffering from this ailment must strictly avoid chemicals and harsh cosmetics. Mild, clear body wash can be used.

Moisturizers can be used for temporary relief as they tend to retain the moisture in the body. However, these must be used regularly to avoid repetition of the dry skin. It must be understood that the creams and moisturizers available in the market do not provide a long-term solution to this problem.