Drug effects on skin: Xerosis as a side effect

Skin dryness is a moderately common symptom, especially in a group of elderly patients. Xerosis can be caused both by age‐associated skin features and chronic diseases, and the use of certain drugs. Retinoids are the drugs used to treat young patients, which are prescribed due to acne and rosacea. Systemic and topical retinoids induce thinning of the stratum corneum, changes in the sebum composition, which becomes the cause of increased transepidermal moisture loss. Antineoplastic drugs can also induce skin dryness. In particular, xerosis is a common side effect that occurs when epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are administered. Antihistamines, high blood pressure drugs, for instance diuretics, statins that are used to lower cholesterol levels, can induce xerosis. Therefore, care products with pronounced moisturizing effects should be included in the guidelines on the treatment with drugs inducing skin dryness. Preference should be given to combination drugs, which ingredients will not only restore the normal moisture level of the skin, but also have an antipruritic action, as itching is often observed in xerosis, and repair a damaged skin barrier that inevitably occurs in skin dryness. Care products should have a prolonged action, allowing them to be used 1–2 times a day, a pleasant texture, and be quickly absorbed without leaving a greasy feeling. This will not only eliminate the unpleasant side effect of the backbone therapy, but also improve the patients’ quality of life.

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