Most men don’t look after themselves and one of the most obvious areas to us in Monday Club is their skin, especially their lower legs. And this is a high risk.
In simple words, dry skin beneath the knee tells a story and is dangerous for infections, possibly leading to sepsis – which is life-threatening, sometimes within 24 hours.
The skin on men’s lower legs dries out and becomes flaky primarily because the legs naturally contain fewer sebaceous (oil) glands than other parts of the body, making the skin barrier highly fragile and inefficient at retaining moisture.
When this area loses water and its natural lipid barrier is compromised, the top layer of skin sheds abnormally, resulting in a rough, scaly, or “crocodile skin” appearance.
Several factors contribute directly to this issue:
1. Underlying Medical Issues
If the flaking is persistent, intensely itchy, or accompanied by discolouration, it may point to an underlying medical condition:
- Poor Circulation (Stasis Dermatitis): If vein valves weaken, blood pools in the lower legs and ankles. This internal pressure causes fluid leakage, leading to swelling, a heavy aching feeling, and skin that turns dark, dry, itchy, and heavily flaked.
- Skin Disorders: Conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or systemic metabolic changes (such as diabetes, which reduces sweating and micro-vessel circulation in the extremities) can aggressively dry out the lower legs.
2. Biological and Age-Related Factors
- Fewer Oil Glands: Because the shins and calves lack the high density of oil-producing glands found on the face or chest, the lower legs are inherently prone to drying out
- Ageing (Xerosis): As men age, natural oil and sweat production drops significantly. The skin’s top layer holds less water, leading to a common condition called eczema craquelé (winter itch), where the skin on the shins cracks into a pattern resembling a dry riverbed.
3. Environmental and Lifestyle Triggers
- Hot Showers and Harsh Soaps: Showering in hot water and using traditional deodorant soaps or foaming cleansers strips away the few protective lipids the lower legs manage to produce.
- Clothing Friction: Rough or tight-fitting garments (like heavy trousers, work uniforms, or tall socks) constantly rub against the shins. This mechanical friction physically damages the fragile skin barrier and accelerates flaking.
- Weather Changes: Cold climates, indoor heating, and a drop in winter humidity sap moisture directly out of exposed or poorly moisturised skin.
Sepsis – know it, respect it
It is a surprise how many Monday Club members don’t understand sepsis and the risks.
To put this in perspective Jill and I have had one friend die of sepsis from a cut on her leg, and two friends were really close to losing at least a leg and their life, one as a result of poor skin care and the other from poor circulation.
What role does dry skin have in introducing infections that will lead to sepsis?
Dry, cracked skin acts as a broken physical barrier, creating a direct entry point for bacteria that can enter the bloodstream and trigger sepsis.
Sepsis is not a localised infection itself; it is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection. When skin integrity is compromised, the path from a simple flake to a systemic emergency follows a specific progression:
1. The Breach of the First Line of Defense
Healthy skin is waterproof, slightly acidic, and tightly sealed to keep pathogens out. When skin becomes severely dry (xerosis), it loses its elasticity and develops microscopic fissures, deep cracks, or open sores.
- Micro-tears: Even if cracks are not visible to the eye, dry skin causes microscopic tears.
- Scratching: Dry skin is frequently intensely itchy. Scratching with fingernails introduces bacteria directly into the deeper, vulnerable layers of the dermis and creates larger open wounds.
2. Bacterial Colonisation and Local Infection
Once the barrier is breached, common bacteria that live harmlessly on the surface of your skin (such as Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus) or environmental pathogens enter the tissue. This can rapidly progress into localised infections:
- Cellulitis: A deep, painful bacterial skin infection that frequently targets the lower legs.
- Infected Ulcers: Deep cracks that fail to heal, especially in individuals with poor circulation or diabetes, can turn into open, infected ulcers.
3. Bloodstream Entry (Bacteremia)
The lower layers of the skin are densely packed with blood vessels and lymph channels. If a localised skin infection like cellulitis is left untreated, or if the immune system is compromised, the bacteria multiply and break through into the bloodstream.
4. The Sepsis Cascade
Once bacteria enter the bloodstream, they travel throughout the body. In response, the immune system releases a massive flood of chemicals into the blood to fight the invader.
- Systemic Inflammation: Instead of localised healing, these chemicals trigger widespread inflammation.
- Organ Damage: The inflammation causes microscopic blood clots and leaky blood vessels, blocking oxygen and nutrients from reaching vital organs.
- Septic Shock: If blood pressure drops dangerously low as a result, the body enters septic shock, which can lead to multi-organ failure and death.
Moisturise!
As we get older it is vital that we all keep our skin in good order, with moisturising being the first requirement.
Moisturizing within minutes of a shower his best to trap moisture before it evaporates.
We have traditionally used a low-cost moisturiser like Sorboline but we asked the advice of Raelene Buzal, Monday Club member and owner of Balmain Spa and Natural Beauty who said ‘not good enough’!
Raelene pointed us to Avene Xeracalm Moisturiser as a real formulation for dry skin. We have started using it and it is far superior. We have it a Monday Club for $23 and it lasts 48 hours for each application so is great value.
We place a lot of emphasis on moisturising your feet and legs, as a priority, as well as the rest of your body.
Especially men.
