Dry knees Fixing

August 9, 2023 6:58 AM

You had extremely dry patches on your knees from years of neglect. Putting lotion on them did nothing. You no longer have these dry patches. What did you apply/do? (You are not my dermatologist)
posted by sandmanwv to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

You gotta exfoliate and moisturize.
Try Amlactin, it's worth the pee smell.
posted by phunniemee at 7:00 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Yes exfoliation, though I favor mechanical over chemical. Products made for feet work just fine on knees and elbows.

Also not all lotions are equal. You want some of the thick stuff made for dry cracked skin, eg Curel dry skin therapy.

It also takes time. It took you years to get into this situation, it won't be fixed in a few days.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:20 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]

Exfoliate, apply moisturiser of choice in still damp skin. For extra dry areas slather with petroleum jelly in addition or instead of your normal moisturiser. Another ingredient that goes a long way on very dry, cracked skin is urea. Most cracked heel creams contain some. That doesn’t mean you can only use it on your feet though.
posted by koahiatamadl at 7:27 AM on August 9, 2023

My derm recommended Vanicream Ointment. It’s more balm-like than oil-ish (vasiline and aquaphor are more greasy to me.) I use it on my lips and use it on cracked skin from an allergy rash. As well as anywhere else that needs a bit of help. I also use their lotion (thin) and they make a cream (thicker).

+1 to manual exfoliation. You have to remove the dead skin.

Also take a look at your habits as to why you have dry skin- for example if you need to hydrate. It if you need to use knee pads while kneeling, etc.
posted by Crystalinne at 8:04 AM on August 9, 2023

CeraVe Diabetics' Dry Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream, applied every night before bed (I am not diabetic, just like this cream). I use a lighter moisturizer in the daytime. Note, exfoliation just irritates my skin in an extreme manner.
posted by gudrun at 8:42 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Do these dry patches happen to coincide with the place where your knees most frequently rub your clothing?
I used to have two pairs of work pants with a really specific texture, and while I had those pants in regular rotation I had odd eczema-like patches on my knees. I finally got rid of the pants because they also were the most effective pet hair-catcher I've ever seen, I'm guessing because of that weird rough-ish texture, and when the spots on my knees then cleared up I put 2+2 together.

If you are talking about really thick dense cracked type of dry skin, please do NOT just go in sanding away at it. Start your moisturizing routine for a couple of weeks first, doing no rougher exfoliation than washing them with a washcloth when you bathe. This will start softening that skin up so that you don't risk actual skin tears or abrasions from exfoliating. I would say go from that to the Amlactin for a few weeks, again with only gentle washcloth use when you wash. You can escalate from there to a bath poof or exfoliating bath cloth.

As soon as you get out of the bath/shower, I recommend putting on some kind of oil before moisturizing - even olive or avocado from your kitchen will work, but I have bio-oil on hand for this stuff. Moisturize over that.

Go gently. This is not a fun place to do damage, and this is a process that is undone rather than instantly fixed.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:46 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]

If you mix the Amlactin that phunniemee recommended with a cocoa butter lotion, you just smell like a milk chocolate candy bar :D

I like Palmer's, it's cheap and easily available.
posted by mimi at 11:13 AM on August 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

Shea butter soothes/ smooths my dry skin (knees, elbow, backs of hands) like nothing else. Exfoliate fist for best results.
posted by carrioncomfort at 12:33 PM on August 9, 2023

Also check your thyroid - dry knees and elbows are a telltale low thyroid sign.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 1:51 PM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

An Asian style scrub cloth (press hard) in the shower then moisturizing afterwards.
posted by Bunglegirl at 6:27 PM on August 9, 2023

For really stubborn dry cracked skin sometimes I’ll put a little Aquaphor on it and cover it with a bandage to let it start to heal. This isn’t specific to knees. I personally tend to not have great results with exfoliating, it seems to exacerbate certain dry skin problems for me.
posted by wondermouse at 7:49 PM on August 9, 2023

Another product that has helped problem areas is Eucerin Roughness Relief Spot Treatment.
posted by wondermouse at 7:53 PM on August 9, 2023

I do lotion my body every day, but I'm not always the most thorough... The one thing that has actually helped resolve this issue is towel exfoliating. So, back then I'm there drying my legs and I see my crusty knees. I give each one a big old rub, right on the bad patch, every day. I enjoy seeing bits of skin come off. After about a month my knees are now just about normal looking knees, no weird red thick patch - the skin is a bit harder there and I'm sure some of these lovely lotions people have recommended would work to sort that out. I'm more about not having weirdly coloured bits any more!
posted by london explorer girl at 5:32 AM on August 11, 2023