We all get the occasional case of "lizard skin," especially during the dry months of winter. But when your flesh becomes DESERT-like, another layer of lotion WON'T work. Most of the time, an underlying condition is to blame. Here's what could be drying YOU out. The two most common culprits are eczema and psoriasis. Eczema is when your skin becomes dry and peely, ESPECIALLY on your arms, legs, face and hands. What's to blame? Usually both genetics AND environmental irritants. While regular moisturizing helps prevent a flare up, you REALLY need prescription strength cortisone ointments to help stop the itch and heal the skin. Factors that worsen eczema include long, hot baths, sweating, stress, cigarette smoke and more. The second culprit? Psoriasis, a condition, that, due to an imbalance in the immune system, causes skin cells to grow faster than they're shed. This forms thick layers of flaky skin. Your dermatologist can give you medications, like corticosteroids, retinoids, and coal tar to help slow skin growth and remove the outer layers of dead cells. And yeah, coal tar, a byproduct of coal processing, SOUNDS scary-but it's available as an ingredient in several NON-scary forms, such as lotions, foams, creams, gels and soaps. For severe cases, you MIGHT need pills or injections that suppress the immune system and calm that red, scaly skin down. One oft-overlooked contributor of dry skin is hypothyroidism. This is when your body doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. It causes dry skin, plus: brittle nails, weight gain, fatigue and depression. Your doctor can prescribe medication to help regulate this disease AND prevent those symptoms. If your dry, flaky skin is solely on your FEET (no pun intended), you probably have a case of athlete's foot. This is caused by a fungus you could have picked up anywhere from public dressing rooms to pools to locker rooms. Try treating with an over-the-counter antifungal medication. If that doesn't work, your doctor can prescribe a stronger version. If you scratch your dry skin, it can put you at risk of infection, no matter WHAT the initial cause. If it becomes red, warm and swollen or oozes, see your doctor for antibiotics to prevent permanent scarring or worse. For more ways to keep your skin happy, check out the rest of the videos in this series.