Dry Skin on Ears, Behind, Earlobe, Canal, Flaky, Causes, Get Rid, Pictures, Treatment & Home Remedies

Dry skin on ears may appear on the earlobe or cartridge, behind the earlobe, or in the ear canal. It is typically characterized by usually peeling or cracked scaly and flaky patches. This may be an indication of various underlying health conditions. This post presents facts, pictures, causes, signs and symptoms of dry skin on ears. Also, it underscores how to get rid of and prevent this condition, diagnosis, treatments and home remedies.

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Skin on Ears

Do you have a dry skin on your ears? This is a common skin condition that can show to anybody regardless of the age, sex and skin tone. However, it often shows up if your skin has health problems that are correlated to dryness.

A dry skin on your ears can occur on different parts of the ear depending on the causal agent. Your ear may develop dryness on the earlobe, under and behind the earlobe. Occasionally, the ear canal may develop a dry or flaky skin.

The condition of the dry skin on the ears may show up in different signs and symptoms. These symptoms may vary from one person to another. They dryness might be in form of dry scales, patches, dots or dry cracks.

The common signs and symptoms that are associated with dry skin on ears include the following:

• White or yellowish scales and patches on the skin of the ears
• The ashy or gray skin around the earlobe
• Tiny rash under and behind the earlobe
• Skin peeling on ear canal and earlobe
• Itchy or burning skin on the ears
• Redness, tenderness and inflamed skin of the ears
• Fluid-filled blisters and sore that crust over the earlobe
• Small or tiny cracks on the skin of the earlobe

Other than the above symptoms, a dry skin on your skin can also accompany other strange symptoms such as ear pain, abnormal discharge from the ear, blocked or congested ear canal, and others. For this case, you should seek the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of Dry Skin on Ears

Your ears can develop dry skin due to various factors or causal agents. These causes can lead to either benign or serious skin condition that needs you to seek the help of the doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

It is important for you to have a basic knowledge about the common possible factors that may make your ear to become dry. This can help you and your physician to reach the suitable solution to fix your health problem.

Some of the common causes that may lead to a dry skin on ears include the following:

1. Environmental factors

Your ears can develop dry skin when you are exposed to too hot or cold weather. The high temperature of hot weather may increase the rate of evaporation of your skin moisture. This leads to dehydration and dryness of your skin.

A too cold climatic condition such as winter can also encourage the development of dry skin on your ears. Winter is usually associated with blowing winds that might carry away skin moisture and leave you with flaky skin.

You can treat dry skin on your ears caused by environmental factors through the application of suitable skin moisturizers such as petroleum jelly and Aloe Vera cream.

2. Allergic reaction

The skin of your ear can develop dry skin as a consequence of an allergic reaction. Contact dermatitis or allergic eczema is a known skin condition that you might develop when your body becomes direct in contact with the harsh or harmful substance or chemicals.

Exposure of your ears to harsh detergents, certain cosmetic products, poison ivy or any other irritants can lead to allergic reactions and dryness of the skin. Usually, allergens may irritate burn or corrode your skin to develop dry patches or scales.

You can treat dry skin on ears caused by the allergic reaction by using home remedies such as the application of Aloe Vera, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, Neem tree oil or any other suitable skin moisturizer.

3. Exposure to sun

A dry skin on your earlobe may appear after you are exposed to sunlight. The sun has harmful UV light that can lead to skin damage. The UV rays can lead to skin burns, premature Dark Age spots, freckles, wrinkles and dry flaky skin in ears and cracked outer ears.

The hot temperature of sunlight can also encourage evaporation of moisture from your skin. This can result in dryness of earlobes or any other parts of your skin.

You can prevent and escape problems of dry skin from sun damage by applying skin moisturizer with SPF before exposed to sunlight. If your skin is already damaged by the sun, apply a natural treatment such as coconut oil, Aloe Vera, and petroleum jelly.

4. Hot bath or shower

A dry skin on ears can appear after hot bath or shower. This occurs after the hot water and soap removal all the oil from your skin surface. This may leave you with dry flaky skin in ear canals and on the earlobes.

Swimming and bathing in pools that have highly chlorinated water can also lead dry skin on your ears and other parts of the body. Chorine has acidic properties that can burn your skin and leave you with dry scales.

If you develop a dry skin on your ears after swimming, hot shower or bath, apply skin moisture as treatment. Use Aloe Vera, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, and Neem tree oil as home remedies to treat your dry skin.

5. Alcohol and smoking

Smoking and drinking of excess alcohol is a major cause of dry skin on your body including ears. The smoke and alcohol usually encourage body dehydration through excess production of urine and sweats. This can leave you with a total dry skin on your body.

You can treat body dehydration and dry skin on ears by taking plenty of clean water. Also, apply skin moisture as a home remedy for the treatment of your dry ears.

6. Stress

You may develop a dry skin on ears, lips and other parts of your body when you are stressed. Anxiety and stress in your body are usually associated with a change of hormones including antidiuretic hormone that is responsible to control water in your body.

Treatment or dry skin on your ears caused by stress and anxiety involves relaxing and setting your mind free. Also, apply home remedies such as applying skin moisturizer and drinking plenty of water.

7. Certain medication

The use of certain medication or drugs to cure the underlying infection in your boy might have a side effect of dry skin on your body including ears. These are attributed to be a dry allergy that may show up on your skin as dryness.

In case you develop dry skin after using certain drugs or medication, visit your doctor to help you in treatment. Also, keep your skin moist by apply home remedies such as petroleum jelly, Aloe Vera, and coconut oil.

8. Skin infections

Your ears can develop dry skin due to skin infections or conditions. There are several types of skin infection that can lead to dry skin on ears and other parts of your body. They include the following:

• Eczema: This chronic autoimmune disorder that can lead to dryness and skin peeling of the inner and outer ear.
• Psoriasis: The condition is usually characterized by itchy silvery patches that are pink, white or brown in color. Psoriasis on ears typically occurs behind earlobes.
• Rosacea: It is a skin condition that can lead to dry scales on your ears.
• Ringworms: it is caused by fungal infection. They can show up as white or gray patches on the skin of your ears.
• Seborrheic dermatitis: The conditions usually appear as greasy or powdery scales behind the skin of the earlobes.
• Skin cancer: Is a chronic condition that can result in dry scales on your ears that won’t go away easily.

9. Ear infection

The infection of the ear by bacteria, fungi or virus can lead to dry skin in the ear canal and earlobes. Ear infection can also be associated with other symptoms such as pain inside the ear, congested ear and abnormal discharge from the ear canal.

It is advisable to go for medical checkup in case your ears have an infection that appears worrisome. The doctor can help in diagnosis and treatment of your ear condition.

10. Other causes

A dry skin on your ears can also occur as a result of other rare causes. They include underlying infection and disorder in your body such as:

• Vitamin A toxicity
• Vitamin B deficiency
• Cholera
• Kawasaki syndrome

Dry Skin on Earlobe or cartilage

Your earlobe is the potential parts that of the ears that are often affected by a condition of dry skin. The dry skin can appear either inside the earlobe or behind the earlobe.  A dry skin on the earlobe can occur typically on inner cartilage or soft parts of the outer ear.

A dry skin on ear cartilage can develop due to any of the causes that we have already discussed in the relevant section of the post. However, the common conditions that can lead to a dry skin on ears cartilage or outer ear include ringworms, allergic reaction, weather condition, and skin infections.

Dry Flaky Skin in Ears or Ear Canal

The ear canal is a tube that connects in between your inner and outer ear.  These parts usually have ear wax that helps to keep it moist. Surprisingly, you can develop flaky skin in the ear canal as it becomes dry with no wax at all.

The dry skin inside your ear can increase dead skin cells in ear can that may appear as white scales. Also, flaky skin in the ear canal can cause severe itchiness or irritation that can make you feel discomfort hence lead to urge to scratch your ears with fingers.

Common causes of dry skin in ears include ringworms, eczema, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, certain medication and ear infections.

Dry Skin Behind Ear Lobe

A dry skin behind your earlobe can occur typically behind the surface of the earlobe or on the skin of the scalp that lies adjacent to the earlobe. The possible factor that can lead to the dry skin behind earlobe include ringworms, contact dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and environmental factor,

How to Get Rid of Dry Skin on Ears

You can get rid of dry skin on your ears using either home remedies or medical treatment method. Home remedies can work effectively if your ears have dry skin that is caused by minor causes such as allergic reaction, environmental factors, stress, mild sunburns and hot bath or shower.

Medical treatment is another alternative you can go for when the dry skin on your ears are likely to result from a serious skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and severe sunburns.

Home Remedies

You can use the following home remedies to treat dry skin on your ears that are caused by minor conditions such ringworms, environmental factors, hot shower and allergic reactions. Try these procedures:

1. Petroleum jelly

Apply petroleum jelly on your dry ears as a home remedy can help to moisturize the skin. You can apply it to inner and outer ears.

How to use:

• Wash the skin of your ears with warm water
• Pat dry it with a towel
• Apply the petroleum jelly to the affected skin area
• Repeat to apply three times daily until your skin improves

2. Essential oils

You can use essential oils as a home remedy to treat dry skin on ears. There are several types of essential oils that can help to keep your skin moist. Some of the essential oils you can go for include olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, almond oil, Neem tree oil and lavender oil.

How to use:

• Get the essential oil
• Apply it directly to the affected skin area
• Allow it to stay on your skin for the whole day or night
• Repeat this procedure three times daily until dry skin your ears go away

3. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an effective home remedy that can help to exfoliate dry skin on your ears. The reagent has antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to cure dry patches on your ears.

How to use:

• Soak a cotton ball into a ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
• Apply it directly to the affected parts of your skin
• Rinse it after 20 minutes
• Repeat this treatment three times daily until the dry skin your ears go away

4. Lemon juice and raw honey

A mixture of lemon juice and raw honey is an effective home remedy that you can use that can help to cure dry skin on your ears.

How to use:

• Mix one teaspoon of lemon juice with an equal volume of raw honey
• Apply it to the affected skin area on your ears
• Leave it to stay on your skin for about 30 minutes before you rinse it off
• Repeat this step twice daily until your skin condition improves

5. Damp your skin

You can use warm or cold water to damp and moisten dry skin on your ears. Water can also help to soothe itchy dry skin.

How to use:

• Get warm or cold water in a basin
• Soak the washcloth into the water
• Put it over the affected skin area for about 10 minutes
• Repeat to damp your skin three times in a day until dryness go away

6. Drinking water

Taking 8 to 12 glass of clean water is an excellent home remedy that can help to hydrate and moisten your skin. You can alternatively drink any non-alcoholic drink such as juices.

7. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is the soothing cream that can help to moisten your dry skin on ears. It has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to treat dry patches on your skin.

How to use:

• Wash your skin with warm water and pat dry it
• Apply the Aloe Vera cream or gel to the affected skin area
• Allow it to stay on your skin for the whole day or night before you rinse it off
• Repeat this treatment twice daily until the dry skin on your ears go away

Medical Treatment

Visit your doctor for medical treatment in case the dry skin on ears is caused by serious skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer. Your doctor will determine the cause of your skin condition using suitable diagnosis method before treatment.

Some of the treatment methods that your doctor might use to fix your skin condition include the following:

• Topical creams or ointments: Your doctor will help to prescribe for you medicated creams or ointments that can help to cure skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis, and
• Oral medication: the doctor may prescribe for suitable oral medication that can help to treat the skin infection that causes ear dryness such as eczema, psoriasis, and
• Laser treatment: your doctor may use a beam of light to kill cancerous cells that lead to dry scaled on your ears.

When to see a Doctor

It is advisable to see your doctor over the dry skin on ears if you notice the following condition that includes:

• If the dry skin on your ears has persisted for more than three weeks without any improvement
• If the dry skin on your ears are too itchy or painful that you cannot withstand
• When your ears have dry skin that is associated with other strange symptoms such as ear pain, discharge from the ear canal, bleeding sore on earlobe and others
• When the dry skin on the eras are spreading chronically to other parts of your face