Today a patient asked me, “Can low thyroid function affect my skin?” The answer is yes. Other than hair loss, brain fog, fatigue, and steady unexpected weight gain, I find that dry skin is a common symptom of hypothyroidism.

Thyroid hormone plays a big role in the epidermis, which is the top layer of skin. At the base of the epidermis are a type of skin cell called keratinocytes. These cells help maintain the epidermis in response to thyroid hormone. A lack of thyroid hormone will cause a decrease in the number of cells found in the epidermis, which would explain the tendency towards dry skin.

This type of dry skin may improve with consistent application of moisturizer or lotion but this will not replace the need to improve thyroid function. I find that bioidentical thyroid hormone replacement can be very effective in treating dry skin, if low thyroid function is a the root cause.