Dry skin isn't just an aesthetic problem. It can be extremely itchy and even painful. Drinking water is one obvious answer, because if your body stays hydrated, chances are good that your skin is going to be able to stay hydrated as well. If you don't want to have to worry about having your dry skin flake off onto your new, black sweater or accidentally catch yourself scratching at work, consider these four foods to solve your problem.

1. Avocados

The first food that you should consider is the avocado. Avocados are high in the vitamins that your skin needs to be healthy, such as vitamin C and vitamin E. They also contain monounsaturated fats, rather than trans fats or polyunsaturated fats. The monounsaturated fats help your skin form the barrier that it needs to keep the moisture that it already has from escaping.

2. Carrots

Another awesome food choice is the carrot. Carrots are important for skin care because they have a great deal of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a type of antioxidant that, when ingested, increases the resistance of a person's skin to UV rays. This keeps that person's skin from being harmed by the UV rays, which includes everything from reducing the chances that cancer will form to simply preventing the sun from leeching out moisture from a person's skin. Carrots also contain vitamin A, which is used to help the body grow tissue with greater speed. Newly formed skin always contains more moisture than older skin, so the more new skin you have, the better moisturized your overall skin will be.

3. Nuts

Nuts are a third food to try to improve the moisture level of your skin. This is because they contain the same monounsaturated fats as the avocados, which traps moisture in the skin, but also because they have omega-3 fatty acids. These acids tend to increase the skin's ability to stretch and flex without breaking. This means that your skin is much less likely to be damaged, reducing the chances that it will lose water.

4. Fruit

Finally, you will want to eat a lot of fruit in order to get your moisture levels back up. Many fruits, especially watermelon and berries, are particularly high in water levels. By eating them, you will be able to take that moisture for yourself and confer a great deal of that onto your skin.

For more information about improving your dry skin, talk to a doctor that specializes in skin care, such as those at Dermatology Surgery Center.