Xerosis refers to a condition of rough, dry skin texture with associated fine scales. Xerosis is often pruritic. The pathogenesis involves a decrease in the amount of lipids in the stratum corneum and a deficiency in the water-binding capacity of this layer. Xerosis is associated with a number of environmental factors and/or disease states. The incidence of xerosis increases with age; nearly all individuals older than 60 have some degree of xerosis.