# Help me with my dry, scratchy elbows

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-dry-scratchy-elbows/617829>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 4, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-dry-scratchy-elbows/617829 "2012-04-04T16:48:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-dry-scratchy-elbows/617829/21 "2012-04-11T06:28:23Z")

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Vaseline or other petroleum jelly. It’s inexpensive and very effective. I also like to use it on feet and knees.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-dry-scratchy-elbows/617829/22 "2012-04-11T07:41:56Z")

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> [@MichaelEmouse](#):
>
> You just haven’t tried hard enough. Anyone can do it.

She means _her own_ elbows. Anyone can lick elbows _generally_, although they threw me out of one fast food restaurant.

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-dry-scratchy-elbows/617829/23 "2012-04-11T09:54:38Z")

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Whenever someone has elbows that are particularly difficult to smooth/soften, the possibility of psoriasis must be raised (after having eliminated the common cause of simply having calloused elbow skin from resting on them on all the time).

In any case, [here is a picture showing some mild psoriasis on the elbows](http://images.rheumatology.org/image_dir/album77030/md_th_G104.jpg) (don’t be squeamish - it’s really not gross, but does show some scaly elbow skin). My point in posting it is to show that psoriasis on the elbows can be mild and (mis)labeled as simple, dry, scratchy skin.

ETA - the elbows are the most classic spot to get a bit of psoriasis. I say ‘bit’ because it very often doesn’t make an appearance anywhere else.

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