Hilseilevät

Hilseilevät is a Finnish term used to describe surfaces or materials that shed small pieces from their outer layer, i.e., that are flaky or peeling. The form is typically the present tense, third-person plural of the verb hilseillä, and it is also used as an adjective in phrases such as hilseilevä, meaning flaky or peeling. In everyday Finnish, hilseilevät is most often applied to non-living surfaces (paint, plaster, varnish, wallpaper) and to skin when referring to flaking patches.

In construction and home maintenance, hilseilevät commonly describes paint or wallpaper that loses adhesion and detaches in thin scales. For example, seinien maalipinnat hilseilevät indicates that the paint on the walls is peeling away. This condition usually signals moisture problems, aging materials, or inadequate surface preparation, and it often necessitates scraping, priming, or repainting to restore a smooth, durable finish. Hilseilevä surfaces may also require surface repair or sealing to prevent further damage.

In a biological or medical everyday context, hilseilevät can describe skin that sheds flakes, commonly due to dryness, environmental factors, or dermatological conditions. While not a diagnosis itself, skin hilseilevät is a phrase used to communicate symptoms such as flaking or scaling.

Etymologically, hilse refers to scales or flakes, and the form hilseilevät functions both as a descriptor and a verb form, reflecting the ongoing process of peeling. Related terms include hilseily (the act of flaking) and hilseilevä (flaky, peeling).