Winter is rough enough with the snow and the sleet and the hacking away at ice-encrusted windshields in the dark, frigid mornings. But that dry, chapped, cracked skin just adds insult to injury…or is it injury to insult?
Because the relative humidity – moisture in the air – gets so low in the cold season, winter weather dries out our skin. And there’s not much relief to be found inside – indoor heating also lowers humidity, depriving the skin of moisture. In the cold weather, many of us develop something commonly called “winter itch” or xerotic eczema – dry, itchy, flaky skin. To help cope, dermatologists have three words for you: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
Apply moisturizers to your skin right after you get out of the bath or shower. And don’t bather or shower too frequently. Exposure to hot water can actually further dehydrate you skin, and detergent-based soaps and cleansers can remove the skin’s natural moisturizers. Also, you might want to consider purchasing a humidifier.
And, if all else fails, you can always just pack up and move to Maui.
By Mark Leyner
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"Why does your skin get so dry in the winter?" was posted on Saturday, September 29th, 2007 at 11:42 pm.