Tips for Dry Winter Skin

Welcome back to my blog. My name is Sudhir Polisetty and I am a dermatologist at The Dermatology Center in New Albany, Indiana. With record breaking cold temperatures and wind chills sweeping the country last week, I got a lot of questions about dry winter skin. It’s common for skin to dry out during the winter and this can lead to itching, cracking, flaking, and bleeding in certain cases. Fortunately the USNews and World Report recently shared a few tips for preventing and treating dry skin.

Avoid Long, Hot Showers

One tempting way to escape cold weather is to relax in a long, scalding hot shower. As Dr. Stephen Stone of the American Academy of Dermatology notes, “Being in the water for a long time and using hot water can be extremely drying to the skin.” Keep skin from drying by making efforts to take shorter showers using only warm water.

Consider Skin Cream

Applying a skin cleanser following a shower might help reduce itching while moisturizer, ointments, and creams are also shown to be more effective than skin lotion. Instead of rubbing skin cream, which can cause irritation, gently pat the cream onto your skin.

Know Your Skin Care Products

If you use soap, deodorant, or products that contain fragrances, these products will often cause irritation if your skin is already dry. Evaluate the ingredients of any skin care products you use to make sure that product is not exacerbating the problem.

Use Proper Hand Washing Techniques

Washing hands too frequently during winter can dry out the skin, so consider alternating between a washing hands and using hand sanitizer. Additionally, get into the habit of applying moisturizer or hand cream after washing hands.

If dry skin continues to be an issue, make an appointment with your dermatologist. He or she will be able to prescribe stronger ointment or diagnose underlying health conditions, such as eczema.

Thanks for reading,

Sudhir Polisetty

Learn more about me on my MD.com profile, or read more of my dermatology blog posts on Wordpress: http://sudhirpolisetty.wordpress.com/blog/