By Dr. Brian Keegan
Do you find that your skin
gets dry or itchy in the cooler months? It’s no surprise, living in New Jersey, and the
surrounding states, we’re subjected to extreme temperature changes that affect
our skin. The lack of humidity in the cooler months wreaks havoc on the skin.
Luckily, there are several methods to prevent dryness, itching and
inflammation.
To understand how to keep
your skin healthy in cool weather, you need to think of it like a brick wall.
Your skin cells are “bricks” that make up a significant percentage of the skin.
However, if you stack a brick wall without any mortar, no matter how solid the
bricks are, the wall will break apart over time.
Taking care of the
“mortar” that holds the skin in place is integral to skin health in the cooler
months. Amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides and ceramides are some of the
components that keep the skin cells together making the skin not only strong,
but flexible. During less humid months, the skin can be dehydrated causing it
to dry and crack. This often leads to itching and rashes.
When the temperature
drops, I suggest moisturizers and/or barrier creams to help keep the “bricks
and mortar” performing at its best. Some of the brands I find most effective at
keeping the skin hydrated are CeraVe, Cetaphil and Aveeno. If the skin is
really dehydrated, there are prescription barrier creams we can use to help get
the affected areas under control, such as Hylatopic Plus and EpiCeram. If necessary, we can also prescribe topical
anti-inflammatory medication to help with the itch and irritation.
Here’s another tip for the
cooler weather: Use sunscreen when you’re outside, especially if you’re
participating in winter sports. Just because it’s cool outside doesn’t mean
that the sun can’t dry out or even burn the skin. The American Academy
of Dermatology recommends that when applying sunscreen, the SPF level should be
30 or higher to protect the skin from the sun’s rays.
It’s really easy to take
good care of your skin in the winter months now that you know what to expect
when the weather changes.
If you’re suffering from
dehydrated skin, call Windsor Dermatology at 609-443-4500 or visit Windsor Dermatology to make an appointment.
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