Winter officially begins on December 21. With the changing seasons, a dermatologist has some advice on how to take care of your skin during the winter months.
Dr. Richard Hope is a dermatologist with Covenant Health Partners. He said in the winter, you may find your skin a little dry at times.
“Any skin condition you have tends to be worse in the winter, particularly eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin,” Dr. Hope said.
One piece of advice he has to take care of your skin starts with your showers. He suggests lowering the temperature a little and not staying in as long.
“Then when you get out, rather than toweling dry real hard, pat dry a little bit, and apply your moisturizer,” he said.
“We really like moisturizers as dermatologists that don’t have a lot of fragrance or scents in them, because if you’re prone to skin conditions or allergies, it tends to make them worse,” Dr. Hope added.
He also said don’t forget to wear sunscreen. He recommends wearing a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30.
“It’s still important even if it’s not sunny outside. Sun does go through the clouds and damages your skin,” he said. “We remember it in the summer, because the heat makes you think about it. Some of the worst sunburns I ever see are on cloudy days or people that went snow skiing and got reflection from the snow.”
Dr. Hope also said when it comes to your skin, it can tell doctors if there could be other issues going on.
“If you’re having skin problems and issues and a lot of infections and sores and things, it makes us think of general health of the patient,” he said. “So very commonly, people come in with what they think is a skin problem and we may diagnose diabetes, or new on-set diabetes, or impending diabetes. We can find many systemic problems just by looking at the skin.”
