As the piercing cold of winter grabs hold of most parts of the country this time of year, it brings with it the uncomfortable symptoms that affect our daily lives. This frigid time of year brings with it low-humidity air that can aggravate existing conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, but can also give quite a pain to those who usually have no problem with their skin the rest of the year. The fact that we typically use furnaces or heaters to keep warm in the winter only compounds the effects of the low moisture air we encounter.
I have found that using the proper skin moisturizers each night at bedtime can help alleviate a great deal of the dry, cracked skin I get on my hands each winter. Making sure to use products without alcohol can greatly decrease the loss of moisture from your skin, which includes things like certain hand sanitizers and soaps. Sunscreen is also increasingly important not only to prevent drying of the skin, but also to protect from the reflective UV rays. This was a lesson I happened to learn early on in my days of working at our local ski resorts, where the reflection off of the snow could easily give you severe sunburn!
As vulnerable as your hands and feet are to the harmful effects of the cold air, your lips are even more so. Our lips are not privy to being able to have gloves or boots to protect them from the environment, so making sure to use moisturizing lip balm is a must. Being that your lips are susceptible to the elements at all times, it is a must to make sure you apply regularly and use the best product for your needs.
In a time of year when hands and feet can get wet and cold, then be heated back up with dry warm air again in a viscous cycle of humidity loss, it is crucial to take the proper steps to prevent and treat any signs of dryness. I can easily recall times when I have forgot to take the proper steps to prevent dryness, which quickly turned to cracking and itching. If left untreated, symptoms like these can easily lead to bleeding and even in the worst case some infection. Take the proper steps to protect and prevent before you have to experience the discomfort of having to deal with the harmful effects of exposure out on the road!
