Winter can be exceptionally harsh on one’s skin For many people, winter can be a magical time of the year as the landscape becomes coated in a crisp layer of festive snow. Winter is a time where people slow their pace down, enjoy some hot chocolate or cider by a picturesque fire, and engage in seasonal activities like skiing and building snowmen. Most individuals turn their attention to indoor pursuits due to the inclement weather and the fact that the average amount of daylight during winter is under twelve hours. (1) While the most consideration that one normally gives to the winter months is how cold it may get, experienced dermatologists, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology in Las Vegas, warn that winter can be exceptionally rough on a person’s skin. Fortunately, there are proven methods to protect one’s skin during this frigid season.
Summer seems to get all the attention in how one’s skin can be damaged, but winter is no less treacherous a season. One big problem that people face during winter is dry skin, and one major culprit for this condition is heat. As the temperatures fall, the heat gets turned up in homes, stores, and office buildings. No matter how a room is heated (be it from electricity, wood, or oil), a person’s skin will begin to dry out. This drying out is compounded by a lack of humidity found in central heating systems. Left untreated, dry skin can begin to flake or crack, causing a great deal of discomfort. A licensed dermatologist, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology, has several recommendations to keep one’s skin smooth, supple, and hydrated during winter. The first is to use a humidifier when one is blasting the heat to stay warm. Another useful tip is to keep one’s skin moisturized. As the weather conditions for winter are extreme, it is best to use oil-based moisturizers on one’s skin as they create a protective layer that helps retain additional moisture. Another helpful suggestion for keeping skin from getting dry is to wear gloves. The palms of the hand have no sebaceous glands, which are the glands that keep skin and hair moisturized. (2) The wearing of gloves allows for the retention of moisture in one’s hands in cold, dry weather.
As the days are shorter in winter, most people fail to recognize that the sun can severely impact the health of a person’s skin. Just because the day is overcast or snow has fallen does not mean that the sun has stopped shining. In fact, snow can increase the amount of UV rays that hit a person’s body. While sand and concrete can reflect up to 12% of the sun’s UV rays, fresh snow can reflect up to 85% of these UV rays. (3) Compounding the issue is that one’s skin can be impacted twice by the sun’s UV rays during winter. The first is from direct rays whilst the second impact comes from reflected rays that are bounced off the snow. A person can get burned by this UV ray reflection, and the result is called a snow burn. This is why licensed medical professionals, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology in Las Vegas, stress that sunscreen should always be worn outdoors even during the depths of winter. Winter features a number of popular activities, such as snow skiing. Tourists flock to popular resort destinations to enjoy the majestic views and to ski down the mountains on freshly fallen powder. Such activities can lead to increased chances of skin damage due to exposure to the sun. The fact is that there is a four to five percent increase in UV radiation exposure for every one thousand feet above sea level. (4) The natural recourse for protecting one’s skin while hitting the slopes is to use sunscreen.
Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology in Las Vegas notes, “Winter is one of my favorite seasons of the year. The air is bracing, there’s an excuse to snuggle up with a loved one in front of a roaring fire, and there are a lot of winter sports to enjoy. However, winter can be extremely harsh upon your skin due to the temperature, lack of humidity, and the heat that we pump into our homes to stay warm. Some common sense solutions exist, though, to keep our skin safe and protected during the winter season. Bundle up to keep the dry, cold wind from chapping your hands and face. Moisturize often and use a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 when heading outdoors. Snow is a double whammy for the sun’s UV rays, so make sure all exposed skin is covered and reapply sunscreen at regular intervals. Finally, it can be tempting to jump into a scorching hot shower or bath after coming inside from the icy outdoors, but the reality is that the heat of a really hot shower or bath will break down the lipid barriers in your skin, which leads to an even greater loss of moisture. The best bet is to just use warm water instead.” (5) As can be seen, there are a myriad of ways that one’s skin can be negatively impacted during the winter months. Increased UV exposure due to snow reflection, hot showers breaking down lipid barriers, lack of humidity from heating systems, and just the fact of using heat to stay warm can all have a major impact upon a person’s skin health. Yet for all these issues, experienced dermatologists, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology, have simple, common sense methods that can be used to keep one’s skin safe and out of harm’s way while still being able to fully enjoy the season.
References:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime
2) http://dermatology.about.com/od/glossarys/g/sebaceous_gland.htm
3) http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wxwise/class/uvpretst.html
5) Quote from Dr. F. Victor Rueckl, dermatologist at Lakes Dermatology
