Is your skin dry and itchy in winter? These few methods are simple and effective →

Whether adults or children, many people will encounter the same problem - when the weather gets cold, the skin becomes dry and itchy.

This is a very common skin problem in autumn and winter, and it is worth discussing in detail.

Causes of dryness and itching

- Relative humidity drops

The most direct reason for this is that the relative humidity of the indoor air is decreasing (this has a lot to do with the season), and the skin cannot adapt to it in a short period of time.

A drop in relative humidity affects the skin in several ways:

On the one hand, this will affect the water content of the skin surface. When the relative humidity drops quickly, it will aggravate the dryness of the skin.

On the other hand, in addition to dry skin, the skin will be rougher and less elastic, which will make fine lines more obvious in the short term.

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Skin problems

Not just drying...

Everyone's ability to adapt to climate change varies. When they are unable to adapt, some people experience tight and dry skin after washing their face, some experience increased fine lines on their skin, some experience itchy skin, some develop new eczema, and some experience a recurrence or worsening of existing skin diseases.

In summary, when the weather gets cold, the following risks may arise due to climate change:

Below we select several representative issues for discussion and give corresponding improvement suggestions.

1. Dry skin

Simple dry skin refers to redness, granulation or obvious itching of the skin. This condition is very common, but fortunately it is relatively mild. The most common dry areas are the face and hands, and some may also appear on the lips, calves and heels.

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If your skin is dry due to dry climate and low relative humidity, the countermeasures are relatively simple, mainly to strengthen the skin's moisturizing on a daily basis, such as applying moisturizing cream, moisturizing lotion, body lotion or face cream as needed. If your lips are dry, you can use Vaseline lip balm, and pay attention to ensuring a normal amount of water intake. Don't lick your lips frequently, as the more you lick, the drier they will become.

In addition, you can also choose a humidifier according to the actual situation. Data show that after using a humidifier in a dry room, the symptoms of dryness will be significantly alleviated. If you turn on the humidifier, it is more appropriate to control the relative humidity at 40% to 60%, which is suitable for most people. However, there are individual differences because everyone's adaptability is different. As long as the dry skin is improved after using it, it is fine.

2. Dry eczema

Dry eczema is also called seborrheic eczema, and the key point is dry skin and less oil. This is usually caused by dry climate, air conditioning/heating, and low relative humidity. The arms, legs, buttocks and other parts may be affected, showing redness, cracking and itching of the skin.

In addition, if the sebaceous glands are less active (in the elderly), rubbing the skin, bathing too frequently or for too long, or using a lot of perfumed or medicated soaps, it will make the dry skin worse and eczema more severe.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with eczema:

You should still use moisturizing products regularly. You can apply them after washing your face, taking a shower, or when you feel dry.

Choose gentle bathing products that do not harm the skin, such as weakly acidic shower gel. Do not use ordinary soap or medicated soap.

The bathing time does not need to be too long, generally 5 to 10 minutes is enough, and it is not recommended to exceed 15 minutes. The water temperature should not be too high, preferably not more than 42℃, 38℃ to 40℃ is suitable for most people.

Pay attention to the indoor temperature. If the air conditioner or heater is set too high, the air will easily become dry.

You can pay attention to the relative humidity in the room. If it is lower than 40%, you can consider turning on a humidifier. Most people are more accustomed to a relative humidity of 40% to 60%.

Finally, if the condition is serious or there is no improvement after taking precautions, it is necessary to see a doctor and take some medication. The more common and effective drugs are desonide cream (Liyanzhuo), hydrocortisone butyrate cream (Euzor), and mometasone furoate cream (Elosong). Although they can be bought in pharmacies, it is best to use them under the guidance of a doctor.

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3. "Snake skin" and "chicken skin"

This season, both "snake skin" and "chicken skin" may become more noticeable.

"Snake skin" refers to "ichthyosis" in medicine. It likes to grow on the lower legs and manifests as flaky skin that is not easy to fall off, like snake skin. Its characteristics are that old skin cells fall off slowly, and the skin on the lower legs is dry, rough, and flaky. These symptoms are more obvious when the weather becomes cold and dry after the season changes.

"Chicken skin" refers to "keratosis pilaris" in medicine. It likes to grow on the cheeks, upper arms and thighs. Many small particles grow around the hair follicles. There are often curly sweat hairs in the center of the particles, and some particles can squeeze out white substances. Similarly, when the climate is dry, chicken skin will be more obvious, like goose bumps.

Although these two problems cannot be cured, there are many ways to care for and improve them, such as:

Avoid excessive rubbing of the lesion with rough objects;

Apply moisturizing products such as moisturizer, body butter, and body lotion on a daily basis;

You can use some external products to improve cuticles, such as urea cream and salicylic acid cream;

If treatment is urgent, you can also seek medical attention and consider more radical treatments, such as medical acid scrubbing and oral medications.

In short, the direct impact of dry climate on the skin is that the relative humidity decreases, which reduces the skin's ability to retain water, leading to a series of related problems. Paying attention to daily protection, such as using moisturizing products, can help alleviate these symptoms.

References

[1]EngebretsenKA,JohansenJD,KezicS,etal.The effect of environmental humidity and temperature onskin barrier function and dermatitis. JEurAcadDermatolVenereol.2016;30(2):223-249.

[2]GoadN,GawkrodgerDJ.Ambienthumidityandtheskin:theimpactofairhumidityinhealthyanddiseasedstates.JEurAcadDermatolVenereol.2016;30(8):1285-1294.

[3]NHS.Ichthyosis.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ichthyosis/

[4]MayoClinic.Ichthyosisvulgaris.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ichthyosis-vulgaris/symptoms-causes/syc-20373754

[5]AAD.Ichthyosisvulgaris:diagnosisandtreatment.https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/az/ichthyosis-vulgaris-treatment

[6]SpechtS,PersaudY.Asteatoticeczema.In:StatPearls[Internet].2021.

[7]AubreyBailey.Asteatoticeczema:Overviewandmore.https://www.verywellhealth.com/asteatotic-eczema-5200587.VerywellHealth.Sep25,2021.

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, attending physician of dermatology department

Review | Feng Jun, Deputy Chief Physician, Dermatology Department, General Hospital of Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd.