Protect your skin against winter
Autumn air carries the scent of burning wood and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot.
Brisk and refreshing after the humid heaviness of summer, fall allows for some of the most temperate days of our unpredictable Midwestern climate.
But then comes winter.
Though many wish to hibernate when temperatures drop into mind-numbing minuses, we still go about our daily activities, and all the while our skin suffers.
"Unfortunately, we don't live in San Diego where every day is 75 degrees," said Dr. Shelley Halper, a dermatologist with Dermatology Associates of La Grange.
Chicago winters are a really tough time for skin. Dry weather conditions cause a host of skin irritations, most of which present as a red, scaly rashes, Halper said. If your skin is red and itchy, she suggests modifying your routine by cutting down on your daily bathing time and using a dermatologist-recommended moisturizer. If this isn't cutting it, use an over-the-counter cortisone cream for a number of days, and if the condition hasn't resolved itself, make a doctor's appointment.
Cortiscosteroid creams come in a range of strengths and the least potent is available without a prescription. Prolonged use of the cream can lead to thinning of the skin particularly on the face, neck and on areas prone to growth spurts in children or teens like the inner thigh, so Halper advises caution.
Untrained eyes may have a tough time determining an exact diagnosis, but a quick look at the figure below may help you make sense of what's ailing your epidermis.
Condition: Seborrheic dermatitis
Symptoms: Inflammation of the skin, presents as a red, scaly, itchy rash commonly found on the scalp, sides of the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, ears and the middle of the chest on men with hair in that area.
Affects: Infants, middle aged, elderly, those with oily skin
Treatment: Corticosteroid creams and lotions. Adult patients may need to use a medicated shampoo.
Condition: Nummular eczema
Symptoms: Scaly, coin-shaped patches, found on lower legs, hands, forearms, buttocks
Affects: Those between the ages of 55 and 65
Treatment: Cortiscosteroirds, moisturization and the avoidance of aggravating factors like wool, drying soap and frequent bathing.
Condition: Atopic dermatitis
Symptoms: Atopic means there is a tendency for excess inflammation in the skin and linings of the nose and lungs. Symptoms vary by age. In babies, the condition presents as an oozing rash on face and scalp. In older children and young adults, it is often dry, discolored patches in bend of elbow, back of knee, ankle, wrist and upper chest.
Affects: Babies to young adults, families with allergies like hay fever and asthma, sensitive skin or a history of atopic dermatitis.
Treatment: Proper bathing, moisturizing, dermatologist-prescribed steroids or immune modifying creams.
Condition: Keratosis pilaris
Symptoms: Tiny, flesh-colored to slightly red bumps on the upper arms, thighs and cheeks caused by the plug of dead skin cells at the site of a hair follicle.
Affects: Children, young adults
Treatment: Mild peeling agents, such as lactic acid creams and topical retinoids, are most effective in opening the plugged follicles. This condition is hereditary and results from treatment are regarded as temporary.
Condition: Perioral dermatitis
Symptoms: Redness, bumps and mild peeling around the mouth
Affects: Mostly young women. This condition's cause is unknown but strong corticosteroid creams used on the face have been shown to lead to the problem.
Treatment: An oral antibotic like tetracycline
Source: American Academy of Dermatology
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<td>Fighting your skin's worst enemy
It may start as a mild irritation, something you hardly notice, but as winter continues the battle between your skin and the elements quickly escalates. Pretty soon your epidermis - cracked, red and flaky as it is - looks ready to throw in the towel.
Dr. Ashish Bhatia, a dermatologist with DuPage Medical Group, knows a few ways to give "winter itch" the cold shoulder.
Use a sensitive, dermatologist-recommended soap. Bhatia likes Dove and others that get the doctor's stamp of approval include Cetaphil, Aveeno and CeraVe.
Don't rub skin, pat it dry with a towel. Also, keep bathing time no longer than three to five minutes.
Use thicker, cream-based moisturizers. "Lotions don't help with restorative barriers," Bhatia said. Eucerin and Cetaphil creams come tested by skin care professionals.
Minimize contact with water. "Wear gloves when washing dishes or even when transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer," he said. Also, use hypo-allergenic detergents, because even if your skin is not normally sensitive to fragrance or chemicals, it may be in the winter when the skin is more likely to lose its natural lipid barrier.</td>
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