Local medical experts said establishing a consistent moisturizing routine and managing indoor humidity are essential steps to prevent severe skin issues during the colder months.
Physician Assistant Scott Stout addressed the physiological factors that contribute to skin irritation as heating systems reduce indoor moisture levels. He noted that while cold weather impacts everyone, specific environmental conditions make the winter season particularly difficult for maintaining skin health.
“But during the wintertime, it’s not as much the temperature, it’s the lack of humidity,” Stout said. “You think about it, you’re in the house, you got the heat cranking, or you’re in the car, you have most often hot dry air coming out.”
Nurse Practitioner Justin Bell said hands are often the first area to show signs of dryness due to exposure to harsh chemicals and excessive washing. He said increasing fluid intake is often not enough to correct the issue without an external source of moisture.
“A good external source of moisture would be a moisturizer that contains a hyaluronic acid or a ceramide base,” Bell said. “Those some brands you may see, you know, come across the TV screen or at your local pharmacy may be CeraVe, Eucerin, to name a couple names.”
Stout said reducing water temperature in showers is necessary because hot water pulls moisture from the skin. He said soaps with high detergents and fragrances can further irritate the body.
“Just using those moisturizers, whether it’s some of the brands that Justin mentioned, even plain old Vaseline,” Stout said. “It tends not to penetrate the skin that much, but it holds the moisture that’s in there within the skin.”
Stout said older individuals are more prone to these issues because the body does not hold moisture within skin cells as effectively as it does in youth. He said severe dry skin can eventually develop into eczema, requiring prescription topical steroids to calm the irritation.
“When you are freshly out of the shower, your pores are more dilated,” Bell said. “When you apply that moisture product, it’s going to push a little more of that, quote unquote, moisture into the cell.”
Both experts said maintaining a daily routine is the most effective way to head off skin problems before they become an issue.