As Temperatures Drop, Here's How to Protect Your Skin

Your integumentary system consists of the skin, hair, nails, exocrine glands, and sensory nerves, and they serve to protect the body from external threats, cool the body through sweating, and regulate temperature. Your skin, the single largest organ, is exposed to environmental hazards as it protects you, and many of those hazards can be harmful.

Temperature changes affect the skin differently, and in the winter months, you should be wary of specific problems associated with them getting colder. To keep your skin safe, let’s examine what cold weather does to it, the possible conditions it can cause, and what you can do to manage its effects.

Drs. Walter Williams, Lindsey Goddard, and the experienced medical team at Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center help residents of Clarkston and Pullman, Washington, with numerous skin problems, including those caused by winter weather.

The effect of cold air on skin

The lower temperatures in the winter months affect your ability to stay warm, which can increase problems throughout the body, but they also lead to unique problems for the skin. Your skin's top layer, also known as the skin barrier, is often damaged by removing the moisture that helps prevent dryness and irritation.

Even when you’re trying to get warm by turning on the heat, the dry air also removes moisture, increasing the risk of other skin problems.

Common skin problems in the winter

Cold, and specifically dry, air can lead to skin being more easily damaged, causing cracking, and develop or worsen existing problems with skin conditions like:

• Eczema: an illness that causes dry and itchy patches on the skin

• Psoriasis: more flare-ups of this skin inflammation are likely in the winter

• Winter rash: can be caused by other skin problems or develop from skin damage

• Dermatitis: a range of issues that include dandruff, eczema, and neurodermatitis

• Rosacea: an inflammatory illness that leads to rashes and redness on your face

• Allergies: an overreaction of the immune system that can affect your skin

Treatment and prevention

To keep your skin in better health in this weather, hydration is the most essential thing to maintain. Keeping moisture in the skin can be accomplished in a few ways:

• Using warm water instead of hot water to keep skin from drying out
• Apply moisturizer right after bathing to keep as much moisture in as possible
• Use ointments and creams over lotions for more effectiveness and less irritation
• Apply gentler, fragrance-free products on skin whenever possible

Prescription creams and ointments can help when these measures aren’t enough, but try these first to give your skin the best chance to retain moisture. 

If your skincare regimen isn’t helping in the winter weather and you’re looking for help, schedule your appointment with Drs. Williams, Goddard, and the Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center staff to get treatment.