Winter wonderland can be skin’s arid wasteland

The onset of winter weather means more than wrapping up and focusing on images of the festive… The onset of winter weather means more than wrapping up and focusing on images of the festive season.

You may be thinking of feasts, presents and New Year’s celebrations, but according to an expert on skin health at Pitt’s School of Medicine, the colder, drier weather means people must take more skin-care precautions at this time of year.

“With winter weather quickly approaching, people may notice that their skin becomes drier and itchier,” said Dr. Suzan Obagi, assistant professor of dermatology.

“The reason for this is two-fold. First, the use of heaters takes moisture out of our homes, thus robbing our skin of the moisture it derives from our environment. Secondly, with the colder weather we resort to using hotter water in our showers or baths, which further dries out our skin.”

However, Obagi recommends a number of steps that can be taken to lessen the effects of the natural world on the skin. First, a humidifier can increase the level of moisture at home.

Second, while a hot shower is pleasurable on a cold morning, Obagi said limiting the time one spends in the shower reduces the effects of drying on skin.

Furthermore, she said that if a person doesn’t like to “risk the drying effects of soap” on the arms and legs, plain old water can suffice; the use of soap can be safely limited to the “dirty areas” of the body, such as the armpits and groin.

Obagi recommends using a liberal amount of moisturizing cream or ointment, which seals in moisture, after getting out of the shower.

But she warned of the danger of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which can result in premature aging of the skin.

“Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays increase in spring and summer, resulting in sunburns, but ultraviolet A (UVA) rays are constant year-round, and these are what cause skin aging,” said Obagi.

“UVA penetrates windows and shallow water. Therefore, daily sunscreen use is still a must. For direct sun exposure longer than 10 minutes, a sun block of over 30 SPF should be used.”