This year’s winter seems to be particularly cold and dry. For people with poor skin health, winter is a season that shows two different faces. It is still a season to take a breather for those with skin diseases whose symptoms are aggravated by humidity and heat, but it is a more difficult season for those with diseases that are aggravated by cold and dryness.
In addition, even though it is the same disease, it may be difficult due to damp heat in summer and dryness and cold in winter. Representative examples are atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis. Not all atopy and seborrheic dermatitis are like that, but in summer, the inflammation gets worse due to moist heat, so itching, redness, weeping, and scabs are difficult.
Overall, when the skin becomes dry, the area where the existing atopy or seborrheic dermatitis develops becomes drier, resulting in increased weight and itchiness. In severe cases, the skin cracks or falls off, and the itching becomes more severe. If you keep scratching, it is easy to lead to bleeding and inflammation, and the lichenification phenomenon in which the skin thickens may become severe.
Apart from diseases such as atopy and seborrheic dermatitis, there is dry eczema as a disease that causes skin to suffer in winter. Dry eczema is characterized by dry scaling and fine skin cracks due to dryness of the skin, usually accompanied by itching. Since dry skin is the basis, it is most common in the elderly, who tend to lack luster, but there are various other triggers.
Far from the heart, it is easy to lose body temperature and is easily exposed to cold air.
Atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and dry eczema all suffer from dryness in winter, the following points should be noted in daily life.
First, keep the indoor air from being too dry. Use a humidifier or laundry to maintain proper humidity and avoid making the room temperature too hot. However, depending on the condition of atopic dermatitis, too high humidity can be bad, so it is good to check and adjust the condition of the skin.
Second, take a shower or bath with water that is not too hot, and make sure to avoid giving fine cuts to dead skin cells in the process of wiping your body. It is better to wipe with your bare hands without using a towel that feels soft, let alone a towel. Use soap or cleanser that has as little irritation as possible, and when wiping dry after a shower, do not rub a towel, and absorb the water with the feeling of putting it on the skin to prevent fine scars on the stratum corneum.
Third, for dry eczema, it is good to use a moisturizer frequently and sufficiently, and it is good to keep the body temperature to some extent so that it is not cold. For atopy and seborrheic dermatitis, the use of moisturizer or ointment may vary depending on the condition, so it is good to use it according to the expert’s opinion or guidelines.
As such, in winter, the peripheral circulation caused by the cold and the dry atmosphere make the skin more prone to dryness and consequently uncomfortable symptoms. It is necessary to use the right shower method and moisturizer while maintaining an appropriate indoor environment. If you have an existing skin disease, care should be taken as lifestyle management may vary according to each characteristic.
writing. Choi Jae-ho, CEO of the Daegu Branch of Vital Clinic