Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about coping with the effects of winter. Cold, dry air outdoors and heat indoors can sap the skin of moisture, leading to dry, flaky skin. The dryness can also make conditions such as psoriasis and eczema even worse.
Dr. Erin Welch, a dermatologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says you can help your dry winter skin by taking warm showers instead of hot showers. Hot showers strip away the skin’s protective oils. Try to keep showers to less than five minutes. Immediately after a bath or shower, apply baby oil or moisturizer to seal the moisture in. Keeping skin moisturized will also help keep psoriasis and eczema from getting worse from winter dryness.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/patientcare/medicalservices/dermatology.html to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in dermotology.
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December 2007
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