MISSOULA – If your skin is suddenly dry and flaky, there is a good chance Mother Nature is playing a role.
St. Patrick Hospital Dermatologist Andrew Tegeder says winter time is the hardest season on skin — especially when bitter cold and wind take over.
Dry, cracked skin becomes an issue for many and washing and drying hands only make it worse if you don’t immediately apply lotion.
Tegeder says one of the best ways to alleviate dry cracked hands is to soak them for 20 minutes before bed, then immediately apply lotion, and sleep with gloves. He adds that limiting soap use is key.
“We don’t really need to soap our bodies up head-to-toe every day. The soap is going to strip the oils off our skin that we want to really maintain to keep our skin hydrated,” Tegeder said.
“So, limit soap to areas that really need it. I tell people armpits, private areas, feet, places that are obviously dirty so soaping up head-to-toe is going to be overkill,” he added.
Tegeder suggests applying vaseline to any exposed body parts when spending an extended amount of time outdoors, especially when skiing in sunny, windy weather conditions.
-Russ Thomas reporting for MTN News
