With old man winter getting ready to rear its head, we'll be fighting off the frigid cold all too soon. And the one thing that will definitely need some extra care come winter is your skin.
Michael Panella spends a lot of time outdoors these days. But, the dropping temperature causes Michael's rosacea, a flushing and redness of the skin, to flare up.
"My cheeks, the bridge of my nose, it's exacerbated tremendously by the cold," Panella says.
Skin conditions like rosacea, acne and dry skin generally worsen in the winter months.
"The cold weather takes its toll on the skin," Dermatologist Dr. Mitchell Chasin of the Reflection Center for Skin & Body says. "Second, forced hot air and the low humidity creates a big problem for the skin. Third, winds, winds are very, very traumatic for the skin."
Dr. Chasin says winterizing your skin in preparation for the cooler months ahead can make all the difference.
"In the summer or in the fall time before their skin has become dry, before it's become red and flaky," Dr. Chasin says. "It's much easier to prevent the skin from getting dry than to treat it once it has."
You'll want to regularly use a moisturizer cream. Keep skin well hydrated and keep exposed skin of the face covered when outdoors.
"What happens with dry skin in acne is there are little microscopic cracks in the surface of the skin, which let bacteria through the skin," Dr. Chasin says. "With that, they may experience increasing levels of breakouts, blemishes, increasing amount of scar development."
And for acne and rosacea sufferers, there are a host of lasers that can effectively winterize your skin, including the Smoothbeam and V-beam lasers. Certain types of these therapies should be initiated early in winter to prevent worsening of acne and rosacea.
Avoiding long hot showers, spicy foods and alcohol can also help maintain the skin's moisture.
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