How the cold affects your skin and what to do to avoid it
We tend to think that exposure to sunlight especially during the summer months, tend to affect the health of our skin, resecting it and in turn causing the appearance of a greater amount of skin fat, which in turn influences the formation of uncomfortable pimples, pimples and blackheads.
And although this is indeed true, the reality is that precisely not only summer is an "enemy" for the health of our skin. So is the winter, a very complicated station if we consider that most of its elements and inclemencies tend to affect the skin equally.
The wind, the rain, the cold ... are elements that influence our skin, dehydrating it and causing its appearance to be altered. The same goes for the temperature changes, much more frequent than during the summer months, so it is normal to go from cold to heat several times over the same day, due to the contrast between the temperature outside (on the street) and that of the interior (in our house or place of work), where the use of heating and stoves is common.
What are the main enemies of the health of our skin in winter?
Cold
It is undoubtedly one of the main elements that tend to affect the health of our skin during the winter months. Why? Fundamentally because the cold tends to congest the skin, so that at low temperatures the veins tend to counteract, and the blood microcirculation suffers.
This translates into something more than obvious: the vasoconstriction is greater, producing in turn a lower circulation of both oxygen and nutrients. As a result the skin becomes dehydrated and dries out much more, losing thickness and strength. In fact, cold reduces the production of the fat that protects our skin, which favors dehydration and the formation of eczema.
That is why winter becomes one of the greatest enemies of the atopic dermatitis, so that the abrupt changes of temperature, the degree of humidity and the continued use of heaters that dry up the environment end up favoring the appearance of outbreaks.
Abrupt changes in temperature
As indicated at the beginning of this note, not only the cold has a very negative effect on the health of our skin. As you probably know, and as you probably have already checked before, during the winter it is very common that we are very cold outside when we go out, and yet when we enter a store or home a heat wave hits us almost without hope for.
This makes changes in temperature in winter are very frequent, causing a greater dehydration of our skin, and altering its appearance in a very negative way.
Other elements that negatively influence: wind and environmental dryness
In addition to the cold and sudden changes in temperature, there are also other negative elements that affect the health of our skin during the winter months. This is the case of ultraviolet (UV), wind, rain and environmental dryness.
All these elements cause a vasoconstriction of the blood capillaries, hindering the correct and adequate oxygenation of the skin cells, decreasing the activity of the sebaceous glands and altering the layer of fat or hydrolipidic that protects it.
What can we do to avoid it and take care of our skin in winter?
Use a moisturizing cream
During the winter months it is highly advisable use moisturizing creams, since they are creams that act as a barrier protecting the skin, as well as avoiding the evaporation of the water present in the fabric. They help to absorb and retain the moisture present in the skin, thus preventing the natural moisture of our skin from evaporating.
These creams reduce the natural tendency of the skin to lose moisture, helping it to moisturize it better and not adding water to the skin. In addition, they help repair the microscopic fissures in the outer layer of the skin.
Avoid using soapy water on your face
Although you may think otherwise, the truth is that during the winter It is not appropriate to use soapy water on the face in excess, since it tends to sweep the normal fat present on the skin. Therefore, it is best to replace soapy water with a good moisturizer.
Do not forget your hands
If you usually wash your hands a lot, you should use moisturizers more usually, because if you wash them excessively you will only be able to cause a wear dermatitis, which is what affects the back of your hands. It is advisable to use not only moisturizer, but also gloves when you go to wash the dishes.
Do not use very hot water
Although the hot water with which we bathe during the winter is ideal to expand the pores and get the cream between the skin, using it very hot is inadvisable, as it tends to traumatize the skin and cause small blood vessels break. ThemesSkin
