DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Eighty-one million Americans suffer from dry, scaly, itchy skin during winter months, mostly due to a combination of colder, dryer air, winter sun exposure and homes and offices that are over-heated.  Physicians at Johns Hopkins Medical Center warn that while keeping warm throughout the winter is important, protecting your skin is also integral to good health, and can be accomplished with a combination of interventions, including ordinary summertime skin care practices, dietary modifications, and additional moisturizing. 

To prevent skin damage, experts at Johns Hopkins recommend the following:

• "Proper moisturizing is job one.  Switch to an oil-based cream or lotion and apply it often. The more oil the better.

• Use a humidifier at home and in the office and bag the long hot showers, however tempting. Take warm short ones, and slather on the moisturizer while skin is still damp to keep water in the upper layers of skin and decrease dryness and itching.

• Because frequent hand washing is recommended to prevent winter colds and flu, in winter use hand soap that contains moisturizing ingredients or an alcohol-free hand sanitizer.

• Don’t forget the sunscreen, the fruit and the water if you are outdoors even for brief periods, and especially if you’re skiing. Sunscreen belongs not just on your face, but also your hands and lips. And because snow reflects 80 percent of sunlight, use SPF 15 or higher all winter.

• Promote healthy skin with a diet of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and plums, and foods with essential fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and canola oil.  Drink water and green tea in sufficient quantities to hydrate body cells and increase anti-inflammatory chemistry.  If you are exercising, you need more fluid."

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

• Summer sun protection and skin cancer prevention tips
• Skincare tips for preventing & treating acne
• Inflammatory Breast Cancer -- a highly aggressive, frequently misdiagnosed disease

For information about your legal rights, please click here or call the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.