In the winter with howling north wind, quite a number of people would feel that their skins were itching to different extents. Some only felt partial body itching while others suffered from extensive full-body itching. The mild cases would scratch here and there from time to time while the serious ones would often have cracked skin, pain, bleeding or even infection which influenced one's daily life, work and interpersonal relationships to a certain extent. Some mistakenly thought it was skin allergy and took various anti-allergy or itch-relieving drugs; some thought their skins were not clean enough and had a bath several times in 2009; some hoped for the therapeutic effects of hot springs and soaked themselves in hot spring water for long periods of time frequently... What would be the result? In fact, the above-mentioned practices often yielded contrary results. To fundamentally solve the problem of itching, it is necessary to find out the cause. Then, why was the above phenomenon not seen much in summer of 1986 but significantly increased only in the autumn and winter seasons? It was obvious that seasonal factors were the most important. But through what means did the season lead to the occurrence of itching? We know that sebaceous glands of different sizes and densities are distributed on human skins. The sebum secreted by them plays an important role in moisturizing, lubricating and protecting the skin. Not only does it make the skin look glossy and bright, but also protect the skin from external stimulation and avoid irritating the skin. Therefore, under normal conditions, our skins will not feel itchy. There is a clear correlation between the secretion amount of sebum and temperature. The higher the temperature, the greater the secretion amount. Especially in summer, the sultry weather plus the increase in human movement led to the peak of sebum secretion. With the increase in sweat, the skin was well-moisturized. Therefore, except for a few dry skin and severe ichthyosis patients, most people would not experience simple skin itching. However, in recent years, due to the popularity of air conditioning, some people who worked in dry and cold environments for a long time also experienced symptoms such as dry skin and itching in summer, which has already caught the attention of doctors. For most people, once it turned into winter, the secretion amount of sebum would significantly decrease. Combined with the decrease in air humidity and the reduction in human movement, the secretion of sweat also correspondingly decreased, leaving the skin in a relatively dry state. Some people simultaneously experienced skin itching, scaling, and even cracking. In medicine, this is called "winter dermatitis". Usually, the earliest and strongest skin itching appeared on the extensor sides of the limbs. Why? This is mainly because these parts have fewer sebaceous glands and relatively less sebum secretion. Moreover, for the elderly, due to the atrophy of sebaceous glands, they have less sebum secretion than the young, so their symptoms have the characteristics of early onset, wide range, and severe degree. Therefore, the elderly are also the main group of "winter dermatitis". Then, how should we choose skin care products? Some people think that the higher-end and more expensive skin care products are better. In fact, as long as you choose oil-in-water type skin care products with higher oil content, such as moisturizing oil, skin care fat, clam oil, cold cream, etc., they can be effective. The key is to use them immediately after bathing to achieve the best effect because at this time the skin temperature is higher and the skin's absorption function is the strongest. And it should be used regularly to achieve a better effect. On the other hand, water-in-oil type skin care products like moisturizing lotion and moisturizing cream are not applicable. In addition, paying attention to some details in daily life will help your skin safely get through the winter. For example: the bathing water temperature should not be too high. Many people have such an experience: when the skin itches, the hotter the water, the more comfortable it feels. Therefore, the bathing water temperature is often set very high. In fact, this is an illusion. Due to the high-temperature stimulation covering up the itching stimulation, the skin is temporarily "numbed". Once the "scalding" stimulation disappears, the itching will "return with a vengeance" and become even worse. This is because hot water has a stronger degreasing effect, making the sebum further reduced. Therefore, we advocate bathing with warm water. The frequency of bathing should not be too high. A few people mistakenly believe that the skin is "dirty" and think that as long as they take a bath a few more times, washing away the "dirt" will free them from the trouble of itching. In fact, this is ignorance. As we already know, the "culprit" of skin itching is not dirt. On the contrary, repeated washing will only exacerbate the skin's degreasing level, worsening the itching. Therefore, taking a bath every 1-2 days is sufficient. Similarly, excessive soaking in hot springs will make the skin drier, and it is recommended to apply skin care products immediately after soaking in hot springs. Avoid using strongly alkaline soap or shower gel. For the same reason, strongly alkaline cleaning products will also exacerbate the skin's degreasing, leading to worsened itching. Elderly people, people with dry skin, infants, etc., should pay more attention and preferably choose weakly alkaline cleaning agents. For the "disaster areas" of the limbs, try to avoid using cleaning agents and just rinse with warm water. Pay attention to keeping the lower legs' skin warm. Some women still like to wear skirts in cold seasons. But if you have the trouble of "winter dermatitis", it is better to wear warmer thick pants, which helps reduce the harm of cold wind to vulnerable areas. Food supplements and medicinal supplements. Since "winter dermatitis" is not really a disease, generally no drug treatment is needed. You can appropriately take some vitamin A and vitamin E orally. Foods such as sesame, walnut, pine nut, donkey-hide gelatin, pig skin, sheep skin, donkey skin, etc., all have good moisturizing effects on the skin. You can choose according to personal preference in your daily diet.
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