Beauty is skin deep

Vikas Sharma

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Winter — the word itself flashes an image of cold and dry winds, red nose, cheeks and soothing hot baths. However, it brings dry and chapped skin along. Hence, as winter approaches, it is important to gear up for a whole new skin routine. For healthy skin year-round, it is important to alter your skin routine each season to keep the seasonal problems at bay.

For many people, the seasonal change brings uncomfortable changes to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. The skin becomes dull and dry. It results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed).

These changes not only affect the skin, the hair and the nail growth but their growth cycles get affected as well. The hair in the growth phase get converted prematurely to shedding phase thus increasing the percentage and volume of hair loss. Nails tend to show pits and lines over the nail plates due to temporary cessation of growth secondary to seasonal change. It can occur at all ages irrespective of gender and in people with or without other skin problems. Routinely used antibacterial soaps and fragrant ones are too harsh to use during the autumn and winter. Mild, less drying soaps (with pH value closer to pH of skin that is 5.8), usually translucent, glycerin-based bars or cleansing lotions should be preferred.

The cold weather dries out skin faster than summer heat. Light moisturisers are good for spring and summer but as winter approaches, switch to heavier cream-based ones to avoid dry patches and blemish outbreaks.

Ointment moisturisers have the greatest ability to trap moisture in the skin, but these have the greasy consistency. Cream and oil-based moisturisers are less greasy and more effective. As a result these tend to be more popular than ointments. Glycerine and petrolatum jelly also tend to bind and retain moisture in skin as these act as humectants i.e. have water-attracting property and hence should be preferred to other routine moisturisers in case of extreme dryness.

No one is immune from dry lips in winter. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Apply lip balm with sunscreen every time you go outside. Don’t lick your lips — it only makes chapped lips worse.

Hands and feet require special care during winters. The feet tend to crack and these are the most neglected areas, constantly exposed to dirt and dryness. Hands have fewer oil glands, which means these get drier faster than the rest of the body which makes their moisturisation and routine hand-care more important. Avoid harsh exfoliators over the face with large crystals or chunks during the changing season, as these are too abrasive. Use gentle exfoliation with the tiniest beads possible to exfoliate without destroying the surface of the skin.

The winters bring along cold and fog as well as dry and lustreless hair too. Hair is an important part of who we are and how we are perceived by others. Winter is a time to change your hair-care routine, too.

The cold winter robs the hair of its bounce often leaving it limp and lifeless. The scalp constantly flakes, leading to itching, scratching and aggravated hair loss. Increase the amount of time you leave conditioners in your hair after shampoo. Hot-oil massages and deep conditioning should be done regularly to maintain moisture and prevent dryness. Regular trimming to prevent split ends will also keep your hair healthy. Dry hair naturally. If you wish to wash hair every-day, try switching hair wash to the evenings, allowing hair to air-dry indoors. This will eliminate the need for using the blow dryers which can worsen dry scalps. If you have to use a dryer, use one with a hood.

At least 13 per cent of our hair is made up of water. When hair is dry, it loses its ability to stretch so it breaks off. Go easy on hair appliances like curling irons and blow dryers. Strictly say no to chemical treatment of hair and hot hair-treatments such as perming, straightening or colouring in the winter season. When combined with cold weather, these treatments further tend to weaken the hair shaft and promote breakage, split ends and hair fall. Chemical treatments like relaxers do make curly hair look longer, though these drastically slow down the growth of men’s hair.

Adapt these little changes in your skincare routine and enjoy your cup of hot chocolate cosy in a quilt on a cold day.

— The writer is a dermatologist, National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula