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Cold weather can take a toll on your body. As temperatures drop, so does the moisture content in your skin. This can lead to a winter rash. A winter rash is an area of irritated skin. It's most often caused by dry skin. Even if you have healthy skin the rest of the year, you may develop a winter rash during cold seasons. The condition is common and often recurs year after year.
Without treatment and lifestyle changes, your rash may last throughout winter. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your skin healthy and moisturized year-round.
Symptoms of Winter Rashes
A winter rash may include any of the following symptoms:
- redness
- swelling
- itching
- flaking
- sensitivity
- bumps
- blisters
The rash may impact a single area of your body, often your legs, arms, or hands. In other cases, it may be widespread on your body.
Possible Causes of a Winter Rash
Your skin's outer layer contains natural oils and dead skin cells that hold water inside your skin. This helps keep your skin soft, moisturized, and smooth.
Bitter cold temperatures can affect the condition of your skin. Cold air, low humidity, and high winds outdoors strip your skin of much-needed moisture. Turning up the heat and taking hot showers indoors do the same. These harsh conditions cause your skin to lose its natural oils. This allows moisture to escape, leading to dry skin and potentially a winter rash.
Sunburns can also lead to a winter rash. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can be potent, even in winter. In fact, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation, snow reflects up to 80 percent of UV light, which means you can be hit by the same rays twice. UV rays are also more intense at higher altitudes.
Diagnosing a Winter Rash
If you haven't changed your soap or exposed your skin to chemicals recently, chances are your rash is due to dry skin. If you're moisturizing your skin regularly and limiting your exposure to extreme cold or hot temperatures, something else may be causing your rash. It's possible you're experiencing an allergic reaction to a personal care product or medication. You may also have an infection or skin condition, such as eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis. In this case, contact our office to have your rash examined.
Treating a Winter Rash
Most treatments for a winter rash are inexpensive and don't require a prescription. For example:
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Barrier Moisturizers are often the first defense against a winter rash because they help lock moisture into your skin. Apply moisturizer several times a day, especially after bathing and hand washing.
- Bathing with milk may help soothe your itchy skin. Dip a clean washcloth into whole milk and dab it on the affected area of your body, or soak in a warm bath with milk added for about 10 minutes.
- Topical cortisone creams, which are available with or without a prescription, may help reduce your skin's redness, itching, and inflammation.
Most winter rashes improve with lifestyle changes, home remedies, and over-the-counter (OTC) treatments. Others may persist or get worse. Scratching may cause your skin to crack and bleed. This gives bacteria the perfect opening and puts you at risk of infection. Contact us if you have a rash that isn't responding to OTC treatments, is bleeding, or has severe symptoms.
Tips to Prevent a Winter Rash
- Invest in a humidifier to add moisture to the air around you.
- Bathe less often, lather up at little as possible, and avoid hot water. Consider bathing every other day during the winter, when your body may not sweat as much or get as dirty.
- Use natural, fragrance-free soaps made from glycerin, goat milk, shea butter, or olive oil.
- Wear clothes made from breathable natural fibers, such as cotton, to help reduce skin irritation and overheating.
- Protect your hands by wearing gloves every time you go outside in cold weather. You should also wear protective gloves when you wash dishes, immerse your hands in water for an extended period, or clean with chemical products.
- Prevent winter sunburns by wearing a Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher when you spend time outdoors.
Taking preventive steps and applying moisturizer at the first sign of dry skin, can help you reduce your risk of a winter rash.
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Cosmetic Week | Dec. 10 - 14
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15% Off Cosmetic Procedures
10% Off Cosmetic Products
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Pre-payments on procedures can be made starting Monday, December 10th - 14th. Exclusions: Cannot be used with other offers or promotions, packages not included.
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Have You Had A Yearly Exam?
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Full Skin Exam
Full-body skin exams are an essential method of screening patients for benign or cancerous lesions that they may not have been able to see or recognize on their own.
By using a 5x magnifier and looking at all of your skin, our doctors can often find potentially life-threatening growths in a timely manner. From head to toe and back to front, we inspect the skin for any suspicious growths.
This quick and painless preventive measure is an invaluable tool in the early detection of skin cancer as well as many other dermatological conditions.
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What To Expect During Your Full Skin Exam
Before the skin exam, your doctor may ask if you have any concerns. Even if he or she doesn't ask, don't be shy. Point out any spots that worry you or changes you have noticed.
Once you have changed into an exam gown, your doctor will then do a head-to-toe skin exam, making note of any spots that need monitoring or closer examination. A Full-body exam typically includes an exam of the scalp, face, mouth, hands, feet, trunk and extremities, eyes and eyelids, ears, fingers, toes and toenails.
If there is a suspicious spot, the doctor may make a note of it and monitor the lesion over time. Often, the doctor will biopsy the lesion that day. Biopsies typically involve numbing the area around the spot with a local anesthetic, then shaving a small sample of the lesion. The sample is then sent to our dermatopathologist for analysis.
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Common Types of Skin Cancer
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Now Open Monday and Tuesday
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Kirsten Kuhn, PA-C
Kirsten strives to provide high-quality dermatologic care to patients of all ages. She is passionate about preventing and detecting skin cancer, and enjoys helping people look their best and learn to protect their skin. Kirsten earned her PA degree from the School of Medicine at OHSU in Portland.
Prior to attending graduate school, she worked along side Dr. Nern as a Medical Assistant for 2 years and is thrilled to return to the mountains as a member of the Vail | Aspen | Breckenridge Dermatology team. In her free time, Kirsten enjoys skiing, cycling, and trail running.
Credentials
- NCCPA certified and licensed to practice medicine in Colorado
- Fellow, Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants
- Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants
- Fellow, Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants
- Athletic Board Scholar, UW-Madison
Education
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, BA with Distinction
- Oregon Health and Science University, MPAS
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Claire Mann, RN, MSN, AGNP
Claire Mann is an experienced Nurse Practitioner with a background in Dermatology and wound care. She is an experienced cosmetic injector and has trained with Dr. Karen Nern to gain expertise in cosmetic procedures such as Botox, Juvederm, and Kybella. Claire values patient satisfaction and wants to ensure that every patient feels well taken care of.
Credentials
- Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
- Registered Nurse, Licensed to Practice Nursing in the State of Colorado
- Member, Dermatology Nurses Association
- Member, American Professional Wound Care Association
- Member, National Academy of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners
Education
- Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner- University of Colorado, 2017
- Master of Science, Nursing- University of Colorado, 2016
- Bachelor of Science, Nursing- University of Akron, 2011
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Vail Dermatology in Eagle
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377 Sylvan Lake Rd. Ste 120 Eagle, CO 81631
Phone: (970) 926-9226 | www.vaildermatology.com
Office Hours: Monday - Tuesday 8:00 - 5:00
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