How to Protect Your Skin Throughout the Winter

Your skin care regimen shouldn't be the same all year round — every season requires different measures to keep your skin healthy. Winter is especially harsh on your skin, from your face to your hands.

Taking extra care of your skin during the cold winter is vital for a glowing complexion in the spring.

The team at Meridian Plastic Surgery understands the need for a healthy glow. Dr. Lee Thornton and Dr. Mark Elliott are our plastic surgeons who offer several skin care treatments. These treatments help you enhance your skin's health, especially in the blustery winter months.

What causes dry skin?

There are a lot of factors that affect your skin's moisture and integrity — even the weather. You can have dry skin at any time of the year, but you're more susceptible to moisture problems in the dead of winter.

Even with a proper skin care routine, winter can sneak up, and your skin can dry out. Other causes of dry skin include bathing for too long, harsh lotions and soaps, and UV damage from the sun.

If you have dried-out skin, you may experience a variety of symptoms, including:

• Cracked skin
• Irritation
• Raw feeling
• Flakiness
• Burning and stinging
• Roughness
• Itchiness

The drier your skin gets, the more uncomfortable your symptoms become. Contact the Meridian Plastic Surgery team with skin troubles. We offer several cutting-edge treatments that rejuvenate and protect your skin.

Tips for perfect winter skin

With winter right around the corner, you must start your skin care routine early. Proper skin care during the colder months helps you avoid issues like dryness and cracking.

Some of the tips our team recommends for healthy winter skin include:

Lower your water temperature

Even though a hot shower feels wonderful on a brisk day, hot showers dry out the essential oils in your skin. The hot water itself is also not beneficial to dry skin.

Limit your shower or bath times, and turn the water temperature down to warm instead of hot. This step helps you retain moisture over the colder months.

Use fragrance-free cleansers

The best products for your skin are those that don't have a fragrance. Skin care products that contain a smell irritate your skin, especially when it's already dry.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

After you get out of the shower, towel off and immediately put moisturizer on your skin, the goal of the moisturizer is to keep your skin from drying out. Moisturize every area, including your legs, arms, and hands.

Stay hydrated

Make sure you're drinking plenty of water over the winter. Keeping your body hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your skin moisturized in cold weather.

Invest in a humidifier

The cold winter months mean dry air with not much humidity. A humidifier in your bedroom allows moisture in your skin, even when the air outside is crisp and dry.

Avoid over-exfoliation

You don't want to overdo it when it comes to exfoliation. It would be best if you didn't exfoliate your face more than twice a week, especially during the winter when it's already hard to keep your skin moist.

If you're worried about your skin over the winter, don't hesitate to call our office at 601-693-7742 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Thornton or Dr. Elliott. You can also book an appointment on the website using the convenient scheduling tool.