Tip # 1 – Bathe briefly
- Stick to a brief shower using lukewarm water as hot water tends to dry out the skin faster
- Use soaps designed for dry skin
- Pat yourself gently after a shower to avoid excessive drying of the skin
- Apply lotion following a shower while the skin is still moist
Tip # 2 – Use Moisturizer
Utah is known for having a dry climate during the winter due to the snow and harsh cold. To keep the skin healthy, you want to moisturize as much as possible. Whether you have eczema or psoriasis, you want to make sure you have lotion to keep the dry air from stealing it away from your skin.
“There are so many good over-the-counter products out there. Eucerin is one, and Cetaphil. They’re inexpensive and work well,” says Dr. Menter.
To get better results, Christine Yuan, 22, who lives with eczema and psoriasis, wraps her problem areas in plastic wrap for 30 minutes to an hour after moisturizing. “It takes time,” says Yuan, “but your skin is baby soft!”
Get comfortable
If your skin does flare up, choose soft, breathable fabrics, like cotton, instead of itchy woolens or polyester. Loose-fitting clothing will also help to keep your skin from chafing and becoming irritated by perspiration.Change the air around you
Dr. Strober suggests that his patients use a humidifier to increase moisture levels in the home. Experts recommend keeping the humidity level between 30% and 50% (which you can measure with a hygrometer).
Stay healthy
Because psoriasis and eczema involve immune system responses, experts believe that many bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can make them worse.
Dr. Strober recommends getting a flu shot, if your primary care physician agrees that it’s appropriate. “Ask your primary doctor, and then get it and any other vaccinations that might help you fight infection.” And follow basic steps to keep yourself healthy, like washing your hands frequently, getting good sleep, and exercising.
Relieve stress
Winter means the holidays and the stress that they inevitably bring. “Emotional stress, being under pressure, and trying to get things done before the holidays certainly can trigger psoriasis and, to a lesser degree, eczema,” says Dr. Menter.
A 2001 report in Archives of Dermatology measured stress levels and water loss in students without any skin disease after winter vacation, during final exams, and during spring break. The researchers found that during periods of stress, the skin’s ability to retain water was reduced.
Look for ways—such as exercise, meditation, yoga, or biofeedback—to relieve holiday-related stress.
Watch your weight
From that first bite of Thanksgiving turkey to the last glass of Champagne on New Year’s Eve, the holidays are a weight-gain minefield.
But psoriasis patients should tread carefully. There isn’t conclusive research linking diet and psoriasis, but fasting periods, low-energy diets, and vegetarian diets improved psoriasis in some studies. And weight gain in general can worsen the condition.
“It does behoove a psoriasis patient to have a lower BMI. Studies do suggest that higher BMI corresponds with increased severity of psoriasis,” says Dr. Strober.
Phototherapy for psoriasis
Winter also brings a decrease in the amount of sun exposure—not a good thing since sunlight can help relieve psoriasis. In fact, 60% of psoriasis patients reported improvement with sunlight in a 2004 Clinical and Experimental Dermatology study.
“The issue is two-fold,” says Dr. Strober. “First, people wear garments that cover the skin and have a tendency to stay indoors. Second, the potency of ultraviolet light is lessened in the wintertime.”
So phototherapy (in which patients are exposed to UVB or UVA rays) makes sense for patients “who are responsive to UV light,” says Dr. Strober. “But you need to come in at least two to three times a week.” The bonus, though, is it is covered by many insurance policies.
PUVA, a combination of UVA rays and psoralen, a medication that increases the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light, is another option. In a 2006 study published in Archives of Dermatology, clearance rates were roughly 80% for psoriasis patients who received PUVA and 50% for patients who received narrow-band UVB.
