冬天皮肤干燥该怎么办?

Winter can be a tough season especially when it comes to your skin. Combine the cold temperatures outside with the warm temperatures inside, and skin can begin to crack. And that is not good.

The cold weather is very difficult for us to help protect our skin because we lose nutrients, we lose moisture there's essential oils that are built into our skin. And all those things are difficult to replenish during the winter.

If untreated, dry skin can sometimes lead to dermatitis which causes swelling and infection. Use creams and soaps with moisturizers to keep skin soft; avoid those with alcohol or perfumes.

"We need to stop taking those long hot showers that we really like. Make sure they're luke warm water. About ten minutes, that's the max you want to use. And make sure after the shower or bath to use a good moisturizer."

While patches of dry skin can appear anywhere, it's most common on arms, hands, lower legs and the abdomen.Also skin in joint areas can also become red and flaky -- make sure to check these areas and keep them moist.If they become seriously inflamed, it is best to see your doctor.

For today's Health Minute, I'm Susan Hendricks.