How To Handle Your Eczema In Cold Weather?
Tips For Controlling Eczema
An estimated 17% of Canadians suffer from certain forms of eczema during their lifetime. You might find yourself asking, “What is eczema?” Eczema is an irritating skin condition that can flare up due to a variety of factors.
There is often more than one cause of eczema. From cold weather to certain skin products, getting eczema is common for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, there are several effective and inexpensive treatments for this condition.
Find out everything you need to know about eczema below.
What Is Eczema?
Eczema is a skin condition that leaves your skin feeling dry, itchy, and very sensitive. When you have eczema, you will often have a red, scaly rash where it itches. Eczema can affect any part of your skin, however, it is particularly common on the arms and legs.
Your skin will usually crack when you have eczema and you may find it difficult to resist scratching it. Excessive scratching could cause your skin to bleed slightly too, so don’t be alarmed if this happens. However, scratching can make your eczema feel itchier, so it is best to avoid it if you can.
Eczema is usually a chronic skin condition and may become more irritated during different periods of the year or in different locations. It is an exceptionally common skin condition.
Symptoms
There are various symptoms of eczema. These include:
- Red skin rash
- Scaly skin
- Dry or cracked skin
- Itchiness
- Flaky skin
- Inflamed skin
- Bleeding caused by a lot of scratching
What Causes It?
Eczema’s specific cause is unknown, however, it is obvious that there are several contributing factors.
Atopic dermatitis frequently develops in individuals with allergies. These can include animal allergies, food allergies, or pollen and dust allergies.
Eczema symptoms are frequently brought on by various factors, including body lotions, laundry detergents, stress, and other environmental triggers.
It can be genetic and frequently appears in conjunction with other illnesses like hay fever, asthma, and osteoporosis.
Very occasionally, eczema may be triggered by certain foods if you happen to be allergic to them. To see if a certain food makes your symptoms worse, you might be requested to keep a food journal. This will help to correlate your eczema with eating certain foods. You can also see an allergist for testing.
Is It Eczema Or Just Dry Skin?
While dry skin can be irritating, especially in cold weather, it is very different from eczema. Eczema is a chronic health condition that can be triggered by various stimuli. Dry skin is caused by a lack of moisturizer, dehydration, or adverse weather conditions, and is easily solved. Eczema care is more complicated.
Eczema can appear as a red, itchy rash, patches of thick or leathery skin, itchy blisters, or darkened patches of skin (hyperpigmentation). If you are unsure whether you have eczema or dry skin, see a health care professional.
There are various types of eczema. They are:
- Atopic Dermatitis
- Contact Dermatitis
- Discoid Eczema (also known as nummular eczema)
- Neurodermatitis
- Stasis Dermatitis
All these forms of eczema are treatable. They each have a variety of specific symptoms and causes.
Why Do The Symptoms Get Worse When It’s Cold?
If your eczema is particularly bad during the winter months, you might be wondering “can cold trigger eczema?” The simple answer is yes. Cold weather triggers eczema because it dries out the skin, resulting in further flakiness, dryness, and itchiness.
The best climate for eczema is usually one that strikes a good balance between dry and humid. Warmer environments also tend to be better for eczema-prone skin, however, overly hot areas should be avoided as they can irritate eczema too.
Seasonal eczema is very irritating for many people. As your skin constantly has to acclimatize from chilly outside weather to warm and cozy interiors, it can really make your eczema flare up. Make sure you follow the treatment tips below for dealing with eczema in cold weather.
Tips For Dealing With Eczema In Cold Weather
If you suffer from eczema, you’ll be happy to learn there are plenty of treatment options for it. In cold weather, there are also certain steps you can take to make sure your skin is as healthy as possible and your eczema doesn’t flare up.
Avoid Hot Baths
You might think that a nice, hot bath would be just the thing for warming your skin up in cold weather. However, a hot bath could actually make your eczema much worse.
Hot water will strip away all the oils your skin needs to protect itself against the cold. This causes your skin to lose moisture rapidly and can dry out your eczema even more.
Not only will this prolong the time it takes for your eczema to heal, but it will also make your skin more itchy and red.
Use Thick Moisturizer
Dryness can certainly irritate eczema. It causes great discomfort and can make it easier for eczema symptoms to worsen.
Moisturizer is the key to maintaining the skin barrier and keeping your skin hydrated, especially in the colder months. Find a thick moisturizer free from scents, too many chemicals, or colours, and apply it often.
When you have eczema, it’s a good idea to apply moisturizer over your whole body, not just the area affected by eczema. This can stop eczema from cropping up on other parts of your body.
Watch How You Dress!
Certain fabrics can cause your eczema to flare up rapidly. Nylons and wool are particularly nasty culprits when it comes to irritating eczema. This is frustrating for many people during the winter, as wool especially is great for layering and insulation.
If you plan to wear wool or nylon, it is a good idea to wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt underneath. Cotton tends to be mild on eczema and should provide a protective barrier between your skin and itchy fabrics.
Get The Humidifier Out
Cold and dry air is something anyone who suffers from eczema wants to avoid. A humidifier will effectively add some much-needed moisture back into the air, leading to less dryness and less severe eczema symptoms.
Stay Hydrated
As you might have guessed, dehydration is not good for eczema, as it will make your skin dryer. Staying hydrated is particularly important in the winter when the cold air is very harsh on your skin.
Try to take a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. You can also get a dual benefit from drinking warm beverages like tea. They will heat you up and ensure that you and your skin stay super hydrated throughout the day.
Hydration like wet wrap therapy is an important eczema treatment. It restores your skin and helps it recover after a bout of itchiness and scratching. Another great product to remedy the itchiness and imflamation caused by eczema is the iS Clinical Sheald Recovery Balm.
Stock Up On Vitamin D
When the sun hides out for the winter months, our bodies have a hard time getting the vitamin D that they need. Vitamin D is very important for your immune system and for activating immune responses.
Because eczema may be brought on by allergens, it’s important to ensure your immune system is in the best possible shape. Having a good supply of vitamin D is one way you can stay healthy, especially when it comes to your skin. Vitamin D is available in supplement forms and is often added to foods such as milk.
Avoid Fragrances
As it’s winter, you might be expecting to receive some presents. Some of these gifts could be perfumes or aftershaves. While these are always a nice treat, spraying them directly on your skin will irritate it, so it’s best to avoid using these products.
Scented lotions, soaps, and detergents might also negatively affect your eczema. Use gentle versions of these products designed for sensitive skin to avoid making your eczema any worse.
Treatments That Might Help With Eczema
On top of the tips above, you should also seek professional treatment for your eczema. One place to do so is at Sublime MediSpa. You’ll find a range of services offered to help treat eczema from highly trained salon specialists.
You might benefit from our skin analysis. This analysis will help to uncover your skin issues and decide upon the best course of treatment.
Products For Treating Eczema
As well as a thick moisturizer and humidifier, there are professional care products that are useful for the treatment of eczema.
Tizo Skincare offers a line mineral-based sunscreens and lip balms. Mineral-based products are recommended for people with eczema since they tend to have fewer chemical ingredients.
The Eczema Treatment Takeaway
So, what is eczema? Eczema is a skin condition that causes itchiness and irritation along with other symptoms. Now that you know the various causes of eczema, you will be better able to seek treatment for it.
While some home remedies can be good for eczema, sometimes seeing a professional is the best way to combat it. A skin therapist or dermatologist will give you the best solutions to keep your skin happy and healthy during the winter season.
For more information on eczema and skin care treatments, contact us today. Our team of specially trained therapists is ready and waiting to discuss your skin, hair, and beauty requirements with you.