|
|
and so much more By: Jennifer Dean-Dwyer, P.A., Eden Valley Area Medical Clinic
To offer us protection from germs, our skin needs to be healthy. Dry, cracked skin can let germs in and lead to infection. Here are some tips for maintaining good skin health in our dry, Minnesota winters. When bathing, avoid very hot water. Use soap sparingly, and only in those areas where you really need to. Don't lather up your arms and legs unless they have dirt or substances on them that need to be washed off. Lathering your body with soap and using hot water takes protective oils out of your skin. Use lotion frequently, especially after bathing. Drink plenty of water, which helps hydrate your skin. Our hands often take the brunt of frequent washing. If your activities require you to have your hands in water a lot, try to wear gloves. Use cool water, not hot, and use lotion after each washing. When you need to get your hands wet a lot, barrier creams are available that help keep the oils from washing out of your skin. Another danger to our skin is sun exposure. Sunlight is healthy in many ways, and is needed to help us process Vitamin D, which is critical to calcium metabolism and strong bones. However, too much sun or UV light exposure from tanning really harms us. Think of curtains that are exposed to lots of sunlight - they age quickly, and the integrity of the fabric is lost, leaving material that shreds and falls apart. Our skin ages prematurely, too, if left to tan or burn excessively. When this happens, it becomes leathery and wrinkled, losing its elasticity. We are more likely to get "age spots" - brown patches found most commonly on our face and hands. Our risk for precancerous conditions such as actinic keratoses (reddened, flaky patches) goes up. And perhaps worst of all, our risk for skin cancer is higher. Malignant melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer, is found more in people who have sustained a serious sunburn in childhood. So enjoy the sun, but use wisdom - wear a hat, long sleeves, use sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) on exposed areas (don't forget those ears!), and avoid the strongest midday sun when possible.
|
Few of us think of skin as a major body organ, but it is. In fact, it is the largest organ of the human body, and one which offers us protection from many diseases. Changes in our skin are often a sign that something else is out of balance with our health.