Urban Skin Solutions for acne, razor bumps, dark spots, uneven skin tone, scalp problems and scars.

Winter “Dry” Skin?

Winter or not, you’re dehydrated. Your skin feels tight and dry and your brows, hairline and sides of your nose might flake or burn. Your hair feels brittle and sheds more, and your scalp is feeling tight and producing potato chips. Your eyes may be puffy, you’re developing “raccoon” eyes and the corners of your mouth are cracking. Your cleanser is drying you out and your skin can’t get enough moisture these days. Your mouth is dry as a bird cage, your lips are parched and your skin tone is getting blotchy. Your arms and legs are “ashy” and itchy, and let’s not even talk about those ‘hooves’ you call your feet!

Lower that thermostat! Keep the heat no higher than 70 degrees during the day and evening. If you get cold, layer your clothes and add a down comforter. Turn the heater OFF, or lower it to no higher than 55 degrees while you sleep. Turn on your car heater to warm up the car before you get in. Then turn it off. Wear warmer clothing and footwear. Your skin, scalp and sinuses will thank you.

Never stand, sit or sleep close to the heater, or stay too long in a hot shower just to “warm up”.

Hard water alert! If you live in a hard water area, your skin can become extremely dehydrated and develop a darker skin tone, and your hair will feel like straw. Install a good water-softening system or wash/rinse your face in spring or distilled water. Go online to www.therashower.com and purchase their inexpensive shower massage unit, which filters the chlorine and other drying chemicals. If you change the filter monthly, your shower will feel like soft rainwater and it will help soften your skin and hair dramatically. Try using a cool mist humidifier to help hydrate your skin, hair and sinuses while you sleep.

Increase your water intake. Start with drinking half your weight in ounces per day. Use mason jars instead of trying to count cups of water. When filled to the top, a mason jar holds 24 ounces of water. Did you know that herbal teas, flavored water and juices qualify as water intake? So, if you hate tap water, try bottled mineral water, Brita filtered water, sparkling water, fruit juice, fresh vegetable juice, Vitamin Water, Crystal Lite and herbal tea.

Not included as water intake: Club soda, soft drinks, energy drinks, diet soda, tonic water, Lipton, Gatorade, Propel, PowerAde, V-8, V-8 Fusion, tomato juice, milk, coffee, Earl Grey, black or green tea, orange pekoe tea and beverages labeled ‘iced tea’.

Triple your water intake if you live in a hard water area, you smoke or are exposed to any secondhand smoke, drink alcohol, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee or tea, take diuretics, blood pressure or diabetic meds, antibiotics, cold or allergy meds, antidepressants, diet pills, sleep aids, anxiety meds, ADD meds or any medication that can cause “dry mouth”.

Know this: Lack of adequate water intake, interior heat, hard water, dry climate, smoking, secondhand smoke, long hot showers and baths, medication, dehydrating beverages and other factors can cause internal and external dehydration. If you’re tired, achy, stiff, run down, have trouble concentrating, and if your skin is feeling tight, flaky, itchy, wrinkled, getting irritated and blotchy, and you are developing a darker uneven skin tone, you might be clinically dehydrated!

No long hot showers! Showers and baths should be short and warm….never hot. Pat dry, don’t rub and leave your skin slightly moist. Mist with a hydrating toner. Seal in moisture with a rich body lotion, like one of our resurfacing skin brightening body lotions, which hydrate, lighten the skin tone and prevent ashy dead skin build-up. Ask about our special products for excessive dry skin, seborrhea, discoloration, itching, flaky scalp, scar tissue and eczema.

Don’t scrub off dead skin cells with a washcloth, buffing pad, harsh scrub or even with your fingers. This causes darkening, similar to a rug burn, and makes dead cells build up even more. Pat your skin dry after cleansing. Never rub with a towel. Ask about safe new methods to remove dead skin cells without traumatizing your skin.

Dry Skin Treatments: Most of our professional peels, body treatments and facials can be customized to help shed dead skin cells and address dry, dehydrated or irritated skin. We can adjust our facials with a moisturizing additive and we can add moisturizers to most treatments, including our customized treatment masques, eye masques and power bleaching.

Use caution with clay masques! Try using clay masques every other day (instead of daily), apply to oily and bump prone areas only and never let them dry out. Apply a thicker coat of masque, wait just 5 to 7 minutes, and then remove it before it dries. Thin coats dry too fast, and leaving a clay masque on after it dries sucks the moisture right out of your skin. Ask us about using one of our hydrating or exfoliating peel/masques when your skin is dry.

Be consistent with home care and water intake and ask for help if you need it. Don’t discontinue your corrective products for longer than a day or two, even if you’re dry. You may need a more hydrating moisturizer and a different cleanser during the winter months, especially as you get older. We can adjust your home care regimen so potentially drying products are changed, or used less often, during the coldest months.

Request an appointment. We’re here to help in the office, by phone and via email.

Follow directions. Applying “active” skin care products too thick or too often can cause over-drying. Avoid over-dry areas like the smile lines, sides of the nose, and mouth as directed. Never apply moisturizer, lip balm, eye cream or other creamy products while wearing BPO, which migrates into dry areas causing irritation, dehydration and darkening. Sleeping in an over-heated room or near a heater while wearing BPO can do the same thing.

Seborrhea, an annoying hereditary skin and scalp condition, may need some special attention during the winter months. Seborrhea is a chronic on-and-off problem that’s often part of an “oily, sensitive skin profile” that worsens in cold weather and when you’re under stress.

Treat your seborrhea: Purchase a few white satin, silk or high-count cotton pillowcases, which are much less damaging to fragile, thinning hair than ordinary low-count cotton percale. Severe build-up, called hyperkeratosis, may mean you need a special shampoo, an exfoliating gel and a cream or ointment, which work together to dissolve stubborn dead skin cells and calm itching. Your thinning hair will begin to thicken and grow in. The itching, flaking, and dandruff-like symptoms will improve dramatically!

Warning: Don’t use a brush, scratch or rub your scalp if you’re experiencing any flaking, thinning, itching, dead skin build-up, inflamed sores or bumps of any kind. These conditions will only worsen.

Shampoo more often: Shampooing less leads to more build-up, hair loss and severe itching.

Seborrheic dermatitis: Don’t forget that seborrhea can also affect your face, causing redness, light blotches, flaking and inflammation. It’s easy to treat, so talk to us. We can help.

So, drink more water, quit smoking, turn down the heat and avoid that heater, keep hard water away from your face, take shorter, less hot showers, and take better care of your skin and scalp!