Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Stepping into a steamy shower on a cold day may seem like the perfect way to warm up, but your skin won’t appreciate it.
Too much wet can dry you out? Long, hot showers can further your skin’s loss of moisture caused by winter winds and precipitation-free air.
Harsh winter winds and dry air already leave skin feeling rough — and hot showers only make it worse. Taking long, hot showers causes moisture to evaporate from your skin, drying it out further, says John Rupp, dermatologist at Dermatology Specialists of Kansas City, in Kansas City, Mo.
Not only do hot showers leave the surface of the skin feeling dry, they also cause transepidermal water loss — the breaking down of the microscopic barrier that holds moisture to the skin, Rupp says. When this barrier breaks down, skin cells lose moisture and become inflamed, leading to itchy, red skin. The loss of moisture can also cause eczema, a longer-lasting itchy inflammation of the skin.
To keep skin feeling soft, you may have to alter your shower routine. Set the water at a lower temperature, use gentle soaps that don’t strip skin of its natural oils, such as Dove or Oil of Olay, pat dry — don’t rub — and slather up with creams instead of lotions, Rupp says.
Even though a hot shower may feel relaxing, consider your skin before turning up that hot water dial.
Verdict: bad for you
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