Introduction to winter pruritus

  In winter, more patients come to the dermatology department to report itchy skin, mostly after bathing or while sleeping, feeling itchy on their limbs and bodies, with the middle-aged and elderly and the white-collar class who love cleanliness being the majority. Some people scratch at the itchy areas, and a strip of scratch marks appear on the skin, and sometimes even light brown patches can be seen. Their itchy areas are most common on the lower legs, forearms, back, and waist and abdomen. The itching can be triggered or intensified after emotional stress, temperature change, alcohol consumption or consumption of spicy food.  This is actually the dry skin syndrome that occurs in winter. Because of the lower temperature, the human body to ensure the reduction of heat dissipation, the capillary bed of the skin is partially closed, the blood flow of the skin is reduced, the secretion of sweat and sebum is also reduced, the humidity of the skin decreases, which is manifested as dry skin, and dryness is more likely to lead to itching of the skin. In middle-aged and elderly people, the sebaceous glands are atrophied and reduced, so the skin is naturally more prone to dryness and itchiness. In addition, a large part of young people, especially the white-collar class and young children crowd, daily bathing has become a must for them, even 2-3 times a day. The consequence is that the sebum that was secreted is rarely washed away, and the drier the skin is, the more likely it is to itch.  Therefore, dermatologists caution: winter bathing should not be too diligent, the number of baths to their own skin can withstand the degree, not like the summer every day to wash. Bathing water temperature should not be too hot, to slightly higher than body temperature does not feel hot as appropriate. When bathing try to use neutral body wash, do not use alkaline soap, soap. If not particularly dirty, you can not use body wash. There is also a particularly important point, that is to develop the habit of applying lotion every day, especially after the bath, recommended medical skin care products such as Avène Triple Repair Cream, it is recommended to apply the whole body, especially the limbs, waist and buttocks and other parts of the sebaceous glands less prone to itching.