By: Dr. Craig Crippen
Winter Skin Care
With Christmas right around the corner, most of us are thinking about big meals, family gatherings and gift giving. It’s a joyous time of year that has most of us celebrating through predominantly indoor activities. Therefore, it’s likely that most of us don’t really have the protection of our winter skin care as an issue on our minds.
And why would we? It’s the winter time. Protecting your skin from the sun is only a concern during the summer time, right? Wrong. Needless to say, the sun still comes out during the winter, even if the days are cold. So there really is no time of year when protecting your skin should be a forgotten task.
Naturally, we wear a lot less during the warm summer months, so we often consider putting sunscreen on our faces, arms and legs. We also generally spend a lot more time outdoors engaging in sports, family barbeques or brisk walks in the parks when it’s hot outside. So many people don’t even consider skin protection during the winter time.
But as HealthTipsPedia.com points out, “the National Council of Skin Cancer Prevention has shown that very few people, in fact about 3 percent, put on protective sun glasses during winter and others; at 2 percent, put on during fall period.” However, sunburns and even sun blindness can be inevitable results when one neglects protection against the sun’s UV rays.
No, cold does not protect you against the sun, ladies and gentlemen. So there are a few things that you should do to stay protected all winter long. HealthTipsPedia.com, in fact, lists a number of tips offered by the US Environmental Protection Agency. These suggestions should actually be taken under consideration all year long.
The first tip is to simply shorten the amount of time you spend in the sun during midday. This is generally between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest. As well, take that advice that your mother has been giving you since you were a toddler. “Put on your hat!” – especially if you can find one that covers your eyes, face, ears and neck.
Have you ever worn sunscreen in the winter? Most people would likely answer “no”, even though they should. This is especially true for those who visit sun tanning salons to keep up their tans during the winter. This is a practice, however, that should very simply be avoided. It only serves to damage your skin.
And finally, look out for a UV index, says HealthTipsPedia.com. This provides a schedule of low and high sun ray durations throughout each day. We certainly hope that these tips will help you to keep your skin safe throughout the winter. Have a very Merry Christmas and joyous holiday season!