Winter Itch

Low temperature and atmospheric humidity prevalent in winter months have a damaging effect on your skin. It steals out most of the moisture from the skin. Absence of adequate amount of moisture in the skin makes it abnormally dry which in turn causes a lot of itchiness. This condition is often termed as winter itch.

Symptoms

Winter itch can be identified with dry skin patches which gives a constant itching sensation. This irritation tends to worsen with time. The skin turns scaly and cracks develop on its surface. Occasionally, bleeding may occur from the cracks. Winter itch occurs mostly on face, hands, arms and lower part of the legs. It is common on face and hands as these parts are exposed to cold and dry air. Winter itch on legs and arms occur mainly because these areas do not have enough sweat glands that can keep the skin moist. Many people get confused whether they are having winter itch or some allergic reaction. When you have allergies, then there will be itching all over body including eyes, nose and throat. Moreover, an incidence involving skin allergy will cause blisters or skin rashes to appear on the skin surface.

Remedies

There are some simple measures that can be taken at home for treating winter itch effectively. They are as follows:

Apply Aloe Vera Gel: Fresh aloe vera gel has a soothing effect on itching hands and feet caused due to winter itch. Cut a fresh leaf of aloe vera from your garden and remove its fleshy part. You will find a gel like substance oozing out of it. Apply it directly on the skin to get relief. However, do not use any anti-itch cream with aloe vera for this purpose because they contain many other ingredients which may not suit your skin condition.

Take an Oatmeal Bath: Fill up your bathtub with lukewarm or cold water. Never use hot water for bathing as it can make the skin even drier. Add 2 cups of finely grounded oatmeal into it. Then soak yourself in this water for some time. This oatmeal bath for itchy skin will have an amazing effect on both the itchiness as well as dryness of the skin. Similarly, you can use baking soda into your bath water.

Avoid Harsh Soaps: Do not use any antibacterial soap with strong chemicals on your itch. Select a mild soap which is rich in fatty ingredients like coconut oil or cocoa butter. Such soaps do not strip off oils and essential moisture from the skin surface and maintain the softness and suppleness of the skin.

Moisturize Your Skin: You have to apply skin moisturizer more frequently on dry skin when it is flaking and itching. Instead of using any commercial skin moisturizer, you can use emu oil. You can apply this oil on your body as well as on your facial skin. It will not only supply your skin with much-needed moisture but will also help to get rid of any painful sensation associated with it. Petroleum jelly can also be used to obtain relief from winter itch.

Hydrate your Body: In winter months, due to cold weather condition, we do not drink enough water. We prefer warm drinks to keep ourselves warm. Though actually, you must drink the same amount of water in winters as you take in summers. You must take 8-10 glasses of water daily. This will hydrate your skin from within and prevent it from drying up.

Use Humidifier: During winter, when the skin becomes dry, the moisture content of the indoor air should be higher. But the furnace-heated air inside the room have lesser humidity. To make the air more humid, you need a humidifier.

If winter itch is neglected for a long time, then it can turn serious and lead to eczema. This is more common among elderly people. Therefore, if all the home based treatments discussed in this article fail to show any signs of improvement, then you must visit a doctor for proper treatment.