Holiday rashes and dry skin during the winter months

“One of the common things we see during the holidays from stress is acne breaking out,” Phillips said. “I also have people with psoriasis and eczema that tends to flare during the holidays because of stress.”

There are things people can do to help prevent these flare ups.

Phillips said maintaining a balanced diet can help, along with getting enough sleep and exercise, as well as being mindful. Dermatologists can also recommend some treatments depending on how severe the conditions get.

Another thing that is associated with holiday rashes that people don’t realize is overindulgence in food and alcohol.

“Rosacea can get worse with overindulgence in wine, caffeine and spicy food,” Phillips said. “Acne tends to flare up because of the overindulgence in some of the inflammatory food like the chocolates and sweets.”

Whether we realize it or not, food affects the skin.

“There is a connection between the skin and the gut,” Phillips explained. “It’s kind of the connection between the microbiome of the gut and the skin. So as dermatologists we like to recommend that patients take probiotics for that and it can help their skin.”

Another thing common because of overindulgence during the holidays is a flare-up of eczema, not just from stress, but from certain foods, particularly cheese, eggs and nuts.

Phillips said we consume a variety of food and drinks during the holidays that our bodies aren’t used to during the year, including eggnog, cheese boards and sweet pies.

People who have gluten sensitivity can have problems during the holidays because there’s so much food around that they want to eat. People tend to have rashes from being gluten sensitive, as well as some gastrointestinal issues.

“Rashes can be anywhere. They can be patches of dry skin. They can be little, small bumps that itch. They can be scaly patches with psoriasis,” Phillips said. “I think the most important thing for people to be aware of is everything in moderation, maintain a balanced diet, proper amount of sleep and exercise. In addition to that, probiotics actually might help the skin quite a bit.”

Colder weather can also trigger issues with dry skin, which can  make other conditions worth.

“As dermatologists we recommend moisturizers every day, at least twice a day, particularly after a lukewarm bath, not a hot bath,” Phillips said. “Hot water tends to dry the skin out.”

In general, Dermatology Specialists recommends using hypoallergenic, fragrance-free products that don’t cause irritation to the skin. Even perfume should be put on clothes rather than skin to prevent irritation.

For moisturizer, the dermatologists recommend using a product like CeraVe that helps the body hold on to moisture. Phillips himself even uses the CeraVe PM facial moisturizing lotion.

“It actually helps with irritation and redness of the face,” he said.

Contrary to common belief, the dermatologists at Dermatology Specialists don’t recommend using products like Chapstick in the colder months because they have ingredients that your body continues to need.

“Your skin can become somewhat addicted to it,” Phillips said. “It makes the skin feel dryer so people tend to reapply it over and over again.”

Instead, Phillips recommends using lip balms with beeswax in them like Burts,Bees because they are natural.

Another common condition during the holidays is the occurrence of cold sores, from stress or overindulgence.

“One of the things I recommend for that is to see your dermatologist if you’re really prone to cold sores, but we also recommend people not to kiss under the mistletoe,” Phillips said laughing.

The office will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. They will also be closed Dec. 24-26 and New Year’s Day.

Dermatology Specialists of Florida

2053 Fountain Professional Court, Suite B

850-932-1455

DermatologySpecialistsFL.com

John Phillips

Jhp3md@outlook.com