ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 23, 1996 TAG: 9601230032
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Health Notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
If your hands, the back of your feet and a lot of other places feel like loofah sponge, it may be because indoor heating, which extracts moisture from the air, and exposure to dry air outside are playing havoc with your body's covering.
Dry skin is not only uncomfortable, but more susceptible to infections. The dryness creates little fissures and cracks that can't be seen but that allow the invasion of bacteria.
Skin needs attention long before it gets to the raw and bleeding stage, said a Roanoke dermatologist.
And the best remedy is the simplest one: Vaseline petroleum jelly.
"I've yet to see anyone who's truly allergic to petroleum jelly, although some people don't tolerate it well because it's greasy," said Dr. Susan Dorsey.
People who can't stand the greasy feeling of petroleum jelly can use any moisturizer, but cream is better than lotion because it's thicker and can trap moisture in the skin better, she said.
Eucerin is another good moisturizer, and it too can be found on drugstore shelves.
Moisturizer should be applied when skin is damp for the obvious reason that this is when the skin has the most moisture on it, Dorsey said.
It's not only the air that dries us out in winter, either. Americans bathe too much, Dorsey said.
"Soaps are real good at cleaning the skin, but they also to a varying degree do strip the body of some natural oils," she said.
How often should we bathe? Every other day would be best.
"You can bathe the areas that need extra cleaning more often," she said.
Also, don't have the water too hot, and don't stay in the bath too long. That's especially true for children, Dorsey said. It would be wise to also apply some moisturizer to a child's arms and legs after a bath.
If your skin is beyond the help of Vaseline, some of the over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointments - not the creams - can add moisture and have some anti-inflammatory effect, she said.
Men as well as women need to be aware of proper skin care. It's fine to develop callouses so chopping wood won't be painful, but the skin should still be kept pliable with some type of emollient, said the doctor.
Men also should make certain their faces are dry from shaving before they go outdoors, she said.
Skin care is really common sense, but we forget. For example, we need sunscreen in winter as well as in summer.
Sometimes, too, we don't practice what we preach. Dorsey said she expects her children are probably worse at caring for their skin than other children.
"They know their mother has more creams," she said.
`Lunch hour peel'
A chemical procedure that removes layers of skin to get rid of imperfections will be the topic of the Jan. 30 health lecture at Lewis-Gale Foundation in Salem. The speaker will be Dr. Steven Harris, who is a plastic surgeon with Lewis-Gale Clinic.
The procedure is nicknamed the "lunch hour peel" because it is done in a series of peels that are supposed to be so uncomplicated a person can have the peel on a lunch break, put makeup back on and return to work.
For further information or to register for the program, call 774-4022.
Readers can contact staff writer Sandra Kelly at 981-3393.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB