Talking winter skin health with U of M T

he winter months bring fun activities for those willing to brave the outdoors, but time outside in the dry and cold air can be tough on our skin. Dr. David Pearson, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, dermatologist with M Health Fairview and the director of the Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases Specialty Clinic, talks about how to keep your skin healthy during the winter.

Q : What unique challenges does our skin face in the winter?

gets to 28°F — this only takes about 30 minutes when the thermometer reads 0°F. Our skin isn’t physiologically equipped for unprotected, prolonged exposure to these temperatures, so be sure to put on a warm coat and hat when you’re going outside.

Q : What common skin issues do you see during the winter?

U of M

Dr. Pearson: Our skin is our interface with the environment. As temperatures and humidity levels drop, one of the first places we experience this is on our skin — particularly in places like Minnesota where it gets very cold and dry. A number of studies have looked at measures of skin (and even fingernail) moisture content in winter versus summer, and unsurprisingly, it’s much lower. When our skin dries out, its barrier function is compromised and we become more susceptible to external allergens, irritants and even infections. The effects of cold can range from being a nuisance to quite dangerous. Frostbite can occur when the skin temperature

Dr. Pearson: We see lots of dry skin, even incidentally in people who come in for other skin concerns. Winter is often a more difficult time for people with eczema — especially on their hands — as well as other areas on the body. We also see many irritant reactions, such as from frequent tissue use during respiratory virus season or lip licker’s rashes. In my area of specialization in autoimmune connective tissue diseases, I see a lot of Raynaud’s and pernio (chilblains). Raynaud’s is the rapid onset of white or blue discoloration of the fingers and/ or toes from cold exposure due to constriction of blood vessels. Pernio is the delayed onset of tender pink bumps on the fingers and toes 1-2 days after cold exposure.

Q : What are your go-to recommendations for those suffering from dry winter skin?

Dr. Pearson: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It’s pretty intuitive, but it bears repeating. The environment treats our skin differently in the winter, and that means we may have to change our behaviors to acclimate. I generally recommend a thick moisturizing cream that you have to scoop out of a jar or squeeze out of a tube over those with a pump handle, which tend to be thinner. I don’t like a lot of additives, perfumes, scents, etc. — keep it simple. Ceramides may be helpful in restoring the skin barrier, so those can be a good ingredient to look for. There’s some data suggesting humidifiers can be helpful in certain circumstances, but probably less so than moisturizers. I also recommend a gentle soap that doesn’t have perfumes or scents either, as these can be irritating to the skin.

Q : Should people still wear sunscreen/SPF in the winter?

Dr. Pearson: In short, yes. Getting into a routine with sunscreen improves consistency of use, so I often recommend working in a combined moisturizer/ SPF product every day. The long answer is a little more nuanced. In Minnesota, our UV index — a measure of how much ultraviolet light reaches us — is pretty low in the winter. People’s skin is usually covered up in the winter, but there’s actually a fair amount of reflection of UV light from the snow. Prolonged exposure through outdoor activities (or long drives) can add up. If you’re lucky enough to travel south or upwards in elevation, I would definitely recommend applying sunscreen like you would during the summer months.

“Talking...with U of M” is a resource whereby University of Minnesota faculty answer questions on current and other topics of general interest.

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Letters To The Editor

Campaign promises

Council Member Katherine Doll Kanne made a campaign promise to some of her supporters to make Vadnais Heights a GreenStep City. Most of us don’t know what that means, but it sounds good and gives you a warm feeling that you must be doing something good.

The new City Council wasted no time. One of their first actions after being sworn in was to direct that city staff prepare a resolution for Vadnais Heights’ participation in the Gold Leaf Pilot Program. We are not sure what the Gold Leaf Pilot Program is, but it is connected to the GreenStep Cities organization. The GreenStep Cities programs have been joined by some of our neighboring cities and some have gone through many of the steps. Some cities found it difficult and time consuming, so to get more cities to join they made a simpler program with 44 projects that cities can choose from.

At the City Council meeting, the council members were asked what the program was and what we were going to get out of it. The council knew close to nothing about the content of the program and had no plan on what they would do or accomplish. Steve Rogers asked good questions and was reluctant to approve something with no clear plan. Erik Goebel indicated that we only needed to do two of the 44 projects and we could get a plaque. The people behind the Gold Leaf Program said that they would provide an intern who could do the legwork. However, when the intern leaves, the city will need staff time to do any future projects.

The council passed the resolution unanimously without any knowledge of what the city will be doing or the potential costs or benefits. This is reminiscent of the famous statement that, “We need to pass the bill before you can see what is in it.” Vadnais Heights does not have time or the money to waste on feelgood programs that have no measurable benefits. “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” — Yogi Berra.

Craig Johnson Vadnais Heights

Appreciate column on character

I’m writing to let you know how much I appreciate Gene Johnson’s article, “Reflecting on 2022,” in the Jan. 4 edition of the White Bear Press. I especially liked the last paragraph. It reminded me of the book, “The Road to Character,” written by New York Times columnist David Brooks. These are selected quotes:

“Most of us have clearer strategies for how to achieve career success than we do for how to develop a profound character.” (page xi)

“We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encourage- ment to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character.” (page xii)

“Truly humble people…are more likely to assume that we are all deeply divided selves, both splendidly endowed and flawed—that we each have certain talents but also certain weaknesses. And if we habitually fall for those temptations and do not struggle against the weaknesses in ourselves, then we will gradually spoil some core piece of ourselves. We will not be as good, internally, as we want to be. We will fail in some profound way.” (page 9)

“People who are humble about their own nature are moral realists. Moral realists are aware that we are all built from ‘crooked timber’—from Immanual Kant’s famous line, ‘Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made.’ People in the ‘crooked-timber’ school of humanity have an acute awareness of their own flaws and believe that character is built in the struggle against their own weaknesses.” (page 11)

“People who live this way believe that character is not innate or automatic. You have to build it with effort and artistry. You can’t be the good person you want to be unless you wage this campaign. You won’t even achieve enduring external success unless you build a solid moral core.” (page 12)

Thanks for letting me share - keep up the good work!

Georgia Haug Minneapolis (subscriber)