National Healthy Skin Month: Know Your Skin

It’s National Healthy Skin Month, and now is the perfect time to assess your skincare routine to ensure you’re maintaining your skin’s health. As your largest organ, your skin deserves care!

What’s National Healthy Skin Month?

National Healthy Skin Month aims to make you aware of what it takes to keep your skin healthy, as well as how to treat and prevent common skin problems.  It stresses how to correctly use sunscreen and offers helpful tips on how to check your skin periodically to prevent skin cancer.

Skin is our largest organ, and it’s important to keep it healthy and hydrated. You can take a few simple steps to improve your skin health. Here are a few below.

Winter Skin Care Tips

Here are a few of his tips for keeping your skin healthy this winter:

Wear sunscreen: It’s important to wear sunscreen year-round.   Just because it’s cool outside, don’t forget to use it during the winter!  The sun’s rays can be just as harmful in the winter as in the summer, and they cause damage to our skin.  Use broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30. Protect yourself!

Hydration:  Low humidity and outdoor temperatures, as well as forced-air heating systems, cause skin to dry out quickly. Use mild soap that doesn’t dry the skin out and cause flaking.  Hydrate your entire body by drinking up to eight glasses of water daily.  That’s an easy way to moisturize your precious skin.  When skin has enough moisture, it can better protect itself from the elements and heal from any damage. Be sure to moisturize your skin at least once a day, and more often if subject to wind or cold weather.

Exfoliate regularly: Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells from the surface of our skin. This can help to prevent dryness, irritation, and inflammation. It’s crucial to exfoliate gently, as scrubbing too hard can damage our skin. Aim to exfoliate two to three times a week, using a gentle exfoliating cleanser or scrub.

Avoid hot showers: It’s tempting to take a hot shower to warm up on a cold day. But hot water can strip away the natural oils that protect our skin, leaving it dry, irritated, and more susceptible to infection. When you shower, aim for lukewarm water and avoid scrubbing your skin too harshly.

Check your skin: winter is a good time to check yourself carefully for potential signs of skin cancer, like spots with unusual shapes or colors.  And remember, people with darker complexions aren’t exempt from skin cancer.  Take a few minutes and check yourself out, front, sides, and back.

Obtain a Consultation

Dr. Kelly R. Kunkel is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery in Fort Worth, TX. He has extensive experience helping patients achieve and maintain healthy, beautiful skin. You can reach him by calling 817-335-5200.

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