During the summer months, your skin is prone to darkening or sunburn due to the effects of sunlight. Conversely, in winter, the wind can cause your skin to develop rashes and irritation. The reason is that the wind strips moisture from your skin, making it more susceptible to irritation. This condition is commonly referred to as “windburn.”
1. What is Windburn?
Windburn is a type of skin irritation that occurs when low temperatures, lack of moisture, and wind remove the natural oil layer from the skin’s surface. This disrupts your skin’s protective barrier, exposing the sensitive second layer of skin, reducing its ability to retain moisture, increasing interaction with potential irritants, and leading to symptoms such as redness, dryness, flakiness, itching, and burning sensations. This also explains why: “skin often develops itchy rashes when exposed to the wind?”
Individuals with psoriasis or eczema often have skin that is more prone to irritation. Therefore, these individuals are more likely to experience windburn when outdoors in cold weather.
Windburn can also occur alongside sunburn. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, wind can enhance the effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays, causing the outer layer of skin to peel and exposing the inner layers, which are more vulnerable to sun damage. Thus, even in the winter months, it is essential to apply sunscreen to protect your skin from both conditions.
Most cases of windburn improve within a few days, but more severe cases may take longer to heal.
Windburn is a condition where the skin loses its natural oil layer due to wind and becomes easily irritated. (Image: Internet).
2. Measures to Alleviate Symptoms of Windburn
To alleviate windburn symptoms and help your skin recover quickly, you can apply the following measures:
- 1. Use a moisturizer. When windburn occurs, the natural oil layer on the skin is stripped away, leading to dryness and lack of moisture. Therefore, it is advisable to use a moisturizer to replenish hydration.
- 2. Apply a warm compress to reduce redness and soothe the affected area. Avoid using hot water while experiencing windburn, as it will further deplete moisture from the skin and prolong recovery time.
- 3. Use aloe vera gel as it has soothing properties that help alleviate windburn.
- 4. Take an oatmeal bath, which can reduce inflammation and itching.
- 5. Apply a honey mask for moisture and to promote healing.
- 6. Use a humidifier to maintain indoor humidity and prevent excessive skin dryness.
- 7. Incorporate omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods into your diet. Omega-3 is beneficial for moisturizing the skin and combating redness, dryness, or itching due to skin disorders such as allergic dermatitis.
- 8. Avoid strong cleansing skincare products. Do not choose products that contain alcohol, exfoliating properties, or heavy fragrances. The best options for you are gentle, low-fragrance cleansers to prevent further skin irritation.
- 9. Stay hydrated to quickly replenish moisture in the skin and avoid dryness.
- 10. Apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.
For individuals experiencing severe windburn, such as widespread blisters, intense pain, or significant redness, it is advisable to seek medical treatment. A doctor may prescribe oral anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate windburn symptoms.
Applying moisturizer helps windburned skin recover quickly. (Image: Internet).
3. How to Prevent Windburn
In winter, your skin not only faces windburn but also suffers from other issues like cracking and pigmentation. To protect your skin during the cold months, you should follow these practices:
- Fully protect yourself before going outside: Before leaving the house, especially in the cold winter months, wear multiple layers of warm clothing such as sweaters, coats, gloves, socks, and especially a mask to reduce the wind’s impact on your face.
Note that you should avoid wearing rough clothing, as friction can irritate the skin, leading to redness and discomfort.
- Apply sunscreen adequately: Many people mistakenly believe that sunscreen is unnecessary in winter due to limited sunlight. However, UV rays still exist even when the sun is not out. Therefore, you should apply sunscreen year-round, using a product with a minimum SPF of 30.
- Use moisturizer: The reason wind irritates the skin is that it speeds up moisture evaporation, leading to dehydration and dryness. Therefore, to reduce the wind’s impact on your skin, you should apply moisturizer both day and night.
- Stay hydrated: It may seem more challenging to drink water in winter than in summer, but you should aim for about 2 liters per day. In addition to drinking water, you can also add soups and juices to help keep your skin hydrated.
- Use a humidifier indoors to minimize moisture loss from the skin.
- Limit exposure: Spending long periods outside in cold, windy conditions increases the effects of windburn. The longer the exposure, the greater the chance of moisture loss and skin irritation. Therefore, minimize extended exposure to cold and windy conditions by taking breaks and staying indoors.
In conclusion, skin often develops itchy rashes when exposed to the wind due to moisture loss caused by the wind’s effects; in other words, this is windburn. Although this condition does not severely affect the skin, it can cause irritation and discomfort. Therefore, during the winter months, individuals should implement an appropriate skincare routine, especially by applying moisturizer and sunscreen adequately.
