Heal dry skin from inside out

SEKAI K. MUTUNHU, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Peeling. Chafing. Itching. Winter weather can wreak havoc on all skin types, but what you eat and drink could help keep your skin soft and supple.

Some nutritionists suggest moisturizing from the inside out by loading up on omega-3 essential fatty acids, or EFAs, found in the oils of flaxseed, hempseed and cold-water fish such as salmon and trout.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids, also found in walnuts and a salad herb called purslane, can help prevent and alleviate dry skin, says Dr. Brett Shulman, a dermatologist at the Center for Dermatology in Rochester, N.Y.

He describes EFAs as "the glue that holds the cells together."

"When you don't have enough EFAs, the skin cells start to peel up at the edges, and that is the roughness everybody recognizes as dry skin," Shulman says. "EFAs have to be taken in the diet because the body can't manufacture them. They are transported to the skin, and the skin cells are glued back down again."

Bigger problem

Don't assume that severely dry skin is simply the result of the cold or an omega-3 deficiency. It also could be an indication of too much vitamin A, thyroid disease or diabetes, says Shulman, and may require the attention of a doctor.

Allyson Prace, 46, has struggled with eczema and dry skin since she was in college, so she takes extra care during the winter months. This year, Prace, a registered dietitian and nutritionist specializing in holistic nutrition, is following a daily regimen that includes lots of water and taking fish oil capsules with meals.

"Increasing my omega-3 intake has really helped improve my skin," she says. "I've always had to add a lot of thick moisturizers to my skin and drink lots of water because my skin was dry and itchy, but I don't anticipate having that problem this year."

Use creams, lotions

That's not to say you should throw your moisturizing creams out the window. "You really don't want to do everything from the inside out," Shulman says. "The skin is on the outside, so some things are best done from the outside."

Dr. Mary Gail Mercurio, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, recommends lathering up with soaps that include moisturizers, wearing sunscreen whenever you venture outdoors and using creams and lotions as soon as you step out of the shower and before you go to bed every night.

"Winter weather is much more drying to the skin because there is lower humidity outdoors and indoors," she says. "Alter your skin regimen at the first sign of cold -- don't wait until you are all scaly."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

back to main South Sound Living index