Well the temperature has just dropped where I live to in the 40’s for the high. Believe it or not, we actually had a few snow flurries this morning! It was pretty unexpected, and is signaling that winter is almost here!
But one thing this cold weather has shown me is that cholinergic urticaria definitely gets worse in the winter-at least for me. I have also read in several other articles online that people with Cholinergic Urticaria tend to get worse during the winter. I have been much more reactive now, to the point that I truly fear having to go out in public at all. I hate the intense sensation that a cholinergic urticaria outbreak can cause.
I can only speculate that what is making it worse is the extreme dryness and coldness of my apartment. During the winter, I do not generally turn the heat on. My wife and I try to tough it out by wearing extra layers during the day and blankets during the night to keep ourselves warm. Plus, since it is an actual apartment, it never gets too cold since there are neighbors above and to the sides of our unit and that helps keep in insulated. However, it can still get as low as 55 on the thermostat during the dead of winter. So it definitely gets chilly.
One thing I have noticed that is a big “NO NO” is taking hot showers during this cold weather. It seems as if the hot showers really rob my skin of moisture or something, and make the breakouts even more severe. I experienced this just the other day. Right after I got out of the shower and dried off, I noticed that I was really way more reactive.
I used to love just standing in the hot water of a shower before I got cholinergic urticaria. I would get the water as hot as I could stand it, and just sit there and relax. But now I have to watch out for that. I don’t really break out in the shower, though.
When I first got CU, I did break out in the shower if the water was too hot. But now that doesn’t happen too often. I try to keep the water luke-warm, and I try to be quick so that I do not stay in it long. As I have mentioned before, I have extremely HARD water where I live, and the water even dries out my wife’s skin.
That brings me to a few tips I thought I would share with you to help manage your skin during these up and coming winter months:
Tips for Keeping Your Skin Moisturized During Winter Months:
- Try to take “warm” showers instead of “HOT” showers. This prevents your skin from getting so dry during the winter months. Plus, it cuts down on hives reactions in the shower for those of you that still experience this.
- Try to spend less time in the shower- in other words- try for a 5-10 minute shower instead of a 15 minute shower. Get in, get clean, and get out.
- Use Moisturizing Soap- Try to find a soap with a lot of moisturizers in it. Soap brands such as Dove, etc. often have brands with extra moisturized soap that leaves your skin less dry and more moisturized.
- Don’t Scrub Your Skin Too Hard- Wash gently and don’t scrub too hard on your skin. Scrubbing too hard can irritate your skin and make it more dry or uncomfortable.
- Take showers less often. You may want to consider taking showers less often during the cold months. This is something I have already started doing these past few days. Instead of taking a shower every day, try every other day. Or even every two days. You can always “spot” wash any dirty areas if necessary in between showers. Taking showers or baths less often helps the natural oils of your skin come out.
- Get a good moisturizing lotion, emollients, or oils. There are several things you can use to help keep your skin more moist. You can use standard moisturizing lotion. I have also heard of some people using a thin layer of Vaseline during the winter months to prevent dry skin (although I really haven’t used it as I feel it makes me feel too greasy). Oils are also good at preventing your skin from drying out excessively. I have mentioned before in other posts that I sometimes use a very thin layer of extra virgin olive oil during these winter months. It doesn’t really prevent a hives breakout (I wish!), but it does keep my skin more oily which does help prevent dryness. Most experts say it is best to apply any lotions or oils within the first few minutes of getting out of the shower so your skin can quickly absorb it. So I usually get out, dry off with a towel, apply the thin layer of lotion or oil, and then get dressed.
- Consider a vaporizer or humidifier- These can help add moisture to your living space. This helps a lot by keeping a more humid atmosphere, and preventing everything from getting too dry. Just make sure it doesn’t get too moist, or you might find walls developing a mold problem.
- Crank Up the Heater if Necessary-It may help to use both a heater and humidifier (or vaporizer) to make it even more humid. Of course, I am a cheapskate and I try to avoid turning up the heat as much as possible right now. But as I mentioned in another post, one person said they fully manage their CU by simply keeping it hot and muggy while they sleep. I have yet to try this, but I bet it does at least help keep the skin more moist.
- Try to Limit Extreme Cold Exposure- The cold winter months can be hard on your skin. If you find yourself outside, try to avoid long periods of cold exposure to your skin. This can make your skin more dry, chapped, and uncomfortable. Instead, try to limit direct cold air from hitting your skin as much as possible by wearing protective clothing and using lots of moisturizers.
Keeping your skin moisturized won’t necessarily prevent outbreaks of hives. However, I have found that it at least makes your skin feel better, and it may help 5-15% or so in protecting against an attack. When my skin is excessively dry, my attacks seem worse.
I hope these tips will help you keep your skin smooth and silky during the cold winter months!
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Posted under winter hives tips
This post was written by Ben on October 28, 2008
