After completing this module you should be more aware of:

• skin conditions that may be more common in winter.
• the impact of cold and low humidity on skin.
• basic anatomy of the skin.
• the structure of the epidermis and its barrier role.
• the role of the components in and between cells supporting the epidermal layer including keratins and lipids.
• the role of filaggrin in epidermal function.
• natural moisturising factors in the epidermis.
• factors associated with changes in levels of skin components including the body’s response to seasonal/climate changes.
• the potential for seasonal allergens to be involved in skin conditions.
• possible other explanations for winter changes in skin conditions.
• management of winter skin conditions, including emollients and other approaches for conditions such as chilblains, eczema and psoriasis.
   

Dry skin can occur at any time of year but for many it is particularly associated with the cold and low humidity of winter. Chapped lips or red, rough and itchy hands are perhaps most common, but studies highlight other seasonal dermatological changes.

Eczematous dermatitis, pruritus, xerosis cutis (dry skin), rash and general drug eruptions, and papulosquamous (papule and scale) diseases were found to be more common in winter among the elderly patients in Turkey. A Spanish study of acne diagnoses found it was more frequent during the colder period of the year.1,2

In a study of patients in New England, those with psoriasis are less likely to be clear of the condition in the winter (15.3 per cent of patients) compared to the summer (20.4 per cent). Psoriasis also flares in the winter, with 40.5 per cent of patients experiencing moderate to severe psoriasis, compared to 34.1 per cent in the summer.3

The same study found that the percentage of acne patients having clear skin was 17.5 per cent in the summer, but 15.5 per cent in winter, and was more likely to be moderate to severe in winter (45.9 per cent of cases) compared to summer (41.3 per cent).3

The onset of leg ulcers may also be higher in autumn and winter compared to spring and summer, and the colder the temperature the higher the level of new cases.4