Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Money/Health

Media Credit: MCT

Winter causes many Midwesterners to experience changes. The ground goes from green to white, trees lose their leaves, days become shorter and then there are the mutations.

Yes, the mutations. Ordinary people become scaly, dry and cracked-up creatures.

Anyone could fall victim, a roommate, professor, coworker - even the hot guy or girl next door is vulnerable. Could there ever be a cure?

Luckily, there is a cure for the crocodile-like symptoms, and it's moisturizer.

Dr. Lawrence Scherrer, a dermatologist at Marshfield Clinic, 2116 Craig Rd., said moisturizing is important during the winter months because there is a lack of moisture in the air.

"Moisture (for the skin) comes from the outside," Scherrer said. "The dry air results into dry skin. Moisturizers, for the most part, put moisture back into the skin."

The skin, Scherrer said, is basically a barrier that's constantly turning over as cells mature, die, shrink and flatten into scales with amino acids that the cells are hold in the skin. When the top protective layer breaks down, the living cells are exposed and the moisture in the skin leaks out, becoming dry.

The level of dryness and how the amount of moisturizing necessary depends upon the person, Scherrer said.

"Some have genetically dry skin," he said, adding a dry skin condition called ichthyosis requires people to be more aggressive with their moisturizing. Another dry skin condition Scherrer mentioned is eczema, experienced in young children.

Whatever the condition may be, moisturizing is an individual decision.

"Only do it as much as you feel necessary," Scherrer said.

Junior Kaci Kufalk said she moisturizes two times a day, once in the morning and once at night.

"Usually I moisturize in the mornings after I shower and also on the weekends later in the evenings after a shower," junior Claire McGahan said.

Sophomore Amy Bachinski said she moisturizes every day in the mornings, as well.

"I lotion my legs every day because I have track practice every day," she said. "I also moisturize my hands and face because they get cracked from it being so cold out."

Scherrer said the best time of day to moisturize is after bathing.

"Moisturizers lock in moisture," he said adding winter is the most important time of the year to moisturize.

"I know in the winter your skin cracks so much and can get rashes," Bachinski said.

Continued...

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