I don’t know about you, but this year my skin is drier than usual — especially my hands. No matter how much hand cream I continue, it never seems to be enough, my cuticles and nails are suffering. (It’s correct, My nail bed sucks.) And while this happens to some extent every winter, it seems to be worse than ever this year.
“Hands are more prone to dryness in winter due to lack of moisture in the air,” explains Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at the Shafer Clinic in New York City. “As temperatures start to drop, the air becomes drier and harsher, so the skin barrier weakens and pulls moisture from vulnerable areas. This often leads to dry, flaky, cracked hands.” And thanks to all the extra safety measures we’re taking during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our hands are losing even more moisture than usual. From washing hands more often to all those disinfectants, they need more TLC than ever.
Below, Engelman shares her tips to help combat all of these factors for soft, hydrated hands 365 days a year.
