Have you looked over yourself lately? As in taking a nice shower and doing your 4-step (or however many steps you have) skincare routine and once you’re done, you take a look at your body and see what’s going on. What about giving yourself a once-over after a long day of work? However you decide to check on yourself, can you remember the last time you did so? Can you remember if you found anything out of the ordinary? Maybe a bruise or a scratch? Those are pretty common mishaps that can appear on the skin. Other common mishaps that can appear on the skin are rashes. You may be dealing with this random rash and have no idea where it came from. Why is that? Well, a random rash can appear for a multitude of reasons, here’s how and why.
What This Weather Might Be Doing To Your Body
As the season changes, so does your body’s largest organ. The skin is a very delicate part of everyone’s body that needs special care the same way your insides do.
A paper cut can cause bleeding and leave marks. The slightest bump to your legs or arms can cause a bruise to form later on and let’s not even get started on the damage something too hot or too cold can do. With that being said, the slightest thing can cause changes to your skin, so the weather affecting your skin should be of no surprise.
When it’s hot outside, your skin can suffer from sunburn from being in the sun for too long without any sunscreen, as well as oiliness and clogged pores.
When it’s cold outside, your skin can become extremely dry and irritated due to your pores drying out. This leads to cracked skin, uncomfortable itching, and skin that feels extremely rough when you touch it. It can also lead to unwanted rashes.
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Why You’re Noticing These New Rashes
The reason why you may be noticing new rashes on your body is because your skin is dry. Once the skin is too dry, dry patches begin to form, and once a dry patch forms, itchiness begins.
If you start to experience itchiness, the first thing you’re going to do is scratch it because that’s your mind telling you how to ease the itch. This is how you begin to notice the rash.
Another way you might notice these new rashes is because they cause texture on your skin. You could be deep in thought, working or trying to figure out where a puzzle piece should go and start to rub on your skin. Once you notice this raised texture that feels different from the rest of your body, you’re going to immediately look down and notice that it is indeed a rash that has formed.
What They Could Be
There are different explanations for what these rashes may be that you’re experiencing. One is that it could be an eczema flare-up that was triggered by the cold air which causes dryness since it’s that time of year.
Another example of what this rash could be is a flare-up from a medical condition such as psoriatic arthritis and/or lupus that you may be living with.
You could also be suffering from cold urticaria. Cold urticaria is the skin’s reaction to cold that appears within minutes of exposure. Once the area of the skin is exposed to cold weather, you can experience hives that lead to itchiness and patches.
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How To Manage Symptoms And What To Expect
The easiest way to manage rashes is to keep the area well moisturized. Making sure that you use a hydrating and thick moisturizer in the colder months will help prevent future rashes and/or heal present ones. You should also stay on top of using any ointments or medications that help with a current medical condition that may affect your skin. If you are suffering from cold urticaria, pay attention to the weather and make sure to layer up and cover up accordingly to prevent cold weather exposure.
Remember that a rash developing is okay, your skin is just going through changes. Do not worry too much or you will cause more rashes and hives to appear due to stress and anxiety. Always remember to keep your skin clean and moisturized. Your largest organ deserves the same care that your insides do.