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Many clients dismiss dry skin as a wintertime fact of life. Help them address the problem with appropriate solutions.

By Lola Augustine Brown

Most people have dealt with dry skin (xerosis) at one time or another. Even though it's usually not serious, it can be uncomfortable and unsightly. Skin that's normally soft becomes rough, flaky and dull. Lines in the skin that were once fine resemble the cracks in a desert. Although it's a common problem, "understanding dry skin is more complex than some clients realize," says Frank Shipman, owner of TC Salon Spas (www.tcsalonspa.com) in Bethlehem and Allentown, Pennsylvania. "Often, people think there's one solution that works for everyone, and that's not true."

The key to dealing with dry skin is recognizing it, understanding its causes and knowing how to treat clients based on their individual needs.

The Symptoms
Dry skin is often found on the hands, legs and abdomen, and some people have a genetic tendency to develop it, according to doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Dermatology (www.clevelandclinic.org). When a client has dry skin, she'll typically complain that it's itchy, scaly and red, says Bruce E. Katz, M.D., director of Juva Skin & Laser Center/MediSpa (www.juvaskin.com) in New York City. It'll feel rough to the touch and, in extreme cases, may be swollen. "Typically, we see a lot more clients with dry skin in winter months," Katz says.

Sometimes a client will think she has dry skin, but it's actually dehydrated (a common problem). The conditions are distinguishable by using a magnifying lamp—dehydrated skin doesn't shed like dry skin does.

The Causes
To understand what's causing dry skin, estheticians need to do a full consultation every time they see a client, Shipman says. "Start by asking general questions, then narrow down possible causes," he says. "Estheticians should find out if the dryness is seasonal, hereditary, hormonal or due to a product reaction. If they don't ask questions, they can't find the underlying cause."

Shipman has found that most of his clients' dry skin issues are associated with aging. "It's often a result of changing hormones. Their skin gets drier, yet they still experience occasional breakouts," he says. "This can often be dealt with by directing them to more appropriate skincare products."

Other potential causes include seasonal transitions, which are a catalyst for changes in the condition of the skin. "It's such a shock for the skin to go from the humidity of summer to the cold, dry winter weather," says Erika Mangrum, owner of Iatria Day Spas (www.iatria.com) in Raleigh, North Carolina. "And clients often stop drinking as much water as they were in the summer, which means that their skin becomes dehydrated."

Bathing behaviors, such as taking hot showers and overwashing hands, can also lead to dryness. In these cases, it's important to educate clients on how to take better care of their skin, Katz says. "First, we need to change their behavior. It may be as simple as recommending that they wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when washing dishes or letting them know that hot showers strip oils from skin," he says.

Mangrum agrees. She talks with clients about properly hydrating from the inside out, including the importance of taking B vitamins and eating a healthy diet to ensure skin gets the nutrition it needs.

The Treatments
TC Salon Spas offer exfoliating treatments year-round, but they're most popular in spring and fall."In winter, people tend to go for moisturizing treatments that mask the problem when they should be exfoliating more," Shipman says. "Also, people often misdiagnose their skin conditions, so they use the wrong products. Once you ask questions about their skin, you can formulate a plan."

Sloughing away dead cells is key to a good dry-skin regimen. "The products we use can't penetrate dead skin, so exfoliation needs to happen first," Mangrum says. To treat dry skin, Iatria estheticians recommend a Calming Green Tea Facial (50min./$95), which reduces inflammation and strengthens skin cells, or the Four Layer Facial (80min./$109), which uses seaweed and other ingredients to rejuvenate, tone and firm.

Clients who ski or spend a lot of time in bright, harsh or windy weather are more prone to winter skin damage and may require more drastic treatments. "When clients come to us with chapped or damaged skin, our goal is to first heal that damage," Mangrum says. "It's an ideal opportunity to do a medical-grade treatment, such as microdermabrasion or a trichloroacetic acid peel. These are also helpful for clients who didn't take proper care of their skin during the summer."

Dry skin is a year-round concern for clients at Allure Day Spa & Hair Design (www.allurehairdesign.com) in Anchorage, Alaska. Winters are especially brutal, so the combination of sun and wind can wreak havok on skin. "We recommend our Hydradermie Lift Facial (60min./$145)," says co-owner Susan Hoedel, who suggests that clients get it on a monthly basis. "It uses rollers that issue a galvanic current to pull moisture to the surface of the skin, so it can more fully absorb the moisturizing gels."

Anti-inflammatory agents are used in Juva's signature Nutrative Facial (70min./$135), which helps reduce redness and irritation, and in its Five Layer Facial (75min./$160), which is medically based. It uses vitamin-C serum, grapeseed extract and glycolic acid to revive tired skin.

If a client has persistently dry skin and no amount of behavioral change or treatment seems to work, advise her to see a dermatologist, Katz says. "She may need a prescription for a steroid cream to treat the dryness," he says. "Without proper treatment, the dryness could develop into a medical condition, such as eczema."

Oftentimes, clients don't realize that their tried-and-true skincare regimens may need some tweaking in winter months to cope with the inclement conditions. Iatria Day Spa offers a promotion each fall to raise client awareness. "We invite clients to bring their products in to us, then we provide a complimentary, 15-minute skincare analysis where we introduce them to more appropriate products," Mangrum says. "We don't tell them to throw their products out, rather put them away until next season."

People are eager for guidance about which products to use on their skin, Hoedel says. "We've had clients go to extremes to protect their skin from the damaging cold," she says. "You'd be surprised how many use Vaseline, which we obviously would not recommend."

As with most conditions, when it comes to dry winter skin, prevention is the best cure.

Lola Augustine Brown is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her articles have appeared in Allure and Women's Health & Fitness.

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