The year-end holiday season is a great time to entertain at home. This means spending lots of time outdoors raking leaves and putting up decorations, and countless hours indoors mopping, scrubbing, and polishing every nook, cranny, and gravy boat you can reach. Besides enjoying plenty of good food and laughter, you might find yourself battling rough, dry skin.
Why? The most common causes are cold, windy weather, harsh cleaning solutions, perfumes (especially other people’s colognes), and hot baths and showers. Too much exposure to these elements can simply draw out the skin’s natural moisture. And if you have a recurring condition such as psoriasis, the added stress of the holidays can bring cause a flare-up or breakout.
Take note if your skin is:
- Rough, flaking, peeling
- Discolored — skin can become red, gray, or even an ashy, powdery white
- Itchy
- Tight-feeling, particularly on your face
- Cracking, especially on your lips, hands, or heels
While many of us can tell when dry skin symptoms arise, if you have a fair complexion, you may not realize what’s bothering you until you experience pain or even bleeding in an affected area.
The condition is often temporary and goes away when the area becomes rehydrated (lotions are very helpful, just be careful about using a scented one if you’re sensitive to perfumes). But for symptoms that don’t go away or are becoming more troublesome — or if the affected area gets larger or becomes infected — you might want a dermatologist’s help.
During this hectic time of year, Teladoc’s board-certified dermatologists can help diagnose and treat your condition. Our Dermatology service is available by app or web when you need it; you pick the time and place to set up your private consult.
Want to get fast, confidential help now? Just follow these easy steps:
- Log into your account and select “Dermatology” consult
- Answer a few questions about the details of your skin condition
- Upload up to five images of the affected area for the doctor to review*
- Choose a pharmacy in case a prescription is medically necessary
- Tap “Submit” and relax!
Within 48 hours our online message center will notify you of the dermatologist’s response. You can also follow-up with the doctor if needed.
Early detection and treatment are keys to maintaining your health, inside and out. In addition to dry skin and psoriasis, Teladoc treats a wide variety of skin conditions, including acne, eczema, rosacea, moles, and skin infections. When it comes to feeling — and looking — your best, you’re #CoveredWithTeladoc.
*For best results, upload at least three images, including a distant picture that shows the affected area’s size and location(s) and at least two close-ups that show details of the condition.
This portion of the Teladoc website occasionally offers health, fitness and nutritional information and is provided solely for educational purposes only. You cannot rely on any information provided here as a substitute for or replacement of professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Teladoc cannot assure that the information contained on this site always includes the most recent findings or developments with respect to the particular subject matter covered.
If you ever have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.
If you are in the United States and think you are having a medical or health emergency, call your health care professional, or 911, immediately.
