After summer, with strong sun and heat, which require the use of a lot of sunscreen, autumn comes with milder temperatures, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect skin care. The alert was made on Monday (27) by the president of the SBDRJ (Brazilian Society of Dermatology of Rio de Janeiro), Antonio D’Acri. “In autumn, the skin becomes drier. People sweat less and the skin tends to dry out”, he said, in an interview with Agência Brasil.
To keep the skin clean and healthy this season of the year, the dermatologist recommended that it is important to do a more delicate cleaning, without exaggeration, avoiding washing your face more than twice a day, as this can dry the skin even more. “Avoid long and hot baths”, he advised. The ideal is shorter baths with cold or lukewarm water, which do not take more than 15 minutes. “Care starts in the shower. You taking quicker, less hot baths, with soaps that don’t dry out your skin, is already an important step. You notice this because there are people who come out of the shower already itchy.”
According to him, baths with hot water can dry the skin, and, with that, favor the appearance of stretch marks, especially in adolescence and during pregnancy, in addition to causing itching, usually on the legs, from the knee down, which can cause the appearance of an erysipelas, irritating the skin a lot. “It is not advisable to overdo the hot bath,” he advised.
Hydration
The president of the SBDRJ indicated that hydration is important in the fall, not only with regard to fluid intake, but the use of a moisturizing cream suitable for the skin type, for the face and body, avoiding greasy products with strong smells . Ideally, choose a moisturizer that is suitable for each person’s skin type and use it twice a day, after washing your face and body. Antonio D’Acri pointed out that the use of moisturizers also prevents diseases, such as dermatoses. “It is a good investment for health to moisturize your arms, legs, after a shower.”
Sunscreen should continue to be used, generally above a protection factor of 30, especially for people who work in the sun or drive for several hours during the day. “[É importante] avoid sun exposure carelessly, especially at midday, when the sun is more intense”. D’Acri recommended that it is essential to use sunscreen on the face and exposed areas of the body on a daily basis, and also to use lip balm because, as with the skin on other parts of the body, the lips can suffer a lot from the effects of dry weather.
Third Age
The president of the SBDRJ also warned that, in old age, adequate hydration is also very important. “People in old age start to have drier skin and they tend to itch”. Therefore, one should avoid the use of soaps that dry the skin, giving preference to those with moisturizing formulas. “Children’s soaps have good results”, he recalled.
From old age onwards, it is recommended that you visit a dermatologist once a year to assess signs and spots, if you have any wounds on your skin. “The care that you periodically visit the geriatrician or the dermatologist to see if there are different signs or spots on the skin is important to avoid skin cancer.”
Antonio D’Acri stressed that skin care should be taken since adolescence. “We know that education begins in adolescence, because 80% of skin wear caused by the sun occurs before the age of 18. Photoprotection care should start in adolescence, as well as guidance and good practices”. On the other hand, children should be advised to avoid intense sun exposure on hotter days. And even in autumn, exposure to the sun between 10 am and 3 pm must be seen in moderation, preferably with the use of sunscreen.