How to combat your winter ‘surface wrinkles’ – and the simple ‘pinch test’ that gives clues to skin health

DRY, cracked tegument is 1 of the astir communal wintertime complaints, arsenic we alternate from being buffeted by icy winds and blistery blasts of heating.

But if you're faced with a dull complexion and faint wreath of "surface wrinkles" astir your forehead and eyes, dryness mightiness whitethorn not beryllium your concern.

These telltale signs could bespeak your tegument is dehydrated, according to Dr Anil Sharma, a aesculapian doc and dermatologist astatine Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery.

You whitethorn presume that dehydration and adust tegument are 1 and the aforesaid thing, but "dehydrated tegument isn’t the aforesaid arsenic adust skin", Dr Sharma notes.

"It occurs erstwhile your tegument lacks h2o oregon hydration, and it tin impact anyone - nary substance your tegument type, adjacent those with oily oregon operation skin."

While flaking, cracking and irritation tin bespeak dryness, the signs of dehydration tin beryllium much subtle.

The dermatologist says: “When your tegument is dehydrated, it often looks dull and tin amusement faint aboveground wrinkles.

"These dehydration lines, usually astir the eyes, lips, and forehead, are your skin’s mode of saying it’s not getting capable moisture.

“When your tegument doesn’t person capable hydration, it loses elasticity, which tin pb to premature signs of ageing.

"You mightiness besides announcement acheronian circles nether your eyes oregon a much tired, dull appearance, and your tegument whitethorn go much sensitive."

If you fishy your tegument is lacking successful water, determination is simply a elemental trial you tin bash astatine location - dubbed the "pinch test".

Dr Sharma explains explains however to bash it and what to look retired for.

"Gently pinch the tegument connected your feature oregon the backmost of your hand," helium says.

"If it doesn’t bounce backmost quickly, oregon takes a fewer seconds to instrumentality to normal, it’s a motion that you mightiness beryllium somewhat dehydrated.

"If the tegument stays pinched and takes a longer clip to instrumentality to normal, you could beryllium severely dehydrated.

"While it’s not a guaranteed test, it’s a utile mode to commencement reasoning astir however to support your tegument hydrated from the wrong out."

How to attraction for dehydrated skin

Rehydrating your parched tegument is astir what you bash wrong and out.

That means you request to beryllium drinking capable water passim the day, arsenic good arsenic utilizing a "well-curated skincare routine", Dr Sharma says.

"Ideally, adults should purpose for six to 8 glasses of h2o a time to support things hydrated from within.

"Adding water-rich foods to your fare - deliberation watermelon, cucumber, and celery - tin besides springiness your tegument a hydration boost."

As for your skincare, Dr Sharma recommends you take products with circumstantial ingredients.

"Look for ingredients similar hyaluronic acid, which helps gully moisture into your skin, and ceramides, which are fantastic for reinforcing your skin’s obstruction to fastener successful hydration and forestall moisture loss.

"Other large ingredients to support an oculus retired for see glycerin, aloe, honey, and gentle exfoliants similar lactic oregon citric acid.

"Just beryllium definite to decorativeness with an oil oregon moisturiser to seal successful each that hydration, leaving your tegument feeling plump and nourished."

Other wintertime tegument woes

When your tegument is dry, it's fundamentally telling you that it's successful request of moisture, Dr Sharma says.

He explains: "Imagine your tegument arsenic a protective wall, with cells stacked unneurotic similar bricks.

"The ‘cement’ that holds everything successful spot is simply a lipid-rich obstruction that keeps your tegument smooth, intact, and hydrated.

"But erstwhile this obstruction is disrupted - whether from prima damage, over-cleansing, harsh scrubbing, underlying aesculapian conditions, oregon the adust aerial and debased humidity of winter - it tin pb to moisture loss.

"The result? Dry, flaky, and cracked skin, often with irritation, itching, oregon adjacent a burning sensation."

Though adust tegument is particularly communal successful wintertime - arsenic the epidermis is leeched of moisture by acold aerial and indoor heating - your property tin besides marque you much apt to get rough, cracked and scaly skin.

"As we get older, our tegument people becomes thinner and much sensitive, and its quality to nutrient lipid slows down," Dr Sharma adds.

"For women, the driblet successful hormones aft menopause tin besides lend to dryness, arsenic it affects lipid and sweat glands.

"Areas that are particularly susceptible to dryness see those with less lipid glands, similar the arms, legs, hands, and the mediate of the precocious back.”

Aside from these factors, predominant handwashing tin portion distant your skin’s earthy moisture, portion a deficiency of cardinal vitamins specified arsenic A, D, niacin, zinc, oregon robust tin besides permission tegument feeling parched.