Fargo, N.D. - The cold winter air causes dry, itchy skin for many.
And there's one thing you may be doing that isn't helping as much as you'd think.
It turns out, drinking water does very little to help.
Essentia Dermatologist Michael Blankinship says that's because dry skin in the winter has more to do with the body's inability to prevent moisture loss than how much water you're taking in.
Things that do help: Cream or ointment-based moisturizers.
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Michael Blankinship, MD- Essentia Health Dermatologist: "When the symptoms of itching get to the point where they're bothersome for the patient, they interrupt sleep, then prescriptions are indicated. Alternately, some people just will not have any improvement in the dry red skin, it can lead to skin breakdown from scratching."
Blankinship says in extreme cases, patients would have to be admitted to the hospital for treatment.
