Editor’s Note: Every week, Breaking Bronx features a health-related story, event or tidbit as part of an online expansion of our Be Healthy! column.

To keep skin hydrated and healthy during the winter months, Karthik Krishnamurthy, D.O., dermatologist at Montefiore Medical Center, offers the following tips:

• Simple daily care is the key to healthy skin. Shower only once daily for less than 10 minutes. The longer the shower, the more natural oils and nutrients are lost. Opt for lukewarm water and avoid very hot water. Use gentle, fragrance-free soaps and choose sponges over harsher scrubs. The same applies for children.

• Make moisturizing a daily habit. Moisturize immediately after showering or bathing. While your skin is still wet, apply petroleum jelly, which spreads very easily, then towel dry.

• Protect skin from the inside out. Poor nutrition can be a major source of skin disease.  Deficiencies in B-vitamins (niacin, riboflavin) can lead to dry, itchy skin. Eating turkey, tuna, whole grains, lentils and bananas will help maintain healthy levels of B-vitamins in the body. On the other hand, ingesting beer or alcohol depletes B-vitamins and can make winter skin worse. A deficiency in vitamin C results in fragile skin, so it’s also beneficial to eat citrus fruits, green or red peppers, and drink tomato juice. Supplementing with a multi-vitamin also is recommended.

• Be aware if skin needs extra care. People with pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis as well as those with thyroid disease are at greater risk for skin problems and discomfort during the winter. In addition, people who take multiple medications, especially the elderly, are susceptible to winter skin. Environmental conditions can also have an impact. Too much heat or not enough heat can contribute to low humidity in the home, so maintaining normal room temperature (between 67 and 74 degrees) is advised.

• It may be cold, but don’t forget the sunscreen. Although it is cold outside, the sun shines ultraviolet light year-round. In fact, it’s possible to get even more sun exposure on a snowy day than a summer day. Snow reflects ultraviolet light, so there is double exposure from above and below. Use sunscreen all year round, and choose one that is SPF 30 and also boasts UVA protection with ingredients such as zinc oxide or avobenzone.
—Information courtesy of Montefiore Medical Center

Blood Drive
Bronx residents are invited to participate in the annual blood drive at Montefiore, 111 E. 210th St., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome and children over the age of 16 may donate with parental consent. A photo identification or signature identification card will be required.  For donor eligibility, please call the New York Blood Center eligibility line at 1 (800) 688-0900 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.