OSF HealthCare Newsroom

From cracks to wounds: Winter skin care is important

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Dry, cold weather can be a nuisance in many ways. It’s no fun to drive in. It can bring your mood down.

But Becki Walz, PA, a primary care provider at OSF HealthCare, has another thing you need to consider: winter weather can lead to cracks and other skin issues that, if not treated, can lead to serious wounds.

Cold weather basics

“In the winter, the air becomes cool and dry. It pulls all the moisture out of the air, which then pulls moisture out of your skin. That can disrupt the skin barrier. When your skin gets really dry, it can become flaky and itchy,” Walz explains. “As this gets worse, you can develop cracks that are painful and can bleed. More importantly when your skin starts to crack, it creates an opening for bacteria. It can lead to infections.”

If you scratch itchy skin, a wound can develop. Eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), which brings itchy, scaly patches, and psoriasis, which brings red, inflamed areas, can also occur.

Diagnosis and treatment

Walz says if your skin condition isn’t getting better at home through moisturizers and ointments (like Neosporin), see a health care provider.

“The wound is causing pain or has drainage. You notice swelling, redness or warmth. Those are all signs you could possibly have an infection,” Walz adds as more reasons to get medical attention right away.

A provider will ask when symptoms started and what you were doing at the time. For example, were you traveling? Were you around others with the same skin problem? Did you change your perfume or cologne?

“I’m also going to want to know how the skin changed from when you first started having symptoms to now,” Walz adds. “Did the skin just look dry before, and now you have redness or an open wound? Was it itchy, and now it’s just painful?”

A trick that providers love: come to your appointment with photos of what the skin looked like as the issue progressed. This gives providers a clear picture of things.

“Different diseases have different courses [in other words, how they progress]. Once you start itching the skin or putting things on it, it can change how the wound looks. So it’s important we know what it looked like at the beginning before anything else happened to the area,” Walz says.

Walz says for mild issues, a provider might recommend you just change your moisturizer and/or add a topical steroid like hydrocortisone. For infections, a provider might give you an oral or topical antibiotic.

Prevention

The top way to keep your skin healthy, Walz says, is to moisturize. Talk with your primary care provider or a dermatologist about what product is best for you. But generally, Walz says a thicker cream is better in the winter. For really dry skin, petroleum jelly can help. Chapstick is good for the lips. Walz says to moisturize from head to toe at least once a day. It can be after your morning or evening shower. If your skin is particularly dry, moisturize multiple times per day.

It’s also tempting to escape cold conditions with a hot shower. Don’t turn the lever all the way up, Walz cautions. Hot water pulls moisture out of the skin. Instead, take a warm shower for no more than 15 minutes.

“When you get out of the shower, you want to pat your skin dry. Don’t rub it dry,” Walz says. This lessens skin irritation. “Then while your skin is still a little bit damp, that’s the best time to put on the moisturizer. It will help lock in that moisture to your skin. If you let your skin completely dry, it lets all the moisture evaporate.”

A humidifier can also bring some moisture back into the air in your home. Just make sure to clean it regularly. And drinking water keeps your skin healthy, too.

“Prevention is so much easier than treating a serious wound,” Walz says. When in doubt, see a provider, she says.

A word about diabetes

For people with diabetes, winter skin and wound care is especially important.

“The elevation in blood sugar causes damage to the blood vessels, and that causes decreased circulation. There are less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to a wound. Those are things the wound needs to heal and fight off infections,” Walz says. “People with diabetes can develop neuropathy [which brings decreased sensation], especially in the feet. If they were to step on something and injure their foot or develop a wound, they might not always feel it. Sometimes by the time they notice, it’s already progressing and getting a lot worse.”

Serious wounds can lead to amputations. So people with diabetes should check their skin, especially their feet, at least once a day. Check the top and bottom of the feet and between the toes. And resist the urge to walk around with no or minimal footwear. If you just need to take Fido out for a quick bathroom break, put socks and sneakers on anyway. In fact, Walz says people should bundle up as much as possible when outside in the cold. Make use of those hats and gloves.

“If you’re outside for a long period and your feet feel cold, it’s really important that when you come inside, you’re careful about how you warm your feet,” Walz adds. “We don’t want to use a heating pad, a space heater or really hot water because of the possible reduced sensation. So it’s possible they could be burning their feet, and they wouldn’t know.”

Instead, put on socks and move your feet around (toe curls or a light walk, for example).

Learn more

Read more about how to keep your skin healthy on the OSF HealthCare website. OSF OnCall also offers virtual dermatology for quick access to skin care at home.

Interview clips

Frequently asked questions

Think about ink

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:30:00 -0500

Some areas of medicine fall into the category of “Experts know a lot about it and how to treat it.”

Others are more like “We’re still studying this, but be aware.”

Ink on items like receipts, food labels and kids’ toys falls into the latter category.

It all centers around a chemical called bisphenol S (BPS for short) that lurks on some of these items, says Jennifer Whitfill, APRN, a family nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare. She says if BPS seeps into your body through the skin on a regular basis, you could be at increased risk for diabetes, issues with your reproductive and endocrine systems and other ailments.

So, what’s the level of concern?

Whitfill says more research is probably needed to get a full grasp of the risk. But it’s something to just be aware of and something to take simple steps to avoid.

“Don’t get a receipt if you don’t need it. Or have the store text or email it to you,” Whitfill says. “If you have to get a paper receipt, handle it for the least amount of time as possible. Experts say BPS can be absorbed into your skin within 10 seconds.”

Frequent handwashing can also help. But Whitfill cautions that hand sanitizer won’t do the trick.

“Do not use hand sanitizer before you get the receipt. The alcohol in hand sanitizer can actually make the BPS absorb into your skin quicker,” Whitfill says.

If you handle receipts regularly (such as a cashier), consider wearing gloves, and wash your hands during breaks.

“We do these things multiple times a week – get receipts, handle packaging – and don’t even think about it,” Whitfill says. “Just be aware that this risk exists.”

If you’re feeling unwell – whether you think it’s from BPS or not – and things aren’t getting better quickly, see a health care provider.

Interview clips

Planes, trains, automobiles…and your health (part one)

Thu, 28 May 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Author's note: this is part one of a two part story on staying healthy during summer vacations. Click here for part two.

Summer means getaways to de-stress and make memories. But the last thing you want is to catch a cold or worse, especially if you’re halfway across the world where health care resources might be different or scarce.

It's not too late to make some quick preparations, says Jennifer Whitfill, APRN, a family nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare.

Stop by the doctor’s office: Whitfill says if you haven’t seen your primary care provider for a physical exam in a while, make an appointment before vacation to address any lingering health issues. This could include getting vaccines depending on your health and where you’re going. Whitfill says typhoid fever (seen in southern Africa, Asia, Central America and South America), yellow fever (Africa), hepatitis A (remote or underdeveloped areas) and rabies are ailments to protect yourself against.
Stock up on over-the-counter medication.

“It’s important to be prepared,” for when these medications are needed, Whitfill says. “Consider packing Tylenol or ibuprofen, anti-allergy medicines like Claritin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. Dramamine is a good one for motion sickness or nausea. Some people reach out to their provider if they’re going on a cruise. There’s a prescription called a scopolamine patch that you can put behind your ear. It’s good for three days and helps offset motion sickness.

“Eyedrops are good if you have seasonal allergies. Over-the-counter saline or Pataday drops,” Whitfill adds. “Creams like hydrocortisone and triple antibiotic ointment are good to have.”

For outdoor trips like camping, essentials including a first aid kit, sunscreen and bug spray are must-haves, too. Know if you’re on a medication, such as certain acne creams and menstrual cycle medications, that makes you more prone to sunburn.

And regardless of what you pack, Whitfill says flyers should check the Transportation Security Administration guidelines about what can come on a plane. She says to leave medicines in their original packaging when preparing airport luggage.

Medicine, part two – before you go: You might hear travel bloggers say to boost your immune health before traveling to reduce your risk of catching something. Is the advice overblown?

Whitfill says no. She says elderberry, vitamin C and D and zinc are all good supplements to take before a trip. Start three to four weeks before departure, if you can. And if you have concerns about supplements interacting with prescription medication, talk to your provider.
Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for travel advisories about disease outbreaks, civil unrest and more.

Interview clips

Planes, trains, automobiles…and your health (part two)

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:30:00 -0500

Author's note: this is part two of a two part story on staying healthy during summer vacations. Click here for part one.

Summer means getaways to de-stress and make memories. But the last thing you want is to catch a cold or worse, especially if you’re halfway across the world where health care resources might be different or scarce.

It's not too late to make some quick preparations, says Jennifer Whitfill, APRN, a family nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare.

Know your destination and what to do if something goes wrong.

“If you have a medical condition, have your medications with dosages on a list. Have your health care provider’s information on that same page. That way in case something happens, they know how to get ahold of the provider to ask questions,” Whitfill says. “Investigate where is the closest health care facility, whether that’s a hospital or an urgent care, in case you need care quickly.”

This is especially important, for example, for people with heart conditions who might require a complex level of care at a moment’s notice.

Consider travel insurance: It might not be needed for every trip, but it can give you some peace of mind.
Crowded areas: Train stations and airports are full of people from all walks of life, and it’s a safe bet that some of them are under the weather.

“Good hand hygiene is huge,” Whitfill says, especially after contacting high-touch areas like an escalator railing. “If you are immunocompromised or worried about catching something, you can always mask. Boost your immune system [prior to travel], and keep your distance [from others] as much as possible.”
Sleep: If you’re crossing multiple time zones, adjust your sleep a few days in advance to avoid exhaustion. Whitfill says if you’re traveling east, go to bed and wake up a few hours earlier each day. If you’re traveling west, go to bed and wake up a few hours later.

“Book a flight that lands early in the evening. After landing, try to remain awake until 10 p.m. local time. That helps adjust the body’s sleep cycle,” Whitfill explains. “Also practice good sleep hygiene. Drink plenty of fluids. When you’re flying, get up multiple times to keep blood flowing. Stay away from alcohol and caffeinated beverages.”
Food and drink: You might have heard claims from friends and family that the water in [insert location here] is dirty and unsafe. That might be a bit exaggerated, but when in doubt Whitfill says to use bottled water, even when brushing your teeth. And pack some medicine in case you get diarrhea (Imodium or Pepto Bismol) or constipation (probiotic or laxative).