Psoriasis
Explore This Topic

Psoriasis and Cold Weather Strategies: 8 Ways to Protect Your Skin

Psoriasis and Cold Weather Strategies: 8 Ways to Protect Your Skin
Adobe Stock; Everyday Health
By
Updated on April 7, 2025
by
If you have psoriasis, cold weather, dry air, and less exposure to sunlight can result in more flares during the winter months.

 Indoor heating may also dry out the skin, leading to psoriasis flares and worsening symptoms.

 Additionally, having to contend with seasonal illnesses and holiday blues may lead to stress, which can trigger flare-ups.
However, several steps can help you stay comfortable and reduce your risk of painful flares as the weather gets colder. If winter weather does trigger your psoriatic disease, be sure to stick closely to the plan you’ve devised with your doctor and stay in sync with your treatment schedule.

The following tips can help you manage psoriasis in winter.

1. Keep Out of Hot Water

Although it seems counterintuitive, water — especially hot water — can dry out your skin by removing oil and moisture.

To minimize this effect and prevent psoriasis flares, take no more than one shower or bath per day and keep them short: no more than five minutes in the shower and 15 minutes in the tub. Warm water will have a less dehydrating effect than hot water.

Apply moisturizer right after showering, bathing, or washing your hands while your skin is still damp (within about five minutes of finishing) to help seal much-needed moisture into your skin.

2. Add Moisture to the Air

Low humidity can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking. Ideally, the humidity in your home should be 30 to 50 percent.

As part of your winter psoriasis management plan, consider using a humidifier. One of the best options is to install a central humidifier into your home’s heating or air-conditioning system. A simpler, less costly alternative is placing a portable home humidifier in your bedroom (and possibly also your office). Be sure to keep it clean to ward off bacteria and fungi.

3. Go Heavy on the Moisturizer

“Many people find their skin gets drier in winter regardless of whether they have psoriasis,” says Jenny Murase, MD, a dermatologist in Mountain View, California.

The solution is to moisturize even more frequently than usual, says Dr. Murase. Choose creams that are free of chemicals, fragrances, and dyes, which could irritate your skin. And the thicker, the better.

Moisturize after every bath or shower, and when you wash your hands, to improve moisture retention, reduce redness, soothe itching, and promote healing.

4. Avoid Wearing Wool

Wool tends to be scratchy and can be a psoriasis trigger for some people. If you feel comfortable wearing wool in cold temperatures, you can layer up to create a barrier between your skin and the potentially irritating wool. Try materials like natural cotton, rayon, chiffon, or polyester to create a base layer underneath that won’t irritate your skin.

Just don’t bundle yourself up too tightly. You may be tempted to pack on the layers, thinking it will help you stay warm. But if you overheat, you’ll sweat, which could further irritate dry, chafed skin and trigger psoriasis flares.

5. Consider Phototherapy

Sunlight may have a healing effect on psoriasis flares.

 However, because of the shorter days, your skin probably gets less sun exposure during winter. To compensate, you may want to consider phototherapy, or light therapy, which directs artificial ultraviolet rays to affected areas.

There are two main types of phototherapy: One type works by using light bulbs or lasers that give off ultraviolet light B (UVB), a light frequency that gets through the skin and slows down the growth of skin cells that are turning over too quickly, like those affected by psoriasis. A different type, psoralen plus ultraviolet light A (PUVA), involves applying a light-sensitive agent called psoralen to the skin. Without this, UVA light (the type in tanning beds) doesn’t effectively treat psoriasis.

Phototherapy treatments can occur in a healthcare provider’s office, a psoriasis clinic, or at home with a phototherapy unit.

Light therapy is often an effective psoriasis treatment: Roughly 50 to 90 percent of people who try it for psoriasis find that symptoms noticeably improve or resolve completely.

 And according to a study published in 2024, home-based phototherapy can be as effective as phototherapy that takes place in a clinic.

 You’ll likely need several sessions a week, so speak to your dermatologist about how often to perform phototherapy.

6. Protect Yourself Against Contagious Illnesses

Any illness affecting the immune system can trigger a psoriasis flare. Some infections, such as strep throat, can trigger guttate psoriasis (small, round raised spots).

To stay healthy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting the following seasonal vaccinations, as these viruses cause the most hospitalizations during winter:

If you take medications that suppress your immune system, such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, or a biologic like TNF-α inhibitors, you may not have strong protection against infections even after completing a vaccination schedule. People who take these medications should avoid vaccines containing weakened versions of live microorganisms, as they have weakened immune systems and might have a higher risk of the infections that vaccines aim to prevent.

Methotrexate and cyclosporine may reduce how much your immune system responds to infections after receiving non-live vaccines, but biologics generally don’t reduce the effectiveness of vaccines that don’t contain live microorganisms. However, some treatments combine methotrexate and TNF-α inhibitors, and these might make vaccines less effective.

Work with your healthcare provider to balance the infection risk with the possible effects of vaccination for your presentation of psoriasis. Experts agree that the potentially life-saving benefits of vaccination for people with psoriasis outweigh the risks.

A lifestyle that supports immune health can also help your immune system counter contagious diseases. This might include:

  • Eating a nutritious diet with lots of fruits and vegetables
  • Getting regular exercise
  • Maintaining a healthy body weight
  • Having a regular sleep cycle
  • Frequent handwashing
  • Safe meal prep
  • Stress management
  • Avoiding or quitting tobacco use

7. Don’t Scratch

When psoriasis makes your skin itch, the urge to scratch may be almost irresistible. But don't give in — you could worsen the itchiness or accidentally open the lesion to infection.

Plus, for some people, scratching may trigger a new psoriasis flare. This is known as the Koebner phenomenon, in which even minor traumas to the skin, such as friction and rubbing, can intensify psoriasis. About 25 percent of people with psoriasis experience the Koebner phenomenon after trauma to the skin.

8. Take Steps to Manage Stress

Stress is a common psoriasis trigger.

 It can also worsen itching.

 And while plenty of people enjoy the winter period, a hefty amount of stress can accompany Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, and a variety of religious festivals.
Common stressors include struggling to afford holiday gifts, grieving or missing loved ones, and navigating challenging dynamics within families.

 Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can also cause mood changes when the days get shorter during winter.

Simple stress management techniques can reduce your risk of psoriasis flares. These might include:

  • Meditation
  • Taking up exercise (speak to your doctor before starting a new routine)
  • Seeking consultation and support from a mental health professional
  • Yoga
During celebrations, leaning on unhealthy coping mechanisms might also be tempting, but avoiding them can help you keep your symptoms in check. Research suggests that alcohol consumption can worsen psoriasis symptoms.

 Likewise, tobacco smoking might link to an increased risk of moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

The Takeaway

  • Winter presents a number of challenges for people with psoriasis, including temperature changes, indoor heating, stress, seasonal illness, and considerations around clothing choices.
  • Moisturizing the skin and humidifying the air can help you prevent dry skin.
  • Staying vaccinated and following a healthy diet, sleep schedule, and exercise routine can reduce your risk of seasonal illnesses. Managing stress can also prevent infection and psoriasis flares.
  • Talk to your doctor about vaccinations and phototherapy.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Causes and Triggers. National Psoriasis Foundation. January 22, 2025.
  2. Dry Skin: Overview. American Academy of Dermatology.
  3. Chill, don’t flare! Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance. November 7, 2024.
  4. Hot Showers Can Dry Out Your Skin. University of Utah Health. February 10, 2021.
  5. 8 ways to stop baths and showers from worsening your psoriasis. American Academy of Dermatology.
  6. Humidifiers: Ease skin, breathing symptoms. Mayo Clinic. June 21, 2023.
  7. Must-Have Lotions. National Psoriasis Foundation.
  8. 7 ways to relieve itchy psoriasis. American Academy of Dermatology. March 23, 2023.
  9. Fashion Forward. National Psoriasis Foundation.
  10. Psoriasis. Mayo Clinic. February 21, 2025.
  11. Psoriasis and the Sun – Helpful or Harmful? American College of Rheumatology. August 17, 2023.
  12. Phototherapy for Psoriasis. National Psoriasis Foundation. January 23, 2025.
  13. Psoriasis: Learn More – Does light therapy (phototherapy) help reduce psoriasis symptoms? Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). April 27, 2021.
  14. Gelfand JM et al. Home- vs Office-Based Narrowband UV-B Phototherapy for Patients With Psoriasis: The LITE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatology. December 1, 2024.
  15. Getting Your Immunizations for the 2024-2025 Fall and Winter Virus Season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 27, 2024.
  16. What are the risks of vaccinations for people living with psoriasis? Mayo Clinic. February 15, 2023.
  17. Chiricozzi A et al. Immune Response to Vaccination in Patients with Psoriasis Treated with Systemic Therapies. MDPI Vaccines. December 16, 2020.
  18. How to boost your immune system. Harvard Medical School. March 28, 2024.
  19. Hall J. Women with Ink. National Psoriasis Foundation. June 28, 2021.
  20. Life with Psoriasis. National Psoriasis Foundation. January 22, 2025.
  21. One Quarter of Americans Say They Are More Stressed This Holiday Season Than in 2023, Citing Financial Concerns and Missing Loved Ones. American Psychiatric Association. November 25, 2024.
  22. Seasonal Affective Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. 2023.
  23. Yoga and psoriasis. Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Association. January 4, 2024.
  24. Szentkereszty-Kovács Z et al. Alcohol in Psoriasis—From Bench to Bedside. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. May 7, 2021.
  25. Näslund-Koch C et al. Smoking is an independent but not a causal risk factor for moderate to severe psoriasis: A Mendelian randomization study of 105,912 individuals. Frontiers in Immunology. February 21, 2023.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network

Ross Radusky, MD

Medical Reviewer

Ross Radusky, MD, is a practicing board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center in Dallas. Originally from New York City, he graduated summa cum laude from the City University of New York and then received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine. There, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and served as chapter president for two years. He completed his residency in dermatology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center, and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Radusky practices general and cosmetic dermatology with a focus on the early detection of skin cancer, and provides patients with a personalized approach to looking their best at any age. He has authored articles and textbook chapters on the clues that our finger- and toenails may provide us about internal disease, as well as on comprehensive therapies for cosmetic dermatology and reversing the signs of skin aging.

Complementing his medical practice, Radusky has a strong passion for the cultural arts, particularly in expanding access to youths and seniors. He previously served as an artist instructor for the Rockaway Artists Alliance, a New York City nonprofit arts and education organization, and then served as both a board director and treasurer of the organization throughout his medical school training.

Radusky enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Robyn, son Oliver, and poodle Lucy, where he can usually be found preventing photoaging and reducing the risk of skin cancer beneath an umbrella in a wide-brimmed hat. He is also the proud inventor of Sunshotz, the world’s only sunscreen measuring cup, designed to help patients of all ages apply the proper amount of sunscreen needed to enjoy all the sun without the burn.

See full bio

Adam Felman

Author
Adam is a freelance writer and editor based in Sussex, England. He loves creating content that helps people and animals feel better. His credits include Medical News Today, Greatist, ZOE, MyLifeforce, and Rover, and he also spent a stint as senior updates editor for Screen Rant.

As a hearing aid user and hearing loss advocate, Adam greatly values content that illuminates invisible disabilities. (He's also a music producer and loves the opportunity to explore the junction at which hearing loss and music collide head-on.)

In his spare time, Adam enjoys running along Worthing seafront, hanging out with his rescue dog, Maggie, and performing loop artistry for disgruntled-looking rooms of 10 people or less.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network