Skiers, snowboarders and other outdoors enthusiasts should take note that ultraviolet rays from the sun can be as strong on a mountaintop in winter as they are at the beach in summer. This makes the risk of sunburn and the potential threat of developing skin cancer as serious a concern for winter sports enthusiasts as it is for swimmers.

Wearing a sunscreen of SPF 15 or more is a must for those spending time outdoors in the winter. (If you will be in the mountains, where the thinner air allows more UV light to penetrate, a sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher is preferable.) When applying sunscreen, remember to do so at least one half hour prior to exposure and to reapply often.

You will find a wide variety of sunscreens at London Drugs.

Windburn
If you’ve spent time outdoors and your skin looks red and raw, you could have windburn. Windburn feels very much like a sunburn, but it can occur on the darkest of days as well as those that are bright and/or sunny.

Despite its name, windburn is actually a skin irritation, not a burn. It resembles a burn, however, giving the skin a red, swollen appearance on exposed areas of the body.

Wind causes the skin’s natural oils to dry out. When the skin dries out excessively, the irritation can be as sore or painful as a sunburn. Using a super-enriched moisturizer such as Neutrogena Norwegian Formula® will help protect your skin from windburn and/or help repair skin that has already been damaged. (Since this formula does not contain sunscreen, if you are using the all-over body emulsion on your face, you should also wear a sunscreen to protect your skin against UV radiation.) Neutrogena Norwegian Formula®  is available in formulations for the entire body, the hands and the feet.

Chapped Lips
Since the lips contain no oil glands, they are particularly prone to dryness and chapping. Chapping can be extremely uncomfortable, causing the lips to crack open every time you smile.

The best way to avoid chapped lips is to apply a lip moisturizer every time you go outdoors and reapply it several times during the day. The sun can cause the skin to blister and burn, so it is best that the lip moisturizer contain a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.

Should your cracked lips become infected, you may wish to use a small amount of over-the-counter antibacterial ointment underneath the lip moisturizer once or twice a day. (Your London Drugs pharmacist can recommend a product that is suitable for this use.)

If your lips feel sore or dry, avoid the urge to lick them. When you lick your lips, you add moisture which further dries the tissues when it evaporates. The enzymes in saliva are also drying to the lips.

Neutrogena® lip moisturizer is non-waxy, soothes, conditions and protects cracked, dry lips and contains sunscreen with an SPF of 15.

Hypothermia
Hypothermia happens when the body loses more heat than it can produce, during exposure to cold. A person is considered to be hypothermic when the core body temperature falls below 35°  C (95° F). Normal body temperature is 37° (98.6° degrees F).

To prevent hypothermia, you should remember to:

• Layer clothes to trap warm air. The innermost layer should be of a wicking material that draws moisture away from the body.
• Wear a well-fitting hat. At temperatures below 5° C (41° F), more than half the body’s total heat can be lost through the head.
• Wear wind-proof clothing. Wind disturbs the warm air that surrounds and protects the body.
• Wear a scarf or mask over the nose and mouth to minimize heat loss due to respiration.

Signs of hypothermia include shivering, feeling tired, slurred speech, uncoordinated movements and shallow breathing. Later stages include denial and slipping in and out of consciousness.

If a person has hypothermia, it is essential to act immediately. Call 911 to request an ambulance and try to get the person to a covered area as soon as possible. If necessary, use your own body heat to keep him warm. A victim of hypothermia should be handled very carefully to avoid injuring chilled tissues.

If the person is conscious, give warm fluids or sweetened foods (warm, sweet tea is often recommended). Despite the images of St. Bernard dogs with barrels of liquor around their necks - a mythical concept since these dogs did not in reality carry alcohol to lost travellers - you should never give alcohol to a person with hypothermia. Alcohol dilates the superficial blood vessels of the body, drawing blood away from the body core and causing the body temperature to drop even further.

Frostbite
Frostbite occurs when body tissue becomes exposed to temperatures below freezing. It most commonly affects the toes, fingers, chin, cheeks, earlobes and nose - parts of he body that are often left uncovered in cold temperatures. The speed with which frostbite progresses depends on how cold and/or windy the weather conditions are, and the duration of exposure to these conditions.

There are two kinds of frostbite - superficial and deep. Superficial frostbite affects the skin and tissues just beneath the skin. Deep frostbite affects the deeper tissues, nerves and muscles.

Signs of superficial frostbite include a tingling sensation or “pins and needles” in the affected area, and a whitish tone to the skin. The tissues underneath the skin will feel soft to the touch.

Signs of deep frostbite include the loss of feeling in the area, a whitish appearance to the skin, and a hard feel to the tissues beneath the skin.

If you or your child experience the symptoms of superficial or deep frostbite, it is important to warm the area immediately using body heat. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

To prevent frostbite, remember to:

• Wear appropriate clothing (see Hypothermia), including hat, waterproof footwear and mitts or gloves.
• Make sure that boots are not so tight that they impair circulation.

Pulls and Sprains
Although cold weather sports and pastimes are full of fun, they’re also fraught with physical risks such as sprained ankles and pulled tendons.

The following pointers will help you minimize the risk of pulls, tears and sprains:

• Get in shape. Being physically fit will reduce your risk of pulling a muscle or tendon if you have an accident.
• Wear the right equipment. Wearing appropriate footwear, headgear  eyewear and clothing is essential for your personal safety and that of others. Don’t forget your sunscreen!
• Say no to alcohol. Consuming alcohol prior to hitting the slopes significantly increases your risk of sustaining or causing an accident. Alcohol dilates the peripheral blood vessels, causing loss of body heat, and also encourages the loss of fluids. These two effects make you more prone to hypothermia and dehydration. Alcohol also impacts your ability to concentrate on the mechanics of your sport.
• Wear a brace. Wearing a support designed for the part/s of your body you know to be weak will help prevent injuries and ease the pain resulting from pulls and strains. Supports, such as those in the Futuro® line, come in a variety of designs to support your body’s joints and ligaments and are available from London Drugs.

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