Why does the skin itch as soon as you exercise in winter?

2023-10-21

In daily life, many people will have itchy skin symptoms after exercise, which is a very common phenomenon. Especially in the cold and dry winter, the skin on the legs, face, and arms may feel itchy after exercise, but it will disappear after stopping to rest for a while.

What's going on here?

1. No exercise for too long

Maybe you didn't do regular exercise before, and suddenly one day you want to run and run sports on a whim, which will cause the body's metabolism to suddenly accelerate, prompting the body toxins to be excreted in the form of sweat, sweat may stimulate the skin that has not adapted, resulting in itchy skin.

2. Insufficient warm-up before exercise, poor blood circulation

During exercise, blood circulation accelerates and the body begins to sweat. However, because the subcutaneous capillaries in some areas are too narrow, the skin pores are tight, and they cannot accept the pressure caused by the accelerated blood circulation, and the pores cannot remove sweat, so the skin itching sensation will occur.

3. The skin is too dry

In winter, many people will face the problem of too dry skin, and itching will occur when the skin is dry. At the same time, exercise accelerates blood circulation, making the body warm, which may aggravate the itching situation. Therefore, it is recommended that everyone use some moisturizing skin care products before exercising in winter.

4. Cold and hot, indoor and outdoor temperature difference is too large

If you first exercise outdoors in a colder environment, and then enter a warm room, it is easy to cause the skin to itch due to the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.

5. Urticaria

The symptoms of urticaria are manifested as itchy and rashy skin, faint and intermittent, small as pockmarks, as large as beans, surrounded by varying degrees of redness, skin itching, tingling and other sensations. This symptom is more likely to be induced in situations such as exercise, heat, and mental stress.

How to prevent exercise pruritus

1. Skin hydration is key

Like itchy skin after exercise caused by dry skin, you can hydrate the skin more, supplement vitamin A, and eat foods rich in vitamin A, such as animal liver, carrots, rape, etc.

At the same time, pay attention to the cold and warmth of the lower body, so as not to "take away" the moisture on the legs; When bathing, use less shower gel or soap products that are too strong in oil removal to prevent excessive washing of sebum and causing dry skin.

2. Choose the right clothing

When choosing clothing for sports, you must pay attention to the choice of cotton, not too tight and loose. Soft, less irritating clothing can avoid further itching, increase breathability, and do not cause allergies after contact with the skin.

3. Avoid scratching itchy areas

When the skin is itchy, many people's first reaction is to scratch with their hands, but when scratching, it will expand the damaged area of the skin, so that the local temperature rises, and more histamine will be released in the blood, resulting in more scratching and itching.

4. Never apply heat

Some people will want to use hot compresses to relieve itching symptoms after exercise, although heat can temporarily reduce the local itching? Sensitive, but in fact it is another stimulus, because heat causes blood vessels to dilate and release more allergens.