BBC Morning Live doctor issues warning over three skin conditions

Dr Punam Krishan is back in her regular seat on the BBC Morning Live couch dishing out health advice. It comes after her stint at Strictly Come Dancing, where she introduced Bollywood to the famous stage.

Now the doctor has some urgent warnings about how Brits take care of their skin in the winter season. The 41-year-old highlighted that she has seen a rise in 3 particular skin conditions in her own practice - eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

She warned this is because winter wreaks havoc on your skin health. And that's not just because of the weather.

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She explained: “There are fluctuations in temperature. The central heating is cranked up, which further zaps the moisture from our skin.

"We don’t drink as much water, we indulge in all the wrong foods, and we drink a bit more alcohol which dehydrates the skin.” This is all in addition to the stress of the festive season and the usual rounds of winter illnesses.

It’s not just those with skin conditions that need to watch out though as Dr Punam explained the common “winter itch” phenomenon that tends to see the legs or other parts of the body getting incredibly itchy but not necessarily forming a rash. To defend against this, the expert advised: “Winter itch is a type of dermatitis that comes on in colder months.

"We talk about the three-minute moisture rule. When you come out the shower or bath, when you’re still damp, within 3 minutes is when you want to put on a nice gloopy moisturiser that really soaks in.”

Online, the “slugging” trend has gained popularity with claims it can moisturise the face overnight if you lather excessive amounts of ointments on your face before you sleep. Dr Punam admitted this can work with thin ointments like Vaseline.

Yet she warned: “The idea is that it helps to prevent any water from being lost, so you get shiny, glowy skin. The only caveat is that if you’ve got acne-prone skin, congestion, or oily skin, you’re actually going to end up blocking that oil into your skin and end up with breakouts.”

The doctor ended with some simple tips that can help your skin health regardless of what type of skin or conditions you may have. She said: “Moisturise at night time.

"We’re rubbish at drinking water but teas and coffee does count. You can get water from foods, salads, fruit, veggies too.

"If you have got skin conditions keep a diary to track what are your triggers, what makes it worse, what makes it better, take that to you GP and we can create a regime that works for you.” Additionally, she strongly advised people not to ditch their sunblock particularly as snow can reflect UV rays back into your skin from angles that you least expect.

She added: “Prevention is better than cure. If you’ve got itchy, dry skin that you’re not getting on top of, talk to your doctor. If your skin gets really cracked and you’re scratching it, you’re going to end up introducing infections.”