What's up, doc?(taking care of dry skin)

Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication, February, 2007

Q What can I do about dry skin?

--Clarence C., Missouri

A In the dead of winter, your skin can get so dry, it feels like sandpaper! But you have options. First, make sure your body is hydrated--the Institute of Medicine recommends ten 8-ounce glasses of water per day for female teens, and 14 for males. "I recommend water over soda because soda and juices have too much sugar," urges Dr. John Hong, a specialist in internal medicine in Charlottesville, Va. (You can also get some water through foods--such as juicy oranges.) Hong adds, "Believe it or not, water dries ...