year holiday may lead to skin problems, warned a doctor yesterday. Sitting in one place for too long is detrimental to lower body circulation, which leads to skin problems on the legs and ankles that are usually accompanied by redness and rash, and may even be contagious, explained Chao chao-ming, director of dermatology at Taipei's Tri-Service General Hospital.
Skin inflammations are especially common during Chinese New Year, since many in Taiwan play traditional mahjong and card games during the holiday, which require players to sit for hours at a time.
Those who sit for at least two to three hours at a time and who are over age 40 have the highest risk of contracting skin problems.
Travelers on long and short flights alike are also at high risk of developing skin irritations due to extremely dry conditions inside aircraft. These people are advised to drink plenty of water and use moisturizing creams to retain the skin's moisture.
Consuming too much traditional Chinese New Year fare such as bamboo shoots, mushrooms, beans, and seafood is also likely to lead to skin rashes that resemble insect bites, and every year around this time there is a spike in the number of patients who go to emergency rooms for this reason, said Chao.
Terms of use