Tips for a Cool Summer

Heat and humidity can cause a host of skin problems. Here's how to deal with them.

With the mercury rising every day, heat and humidity now play a major role in our lives. This also causes a host of skin problems, most of which can be dealt with quite easily.

 

 

Prickly heat

 

Excessive sweating and increased dead cell turnover blocks sweat glands and causes a rash commonly known as “prickly heat”, especially in the folds of the skin and on the trunk and back.

Treatment

 

Take cool showers.

Wear loose clothes.

Apply talcum powder after a bath.

Apply calamine lotion on the rashes

Take anti-allergy tablet at night.

 

Acne

 

Heat, humidity, dead skin cells and oil tend to clog the skin's pores leading to comedones or blackheads and eventually acne.

 

Treatment

 

Apply a ‘mud-pack' once a week.

A clear gut.

Drink plenty of water.

Take supplements of Vitamin A, zinc and antioxidants.

Apply erythromycin gel at bedtime

If this does not help consult a dermatologist.

 

Rosacea

 

Also called ‘acne-rosacea', this is characterised by red and inflamed skin especially on the cheek, chin and forehead. It can also lead to tiny boils on the cheeks and severe acne if left untreated.

 

Treatment

 

Avoid direct sunlight.

Use a soap-free face wash.

Use a good sunscreen.

Reduce stress.

Use a calamine lotion with sunscreen in the morning.

Take an antacid or aloe vera juice in the morning on an empty stomach.

A bland diet

Also see a dermatologist for a proper treatment plan.

 

Fungal infections

 

Fungi thrive in humid weather and areas where there is less aeration like in the folds of the skin especially when people wear tight clothes, shoes all day and synthetic clothing.

 

Treatment

 

Have a shower often.

Apply antifungal powder after a bath.

Take anti-allergic tablet at bedtime for a week.

Apply anti-fungal cream on affected areas at bedtime.

Wear open sandals.

Also see a dermatologist in case you require medication.

 

Tanning

 

This is actually the body's defence against strong sunlight. Sun burn, on the other hand, can be quite uncomfortable if severe. It results in redness, peeling of skin and itching.

 

Treatment

 

Avoid sunlight as much as possible.

Use a calamine lotion during the day

Take an allergy tablet during the day and night for a week along with a mild steroid lotion at bedtime. This will bring down the inflammation and peeling dramatically.

 

Dandruff

 

Dandruff is the result of over secretion of oil on the scalp mixed with dead cell, sweat and pollution. This leads to ‘scale' formation on the scalp, which is not only unhygienic but can also lead to hair fall, itching and eventually pimples on the forehead and back.

 

Treatment

 

Wash your hair often in summer.

Use a medicated shampoo containing two per cent ketaconozole and zinc pyrithione (ZPTO)

Apply home remedies like lemon juice or curds on scalp before washing.

 

Increased pigmentation

 

Normal skin and skin with pigmentation problems seem to look darker when exposed to the sun. This is because exposure to sun activates the melanin to rise to the upper layers thereby increasing pigmentation.

 

Treatment

 

Avoid direct sunlight.

Use sunscreen mixed with calamine lotion at least 2-3 times a day.

Use an umbrella and sunglasses while going out and sun visors for the car.

Use a skin lightening cream at bedtime.

Take supplements of Vitamin C, folic acid and antioxidants.

 

Body odour

 

An unpleasant body smell is not only due to increased sweat accumulation but also due to bacterial decomposition of sweat.

 

To avoid this

 

Wear loose, cotton clothing.

Shower 2-3 times a day.

Use a medicated soap

Use antifungal powder and deodorant

Reduce caffeine and drink herbal and green tea.

Use fragrance on clothes rather than on skin to prevent pigmentation.

Source : www.thehindu.com dtd 14/02/2012