Protecting your skin from scorching sun is essential to avoid severe skin conditions

The scorching sun and the UV rays emanating from it can harm our skin in many ways. To avoid those problems and to get rid of them, proper care and treatment of the skin is very important.

Hyderabad: As the scorching sun has started troubling people in various parts of the country, prickly heat has also started to take a toll on people's skin. Problems such as tanning, sunburn, dry skin, dark patches, Eczema, blisters, rash and fungal infection etc, as noticed in men and women who need to stay outdoors for various reasons during this season. Although it is very difficult to completely avoid the effects of these problems in this season, dermatologists believe that by taking a little care of the skin and taking some precautions, the bad effects on the skin due to strong sunlight could be avoided to a great extent.

Dr Lavina Bawa, a dermatologist from New Delhi, says that the scorching sun and its UV rays can cause a lot of damage to the skin during the summer season. The problems can become even more serious for people with sensitive skin during this season. She says that although many people try to take special care of their skin during this season, most of them lack correct information, or due to carelessness they are unable to protect their skin from the effects of sunlight.

Also, self-treating for problems such as blisters, wounds or eczema due to allergy, or sunburn increases the problems, and can aggravate the issue, causing marks on the skin. She says that if the skin gets damaged due to the effects of scorching sun and UV radiation, then consulting a doctor for its treatment is very important.

Dr Lavina explains that the most common problem people notice during this season is the lack of moisture in the skin. This condition gives rise to other issues such as dry, withered and lifeless skin etc. Apart from these, Apart from this, the formation of dark-coloured patches on the skin such as dark spots and black spots, dry skin, acne, eczema, pimples, and the risk of fungal infections due to excessive sweating and pollution also increases.

Dr Lavina explains that along with the right skin-care routine, it is very important to keep your skin healthy and away from problems, efforts should be made to maintain moisture in the body and protect the skin from coming in contact with direct sunlight, which can be achieved by adopting the following precautions:

• Drinking as much water as possible, which will keep the body and the skin hydrated. Water also helps in removing toxins from the body. To maintain the necessary hydration of the body people should include liquids, fruits and vegetables with high water content in their diet.
• A sunscreen with an SPF of more than 30 should be used on clean skin while going outdoors and should be applied on the face, hands and any part of the body that can come in direct contact with the sun.
• One should use an umbrella, cap, sunglasses, or a scarf to avoid direct contact with sunlight, even after applying good-quality sunscreen.
• Wash your face with cold water at least 2-3 times a day, and if you are outdoors, keep applying sunscreen every time you wash your face.
• Avoid swimming under strong sunlight, it can cause more damage to the skin. Morning or evening is ideal for swimming in this season, but do not forget to use waterproof sunscreen.
• Exfoliate your skin at least once a week, and use a moisturiser daily.
• As far as possible, wear full-length clothes while going outdoors, and keep your hands, legs and head covered at all times with a cotton cloth, because strong sunlight can cause hair damage as well.

She further explains that in case of skin problems and skin damage or infection due to sunlight, many people try to treat themselves without consulting a doctor. There are several skin creams available in the market, but not all creams can effectively treat all the problems. Different creams (medicines) are used to treat different problems, and many of them contain steroids, antifungals, and other combinations, which should be used only after consulting an expert, or else the problem can aggravate. Apart from this, some home remedies also help a lot with the mild effects of sunlight, and some of them are as follows:

• After getting indoors from being in the scorching sun for a long time, wait for a few minutes before washing your face with cold water.
• Massaging the affected areas of the skin with ice cubes can provide relief. But, wait for a few minutes after getting indoors to apply ice cubes on the skin, and do not use this remedy for fungal infections.
• Applying rose water or aloe vera gel on the affected skin also provides relief.
• Applying cold milk using a cotton pad provides relief from sunburns.