Hyderabad: The summer season brings along lots of problems for the skin as well as the hair. Excessive sunlight, sweating, lack of moisture in the air, and dust causes various skin problems and allergies such as skin allergy, sun allergy, prickly heat, itching, dry skin, patchy skin, hair dandruff, and pimples or rashes on the head.
Dr Asha Saklani, a dermatologist from Uttarakhand, explains the kinds of skin and hair-related problems that occur due to summer and guides how to avoid them. Dr Asha says that it is necessary to take special care of the skin and hair in the summer season because in the summers due to the effect of factors such as sunlight, sweating, lack of moisture in the environment, and excessive dust, there is a high possibility of many problems in the hair and skin.
She says that many types of skin-related problems can bother you during this season, and people who spend more time outdoors or are exposed to strong sunlight, usually suffer from skin burns, over-tanning of the skin, increased dryness due to lack of moisture in the skin and many other possibilities of having problems increases.
Also, due to excessive sweating in this season, the cases of skin problems like prickly heat, rashes, and ringworm increase. Heat rash and prickly heat are kinds of skin allergies. Out of these, prickly heat is usually seen in the form of small red spots on the back, neck, and face. This occurs due to the closure of the pores due to sweating.
Skin rashes also occur due to sweat and stickiness due to heat. In rashes, red-coloured patches are formed on the affected areas, the skin becomes rough and dry and sometimes small pimples also appear on the area. Rashes can also cause excessive itching, burning sensations, and pain. On the other hand, body parts that are not directly in contact with air such as joints of the thighs, armpits, and genitals are at more risk of fungal and bacterial infections due to the accumulation of sweat and dirt and lack of proper ventilation.
She further says that many people also suffer from sun allergies, also known as sunlight sensitivity, where their skin colour changes when exposed to strong sunlight, and in most cases, the skin becomes black. Apart from this, pimples or red rashes start forming on the skin. According to Dr Asha, skin-related problems such as ringworms, athlete's foot, nail infections, infection between spaces in the fingers, and psoriasis also increase during summers.
She says that due to excessive sweating in the head during summer, people start washing their heads daily. In such situations, if shampoos containing strong chemicals are used regularly, then the scalp becomes dry and problems like dandruff, pimples, itching, weakening of hair, or excessive breakage are experienced by people.
On the other hand, in cases of excessive sweating in the head, if the sweat does not dry up, then its particles start to accumulate in the roots of the hair. Now combine these with dust, soil, and hair styling products, which become the root cause of clogging of the hair follicles at the scalp. This causes boils, and itching, and sometimes increases lice in the head.
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According to Dr Asha, generally, people should take special care of cleanliness and hygiene of the skin and the entire body, but people with sensitive skin, people with sun allergies, skin-related conditions, or diseases such as psoriasis or eczema need to be more careful during summer.
She says that diet plays an important role in avoiding skin-related problems along with cleanliness and hygiene. Diet and necessary nutrition help the skin in staying moist, which lessens the effects of the problems during summer. She adds that taking some precautionary measures during summer can help prevent most of the before mentioned problems, some of which are as follows:
- Always consume light and fresh foods, which are easily digestible. Increase the amount of healthy and natural fluids, along with fruits and water in your diet.
- Always take light and fresh food which is easily digestible. Also, increase the amount of healthy and natural fluids such as coconut water, curd, buttermilk, whey, and syrups that reduce the effects of heat such as poppy seed syrup, and rose syrups, along with fruits and water in the diet.
- Take regular baths during summer and in case of excessive sweating, bathing twice daily also helps, but try to dry off the sweat before taking a bath.
- Avoid using soaps or shampoos containing strong chemicals, as this can cause dryness of the skin and hair.
- Use a moisturiser or cream on the skin daily.
- Always apply good-quality sunscreen before leaving the house.
- Avoid staying in sweaty clothes for a long time as much as possible, as it increases the risks of getting a fungal or bacterial infection.
- Prioritise wearing cotton and loose clothes because they help in drying out sweat quickly.
- Switch to wearing loose cotton underwear.
- Avoid washing your hair with shampoos regularly, instead, try tieing a scarf or a cloth on your head while going out or travelling on a bike. In case of excessive sweating, try to dry your hair in the air.
- If necessary, wash your hair regularly with a mild shampoo.
- In case of prickly heat, use special 'prickly heat relieving powder', aloe vera gel, or lotion, but if itching and discomfort increase, consult a doctor.
Dr Asha says that in cases of allergies or any kind of problem on the skin, it is necessary to consult a doctor, because if the problem is caused due to fungus or bacteria, or if there is excessive itching, burning, swelling, or pain in any infected place, then medical treatment is very important.
