While everyone enjoys the rain, it is a great time to plan an outing or a trip and flaunt your skin in beautiful dresses. But at the same time, one needs to pay special attention to the skin as heat, the warmth of the sun, hot winds cause severe skin damage. The season can be quite tricky as it causes digestive and skin problems and infections.
During the monsoon, there is an increase in the temperature and humidity level in our country. The infections occur more in the skin and scalp areas, especially in the skin fold areas like armpit, groin and others. Moisture remains trapped in these areas and cause fungal infections.
Fungal infections are of two types like dermatophyte and yeast infections. Dermatophytes cause superficial infections of the skin, hair and nails. A yeast infection occurs when there is an overgrowth of yeast (a type of fungus) anywhere in the body. The primary symptoms of fungal infection are red itchy skin.
People are more prone to infections during monsoon due to excessive sweating, dehydration, photo-toxic effects of the sun and, of course, humidity.
Common skin infections are caused in areas where the skin folds like armpits, groin, between the fingers, toes, nails, elbow fold and so on. You might experience rashes and fungal infection and bacterial growth in such areas as they don’t get sufficient air to dry off. Nail infections are also quite common during monsoon as bacterias find a home inside the nails and causes infection. So trim/cut your nails regularly.
Hygiene is an important factor for skin care in monsoon.
Take precautions that go a long way in having healthy and infection-free skin. Drink enough water as it will keep your skin hydrated. Also look out for anything odd on your body and immediately see a dermatologist. There are multiple treatment options which an expert can provide you in order to treat the fungal infection.
While the air is cooler, the humidity increases, and this provides the perfect breeding ground for many kinds of skin bacteria. Acne can bother you on your face or even on your body. Follow these simple tips daily for flawless, glowing skin.
Keep your hands off: As tempted as you may feel to break that ugly pimple on your face, try not to. Breaking a pimple or trying to squeeze out blackheads will leave you with scars and even more pimples. Keep your skin clean and let that zit dry out naturally.
Minimise your facials: A facial may be a great way to relax however if you have an acne-prone skin, you need to avoid frequent massages. Moreover, many beauticians don’t know the right way to remove blackheads and this can damage your delicate pores. Don’t do a facial more than once a month.
Wash your bed linen well: Research shows that pillow covers, and bedsheets are often the least washed items in our laundry. Germs can stick to your pillows, incubate, and cause acne breakouts. Make sure you wash your linen at least once a week and dry it in sunlight.
The writer is Dr Rohit Batra Dermatologist at Sir GangaRam Hospital, New Delhi