Have a safe Holi

Holi is just a few days away and experts say that the preparation must begin now. PIONEER HEAlTH lists a few tips and preventive measures to follow to have a safe festival

Preparations

Choose colours wisely. Choose light and organic colours and good quality gulaal. Even if someone comes to your home for playing Holi, share your colour with them instead of playing with theirs. Carry your colour to others home or public places as well and try to use them as much as possible. There’s nothing better than  to use the right kind of colour to avoid dark, toxic colours and other materials such as paint.

• Oil your hair. The morning of Holi, take some time out and oil your hair properly. Your hair and most importantly your scalp should be oiled and massaged well to create a layer in between. Colours don’t stick as strongly to hair when the hair well oiled. You can use coconut oil, but if you don’t like it, you can use olive oil or castor oil instead.
• Wear a scarf or bandana and a pair of sunglasses. It is advisable to cover oneself up as much as possible during Holi. Both men and women can use bandana in different ways to protect their hair. This prevents hair from exposure as well. Opt for a pair of  sunglasses to protect your eyes.
• Avoid sitting in the sun after playing with colors. Sitting in the sun after playing Holi makes the colour dry and stick hard on the skin. 
• nMositurise your skin: Keep your skin moisturiser especially before going to play Holi, apply waterproof sunscreen lotion of SPF 30 all over the body. This will help in removing the colour easily. Sunscreen can also decrease the chemical effects of colour. The SPF 30 or more is effective and recommended.
• Keep yourself hyderated: Have a lot of liquid like juices, shakes and water that can keep you hyderated at least one week before Holi. Have plenty of citrus fruits because it is hard to drink all that water in one go.
• Paint your nails: The nail paint thwarts the colors from seeping into the nails.

— Dr Syed Nazim Hussain, consultant, dermatologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon

Avoid Skin treatments

Any treatments which involve exfoliation in form of scrub/peel and or dermabrasion should be avoided before Holi and only go for mild hydrating and oxygen infusion rejuvenation treatments to prep your skin. After Holi, wait for one week to undergo any treatments. You can go for mild tan removal and regenerating treatments thereafter to get rid of sun damage.

— Dr Dipti Dhillon, dermatologist, Apple Skin Clinic, New Delhi

Must haveOintment/ medicines

During Holi, cases of skin rash/ severe skin infection due to colours are quite common. Always keep a medicine pouch / box handy with antiseptic lotion/ cream like soframycin/betadine, clean gauze & bandage, savlon, antiallergic tablet like Allegra/cetrizine, silverex in case of sunburn                                      

— Dr Dhillon

Skin & Eye Care

• Avoid applying or getting applied colours near eyes, mouth and nose. Vigorous rubbing of colour onto the skin can cause problems and should be avoided. People who have excessively dry skin or underlying eczemas should altogether avoid playing with holi colours.
• If colour enters your eyes,immediately wash the eye thoroughly with fresh clean water. Ideally keep rinsing the eyes for at least a few minutes till all the colour is out. If you experience burning, redness of the eyes, pricking sensation or change in the quality of your vision, consult your doctor immediately.
• Most permanent and semi- permanent colours are harsh or harmful. Use of skin-friendly, non-toxic gulaal is recommended.
• Avoid using corrosive chemicals as Holi colors. Some of the commonly used harmful components are: lead oxide (black colour), chromium iodine (purple colour), aluminium bromide (silver colour), mercury sulphite (red colour) and copper sulphate (green colour). Apart from these certain products may also be treated with glass powder, asbestos and diesel to give them glossy, shiny texture. All these are not only harmful to skin and eyes but also to internal organ systems.
• Colours should not be thrown in the air. This can cause unwanted inhalation and eye exposure of suspended particulate matter.
• Uncovered food should not be kept in open the vicinity of place where holi colours are being used. Food should be taken only after thorough cleaning of hands and skin around mouth to avoid ingestion of toxic chemicals.
• People who play with water, should wear loose-fitting, comfortable and cotton under and over-clothes. They should make sure that skin folds (groin, armpits) do not remain wet for long.

—Dr Sumit Gupta,Consultant Dermatologist,Skinnovation Clinics, Delhi

How to clean up after playing HoliIJ

• Rinse your hair with plenty of water to wash away the colours.
• Apply a mild natural shampoo which deeply cleanses your hair and prevents damage.
• You may also add lemon juice  to a mug of water to rinse hair. This helps to restore the acid-alkaline balance of the scalp.
• Beer can also be used to soften and condition the hair.
• Do not rub the skin vigorously with soap to wipe the face of gulaal, instead, opt for a cleanser.
• Follow this up with moisturiser, especially ones that are meant for sensitive skins.
• Avoid using kerosene, petrol and spirits to remove stains, as they will further dry the skin.

— Dr Dipti Dhillon