Stay away from heat rash and fungal infection by showering twice a day, keeping your skin dry and using powder to soak excess water, advises dermatologist Kiran lohia
During the monsoon season, the humidity can seem unbearable. But it can also cause a multitude of skin problems. However, there are a few tricks that you can do at home to keep them at bay and stay healthy.
Acne
Getting tons of zits this seasonIJ You are not alone. The summer heat and humidity makes skin much more likely to break out. Essentially, all that sweat clogs up your pores, giving you those unsightly whiteheads and blackheads.
Treatment: First of all, change your skin care products. look for a face wash that contains salicyclic acid but also balances your skin’s pH balance. And, wash your face no more than twice a day to avoid over drying your skin. Also look for products that are non-comedogenic, meaning those products which do not have any ingredients that clog your pores. Finally, ask your dermatologist for medication to treat your acne, for that clear skin you have always cherished.
Heat Rash
In the monsoons, many of us get red bumps that rapidly erupt on your chest and back. This is basic heat rash or miliaria. Essentially, the sweat glands become obstructed leading to this red rash.
Treatment: Most importantly, make sure you keep your body dry. Wear fabrics such as cotton that help wick away moisture so that your skin does not get greasy or sweaty. And, make sure you immediately bathe and change your clothes after you exercise. To treat it, a gentle pH-balanced antiseptic body wash will do the trick. Usually they contain benzoyl peroxide or triclosan, and therefore should be used once daily. In case your heat rash does not resolve, your dermatologist can prescribe cool water compresses and a gentle medicine to get rid of your skin issues.
Fungal skin infections
During the hot and humid weather, fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot affect many. Ringworm is extremely common, particularly during summers. It usually starts as a small itchy circular rash that can occur anywhere on the body or the scalp which spreads if not treated. You get this from sharing items, clothes or touching an infected person.
Athlete’s foot is another problem. This infection causes a red, scaly, moist and itchy rash that starts between the toes and grows to cover the entire sole of the foot. Since this fungus flourishes in sweaty conditions, the summer monsoon is an ideal time for it to grow. It is contagious and is often transmitted by walking barefoot in gyms or outside in the soil. Treatment: luckily, these conditions are easily treated. But prevention comes first. Make sure to keep your body and feet dry. Also, wear chappals and sandals whenever walking around in common gym areas or at home. And, remove sweaty socks immediately, and wear open sandals as much as possible to air out your feet. The last step is treatment. These infections must be treated by topical or oral antifungals. So, go to your dermatologist so that you can procure medication to be ringworm-free and get rid of athlete’s foot in less than two weeks.
Tanning
Feeling duller, darker and tannedIJ Unfortunately, the sun becomes especially strong during the summer season, causing you to look some shades darker than you did in the winter. Tanning is caused by UVB and UVA rays, which damage your skin cells, causing them to stimulate melanocytes to produce melanin or pigment in response.
Treatment: Tanning is extremely easy to prevent and treat. It just requires a little extra effort. Most importantly, it is vital to wear a copious amount of broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply it every four to six hours. look for sunscreens with at least SPF30 and PA++ for optimal protection. Second, you can get metabolic peeling or diamond polishing done, which will help get those extra shades off quickly and safely.
(The author is an American celebrity dermatologist, and medical director and MD at lumiere Dermatology, Delhi)