Mumbai Rains: Monsoon proof your skin and hair

Wet clothes worn for long hours leads to fungal infections in underarms and other private parts of the body

In the monsoon season, the skin gets more prone to skin infections like fungal, bacterial and parasitic and also skin allergies are commonly seen in this season. Specifically, wet clothes worn for long hours leads to fungal infections in underarms and other private parts of the body. Similarly, wet feet gives rise to mixed infections or results in an athlete's foot, commonly seen in males. Bacterial and fungal infections dominate this season and especially attack the feet. Allergies and skin eczema tends to flare and increase in monsoon. People commonly approach dermatologists with eczema of hands and feet.

Classification of skin types that get damaged during rainy season:

Oily skin: Exposure to heat followed by extreme humidity impacts oily skin in the most unfavourable manner. This worsens the existing acne and proliferates whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples.

Dry skin: Lack of moisture content and skin oils in most cases leads to dryness, which implies that soaps and solvents are better able to penetrate your skin and pull out natural skin oils. Most often, health conditions or genetic predisposition makes the skin dry in nature. With the rise of the humidity levels in the air, dry skin usually tends to get even drier.

In monsoons, your skin behaves in an unpredictable manner and fluctuates from oily and dry skin types. Good skin care daily regime with a well-balanced diet and exercise routine is the key for maintaining a balanced skin. Here are a few tips by Dr. Saumya Shetty Hegde, Medical Director, and CEO at The Roots Skin Clinic.

• Use a mild soap-free cleanser twice daily for washing the face. Facial scrub for dead skin exfoliation twice a week is recommended. This must be followed by a mild alcohol-free toner to clear residual skin impurities and reduce pores atleast once daily.
• Sunscreen is essential even on a cloudy day as the UV rays can penetrate the cloud cover and harm the skin. Sunscreen must be used daily to prevent skin damage in monsoon.
• Due to the constant wetness, your skin tends to dry and there will be general body itchiness. A lukewarm water bath followed by good moisture twice daily helps to minimise the discomfort.
• Mild chemical peels under dermatologists supervision rejuvenate your dull skin in monsoon and maintain the skin PH balance.
• Plenty of fluids, especially water is important.
• Heavy makeup in monsoons must be avoided. Ideally, waterproof and transfer resistant makeup products must be used. Nowadays, there are new dermatologically tested light, sheer makeup products available in the market. Use of waterproof eyeliners, mascara and light transfer resistant lipsticks are advisable. Avoid heavy foundation base and use lightweight mousse or souffle powders as a base. Sheer coat of light pink or brown lipsticks and lip-gloss must be used. Guarantee a complete removal of makeup at the day-end followed with light moisture.
• Make sure you sterilise the make-up tools like brushes and applicators on a regular basis to prevent skin infections.
• When we talk about skin, let's say that the humidity in the air gets increased so the skin tendency becomes ultra dry. This is the reason regular cleansing is important to keep skin healthy. Skin also depends on different types. So as per skin type, one needs to take necessary care
• For dry skin, it is necessary to keep it hydrated. Cleansing is important during the monsoon. High humidity causes sweat, build up dirt and dust along with other toxins on the surface of the skin. So one should keep it nourished. Loss of moisture from skin makes it appear dry and lifeless. Necessary to use moisturizer and sunscreen at least 3 -4 times a day.
• For oily skin, one should use very mild cleanser during monsoon to get rid of dead skin and dirt off. Use pure oatmeal scrub as it works wonders. This scrub cleanses oily skin. One can also use ripe papaya pulp as a mild exfoliator.
• One also needs to take care of their hair in monsoon. A proper hair care regime can help in preventing these issues. A good shampoo and conditioner are essential at least 2-3 times weekly. Avoid too many styling products and gels as it would make the hair greasy. Oiling once a week is beneficial. Wear hair in simple hairstyles or keep it short for easy manageability.
• Consume more of vegetables, salads-n-soups after appropriate cleansing and boiling.

Tips for fresh and clean hair :

One should keep their hair tied in monsoon, go for short haircuts if you want to avoid dirt which settles on your scalp or get split ends. Don’t let your hair get wet in rains, this will make your scalp to get that itchy feeling and may cause excessive dandruff. Always cover your hair. Important to rise your hair with a gentle shampoo and also to conditioner it.

While travelling, cover your head with scarf or cap so it will protect hair from probable damage. After all, monsoons are there to enjoy, so take care of your skin and hair with this few tips.

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