Prevent skin problems in summer

Summer is here and with the mercury levels rising every day, the heat and humidity play a major role in our lives, keeping us hot and bothered. Summer brings with it a host of skin problems, some of which are:

Skin tan and sunburn

A suntan is actually the body's defense mechanism against strong sunlight and the visible evidence of damage to the skin. Severe sunburn results in the redness of the skin, skin peeling and sometimes itching.

Treatment: Avoiding sunlight and using a calamine lotion during the day. Also taking an allergic tablet during the day and night for a week along with a very mild steroid lotion at bedtime will help.

AcneAggravation of acne (pimples) as the heat, humidity, dead skin cells and oil tend to clog the pores thereby leading to comedones (blackheads) and then acne. Hygiene plays an important role.

Treatment: Applying a 'mud-pack' once a week to absorb the oil. Having plenty of water and taking supplements of Vitamin A, zinc and antioxidants and applying an erythromycin gel at bedtime.

Prickly heatExcessive sweating and increased dead cell turnover blocks the sweat glands and causes a rash-like picture commonly known as 'prickly heat' especially in the folds of the skin where the sweat accumulates and maybe also on the the back. This leads to itching.

Treatment: Having cool showers, wearing loose clothes, putting talcum powder after a bath, applying calamine lotion on the rashes.

Fungal infections

This is very common in the hot and humid weather. The fungi thrive in the humid weather and areas where there is less aeration as in the folds of the skin especially in people who wear tight clothing, shoes the whole day long and synthetic clothing.

Treatment: Having a shower more often, using an anti-fungal powder in the body folds after a bath and applying an anti-fungal cream at bedtime on affected areas.

Dandruff

Dandruff is a result of over-secretion of oil on the scalp mixed with increased dead cell turnover, sweats and the pollution around. This leads to a 'scale' formation on the scalp which is not only unhygienic but can also lead to hairfall, itching and eventually pimples on the forehead and back.

Treatment: Washing your hair often in summer. Using a medicated shampoo containing 2 per cent ketaconozole and ZPTO (zinc pyrithione).

Using home remedies like lemon juice or curds on scalp before washing the hair. Increased pigmentation: Normal skin and skin with pigmentation problems seems to look darker when exposed to the summer sun. This is because exposure to sun activates the melanin to rise to the upper layers thereby increasing pigmentation.