Travellers say Chennai's summer months, though clearly hotter this year, are more tolerable than those in the burning plains of inland metros. A friendly sea breeze sets in, not too late in the afternoon, and the beaches aren't too far away from anywhere in the city. Yes, you sweat in buckets, but isn't it a cheap way to get rid of toxins?
But the heat-dust-sweat combo isn't always kind to the skin. The skin protests the jumping thermostat by leaving your hair limp, heels cracked and feet burning. The whole act inevitably coincides with your plan to go minimal in sleeveless blouses/singlets, capris/bermudas, mini skirts and halter tops. Or just when you invest in swimming trunks or suits. It's a conspiracy.
Common skin problems
“There are skin problems peculiar to the summer heat,” says Dermatologist Priya Naresh, who consults at Ruchira Skincare. Here is her list of what to expect when the weather hell breaks loose.
1. About 70 per cent of the patients seek relief from the common prickly heat (miliria rubra). The itching and its companion, that unbearable burning sensation, have no favourites — they touch everyone from a two-month-old to a nonagenarian. Exposure to sunlight and blocked sweat glands bring it on. As in all life, some go scot-free after hours of broiling in the hot sun, while others sustain a scratching spree. Sure, try the palliatives at home, but consult your doc before it gets out of control.
2. Fungal infection is another possibility. It is related to sweat ( themal in Tamil) and appears in alarming white or brownish patches on face and back. It is asymptomatic but the multiple patches are scary enough to get us running to the doctor. It is completely curable.
3. Another summer gift is tinea aka padai thamarai . The fungi concentrate on sweat-collecting areas of the skin and leave the victims completely alarmed. Its trademark oval-shaped lesions are itchy, but again curable. Tinea includes ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch.
4. Some of you could be allergic to sunlight. This “polymorphous light eruption” (recurrent, abnormal, delayed reactions to sunlight) awards you with a classic bout of scratching in the areas exposed to the sun — face, neck, nape and arms. It targets all age groups.
5. Pigmentation: our young simply dread tanning from direct sunlight. Noticed any two-wheeler-driving girls with a pair of long socks over their arms and dupatta around the head and most of the face? Those mummy-like figures whizzing past on scooterettes evidently don't believe in fairness creams. “Suntan is a cosmetic problem,” said Dr. Priya, driving home the point. “The younger population is the one most worried about it.”
6. Those who're prone to acne may see it inflamed by the scorching sun. Wash face and neck often and get the doc to recommend treatment.
7. Kids playing in the sand may come home scratching madly because of an inflammatory bacterial overload. What they have is impetigo — medicalese for bacterial infection.
Once summer sets in, we automatically drink lots of water and eat light, fibre-rich food. Even those sworn to spicy food go easy on it when the sun seems much closer. Still, if you spot a skin eruption, do consult a doctor. Treatment includes creams and tablets. If you're prone to eruption episodes through the year, add anti-fungal soap, lotions and shampoos to the bathroom shelf for regular use. It's all about maintenance, high and low.
Preventive measures
Prevention obviously is better. Skincare regimens, when scrupulously followed, help beat local warming. Dry your clothes properly. Heat kills the fungus but when clothes are dried in the shade, there's a possibility of contamination. When you give clothes out for ironing, check for dryness on the hems and the thicker parts. Don't snap on clothes when you're wet. Pat yourself dry before you reach out. Splash on a good sunscreen or a sungel when you step out during the day. It lasts 3-4 hours, so if you're the outdoor kind, you'll need three applications a day, some 20 minutes before you hit the road. Wash yourself well. Bathe twice if water supply allows it. Find an anti-bacterial soap to wash arms and neck with when you get home. Read the fine print on the moisturiser/sunscreen label. Is that for you?
Fine. “Just why won't we use a physical sunscreen — the good old umbrella?” asks Dr. Priya. “Specially those of us with sun allergies?”
Keep your cool, with tender coconut, watermelon, slender cucumber, buttermilk and cinnamon-flavoured water. Stay calm. Cursing the weather only makes it worse.
WEATHER THE HEAT
Drink lots of water.
Keep cool with tender coconut, watermelon, cucumber and buttermilk.
Avoid spicy food.
Eat fibre-rich food.
Wear clothes that have been well-dried in the sun.
Use anti-fungal soaps, lotions and shampoos.
Use sunscreen lotion before stepping out in the sun
Carry an umbrella.
