Protect your skin & hair this Holi.
As fun as the festival of colours maybe it can play havoc with your skin and hair.
A simple case of prevention being better than cure.
I recommend that before venturing out to the parties make sure that you take some basic precautions in place.
- Moisturizing your skin & lips is essential, as the moisturizer on the skin acts like a shield and prevents colours from absorbing and staining the skin.
- For your nails consider using nail paint, which is safer and also acts like a nice protective layer which can be removed at will.
- For your hair, the best method is to use oil in your hair and cover it with a bandana. This again helps shield the hair from any harmful pigments and chemicals.
- Lastly don’t forget to wear a lot of sunscreen. While playing in the sun is a lot of fun, its easy to lose track of time and end up getting sunburns.
But now that you have had a good time and your friends have dunked you in colour, it’s time to clean up and nurture your skin and hair back to health.
Skin Clean-up and Nurturing.
A primary rule in skincare is to never use either strong soaps or very abrasive media for cleaning your skin. I often find that patients end up causing more damage than good with their good intentions and overzealous cleaning. As a matter of fact, too much rubbing or scrubbing can leave behind chafed skin or dry skin or dark patches which takes substantial time to heal.
I recommend that you first cleanse your body in warm running water to remove any loose particles or colours and then soap up with a very mild soap or body wash making sure you do not rub or scrub too hard. Make sure you pay attention to areas which are more susceptible to lodgement of colours like under and around your nails.
You may repeat this procedure once more if you desire but with the same amount of love and care.
Pat dry your skin once done with a soft towel and then moisturize your entire body and also apply a lip balm generously.
Also, avoid any exposure to strong cleansers or abrasive procedures like facials over the next few days.
What about those lovely locks?
Again being gentle is the key. Do not scrub harsh shampoos into your scalp, all that can happen with this is that there will be chafing or dryness, further complicating things.
Always first cleanse with warm running water and then reach out for a mild shampoo. Repeat if you are not satisfied.
Make sure to use a conditioner for your hair after washing and rinse out the same.
Gently dry your hair with a towel or a blow dryer on gentle setting.
Lastly and most importantly apply a ‘leave on serum’ generously.
For your delicate digits:
During your bath, try soaking your fingers and toes in warm water for approximately ten minutes. This eases removal of colour from your nails and also around the nails.
Use your nail polish remover to remove the colours and the nail polish you may have applied before going out. Be gentle again ensuring no rigorous scrubbing. If there are stains leave them be, they shall go away with time.
Lastly, moisturize your hands and even your nails…yes even your nails!
One thing I strongly suggest is absolutely no manicures or pedicures on the same day or the next. I recommend that you wait for at least four to five days before heading to the spa.
Over the next few days keep a check on your skin and in case you find any rash or breakout contact your dermatologist immediately.
About INURSKN:
Built on more than a decade of experience of Dr. Sejal Saheta, we are the honest and affordable, skin and hair care clinic. Our goal is to make each patient comfortable and happy with their appearance with the least amount of intervention.
Equipped with the latest technology, here qualified and trained doctors conduct and supervise all procedures in strict adherence to protocols developed by Dr. Saheta.
We are happy to be a part of your journey to reach your health goals. If you think we have been able to help you, please do review us:
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Disclaimer:
This article is one in a series of articles on skin conditions by Dr. Sejal Saheta – MD, DNB – Dermatology and Venereology. The objective of this series is to educate the reader and help them take precautions against various skin conditions they come across on an everyday basis. These articles are not meant to be used by patients for self-diagnosis or for avoiding proper medical treatment. The images used in the above blogs are just for the visual representation of the treatment results may vary from patient to patient.
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