Rainy season or more like the itchy skin season
Have you watched the movie ‘Rehnna Hai Tere Dil Me’ or its original Tamil version ‘Minnale’? If you have, then you’ll know the scene that I will be describing now. From the perspective of the lead hero, a group of kids are dancing in the rain. A car rolls past them and stops a little ahead. The door opens, and a girl steps out of the car. She walks cross-armed to the kids, almost seeming like she was going to scold them. Only to the bewilderment of our hero, she takes a step or two back, takes her heels off, and joins the children! She dances in the rain with the kids like there is no tomorrow, and that, right there, is when the hero falls in love with her. Be it Bollywood or Hollywood rains have always been depicted in a very romantic way. Infact, Monsoon is officially regarded as the season of love. But something not so romantic or something that can surely hamper your caravan of romance is red, itchy, and flaky skin.
Itchy skin and Monsoon
While Monsoon brings an end to the gut-wrenching summer of ours, it also brings in a fair share of problems of its own. One of them is a series of skin problems. As the weather is moist and humidity remains high, your skin often interacts with this moisture, which can alter your skin biome. Also, due to the high humidity, your body is not able to retain the moisture, which also affects your skin condition. And any change in your body leads to your self-defense mechanism to release an inflammatory response. You end up facing redness and itchiness.
Reasons for the inflammation
Microbial Infections
Moist and humid climates are perfect breeding conditions for parasites, fungus, and even bacteria. These microorganisms can sprout anywhere from your feet to your underarms. All they need is a warm and moist environment. A detailed overview of this can be found in the article titled ‘Rains and Microbial Infections’
Non-microbial skin conditions
While microbial infections are primarily caused by pathogens that enter your body from outside, non-microbial skin conditions are largely dependent on the status of your body. It includes if your body is hydrated or not if your skin is clean or not or if you follow basic hygiene practices. The typical skin conditions that you may encounter during Monsoon have been discussed in the next section.
Types of Non-Microbial skin conditions
Acne
Acne is a problem that plagues all, irrespective of gender and age. During the hot summer, your body experiences a lot of external heat. That, combined with the sudden increase in humidity during Monsoon, leads your body into producing excess sebum or oil. This oil attracts a lot of dirt and dust, which can quickly get introduced during monsoon storms, and they settle on your skin. These particles clog your pores, which lead to the acne breakouts.
Psoriasis
This is an autoimmune condition where your skin cells multiply faster than its usual rate, leading to the formation of red, flat, and circular bumps, which often look scaly in appearance. And this is a condition which gets worse from summer to winter. While the exact cause varies from people to people, lack of sunlight exposure can be linked to the condition getting worse.
Excessive sweating
If you have noticed, you feel that your skin seems stickier when the weather is humid. This is because of the excess production of oil and sweat. The sweat usually evaporates, but in the case of Monsoon, it takes much longer to dissipate. This makes your clothes remain wet for a longer time and can cause skin irritation.
Dry skin
The humidity makes it difficult for your body to retain moisture; thus, you tend to lose it quickly, primarily via your skin, i.e., by sweating. For people who generally tend to have dry skin, the skin looks drought-like and flaky. This seems exceptionally unappealing and can further cause skin irritations.
Skin allergies
Allergy is an immune response to an allergen. Its cause can vary from pollutants to pollens, which can land on your skin due to the rains. The most common allergic reaction is itching. If not treated, it can worsen over time, and you may experience redness and bumps.
Eczema
The most typical skin condition that is mostly observed with the onset of Monsoon is eczema. Your skin becomes inflamed, red, and might even develop blisters, which become thick over time. These rough skin patches may even crack. With the increased humidity, your skin becomes dryer, and that aggravates this condition. This also makes your skin susceptible to invasion by microbes and allergens.
Preventive measures
Prevention is always better than cure. While some may be experiencing these above-mentioned skin conditions by birth or for a prolonged period, you can control them so that the situation doesn’t aggravate. By following some simple hygiene tips, you can keep these issues at bay –- Staying hydrated can help you solve 90% of the skin problems. Drink more water than usual this Monsoon
- Clean your face with a face wash and body with soap after you have come back from outside
- Exfoliate your face correctly to get rid of any grime and dirt
- Applying coconut oil over dry and flaky skin can help ease the roughness of your skin
- Staying moisturized is the best treatment for your skin as it acts as an external hydrating agent
- Application of toner on your face before going to sleep can help balance the pH and prevent unwanted acne
- Dry yourself properly after a bath, especially in regions which are more prone to getting infected
- Eating a balanced and healthy diet goes a long way in maintaining your skin biome. So, try avoiding that pack of chips that you might be craving for