The festival of colours of Holi can be a bit harsh for your skin and hair. While the colours damage your skin, harsh sun rays and chemicals present in colourful foams damage your hair
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The festival of colours of Holi can be a bit harsh for your skin and hair. While the colours damage your skin, harsh sun rays and chemicals present in colourful foams damage your hair. Dr Batul Patel, medical director and Dermatologist, The Bombay Skin Clinic lists down dos and don'ts
Tips to take care of the skin before Holi
- Ensure that all your wounds are properly covered before playing holi and wounds are thoroughly cleaned post Holi to prevent infection.
- Oiling of hair and using a thick leave on serum and tying up the hair allows less exposure to the chemicals.
- Ensure that you protect your face with a thick repair cream as opposed to oils that allow higher penetration of the colour into the skin.
- A great way to protect your nails is to use your good old nail polish.
- The best protection is to keep your skin covered as much as possible with physical protectors like full sleeve shirts, leggings, denims etc. The exposed area should be protected by applying petroleum jelly of an occlusive moisturiser to prevent undue absorption of harmful chemicals.
Tips to take care of the skin after Holi
- After playing holi it’s very important to immediately wash all the colour. Try to make a homemade scrub which also acts as a moisturiser. You can mix brown sugar, honey and aloe vera and grind very gently which can be used to exfolaite the skin and to remove the colour.
- If one experiences itching or burning sensation it is best to immediately visit a dermatologist.
- Avoid using very hot shower to have a bath because it tends to dry the body further and will leave the skin more itchy and damaged.
- Examine the skin if there are any minor cuts or trauma and treat it immediately. Untreated wounds can quickly get infected.
- Any reaction in the skin around the eye area should be treated immediately with a repair cream or a moisturizer. If the rash still doesn't subside its best to show to a dermatologist.
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