Sweat and pollution during summer is a harmful combination. Apart from that, many health habits are also responsible for increasing skin problems, mainly in the city areas, says Dr Sudip Parajuli, dermatologist at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj.[break]
“The main risk for the skin during summer is that of infections,” he says. He also reports that patients in his dermatology OPDs have increased in recent years.The Week lists some of the skin problems that are most common amongst the urban population in Nepal.
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Acne
Dr Parajuli says that acne is the most common problem he attends to. Medically known as Acne Vulgaris, it is a skin disease that involves the oil glands at the base of hair follicles. Mostly teenagers suffer from this type of skin problem. Acne basically occurs due to androgen hormone level in the body. “There is a misconception that acne can be caused due to pollution but it’s basically the change in hormones during puberty,’ says Dr Parajuli.
However, there are also indications through various researches that acne can be caused due to genetic reasons. Greasy cosmetics and medications with high level of androgen can also trigger acne in some people.
Eczema
Eczema is caused due to the inflammation of epidermis. This can be caused to people of any age group. The cause of eczema is unknown but is presumed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Eczema is referred to a broad range of skin conditions, recurring skin rashes being the common one. It symptoms can be redness, swelling of skin, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, bleeding or itching.
Excessive usage of detergent products is one the main causes of this problem, according to Dr Parajuli. He adds that people use many chemicals such as dyes and lotions in order to enhance their looks, which is also increasing the problem. Eczema can also be caused due to exposure to excessive pollution, but it is mainly due to unhealthy contact of skin with the chemicals.
Dr Parajuli further says that commonly people use more chemical-laden cosmetics during summer, which increases the chances of side-effects. Since people tend to sweat a lot during summer, the combination of such chemicals with the perspiration can be proven lethal. Therefore, Dr Parajuli suggests using fewer cosmetics during summer.
Skin infections
The most common skin problem during summer is skin infections, according to Dr Parajuli. It is different from eczema but skin infections are also characterized by inflammation of skin. such infections can be caused by various causative agents such as bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infestations, sting and bites.
“This type of skin problem is mainly caused by increasing pollution,” says Dr Parajuli. He adds that skin infections can also be the result of poor hygiene conditions. During the dry season, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and hygiene to avoid such infections. According to him, it is one of the most common problems among his patients at his dermatology OPDs.
Sunburn
Though, according to Dr Parajuli, light-related disorders are mainly observed during winter due to people’s habit of staying in the sun for long hours during cold days, these can also be observed during summer. He says that during summer people refrain from staying directly in the sun to warm their bodies, so the chances of suffering from light-related disorders are very less during summer.
Nonetheless, sunburn can be a major problem during summer if required measures are not taken into consideration. It can be a major skin problem if it is not treated in time. Excessive exposure to summer heat will not only pose many potential skin disorders but will also slow down the body’s natural ability to cool down.
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