12 Summer Skin Problems You Can Prevent!

 

Summer has its own charm. It is the season of delightful ice-creams, of refreshing juices and colas, of those sizzling and rejuvenating sessions in the pool with your favorite drinks making it the perfect time to chill. But, summer is also the time of prickly heat, rashes and mysterious lumps, bumps, crusting, swelling, oozing etc. It is the peak time for such creepy-crawly sensations that is often accompanied with burning, itching, pricking along with pain and discomfort. We are here to help you beat the skin woes in summer as we tell you about the top 12 summer skin problems that you can prevent as highlighted under:

1. Heat Rash Or Prickly Heat: As a result of too much of heat, the sweat glands on the skin get blocked. It builds up under the skin as the sweat is unable to get out and this leads to tiny, itchy rashes. When these bumps burst, one feels a prickly sensation which results in discomfort to say the least.

How to prevent Prickly Heat:

• Wear loose fitting cotton clothes that are light-weight and super comfortable.
• Ensure that your skin is dry and every trace of perspiration and sweat has been wiped off from every fold of your skin at regular intervals.
• Go in for cool showers to keep your skin cool during summers which helps prevent prickly heat.

2. Folliculitis: When the hair follicles on the skin gets infected while developing tenderness and itchiness while looking like pimples, it is known as folliculitis. It can occur anywhere in the body where there is hair. This infection can affect one follicle or a multiple of them.

How to prevent Folliculitis:

• Change into fresh clothes always after rigorous exercise sessions, gym and other physical activities.
• Check out the salon’s cleanliness and hygiene parameters if you wax or shave. Follow it up with skin soothing gels and use your own towel.
• Drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated to prevent folliculitis.

3. Acne Breakouts: Another common skin problem during summer is acne breakouts. When the sweat mixes with oils and bacteria on the skin, it leads to the clogging of pores. Certain skin types are acne prone as well, which means that there will be breakouts.

How to prevent Acne Breakouts:

• Avoid oil-based moisturizers, creams and other skin care products.
• Step up on your water intake and avoid oily, spicy and fried foods.
• Use a glycolic face wash to keep your skin clean to prevent the breakout of irritating acnes.

4. Dry And Irritated Skin: The terrible heat, the humidity can lead to skin dryness and not only this, even long sessions in the pool, water parks and air conditioners can also lead to dry and irritated skin to put it precisely.

How to prevent Dry And Irritated Skin:

• Use a mild cleanser to shower and shampoo immediately after getting out of the pool using clean and fresh water.
• Make sure to apply broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen every time you step outdoors.
• Stay hydrated and increase your water intake to prevent dryness and irritated condition of the skin from within.

5. Sun Allergy: If you are allergic to the harsh rays of the sun, then you might notice itchy skin rashes or hives when you are out in the sun. There might be red, scaly bumps on the bare skin that are extremely itchy as a result of the allergy. At times, people also get blisters if they are allergic to the sun.

How to prevent Sun Allergy:

• Make sure to apply broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or above all over the skin before you step out every time.
• Wear sun protective clothes and use umbrellas and shades to restrict the allergy.
• Avoid staying out in the sun for long hours.

6. Heat Boils: Another common skin problem in summer is heat boils which is caused by bacteria that breeds on sweaty and moist skin to be precise. The boils can be painful and at times anti-biotics are needed to cure it.

How to prevent Heat Boils:

• Eat lots of green vegetables, fresh fruits and follow a balanced diet.
• Drink plenty of fresh fruit juices like, watermelon, lemon, sugarcane and also water to stay hydrated.
• Avoid spicy, oily and fried foods and limit your intake of coffee and tea.

7. Fungal Infections: During the hot months of summer, fungal infections are extremely common. The fungus is known to grow on the top layer of the skin, especially in areas that are dark, moist and warm like, feet and groin.

How to prevent Fungal Infections:

• Change sweaty clothes the soonest that you can.
• Wear light weight, comfortable and pure cotton clothes that are ‘’breathable’’.
• Use absorbent powder in sweat prone areas to avoid such fungal infections.

8. Viral Infections: Viral infections are common during summer. Chicken pox and measles are also common during the season and anyone with rashes and high temperature must consult the doctor for the proper detection and advice.

How to prevent Viral Infections:

• Wear freshly washed clothes always and change sweaty clothes from time to time.
• Keep a check on the water intake to stay hydrated from within.
• Use soap, shampoos, body washes to keep yourself clean on a daily basis.

9. Infection from Manicure or Pedicure: Although manicures and pedicures can help make your nails look great, but it might as well expose you to germs that cause an infection.

How to prevent Infection From Manicure Or Pedicure:

• Check with the salon’s parameters of cleanliness and hygiene before opting for manicure and pedicure sessions.
• Consider buying your own tools at the salon if you go in for regular manicure and pedicure sessions to prevent infections.
• Check if foot baths along with the fillers are disinfected thoroughly before you use it.

10. Sunburn: It is another common problem that people tend to develop during the summer. Getting a sunburn not only dampens the summer fun, but also it increases the chances of getting skin cancer.

How to prevent Sunburns:

• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of 30 or above and a sunscreen that is water resistant for the best results.
• Use shades and umbrellas as the best kind of prevention.
• Avoid staying out long hours in the sun to prevent sun burns during summer.

11. Swimmer’s Ear: When the water gets trapped in the ear canal, one is known to develop a particular infection known as Swimmer’s Ear.

How to prevent Swimmer’s Ear:

• Keep your ears dry.
• Wear earplugs while swimming.
• Say no to cleaning your ears with cotton swabs as these can further push the earwax and the dirt deeper into the canal while aggravating the issue.

12. Swimmer’s Itch: Since summer is the ideal time to enjoy swimming in the pools, lakes and other water bodies, it also leads to the swimmer’s itch which is a common issue during summers. Also known as calm digger’s itch, the swimmer’s itch is a itchy rash that appears after wading and swimming in lakes, oceans and other water bodies during summer. It appears on the areas that the swimming costume doesn’t cover as a result of the parasites in the water that burrow into the skin. At times, hives and blisters can also occur.

How to prevent Swimmer’s Itch:

• Make sure that you stay out of infested water.
• Briskly rub your skin with a clean towel after getting out of the water.
• Be aware of the cleanliness of the water and look for signs that ask you to stay away from the waters if the water is infested and also you may hear about someone who has developed the rashes after being in the water.

Here’s wishing that you have a cool and healthy summer this year!