ummer, for us Indians, is quite different from that of our Western counterparts.
They sing about Summertime, 'when the living is easy', and romp on the beaches all day long, soaking up the sun and getting a nice tan.
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For us, it is the harshest season of the year.
So we must take extra care to stay cool, and avoid sunburns and heatstrokes.
Here's how to keep cool this summer:
1. Take a shower!
i. It is the best way to cool your body's core temperature and unblock the pores from sweat and grime.
Don't use chilled water. It should be just cool to the touch so you dont shock your skin.
ii. Bathe at least twice a day with a mild soap. Menthol-based body washes, like Liril Ice Blue (Rs 90) or Marks & Spencer's Forest Fern (Rs 250), both at all cosmetic outlets, are really cool.
Discontinue if irritation or tingling persists on your skin as you may be sensitive to menthol.
iii. Essential oils added to your bath water can be very cooling and soothing.
Try Blossom Kocchar's Lavender or Citrus oils (around Rs 300 a vial, available at Crawford Market, Mumbai).
Just a few drops are enough.
2. Smell great all summer!
Resident bacteria attack sweat and dead cells held in body folds. These dead cells break into foul-smelling substances, leading to body odour.
i. Don't overuse talc. It may block pores.
Use Abzorb powder (Rs 40, available at all chemists) for excess sweating.
ii. Use roll-on deodorants for underarms that list Aluminium hexahydrate as one of the ingredients. Try Avon (Rs 85), Suave (Rs 120) or Fa (Rs 100), available at most cosmetic outlets.
iii. Spray-on deos are best -- they do not block pores, can be used as frequently as desired. You can even carry it in your purse for an instant freshening-up.
3. Smelly feet, sweaty hands?
Too much sweating over palms and soles (also called Hyperhidrosis), can be embarrassing, but there are solutions.
i. Formaline soaks are a cheap treatment to decrease sweat secretion (Rs 200 to Rs 300 per sitting), but tend to discolour the skin and nails.
ii. Iontophoresis (the process of passing electric current of very low voltage with galvanic rollers over the affected parts) is also quite effective.
iii. Botox is the latest and most effective remedy.
At about Rs 20,000 per sitting, tiny injections of this substance are injected into the affected area with excellent control of sweating which lasts for six to eight months.
This treatment can be repeated as often as desired.
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Do you have a skin query for Dr Parul Kolhe? Write to us!
DON'T MISS
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Dr Parul S Kolhe is an M B B S, DDV and DNB in dermatology.
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