Holi is just around the corner and we hope you are all geared up to celebrate the festival of colours in style and grace. We also hope that keep your health and the environment and other s safety in mind you will be using organic colours and at least do your bit in encouraging others to follow the path. Avoid indulging with people for whom Holi is just an excuse to spread mischief hooligans, eve teasers and anti-social. Be cautious and play Holi only with people whom you trust not to cross the unsaid code of conduct and respect each other s boundaries. Read to know why women in India don t want to play Holi.
However, we know that Holi leaves behind a mess to clean the tangled hair, colour stains on your skin, infections and if the wrong colours are used then it makes your skin itchy, red and flaky too. So, here we bring to your some precautions that you need to follow before and after playing Holi so that when the the celebrations are over you are all smiles with good memories and don t have to fret about how to get rid of the colours from your hair and skin. Here Dr Batul Patel, medical director and Dermatologist, The Bombay Skin Clinic, lists down some dos and don ts to follow:
Cover your wounds: Ensure that all your wounds are properly covered before playing Holi and wounds are thoroughly cleaned post-Holi to prevent infection.
Keep yourself covered as much as possible: The best protection is to keep your skin covered as much as possible with physical protectors like full sleeve shirts, leggings, denim etc. The exposed area should be protected by applying petroleum jelly of an occlusive moisturizer to prevent undue absorption of harmful chemicals.
Buy organic colours: One common problem that can crop up during Holi is intense itching. The holi colours tend to contain ingredients like lead oxide (black), copper sulfate and malachite green (green), aluminium bromide (silver), mercury sulphate (red) etc. These give an eczematous and allergic reaction to the metal and colour. Dry colours tend to contain two components, colourant and a base both of which cause cutaneous problems. The best way to fix this problem is to use a colour that are organic and natural extracts of fruits, leaves and barks with a fusion of flowers and herbs. Mica dust is often added as a sparkling agent to dry holi powders. This dust can microtrauma in form of tiny punctures in the skin and then lead to infection. Best is to stay away from powder which has a lot of sparkles.
Avoid using old colours: Skin infections like bacterial infection are very common during holi. They occur mostly because of using contaminated starch or wheat flour which is used as a base for making of the Holi colour. Also, old colours which have been left in the bags for very long get contaminated by bacteria. So it s always best to use products which have undergone a quality check and are available as a sealed pack.
Avoid immersing hands in water for too long: During Holi because of immersion of the hand in the water for a very long time and constant exposure to water one can develop infection and inflammation of the nail fold. It s best to keep the nails trimmed short and if there is any fungal infection treat it before playing Holi.
Take precautions to avoid acne breakouts: Flare of acne is common if a person is already suffering from acne because of the exposure to the chemicals in Holi colours such as lead oxide and aluminium bromide. These are the acne aggravating chemicals. Try to use an occlusive moisturiser on the face before you start playing Holi as this will form a barrier and prevent direct contact with the chemicals. Also to be on the safer side try to avoid silver and black colours.
After playing Holi:
Don t be harsh on the skin: Using rough loofah or stone vigorously to remove the Holi colours is not recommended. This can leave the skin red and irritated. It s best to use a hydrating body wash and gently try to remove the colour. Application of olive oil on the whole body and trying to remove the colour also helps. Try to make your own scrub like taking a small portion of finely ground brown sugar with honey and then using this as a scrub.
Use a natural exfoliate to take off the colours: After playing Holi it s very important to immediately wash the entire colour. Try to make a homemade scrub which also acts as a moisturizer. Use brown sugar, honey and aloe vera. Grind them very and use as an exfoliate for the skin and to remove the colour.
Take help if necessary: If one experiences itching or burning sensation it is best to immediately visit a dermatologist.
Bathe in lukewarm or cold water: Avoid using the very hot shower to have a bath because it tends to dry the body further and will leave the skin itchier and damaged.
Treat skin injury, if any, promptly: Examine the skin if there are any minor cuts or trauma and treat it immediately. Untreated wounds can quickly get infected.
Be vigilant with the eyes: 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 go to a dermatologist.
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