Your One-Stop Guide to Monsoon Skin Woes

Yes, there’s no doubt in the fact that amidst Kolkata’s sweltering-hot tropical climate, the cloudy and rainy monsoon comes as a breath of fresh air, but a host of problems that it brings along with it are unputdownable! Also, according to the top dermatologists in Kolkata, the monsoon could be extremely ruthless and cruel to your skin especially if you don’t take adequate care of it.

Skin Woes and Monsoon – How are These Connected?

One of the main culprits, which plays the catalyst in triggering skin woes during the rainy season is humidity. Besides, the constant craving of eating piping-hot or spicy food to beat monsoon blues could also be blamed to damage our skin. On top of it, most skin rashes and infections spread at lightning speed!

As per the skin-care experts, the alternating humid and hot weather tends to make our skin extremely oily and sensitive. Needless to say, oily skin works like a magnet for bacteria, dirt, or dust, which ultimately leads to breakouts or allergic reactions.

Why is Monsoon So Merciless to Our Skin?

Even though monsoon appears to be a respite from the sweltering and scorching heat of summer, it is playfully capricious. Sometimes the mellow Sun is peeping through the precariously hanging cottony clouds, and sometimes the sky is opening up like cats and dogs! This causes the temperature to fluctuate and makes it a perfect environment for fungi and bacteria to take a toll on our skin.

Itchiness, rashes, redness, breakouts, etc. are some of the most common nuisances that make inroads in our lives with the arrival of the rainy season. Also, excessive perspiration irritates our skin, too! This leads to a growth in fungi and subsequent skin allergies.

Skin Woes That are Common During Monsoon

Here’s shedding light on some of the commonest skin issues that anyone might suffer from during the rainy season –

1. Athlete’s Foot

Another common skin infection that most of us tend to grapple with is the Athlete’s Foot! Generally, it occurs as a result of excessive sweat or moisture retention as or when our shoes or socks get wet. The usual symptoms of this infection are cracked toenails or discoloured nails. Sometimes it might accompany a bit of itching on our feet, too.

Athlete’s Foot might not be a serious skin concern, but it is extremely contagious! The best way to keep this nuisance at an arm’s length is to use anti-fungal powder adequately. The trick is to control moisture or sweat. It’s recommended that you should thoroughly wash your feet once you come back home from outside.

2. Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis refers to excessive sweating. This medical condition is commonly characterised by extreme sweating in the palms, armpits, face, torso, scalp, etc. Not only do these conditions cause foul body odour, but also trigger allergic infection.  

3. Hyper Pigmentation

Patchy or uneven skin tone is such a terrible issue! When a pigmented area becomes even darker, that’s called Hyperpigmentation. This is usually characterised by the darkening of a particular area, which is resulted from an overproduction of melanin.

This is more or less pretty common and harmless. Hyperpigmentation is caused by either a very high concentration of melanocytes that produces melanin or when melanocytes get hyperactive because of sun exposure.

4. Ringworm

Ringworm or most commonly known as a fungal infection is a pretty common infection, which occurs owing to an abnormally increased humidity during the rainy season. Ringworms tend to thrive in areas, which are prone to excessive sweating.

A fungus might transmit from the sharing of utensils, towels, public toilets, and the like. Once acquired, such infections could spread very rapidly across the body. Also, it spreads out as or when the infected areas are scratched out with fingernails. 

5. Scabies

During the rainy season, most people tend to come in contact with contaminated water that could cause scabies. This water-related ailment generally takes place through parasitic mites that are completely invisible to our naked eye.

Scabies can result in excessive discomfort through intense itching, skin rashes, or red patches. If you’re suffering from scabies, you must immediately consult a dermatologist to relieve the issue. Make sure that you maintain thorough skin hygiene to keep any such issue at bay.

According to skin specialists, the sudden shift from extremely high temperatures to moisty-cloudy weather massively affects our skin by decreasing its ability to preserve moisture. Resultantly, our skin becomes eczematic.

In extreme cases, our skin even becomes red, blistered, itchy or dry, which affects our lower leg, feet, hands, etc. For avoiding such skin irritation, you should wear comfortable, airy and clean clothes. You may apply coconut oil to the affected parts of your body to get some relief.

6. Rashes

Different types of skin rashes tend to increase during monsoon. The moderately low temperature combined a humid weather releases pollen allergens in the air.

While it could affect people already dealing with sneezing, cold or rhinitis, these allergens could also flare up different allergy symptoms on the skin. Atopic hives or dermatitis might even occur as or when our skin comes in touch with such allergens.

To prevent the spreading of such allergens, you must keep the indoor potted plants away. Also, you should start maintaining a distance from pets as much as you can.

Have a Great Skin Even in Monsoon!

No matter the weather, a good skincare routine will make you glow even when the Monsoon blues engulf us completely! Your skin and hair could descend into a netherworld of sweat and perspiration, thanks to the humid and cloudy weather. Sounds icky, right!?

Excessive sweat could make your body feel sticky and sweaty. Body odour, flat hair, and fatigued skin are the common by-products of excess sweat! It’s recommended that you should take a proper shower using anti-bacterial or anti-fungal soaps. Wash off your hands and feet as frequently as possible.

To control sweating, you should use good-quality antiperspirant. Try staying away from dusty and polluted areas as much as you can. Don cottony-soft, clean clothes. And, make sure to consult a dermatologist if your skin woes get difficult to shake off!