Due to intense sunlight, sweating, lack of moisture and many other factors, everyone, be it man or woman, during the summer season faces hair-related issues such as dryness, dandruff, scalp infections and even lice. This not only results in easy hair breakage but also makes hair dull and lifeless. In the same regard, the ETV Bharat Sukhibhava team spoke to Dr. Asha Saklani, a Dermatologist based in Uttarkhand. She mentions that during this season, proper cleaning of the scalp and hair care is a must, especially for people living in cities with a lot of humidity and air pollution.
Dirt, sunlight and sweat are the main culprits
Dr. Asha Saklani says most of the people step out of their homes in summer without covering their heads. In such a situation, when our scalp is exposed to dust, pollutants and intense sunlight, our scalp is affected in a negative way. At the same time, people who wear helmets for a long period of time while riding two-wheelers, face excessive sweating. The sweat along with dirt and pollutants gets accumulated on the scalp, which can further cause infections, itching, rashes and other issues.
What can be done?
Dr. Asha suggests some tips for hair care during summer, which include:
- Wash your hair with a mild or herbal shampoo at least thrice a week. Especially those exposed to more dust and pollution on daily basis or who wear helmets for a long time must follow a proper hair wash routine.
- Whenever stepping out of the house, even if for a few minutes, do not forget to cover your head with a cotton cloth, dupatta or a cap. Do not let your hair get exposed to direct sunlight or dust. Also, when wearing a helmet, wear a cotton cloth on your head first or cover your hair with a dupatta. Besides drying up excessive sweat, it prevents infections too caused by it.
- Excessive heat also soaks up all the moisture from the hair as well as from our body too. Therefore, keep yourself properly hydrated throughout the day. Apart from water other fluids and fruits and vegetables with higher water content like watermelon, muskmelon, etc can also be included in the diet.
- Women must not tie their hair too tight, because sweat and sunlight can cause the roots to become weak, which can result in hair breakage.
- Be it summer or any other season, always remember not to rub your hair with a towel in order to dry them. This causes friction and leads to breakage as well as takes away the natural moisture from the hair. Therefore, cotton cloth is ideal for hair drying. Here too, instead of rubbing, always pat dry your hair.
- To maintain your hair health, avoid styling your hair i.e. using a straightener, curler or using a dryer. Also, avoid using hair care products that consist of high amounts of chemicals or taking hair treatments that affect the natural quality of hair.
- Oil your hair twice a week, but do not leave the oil in your hair for too long. During summers, oil your hair for 15-60 minutes before shampooing.
Dr. Asha says that if even after all these precautions, the problem of itching, rashes, etc. persists, immediately consult a dermatologist.
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