Summer season is a hard time for not just the body but also your skin. As the temperature soars, the heat becomes unbearable, and while you've trained your body to fight the heat and keep cool, the same is needed for your delicate skin too.The answer lies in keeping yourself well-hydrated, protecting your skin from sun exposure, and reducing any conditions that make you vulnerable to infections. 

5 Summer Skin Problems You Should Know About

Do you think of your skin as a beautiful feature to be bared when the weather warms up? So it's essential you take care of it, especially during the summertime, when UV levels can wreak havoc on exposed skin. An itchy rash or sunburned skin can quickly sideline summer fun. You can help keep your days carefree and easygoing by learning how to prevent these summer skin problems. 

1. Acne breakouts: Its sweat mixed with excessive oil, as well as dirt and bacteria on the skin's surface that clogs pores, aggravates acne-prone skin and leads to breakouts.      

Tips to prevent Acne Breakouts:

  • Keep Your Skin Clean
  • Rinse of Excess Sweat
  • Don't Wash Away Your Skin's Protective Barrier
  • Pay Attention to Your Post-Cleanse Routine

2. Dry, irritated skin: The skin feels rough and scaly and often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness. When outdoor air is hot and humid, you can still have dry irritated skin.  Any thing that further dries your skin — such as overuse of soaps, antiperspirants, perfumes,or hot baths — will make the problem worse. The biggest culprits are spending time in the Dehydration,Sun Exposure, Smoking, Air Conditioner and Stress. 

Tips to prevent Dry, irritated skin:

  • Prevent baths and showers from making dry skin worse
  • Apply moisturizer immediately after washing
  • Use an ointment or cream rather than a lotion
  • Wear lip balm
  • Choose non-irritating clothes and laundry detergent 

3. Folliculitis: Every single hair on the human body grows from its own follicle. Folliculitis is a relatively common skin disorder caused by inflammation and infection in the hair follicles. Infected hair follicles look like pimples, but they tend to be itchy and tender. 

Tips to prevent Folliculitis:

  • Avoid  tight clothing or irritating clothing
  • Avoid  harsh chemicals or irritating personal care products
  • Avoid  improper shaving techniques
  • Avoid  improperly treated hot tub sand pools
  • Avoid  spending too long in sweaty clothing

4. Melasma: Melasma is a common skin problem. It causes brown to gray-brown patches, usually on the face. While less common, melasma can appear on other parts of the body — especially those more prone to sun exposure (like the neck and forearms) — and many people say their melasma worsens in the summer and improves in the winter. 

Tips to prevent Melasma:

  • Avoiding facial sun exposure
  • Wear hats, sunglasses, and sunblock with physical blockers 

5. Sun allergy: Sun allergy is a term often used to describe a number of conditions in which an itchy red rash occurs on skin that has been exposed to sunlight. The most common form of sun allergy is polymorphic light eruption, also known as sun poisoning. 

Tips to prevent Sun allergy:

  • Avoid the sun during peak hours
  • Avoid sudden exposure to lots of sunlight
  • Wear sunglasses and protective clothing
  • Avoid known triggers 

Aloe vera is the only thing you need to make it through the summer. Aloe vera has some miraculous health and skin benefits. Being a medicinal plant, it contains over 200 active components including minerals,vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, fatty acids and polysaccharides. It is also an ingredient in a variety of gels and creams that are sold to treat skin conditions including sunburn and psoriasis. 

So this summer, whatever the skin woes, look to aloe vera to provide the solutions. Its antioxidant and antibacterial properties have been known for centuries and that's the reason it has been used in Ayurvedic medicines for ages.  

When to call a dermatologist: While these summer skin problems can dampen your fun, they’re usually not serious. Most go away in a few days to a few weeks. If a rash or other skin problem lingers or worsens, you should call your dermatologist’s office.