Play a Stress-Free Holi This Year With Dermatologist Dr. Sachin Dhawan’s Pro Tips on Skin & Hair Care

The festival of colours- Holi is around the corner and the excitement level is at its peak! It’s that time of the year when you forget being an adult and let the child inside you enjoy the festival- full of colours, water balloons, innumerable Gujjiyas and what not! But sadly, the next day reality hits and people are often left with skin & hair related problems due to the harsh colours of Holi. Right? Which is why we got in touch with the renowned dermatologist, Dr. Sachin Dhawan, who has been in clinical practice since last 15 years. And he’s here to give you some pro tips on skin & hair care so that you can play a stress-free Holi!

What precautions should we take while going out and playing holi?

• Wash your hair before stepping out to play to avoid making it rougher.
• Apply a transparent nail lacquer on nails.
• Apply oil on the scalp or use a cap to protect the hair.
• Put petroleum jelly to protect the skin. And layer your skin with sunscreen.
• Wear glasses to protect the eyes.

What’s the best way to get rid of the colours after playing Holi?

• Wash your skin with cold water and try to gently remove the colours by sliding them off. It would only be easy if you have applied oil beforehand.
• Use a soap-free cleanser for face and hands, 3 or 4 times.
• Avoid using harsh soaps, scrubs and detergents to remove colour as that can lead to irritant allergy and dehydration of skin leading to eczema- wherein the skin becomes itchy and inflamed.
• Use a gentle moisturiser post the cleanser as skin needs hydration.
• Use sunscreen after the moisturiser as skin is more susceptible to sun damage after Holi colour use.
• And for hair care, use sulfate free and paraben free shampoo to get rid of colours.

What special precautions can a person take, especially for hair & skin before stepping out to play Holi?

Oil hair strands before playing with colours. It will prevent the colour from seeping into the scalp. Wear a scarf on your head to protect your hair. Also, try wearing full sleeved clothing so that as little as possible of your skin is exposed to the colours. Apply moisturiser on your face to avoid itching or dryness because of colours.

How harmful are the Holi colours?

The toxic permanent colours have industry grade or cloth dyes which contain iron, copper and magnesium oxides. These colours can have allergic reactions, rashes, eczemas.

Should we apply sunscreen before stepping out to play?

Use sunscreen every hour while playing Holi as sunburns are very likely, some colours get activated with sunlight and cause a photoallergic rash.

What about people who wear contact lenses on a daily basis? What precautions should they take for Holi?

Avoid wearing contact lenses while playing with colours. Use lubricating eye drops- for example, Refresh Tears, to gently rinse off the colour that may inadvertently have entered the eyes. Also do cold packs for eyes to soothe them.

Any special tips for hair care after playing Holi? What sort of moisturizer to apply or what haircare routine to follow?

Use sulfate free and paraben free shampoos for hair wash to avoid excessive dryness in the hair. Use an intense conditioner containing deep moisturiser post the wash. Avoid drying the hair with a hair dryer especially on the hit mode to avoid further dehydration and thermal damage post-Holi.

Will preparing the skin 4-5 days in advance for Holi help?

Prepare your skin by regularly moisturising it for 4-5 days before Holi. And avoid bleach, facial and scrubs as well.

Any special tips for skin care after playing Holi? What sort of moisturizer to apply or what skin care routine to follow?

Post Holi, till one week, a gentle smooth beaded scrub facial or microdermabrasion based facial will help to get the remainants of the colour completely off the skin and rejuvenate the dead damaged surface.

(Featured Image Source: Urban Clap)