The weather's dull, but keep your skin bright!

Dermatologist Dr Parul Kolhe tells you how to keep your complexion healthy and glowing all through the rains.

The rains bring blessed relief from the blistering heat, but also a whole new set of problems for the skin. The human skin requires an optimum humidity level. Too little and it turns dry and chapped, too much and it gets macerated. The growth rate of organisms like fungi, yeasts and bacteria also rises in humid weather so it's very easy to catch an infection.

In the following pages, we bring you tips to keep your skin tiptop this season!

Don't leave your skin wet

The most important skincare tip for the rains is to keep the skin dry. Always use talc liberally after thoroughly drying yourself post a shower. Carry a small towel and a change of clothes to work so you never have to spend the day in damp clothes in case you get drenched on the way.

Never, ever keep on wet footwear -- it's the biggest cause of diseases like tinea pedis/athlete's foot. Wet feet must be dried and dusted with foot powder, paying special attention to the spaces between the toes, which are moisture-trapping zones.

It's a good idea to wear floaters while travelling and change into formal footwear on reaching work.

If you spot any whitish maceration and have itching in the body folds like the groin, underarm or underbreast area you should consult a dermatologist immediately as it could be a yeast (candida) infection.

Also, do not try to self-treat ringworm (tinea) with OTC preparations. These advertised creams usually contain acids and steroids that burn the skin and do more harm than good. Get a proper antifungal from a skin specialist.

Wet hair is also an open invitation for lice. You'd be surprised at the number of people from high socio-economic groups who despite having high standards of hygiene, develop nits and lice in humid weather.

Never tie up damp hair as the warm and wet conditions this creates will help lice eggs to hatch. If you have persistent itching of the scalp, it's time to get it checked for an infestation!

Insect bites are another major problem during this season. One should use repellents after 4 pm indoors and gel repellents if outdoors. If you enjoy trekking in the monsoons, do carry tablets of an antihistamine nature like fexofenadine (eg Allegra) and some calamine lotion to put on the bites. If they are very severe and don't subside in a day or two, you may require steroids prescribed by your dermatologist.

Skincare products need to be changed slightly to suit the weather:

• Oily moisturisers or cream-based foundations and blushers are out.
• Use oil-control face washes, water-based moisturisers and go light on makeup with mousse foundations or loose, matte powders.
• It's also a good idea to use waterproof eyeliners and mascara.
• Do not stop using sunscreen as clouds do not completely filter out ultraviolet light and you could still get a tan.

Hair requires a little extra pampering during this season. Being a protein fibre, it tends to frizz and become unruly in high-moisture conditions.

Shampoo and condition regularly and after drying your hair thoroughly, apply a smoothening serum or leave-in conditioner.

Do not attempt complicated hairdos as curls and ringlets often fall flat in humid weather.

One last word of caution -- be wary of substandard waterproof monsoon footwear and raincoats. Poor quality plastic and chemical dyes used to colour them brightly can cause skin allergies. Persistent itchiness and rashes should not be ignored, but should be given medical attention at the earliest.