Today air conditioners have become an integral part of our lives and have become synonymous to comfort and not just luxury. With the sweltering rise of temperatures across the globe, air conditioners for most of us have become an absolute necessity.
But staying in AC for prolonged periods of time, no matter how comfortable it gets, comes with its share of harm to the skin and body. This blog discusses some of these affects on skin and how can one counteract them.
1. Dehydration – Dry & Itchy Skin
As conditioners suck the humidity from the room leaving it dry and cold, one tends to feel dehydrated . This is because the body’s temperature and hence the skin react naturally to adjust to the atmospheric conditions. Such dehydration is usually not felt by the person but mostly by the internal systems and hence can trigger headaches and migraines.
Air conditioners tend to absorb all the moisture in a room, thereby extracting the moisture from your skin as well. This affects the epidermis, and makes the skin very dry and if the skin is not sufficiently hydrated it ends up getting stretched, which in turn, makes it itchy and flaky eventually reducing the overall elasticity. As the temperature of the surrounding area gets reduced the sweat production also reduces which further leads to unhealthy and dull skin.
2. Skin degeneration:
People often step out of an air-conditioned environment into the scorching heat outside, or walk into an air-conditioned place from the sweltering outdoors. This sudden shift from one temperature to another can prove to be very stressful for the skin, as it affects and damages the skin’s ability to regenerate which eventually causes it to become undernourished, and dull.
3. Allergies and Infections
If the AC is not properly cleaned and maintained it can lead to increased chances of allergies, resulting in skin rashes, redness or even in some cases, making the skin sensitive to higher temperatures.
However, if there can be damages, there surely exist ways by which one can counteract them. Hence, here are some tips to combat the effects of air conditioning on your skin:
- Keep the skin hydrated by drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water, daily.
- Moisturize the skin regularly by applying medicated moisturizers suggested by a dermatologist. This counteracts the drying effects that air conditioning has on your skin.
- Avoid excessive use of hot water and harsh soaps because they tend to dry up the skin as well. Use mild glycerin-based or ph balanced soaps. We would suggest that you should have a word with your dermatologist first before zeroing in on one.
- Reduce the use of AC to minimal, don’t become too dependent on air conditioners. Your body knows how to cool it off on its own, an air conditioner ofcourse offers instant gratification but anything that isn’t natural comes with its share of side effect
- Change your air conditioning filters every 4-6 weeks. A clean filter will ensure that none of your allergies get triggered due to the dirt, dust and germs that get trapped in the filters.
