With the scorching sun and the blazing heat in summer, it becomes imperative to take additional care of your overall health to prevent sunburn, sunstrokes and other health issues. Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to wrinkles, dark spots and premature ageing. It even damages your skin and can affect your health. However, you can reduce and prevent this damage by following a few summer care tips -
Drink plenty of water
In summer we feel dehydrated as a lot of water and electrolytes are drained from our body due to sweating. The cells in our body require water to carry out the enzymatic activities, and hence continuous dehydration can lead to chronic fatigue. No drink or potion can replace water due to its hydrating power. Therefore, you must increase your water intake in summer. Make sure that you drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day to keep you hydrated.
Use sunscreen
The use of sunscreen tops the list of summer health tips. Sunrays contain UV rays (UVA and UVB) which permeate into your skin during summer and can cause excessive damage. UVA rays cause dark patches and ageing, while the UVB rays affect the skin surface, primarily the epidermis and cause sunburn and wrinkles. A sunscreen with a good SPF absorbs both the UVA and UVB rays, thus protecting your skin. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a measure of the amount of time the sunscreen is capable of protecting your skin against the harmful radiations. Experts recommended using a lotion with SPF 30 at least. If you are planning to stay for long hours in the sun, then you can consider applying sunscreens with SPF 50.
Exfoliate your skin
Protect your hair
It is not only the skin that suffers in the summer, but our hair also bears the brunt of the sun. Excessive exposure to the sun damages the outer layer of the hair, also known as the cuticle. This may result in discolouration, brittle and dry strands, split ends, thinning and frizziness of hair. You need to take care of your hair and nourish it properly to retain the lustrous locks. Use a damage-repair shampoo and a compatible conditioner to repair your hair. Avoid any heat treatment to your scalp like blow drying, perming, etc. as much as possible in the summer.
Stick to your exercise regime