Lockdown Skin - A skin break or time for skin breakouts?

Lockdown Skin - A skin break or time for skin breakouts?

It has already been over a month since the nationwide lockdown began and I am sure many of you must have thought that at least the skin will get a break and regain its original glow while staying at home. But is it really the case? From what I hear, I am afraid that the reverse is true for many. Skin breakouts along with skin dullness and dehydration are common occurrences now.

It is only natural to wonder - why these breakouts when I am at home? In spite of reduced sun exposure, zero contact with environmental toxins and no makeup look for weeks; why is the skin still suffering? 

Let me help you understand the Lockdown Skin and how you can work towards achieving your skin goals at home.

Normal routine is out of the window

Now that our normal routine has changed drastically, it is easy to laze around and forgo even our skincare routine and worsen our skin’s health. If you are slacking then I would suggest to get in some form of routine that suits you best and include your skincare regime with it.

Some of the key things to include are:

• Washing your face at least twice a day

• Applying moisturiser to keep your skin hydrated

• Applying sunscreen (Yes! Your skin needs protection from sun while indoors too)
   

You can even use the extra time at hand to perfect your skincare routine or indulge in an elaborate routine.

No Control over what will happen next
With so much happening around the world and bad news pouring in from all corners, one may stress and be anxious. This has a harmful effect on not just our mental health but our skin too. How?

Stress leads to a chemical response in our body which makes the skin sensitive.That’s why you must have noticed your skin breakout when you are stressed. Stress also worsens skin conditions like eczema as it reduces the skin’s ability to heal itself.

I understand that a pandemic can have adverse psychological effects but do make an effort to stay calm. You may reduce your news viewing time, engage in healthy and meaningful conversations, meditate and participate in activities that keep you happy.
 

Snacking out of boredom and not when hungry

Diet has an important role in determining your skin’s health. With days that feel longer than usual and nothing much to do, one often munches on junk food just to ward off boredom. When we fill our stomach with munchies, there is hardly any space left for wholesome meals which consist of  the essential nutrients. Overeating, stress eating or eating at odd hours can also be the reasons for skin breakouts.
 

As I always keep saying, a healthy gut leads to a healthy skin. Maintain a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid oily food, food items with excess refined sugar or intake of packaged junks like chips.

Increase in Caffeine intake

No, I am not talking about the recent trend on social media of Dalgona Coffee. I am talking about the new work culture that we all are being forced to adapt to i.e. work from home. There is a sharp rise in caffeine intake and this in turn affects the skin by causing acne and dryness. Try to reduce the intake slowly and keep it to a bare minimum.
 

Increase in Screen Time

There is no denying that with lockdown, our screen time has increased by leaps and bounds. Be it working from home on our laptops or binge watching our favorite shows, we are always in front of the screen. But did you know that spending hours in front of screens can lead to our worst nightmares; dark circles? 

This is because the skin around the eye region is extremely sensitive and straining it in front of screens which also emit harmful rays of light can cause the blood vessels to enlarge and the under-eye skin to darken. You can stop this by controlling your screen time. 

Dehydration

In countries like India, the temperature is rising. Most of us are inside air conditioned rooms with access to less fresh air. These artificial environments often affect the skin by taking away its moisture. Also, the summer heat can easily dehydrate anyone and thus take away the skin’s glow.

To keep yourself and your skin hydrated, here are a few things that you can do:

• Drink adequate water. (Yes, it is something we all know but we often forget to follow.) 

• Consume water based foods like watermelon,berries, cucumber and oranges

• Apply moisturiser regularly

Less Sleep

There is another trend that one can notice during the lockdown i.e. sleeping for less number of hours. Like our body, our skin also needs its own time to heal. If we increase our awake hours then it reduces the skin’s ability to repair and promotes skin inflammation. I can understand that it is difficult to maintain a proper sleeping pattern but it is one of the most rewarding habits. Try to sleep for a minimum of 7 hours daily at the same time.

Inability to interact with your Dermatologist

In these trying times, with everyone under a lockdown it is difficult to connect with your dermatologist. It must be even more difficult for patients who were undergoing a treatment for conditions like acne. Lack of understanding as to what to do with medication might be aggravating the skin concerns.

Should you find it difficult to connect with a skin specialist near you. then you can always connect with me for an online consultation.

Let me know in the comments below how you are building a healthy relationship with your Lockdown skin.