Use herbal colours to avoid problems: Experts

Holi, the festival of colours, attracts all, especially kids but its after-effects make the people worried as every year a large number of people suffer from skin injuries or allergies caused by the chemical-based colours. Experts say that precautionary measures should be kept in mind to keep such problems at bay.

Apollo Hospital head plastic surgeon Dr Ashish Gupta said, “People report face allergies after playing Holi. Other problems like temporary blindness, asthma, contact dermatitis, etc are also common. So only natural and herbal colours should be used.” These natural colours can easily be made from flower petals, turmeric, multani mitti, etc. Or one can buy herbal colours from shops as these are healthy alternative to synthetic colors, says Gupta.

Dayanand Medical College and Hospital dermatologist Dr Vidushi Malhotra said, “Fun for a few hours with chemical colours can inflict skin injuries for long. But one may not deter or convince others to not use chemical colours so it is better to adop preventive measures.”

The experts say the chemical-based colours contain several harmful elements like asbestos/silica, lead oxide, aluminium bromide, mercury sulphide, contact dermatitis, copper sulphate and others which trigger several health problems.

What to do

Apply any oil or moisturizer except mustard all over skin and allow it to be absorbed by the body for 15 minutes. Smear waterproof sunscreen on your skin.

Soak hair liberally with hair oil and wear clothes that can cover maximum part of the body.

Apply foundation just before playing Holi to protect skin from dry colours.

Use Vaseline beneath and over the nails.

Prefer red or pink colours because they can be easily removed.

If colours get into your eyes, wash them thoroughly and seek medical advice.

Focus on kids as they are vunerable to injury.

Tips for skin care while removing colour

Use lukewarm water and lemon wedges to remove colours from skin.

For getting rid of traces of colours left, use the paste of gram flour (besan) with milk on the skin.

Avoid using strong soaps, petrol and kerosene for removing colour as these may cause skin irritation.

Apply moisturiser after taking a bath as skin gets dehydrated and dull after washing off the colour.

Do not rub the skin vigorously. Keep your skin well hydrated by drinking fluids.

If you are planning a bleach or facial after Holi, wait for atleast a week.