Skin
Alive Clinic’s founder Dr. Chiranjiv Chhabra talks about skin care in flight
Know
what it takes to save you skin during flights
Dr. Chiranjiv Chhabra, Dermatologist, Skin Alive
Clinics, New Delhi
Be
it for work or pleasure, travelling in flight, abroad or even domestic, is a
regular event for many nowadays. Being in flight can be fun, especially if it’s
your first time but besides the check-in and other things, you also need to
take a closer look at yourself. Without being aware, many changes are
happening in our body – skin as well as hair, while we are cruising between the
clouds!
The
air at high altitudes is dry and the oxygen content is low. This results in dry
itchy skin and myriad of other symptoms which are far more serious and
irritating. Cabin air reduces humidity to an uncomfortable 10% to 20% leading
to dryness in mouth, throat, eyes and skin.
It
is easy to get dehydrated while soaring high in the air. Thus, it is extremely
important to drink plenty of water regularly before and during the flight. Pure
water is an elixir for skin; don’t underestimate its power! Hence grab a bottle
of water over alcohol and caffeinated drinks. These only further dry you up
inside out i.e. dehydrate you further leading to fatigue and exacerbating the
ensuing jet lag after a long flight.
Besides
sipping water, there are some other things that you should do to prevent a
stressed-out skin that feels like a parched field. Intensively moisturizing the
skin of your exposed body parts does help a lot. Pack in a crème that leaves
your skin feeling smooth and luxurious! Dermalogica skin smoothing and
intensive moisture balance are good moisturisers. Clinique dramtically
different moisturiser is also a great coice.These have deep moisturizing agents
and thus, hydrate the skin well enough. Also adding a Vit C serum helps as it
is an antioxidant and helps to keep the skin supple and bright. Dr. Obagi Vit C
serum is a good choice. This regime can be followed even after getting off the
flight for a few days. My personal experience made me realize that improper
hydration of the body and skin during long hauled flights made my hands and
feet appear as if they have aged by 10 years!!! Applying deep moisturizing
crèmes after the flight reversed my skin dryness. Venusia cream and Evion cream
are very good for hand and body. Hence, my advice to my beloved readers would
be as to moisturize their skin before, during and after the flight to maintain
the skin’s suppleness.
Another
thing which one can do is to apply a moisturizing mask just before boarding and
leaving it on the skin throughout the duration of the flight. Also, our eyes
are one of the first features to show the travel fatigue. Puffiness, bags, dark
circles, dry and irritable eyes are some of the common complaints of frequent
flyers. Thus, lubricating the eye with eye drops helps, especially when one is
wearing contact lenses. Though, it is best to use reading glasses in the flight
than using contact lenses.
Other concerns
Besides
dry skin and puffy eyes, there are also the chances of getting sunburns. The
concentration of ultraviolet (UV) rays – the ones that can cause sunburn, skin
cancer, and other problems – is greater at altitude than on the ground. This
can lead to skin damage of several varieties, ranging from premature aging and
wrinkles to skin cancer. A sunscreen here is utmost important to offer
protection against the harsh UV rays. To internally boost your skin’s
protection (from sun exposure) make it a habit to consume an antioxidant and
oil capsule daily and not just while travelling certainly helps in maintaining
youthful skin on a long term basis.
So
keep in mind these tips before & during undertaking your next flight and
feel the difference in your skin. Happy flying!
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