The harmattan is a dry and dusty West African
trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the gulf of Guinea between the
end of November and the middle of March. It is usually characterized by a cold,
dry, dusty wind in the evenings until the early hours of the morning. When the
harmattan blows hard the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit
visibility and even block out the sun, comparable to a heavy fog.
It has various effects on our health: The
skin, eyes and respiratory tract which are directly exposed to the atmosphere
are most vulnerable to the effects of this weather. The skin is usually dry
with accompanying cracking of lips, soles of the feet and sometimes the skin
itself to hair breaking. The eyes are directly exposed to the harsh weather
especially the dust particles carried by the winds. Thus itching, foreign body
sensations and redness may be common especially in those with allergic eye
diseases.
The effect of harmattan differs from person to
person. People with dry skin are
mostly hit by the harsh weather thereby
causing them to seek seasonal solution.
Since our skin and hair react differently to
changes in weather, women especially experience hair breakage during harmattan
due to the harsh nature of the weather.
However, there are proven tips you can follow
to ensure that your body and hair retain their textures during this period.
Miss Osaremeh, a hair expert who
owns a women salon said there are various treatments that for both the hair and
skin.
She said: “We were using foreign products
before until recently, when we discovered that the local Shea butter
cream works perfectly to retain the texture and strength of the hair. It is an all-weather
cream but most people do not like it due to the smell of the natural shea
butter”.
She said though the local cream has been
refined with perfumes included and some with honey but, “the natural one gives
better result” as results from the customers she has been treating has shown.
A medical expert, Dr. UN said the best way to
maintain your skin this season is to avoid dryness of the skin by using oily
lotion instead of the normal cream. “Avoid unnecessary exposure of the skin to
dry air and also keep your scalp and hair from dryness.
Other tips in maintaining your hair and skin during
harmattan include;
HAIR
The more you wash your hair, the more it gets
stripped of its oil and dries out. So, washing your hair twice or three times a
week will prevent it from drying out.
– Oiling your hair everyday with hair cream
mixed with olive oil, coconut oil or Shea butter also helps make the
hair healthier during this season. Locally made Shea butter is a
nutritional cream that is very good for the hair; it prevents flaking of the hair,
split ends and dry hair.
– Make sure you let your hair free most of the
time. Tying your hair back in a ponytail or wearing a hat all the time will
only add to stress on the hair follicle. This stress can then result in hair
breakage or hair loss.
– Do not leave your weave or braids on for a
long time, try as much as possible to change it at least twice a month.
– Eat more vegetables and fruits that can
provide you with the daily vitamins and minerals that you need. Eat three meals
a day or five little ones, and keep to a regular healthy eating routine.
SKIN
– To maintain your body oil
during this season, it is advisable to use mild moisturising soap or body and
always apply body oil to retain moisture on the skin and feet after bath. Do
not completely dry your skin after shower; about 10 percent of moisture is
retained if you apply cream on damp skin. You can pour few drops of oil into
water before bath if you prefer.
– Note that hydrating creams and lotion are
best for all skin types this season. Remember to also apply hand cream during
the day and at night before going to bed.
– For the lovers of facial cleansers and
toners, ensure you do away with the ones that contain alcohol or astringents
and go for cleansers and toners with neutral PH of 5.5. In addition, moisturise
your face after cleansing.
On a final note, to balance your beauty regime
for the season, every lady should always apply lip balm or lip salve before
lipstick and if you prefer lip gloss apply after lipstick. The men should also
invest in a lip balm for a non-glossy moisturised lip to avoid lip breakage.
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