Let me begin with Merry Christmas in advance!

By this time tomorrow, there would have been a lot of eating and drinking and partying.

The holidays are here with good cheer, which is good. Nevertheless, we have to face the blighting breeze of the harmattan and the heat that comes with it, especially during this period.

It is very normal to develop heat rash at this point, and that is why today we will be talking about how you can deal with heat rash during this period.

But before we go deep into that…

How does heat rash develop?

Heat rash develops on your skin when your skin’s sweat glands get blocked and the sweat your body produces does not get to the surface of your skin to evaporate. So, the sweat leaks into the surrounding tissue.

This causes irritation and makes your skin inflamed which leads to a rash.

What causes heat rash?

There are several things that can make you develop heat rash, but what is constant in all of them is the heat.

Some of the causes of heat rash include:

• Excessive sweating. When you sweat too much, it is easy for your sweat glands to get clogged.
• Fold in your skin in areas, like the neck, armpit, or the groin, places where skin is touching or rubbing against skin. This makes it hard for air to circulate and prevents sweat from evaporating.
• Wearing thick clothing or bundling up under thick blankets.
• Using heavy lotions and creams when the weather is hot can clog sweat ducts.
• Exercising intensely leading to excessive sweating can cause heat rash, especially if the clothes you wear do not give room for proper air circulation.

How do I know I have heat rash?

Here are the major symptoms you will notice if you have heat rash:

• Red bumps on your skin
• An itchy feeling on your skin.
• A prickly sensation on your skin.

It initially appears as reddened skin and then tiny blisters begin to form due to inflammation. It usually appears in parts of your body where there is a skin fold or areas where air does not circulate when you wear tight clothing.

How do I prevent skin rash?

It is possible to prevent skin rash despite the intense heat during this period. How?

1. Do not exercise when the sun is up. Do your exercises early in the morning or in the evening when the sun is down.
2. Stay away from the sun as much as possible. If you must be outside, do your running around before afternoon.
3. This is the time you should put your air conditioning to good use. If you do not have one, keep your fan rolling throughout the whole day.
4. Get a humidifier. It helps to make the air cooler and reduces the heat.
5. Wear loose clothing during this period. Very early when the weather is cold, put on a sweater but once it gets hot, remove it. Also, wear clothes made of breathable fabric during this period.
6. Try to lose weight. This will reduce the amount of skin overlapping, and give your skin more room for air to circulate.

How do I treat heat rash?

The first thing you need to know is that heat rash is no cause for alarm. It is not like other skin blemishes that take a long time to treat.

It usually clears up on its own within a few days, if it is properly treated.

The only time you should be bothered is when it doesn’t leave within a few days or if you develop an infection where the rash bumps burst. You will have to see a doctor in that situation.

The good news is that it is very easy to treat heat rash. These tips below should help:

1. Keep your skin cool

The good thing about heat rash is: once your skin is cool, it disappears on its own.

Do everything you can to make sure that your skin is cool. Take your bathe as much as is necessary to stay cool.

Instead of taking your bathe every minute, you can apply cool compresses to your skin.

For example, you can dip a piece of clothing in water and place it against your skin or you can wrap an ice-pack in a cloth and place it on your skin.

This will keep your skin cool.

And also, try as much as possible to stay in air-conditioned rooms. That way, the heat outside cannot affect you.

2. Do not leave your skin dry

In as much as you do not want to sweat excessively, you do not want to leave your skin dry. Dry skin can trigger a rash on your skin.

Also, when your skin is extremely dry, your body begins to produce excess oil which is not good for your skin.

Moisturize, but try not to use a thick lotion to avoid sweating excessively.

3. Apply lotions and talcum powder

While you are keeping your skin cool, make use of lotions like calamine lotion. It contains zinc oxide which helps to soothe itchiness on your skin.

All you need to do is dip a cotton ball into the lotion and apply to your rash.

You can also apply unscented talcum powder. Talcum powder absorbs the sweat on your skin. This prevents your skin pores from getting blocked.

Using a scented powder can further irritate your skin. So, use an unscented one.

4. Make use of home remedies

You can make use of home remedies like aloe vera, oatmeal, etc.

Oatmeal helps to reduce itching and soothe inflamed skin. Put about 2 cups of oatmeal in your bathtub and soak for about 20 minutes.

You can also apply aloe vera on your skin to soothe the irritation and prevent the rash from becoming infected. It reduces swelling and can soothe pain.

In conclusion,

Heat rash is not really a big deal. It is however very easy to develop them during this period.

Make sure you apply the tips I’ve given here to prevent, or treat heat rash, if you do get them.

Remember, the key to avoiding and treating heat rash is to keep your body cool and avoid sweating excessively.

If you have any questions or more tips to share, please leave a comment. I always love to hear from you.