As your body rests, the skin repairs itself. When you slip into the second phase of your sleep at night—what we call the delta phase—your hormone levels are at their peak, and that’s when cell repair takes place.

So what happens really is that any damage to the collagen and elastin under your skin that might have taken place due to free radicals are repaired as you sleep. Free radicals are one of the biggest culprits in premature ageing.

Want glowing skin? Then hit the bed every night at around the same time, and sleep well. Give your skin cells time to rest, repair, and restore. If it’s only five hours you can manage every night, then it’s better to sleep early and wake up early than to sleep late and wake up later

As your body rests, the skin repairs itself

Deep sleep = Radiant complexion

Lack of sleep constricts the blood vessels on your face. It looks dull, and lacklustre. Sleep actually helps in collagen production. And you need loads of that for skin that is supple and elastic.

Do you feel tautness in your skin when you wake up? That happens when your skin loses hydration at night as you sleep. All that repair work underneath tends to pull out water from the top layer, that is if your air conditioner spares some.

Do this – Drink at least a glass of water before going to bed and apply a hydrating moisturiser to ensure that your skin does not lose hydration from the outside.

Deep sleep + vitamin enriched night cream = Supple, line-free complexion

You can actually help your skin in its repairing efforts by adding some extra dose of vitamins and essential skin actives. When you wake up your skin will thank you for it. I am sure you will also feel very nice about it too.

Deep sleep + anti-wrinkle under eye cream = Smooth toned, clear sparkling eyes

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to fight puffy eyes and dark circles. I am sure you have noticed that after a good night’s sleep your eyes look bright, and the under eye area looks smooth and toned. We Indian girls tend to suffer from uneven skin tone, especially under the eyes. This is something you can take care of as you sleep. A little care goes a long way.

Do this – Buy a lightening under eye cream—look for ingredients like licorice and vitamin E. Don’t rub, but dab the cream in circular motion around the area. Go to sleep and wake up with prettier eyes. Go low on salt after sunset. You can also put two pillows to prop yourself. Sleep on your back and not on your sides or stomach.

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to fight puffy eyes and dark circles

Your pre-sleep prepping routine

1. Remove make up, and cleanse your face with a cleanser. Use soft cotton pressed pads to wipe away the dirt
2. Use a face wash to wash off the residue. Exfoliate if you feel the need
3. Go for deep cleansing shower/bath with exfoliating body wash
4. Use a muslin cloth/ towel to dab your face and body. It retains water in the skin without leaving it wet
5. Put on your under eye cream, dab and leave it to soak into the skin
6. Apply an AHA-based hand and body lotion. Slather it on nicely. Massage gently till the lotion soaks in. Apply your foot cream as well
7. Massage a rich night cream all over your face, neck, and décolletage in upward and circular motion
8. Drink a glass of warm water before going to bed.

The Sleep Pattern

First three hours: You get the deepest sleep of the night. Your body produces the most human growth hormones, which are crucial to skin and hair repair.

Middle two hours: Deep sleep shortens and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep begins. Melatonin, a hormone that’s also a skin-protecting antioxidant, increases.

Last three hours: This is when you get the most REM sleep. Your skin’s temperature reaches its lowest point and your muscles relax, giving your skin its deepest recovery.

Sleeping positions: Be mindful of your sleeping positions. Always sleep on your back. Compressing your face against the pillow will cause more creases, alter facial shape, and cause acne.

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I often have patients come to me with a pre-conceived notion of the state their skin is in. Sometimes, it really takes lots of patience before I can make them see sense. You need to understand that the state of your skin is never constant, especially if you are a woman who goes out to work and spends time in different environmental conditions.

Understanding your skin

The external conditions—pollutants, dirt, grime, and changing weather—play a major role in how your skin feels or behaves. You might be born with a certain type of skin, but over the course of time, weather changes can aggravate a skin condition or change its texture. I am sure you must have noticed that if your skin is prone to oiliness, summer time can be a pain because suddenly the greasy factor increases tenfold. Similarly, if in normal conditions your skin is dry, it becomes dull, flaky, and dehydrated in winter.

You need to examine your current skin care regimen and adjust it to meet your skin’s ever changing needs, based on shifts in climate and sun levels. It’s critical to establish [and diligently follow] a routine that meets your skin’s specific needs during specific climatic conditions.

Adjust your skincare to the season

Many of us jet-set across the globe; often, in the span of just one week, our skin faces different conditions. For instance, you may start off from a summer country and land into a country experiencing winter. While you do your travel packing, make sure your skincare products are packed accordingly. Your skincare routine must remain the same but according to the changing climate conditions, you must use specific products.

Do not go by what you think is your skin type to choose products round the year. Be tuned in to the changes in the weather and how your skin reacts to it. Once you start recording the changes, you will naturally be in sync and treat your skin accordingly. Change your face washes, cleansers, moisturisers and sun protection products to match your skin condition. You will be surprised that all it really takes is to make small adjustments in your daily regime to keep your skin perfect and glowing round the year without any special skincare treatments.

Monsoon

Who doesn’t love the rains? After the scorching sun and all that dust, it is a relief to feel drops pouring from the sky onto your face. I do enjoy a cup of steaming coffee as the rain lashes around, cooling and cleaning everything. There is such a sense of freshness, but I cannot say the same for my skin. The monsoons bring with it a series of skin woes for many—open pores, dull skin and infection along body folds. In simple words, we have summer skin plus increased humidity. A bit of moisture is good, but a lot isn’t.

Look and feel of monsoon

Skin feels hot and humid since the pores are still open from the summer months and can get further aggravated. Acne and skin infection along the body folds can also occur. Sweating can be even more irritating in the humid weather.

Hair swells and is more vulnerable to damage, especially breakage, so it is advisable not to go for too many salon treatments. Even a simple blow dry can cause damage.

Monsoon special care

• Refreshing face wash: Do it four times a week and with cold water
• Toner: Optional
• Scrub: Once a week
• Day cream: Use only a sunscreen
• Skin actives: Apply in the form of serums and gels
• Post summer care: Tan removing creams and skin soothing ones
• Night care: Skin lightening actives, AHA and BHA [Acids at 6 – 20 per cent are available OTC]
• Just hydrant minus the cream: Magic mist
• Hair and scalp: Sun protection for hair
• Body: Couple of showers a day

Pick powders: For this season, you must look for the powder form of most things like compacts, deodorants etc. There are some collagen boosters in powder form too.

Dry up ASAP: If you happen to get wet, wash your face and feet as soon as you can. Then dry them; this removes any impurities you might have picked up. A good idea is to carry some wet wipes and then reapply your skincare product or make up.

Stay with sunscreen: If you are planning to stop the sunscreen regimen, thinking that the clouds will protect you, you are greatly mistaken. Cloudy skies do not guard you from the sun. You can look for a light textured version of sunscreen. There are also some gel variants that offer you protection without clogging your skin. Try the new powder sunscreen with nano-particle technology.

Work towards healthy hair

• Coconut oil massage
• Dry wet hair with low heat
• Do not brush wet hair
• Use loose hair accessories
• Avoid salon treatments—any chemical treatment will harm the strands since the cuticles are open

Have happy hair: Hair care should not be ignored during this season. Since the summer’s intense UV damage makes the hair dry, frizzy, damaged, getting your hair wet in the rains will further weaken it. So say no to all hair treatments that make use of heat and chemicals. Ironing semi-wet or wet hair is a sin.

Monsoon must dos

Getting wet in the rain is fun but change your clothes as soon as possible. Damp clothes increase the risk of skin infections, especially in body folds.

• Dry your hair to remove as much moisture as possible. Blow-dry your hair gently if needed.
• Keep wet wipes, moisturiser, face wash, and sunscreen in your purse to keep your skin in great condition.

Supplements to take in monsoon

• Go high on immune boosters—multivitamins.
• Add anti-inflammatory ingredients to your diet like ginger and turmeric. These ingredients are a major part of our Indian diet.

Monsoon kitchen goodies

• Apply a papaya face mask to remove dead skin layers and reduce tanning.
• Turn over half a lemon and use it as a gentle loofah on the face and the body.
• Use a mixture of lemon juice and rice flour paste on face and body to slough off dark, dead skin.
• Apply lemon, curd, and sandalwood powder as mask and then scrub gently to de-tan.

At your skin doctor’s

Most treatments are safe to receive in this season. Concentrate on de-tanning treatments like peels and microdermabrasion.

Start off laser treatments for skin lightening, tightening, or hair removal.

Adapted from Age Erase by Rashmi Shetty. Published by Random House India

This was first published in the July 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Dandruff

The most common problem of the scalp is dandruff, which is a non-inflammatory increased scaling of the scalp cells. It causes itching and irritation and, if not taken care of, may lead to infection of the scalp. In addition to hair, dandruff also affects the skin, causing sudden acne or breakouts on the skin.

Several factors lead to the formation of dandruff. Like the rest of the skin on our body, our scalp too has commensal bacteria—friendly bacteria and yeast—that help in its day-to-day functions. When the bacteria multiply, it may infect the scalp thus causing irritation and dandruff. Accumulation of dead skin too causes dandruff.

Hair fall

Hair fall is another common hair complaint. And no, like it is commonly believed, washing hair every day does not cause our hair to fall. Dandruff and nutrition deficiency are main reasons for hair fall, say doctors.

So, it does not matter if you use expensive hair products for dandruff and hair fall; what you need is, to make the base healthy.

Shampoo

Wash your hair everyday with a mild shampoo [look for ones that are meant for daily wash] to clean all the dirt, grime and sweat. it is the most basic way to prevent infections and dandruff.

If you have dandruff, use dandruff shampoos till the symptoms subside. The ones available on the market are very effective. For a severe case of dandruff, visit a dermatologist who will analyse the exact condition and give required solution.

Oil

Oil your hair often. Just like your skin needs moisturiser, your scalp and hair need it too. Massage the oil into the head; it increases blood flow and has a calming effect on the nerves, besides being an excellent conditioner for hair. For oil to penetrate better, leave it on for 12 hours or more. Skip the massage if you have a lot of dandruff, as it aggravates the condition.

Don’t rinse your hair more than twice. Also, avoid using excessive quantities of shampoo to remove oil. Dilute the shampoo instead for it to spread evenly and be more effective.

Condition

Make using conditioner a habit, no matter what your hair type. It forms a protective layer on the hair, keeping dust from directly coming in contact with the hair.

Always apply conditioner to the hair and not the scalp to avoid hair fall and flakes. A common problem mistaken for dandruff, is a conditioner build up on the scalp.

Condition hair tips exclusively and for longer than the rest of the hair, as they are the driest part. While oiling too, apply extra oil to the tips to moisturise them thoroughly.

Sun block

UV rays harm our hair. The best way to protect your hair from wind and sun is to cover it. You can even use special sun protection shampoos to protect your hair from harmful rays.

Hair is a very important part of our body and hence must be treated with care. It adds to our beauty and personality. However, besides all the care taken, we need to go to the basics of hair care, i.e. have healthy food that has proteins and minerals. Many a times, hair fall, dandruff and excessive hair growth happens due to hormonal imbalance or stress. It also depends on our mental state. Hence, it is also important to be happy and calm from within.

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1. The first and most important step is to keep your skin clean, always. Wash your face at least 3 – 4 times a day. If your skin is oily, use an alpha hydroxy acid [AHA]-based face wash. Washing your face regularly will get rid of excess oil and dust particles, thereby preventing any unwanted bacterial infections. Moreover, the splash of water will make you feel fresh. Body creases or folds like armpits are the breeding grounds for bacteria during this season. So, take a good shower twice a day.
2. If you are worried about getting an unwanted tan this season, apply sunscreen. even when you are indoors. Repeat at least 3 – 4 times during the day as one-time application is not enough. Start before stepping out of the house and apply it at regular intervals till the sun sets. While buying a sunscreen lotion, pick a brand that you trust and is non-greasy. A sun protection factor [SPF] between15 – 30 is a safe choice. Look for tan protection, which is indicated by a ‘+’ or ‘*’. An ideal sunscreen lotion should have at least 2 – 3 ‘+’ or ‘*’ signs. If your skin is oily and the sunscreen lotion makes it look greasy, dab your face with a little face powder. This gives it a matt look.
3. It’s important that you hydrate your skin whenever it feels dry, as heat dehydrates your skin. You can use a moisturiser, hydrating lotion or simply milk for this. Milk helps hydrate your skin without making it too greasy. If you have inflammation or red patches on your skin, use calamine or clay lotion after washing your face.
4. Avoid chemical facial treatments. Also, go easy on facials and chemical peels, as they might remove the top layer of the skin, which acts as a protective cover. Instead, go for a mild kojic acid or AHA peel that brightens your skin without causing any damage. Even an oxygen-infusion treatment is a good option to try. Don’t forget your lips, keep them moisturised with the help of a lip balm. It’s the best time to flaunt your natural features, so keep the make-up minimal.
5. Consume the right things. Drink lots of water; with excessive sweating, you need to replenish your water requirement. Cucumber is a natural diuretic that gets rid of salts, toxins and excess water, leaving you with healthier skin. Lemon juice is one of the best juices for healthy skin. It contains minerals that eliminate acid waste and purify your blood.You can get creative and mix fruits with vegetables to make a yummy healthy drink. A mix of spinach, carrot and apple is a perfect example. Vitamin E from spinach, vitamin A from carrots and oxidants from apple contribute to the goodness of this mix. Just avoid using too much sugar in your juices.

   Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that wipe out free radicals [they speed up the ageing process, wrinkles and loose skin]. The folic acid, sulphur and zinc content in natural foods maintain a regular blood flow to the skin, thus rejuvenating it.

   Apart from these, it also helps to include foods rich in carotenoids and biotin. While carotenoids [found in carrots and tomatoes] protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun, biotin [found in oats and nuts] facilitates the growth of skin tissue and improves the health of the skin. Evening primrose oil can also be used as it rejuvenates the skin and acts as an anti-ageing agent.

6. Experiment with your apparel; summer is a great season to do this. The fabric for the season is linen, as it helps your skin breathe and absorb sweat. Choose light and fresh colours like lemon green, pink, yellow or the noble white. It is advisable to cover your body as much as possible.

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Make sure you wash your hair every time it gets wet in the rains. The fact behind excess hair breakage during monsoons is the high levels of humidity, which causes the hair to swell; swollen hair is prone to breakage. To strengthen hair from the roots, apply oil to your hair at least an hour before washing it, without fail. Frequent hair washes drain the scalp of its moisture, making oiling a must.

Furthermore, a hot oil massage once a week allows better absorption of the oil, conditioning the hair shaft and follicles that prevents flaking. Oiling replenishes and rejuvenates dry and damaged hair, reduces the excessive brittleness and also relaxes your mind and nervous system.

Hair types and wash regime

Washing your hair regularly is an essential part of a hair care regimen. Here is how you can wash your hair depending on your hair type:

Oily hair: Wash frequently, if necessary every day. Use a gentle wash-off conditioner. Oil your hair once or twice a week one hour prior to washing.

Dry hair: Wash your hair 2 – 3 times a week. Oil every time, overnight prior to washing.

Normal hair: Wash your hair as often as required. Use a good wash-off shampoo conditioner system. Oil your hair once or twice a week, one hour prior to washing.

For all hair types use a wide-toothed comb, rather than a brush.

I am blessed with strong healthy hair but it always takes more efforts to maintain it. My personal hair care regimen during the monsoon is to apply coconut hair oil on my hair every night and wash it off every morning. Since I wash my hair often, I make sure that I use a mild shampoo. Mild shampoos are low in chemicals and therefore do not cause much harm to your hair. Also try to use normal amounts of shampoo while washing your hair.

Hair care commandments

There are two important rules in hair care: oiling your hair at least one hour before hair wash to retain its moisture content and remembering never to comb wet hair. Wait for hair to dry completely and then comb your hair thoroughly from root to tip. Wet hair can increase in length by up to 30 per cent and still return to normal length after it’s dried. If you stretch your hair too often you can damage it and cause breakage to the hair shaft.

How much to shampoo?

At any given time, 10 – 15 per cent of all hair is in the telogen phase. During this phase the hair follicle is completely at rest. This phase lasts for about 100 days for hair on the scalp. Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root. Frequent shampooing can lead the hair in the telogen phase to fall out faster and in more numbers. This is why, whenever you change your shampoo or conditioner, or move to a new brush, loose hair is often found for 2 – 3 days after the change. The extra hair loss has nothing to do with the product and will settle in a day or two. Usually, you will find that the hair that you lost will start to grow back almost immediately.

Highlighting a few facts

Using driers: Using hair driers and blowers definitely does not blow your hair off as is commonly believed. Unless you are using hurricane-class hair blowers, such products can only cause brittleness. Hair breaks if it’s too dry or hot. Besides that, using such products is quite safe. It is, however, recommended to use blowers at a normal distance.

Using styling products: There are numerous hair fall myths, which need to be solved so that people are eventually aware of the actual causes of hair fall. Many people ask ‘Is changing hair products the cause of hair fall?’ or probably ‘Is hair styling harmful?’ Well, there is some truth in it. Normal styling of your hair won’t cause your hair to fall, but certain hair styles like corn rows and tight ponytails can cause traction alopecia, which is a kind of hair loss. Using hair sprays and colouring your hair might damage the hair strands to some extent, but it does not affect the hair follicles below the scalp causing hair loss.

Brushing your hair: Brushing your hair is good for stimulating the follicles. Although this is true, make sure that the bristles of the brush are straight and not crisscross. Using a wide-tooth comb is best advised. Brushing helps to stimulate your scalp in a way similar to a massage, but when you comb your hair, be gentle. Brushing brings the oil from the scalp down to your hair strands.

Wearing head gear: Wearing tight caps can cause the scalp to sweat, which leads to hair fall. Wear loose-fitting caps or hats, preferably cotton.

Tackling split-ends: People often ask measures to repair split ends. The only way to get rid of them is to cut them off.

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