Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 Warning Signs Your Heart Isn't Working Properly
- Why does the skin become striped if it is often exposed to sunlight?
- How to deal with stripes on the hands and feet
- 1. Exfoliate
- 2. Masks
- 3. Skin care products
- Care that must be avoided
- Prevent striped skin from happening again
Medical Video: 10 Warning Signs Your Heart Isn't Working Properly
When the skin on the hands and feet is exposed to sunlight for a long time, the skin color will change. This causes the skin of the hands and feet to become striped. Striped skin is certainly very disturbing your appearance, right? For that, consider the following review to restore the normal color of your skin as well as ways to prevent skin from becoming striped.
Why does the skin become striped if it is often exposed to sunlight?
The skin has a natural dark (brown or black) dye called melanin. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the skin releases melanin to reduce ultraviolet (UV) radiation. As a result, the longer the skin is exposed to the sun, the more melanin is produced and ultimately makes the skin brown or black compared to the area that is not exposed to sunlight.
How to deal with stripes on the hands and feet
1. Exfoliate
Exfoliate with scrub can be done using natural ingredients or with beauty products. This method is done to restore the striped skin color and dull skin by removing dead skin cells.
You must avoid temporary sunlight when the skin is undergoing an exfoliation process. However, you need to be careful. Exfoliating can make your skin more susceptible to sunlight than before. Therefore, consult with a dermatologist if you want to exfoliate.
2. Masks
In addition to exfoliation, to restore striped skin on the hands or feet can make a mask. There are several natural mask ingredients that you can use as follows:
Turmeric
Quoted from Healthline, although turmeric has not been proven to lighten the skin, one study found that turmeric can help protect against sun damage if it is made into cream. In addition, turmeric finds that turmeric can help moisturize the skin.
However, the use of turmeric is rather troublesome because it can stain clothes and be difficult to remove. Use a facial cleanser after the turmeric mask is used to prevent yellowing on the skin that is applied to turmeric.
Black tea
A study found that black tea extract can brighten the brown color of rabbits in the laboratory. However, this research needs to be carried out further on humans, especially homemade black tea masks.
3. Skin care products
The America Academy of Dermatology recommends using products that contain ingredients to treat and lighten the skin so that it can overcome striped skin, such as:
- Vitamin C
- Glycolic acid
- Retinoids such as retinol, tretinoin, adapalene gel, or tazarotene
- Kojic acid
- Azelaic acid
The active ingredients above can help relieve brown spots or dark skin by peeling the skin and encouraging the growth of new skin cells. Some of them can slow down the production of melanin. However, it should be noted that you may only use one product for treatment to prevent irritation or side effects.
Some of the products above can usually be used under the supervision of a doctor. Following doctor's advice is the best step to restore your normal skin tone.
Care that must be avoided
Avoid treatment with masks of lemon, lime and similar citrus fruits. Lemon or lime can indeed help lift the dead, but cannot reduce melanin production.
Using a mask of lemon, lime, and the like then leaving the skin exposed to sunlight will actually cause your skin to burn. This is because the content in the citrus fruit makes the skin more sensitive to UV light.
Also, do not use unknown whitening products. Because many harmful whitening products contain mercury or steroids. Always choose products that have received marketing authorization from the POM, Ministry of Health, and SNI.
Prevent striped skin from happening again
Overcoming burnt and striped skin is not easy. Because of that, actually the best way is to prevent it before it happens to your skin. This is a guide to prevent stripes on the skin due to exposure to sunlight.
- Avoid or reduce outdoor activities between 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is very hot.
- Regularly use sunscreen (sunblock), even though the weather outside is not very hot. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before doing outdoor activities.
- If you have to go outside when the sunlight is very strong, you should use an umbrella or hat. Adjust the clothes you use so that your arms and legs are no longer striped.
- Wear gloves when riding a motorbike to reduce sun exposure to the skin of your hands.
