Nurturing Your Hair, Skin During Harmattan

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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.

Mrs. Felicia Ojoghene,  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. Tunde Olorundare 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.

Source: Daily Trust

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