Air pollution is causing serious skin problems, Experts warn

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], November 11 : Air pollution has chances to cause serious skin problems, dermatologists warn as the air quality in Delhi-NCR slipped to the 'very poor' category once again on Friday.
"Gas chamber city of the world is surely leading to subtle skin issues like dark under eyes, losing the white of the eye to dusty yellow colour, pigmentation, eczema, allergies, photo ageing, skin wrinkles, and skin cancer which is on the rise. Delhiites, you need to do the best you can for a healthy lifestyle," Sr Dermatologist in Delhi, Dr Deepali Bhardwaj who is getting a lot of patients these days.
She suggested following a healthy diet and burning camphor in the room to keep the surrounding environment healthy.
"Burn camphor in your bedroom before going to sleep (or in general) for 5-10 minutes daily to increase the oxygen molecules in the air. Besides, having indoor plants can also help maintain a healthy respiratory system. One should also drink lots of water to keep the skin healthy and hydrated," Dr Deepali Bhardwaj said.
She further emphasised consulting the doctor before adapting to any form of medication stating that airborne diseases have different impacts on different people.
"Always consult your skin doctor before taking any form of medication, because airborne diseases can affect every individual differently and the requirements for the skin can vary too," she said.
Meanwhile a Mumbai-based dermatologist and hair plant surgeon, Dr Sonali Kohli said that air pollutants increase oxidative stress on the skin which leads to its inflammation, thus enhancing skin ageing.
"Pollution and oxidative damage of skin have a directly proportional relationship. Increasing air pollutants increase the oxidative stress on our skin, thus leading to inflammatory and allergic skin conditions which further enhance skin ageing," Dr Sonali Kohli said adding that the pollutants that affect skin barriers often increase the chances of recurrent allergies and acne outbreaks.
A thick layer of smog has surrounded parts of the national capital on Friday morning as Delhi's air quality remained in the lower end of the 'very poor' category with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 324, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
The National Capital Region (NCR) also continued to witness bad air as Noida and Gurugram also registered "very poor" air quality with an AQI of 371 and 349 respectively.
The level of PM 2.5 and PM 10 was recorded at 178 in the 'very poor' category and 303 in the 'poor' category respectively in Delhi.
AQI recorded at all major monitoring stations in the national capital also stood in the 'very poor' category.
Pusa recorded an AQI of 331 while Dhirpur recorded an AQI of 349. Lodhi Road recorded 316, Delhi Airport (T3) recorded an AQI of 347 and Mathura road recorded an AQI of 332. The AQI at Delhi University stood at 352 while IIT Delhi stood at 259 in 'poor category.' Ayanagar also was at the lower end of the 'poor' category at 313 at 10:37 am on Friday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
Amid the thick layer of smog blanketing the national capital, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has issued a passenger advisory due to low visibility.
"Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information," the Delhi Airport tweeted.
According to the Indian India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature is expected to remain around 16 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature is likely to be 29 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, with an aim to boost the joint and augmented approach towards prevention, control and abatement of the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has decided to tap the technical or academic expertise of the reputed scientific institutions working in the field of air pollution.
As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, seven proposals have been approved by the Commission after detailed technical and financial evaluation and appraisal.