On Monday, June 27th, the end of the rainy season was announced in the Kanto, Tokai and southern Kyushu regions, the earliest in the history of observational statistics, and the rainy season ended almost throughout Japan during June, with scorching heat continuing day after day. The rainy season front has stagnated in Hokkaido, which is not supposed to have a rainy season, causing heavy rain damage, and the weather and climate conditions can be described as abnormal. In this article, we will tell you about skin care tips to keep in mind in order to survive the unusually hot July.
Be careful of heat stroke and air conditioning sickness!
In this heatwave, it is necessary to pay attention to heat stroke, but the continued use of masks also poses the risk of heat stroke. On the other hand, air conditioners are indispensable, so the risk of "air conditioning sickness" increases.
-What is heat stroke?
In hot and humid environments, the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the body, becomes disrupted, causing symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, convulsions, nausea, headaches, hot flashes, high body temperature, and abnormal sweating, and in severe cases, it is a terrifying condition that can be life-threatening. In the past, it was called sunstroke, but since hot and humid environments can cause problems with the body's regulating functions not only during the day but also while sleeping, it is now commonly called heatstroke. In mild cases, it seems that recovery can be achieved by cooling the body and rehydrating, but if symptoms do not improve or if the patient has a loss of consciousness, an emergency ambulance is required.
-What is air conditioning sickness?
This refers to a condition in which the autonomic nervous system, which controls body temperature and sweating, is disrupted by the cooling and drying of the body caused by air conditioning (coolers), resulting in a variety of ill health symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, loss of appetite, neuralgia, and insomnia.
In addition to indoors at home, air conditioning is also used in cars, offices, and commercial facilities on the commuter route. Unlike at home, you cannot adjust the air conditioning level yourself. If the outside temperature is high, you will also experience temperature stress from going back and forth between a hot and cold environment, which increases the risk of air conditioning sickness.
Whether it's heat stroke or air conditioning sickness, it's a "disorder caused by autonomic nervous system disturbance." If the trigger is high temperature and humidity, it will be heat stroke, and if the trigger is cold and dry air from an air conditioner, it will lead to the risk of air conditioning sickness. As the skin is said to be the largest organ, disorders caused by autonomic nervous system disturbance are directly linked to skin problems. Even temporary physical conditions such as heat stroke and air conditioning sickness can become long-term problems in the form of skin problems.
In addition, measures to prevent sweating in hot and humid environments, which are a cause of heatstroke, are also essential. While sweat plays an important role in excretion and regulating body temperature, clogging of sweat glands can cause skin problems such as miliaria. Air-conditioned environments suppress sweating, so be careful not to expose yourself to excessive air-conditioned environments as this can suppress the benefits of sweating. Moderate sweating is necessary for health, and this is an important season to be mindful of measures to prevent sweating and to deal with it well.
A beauty lifestyle that takes heatstroke and air-conditioning illness into consideration
We will tell you about a beauty lifestyle that focuses on the autonomic nervous system, helping you get through the scorching hot summer while taking care to prevent heatstroke and air conditioning sickness.
・What is the autonomic nervous system?
A common cause of heat stroke and air conditioning sickness is "disturbance of the autonomic nervous system." The autonomic nervous system is a nerve that regulates the internal environment through the functioning of the internal organs, blood vessels, and secretory glands. Two types of nerves, the "sympathetic nerve" and the "parasympathetic nerve," naturally maintain a balance and keep the body functioning. The sympathetic nerve is the nerve that leads the mind and body to activity, and is like the accelerator in a car, supporting the daytime activity period after waking up. It is truly the control tower that leads the mind and body to the ON state.
On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system is the nerve that leads the mind and body to rest and relaxation; it is like the brakes on a car, and can be thought of as the control center that leads the body to the OFF state.
When the balance between the "sympathetic nervous system" and the "parasympathetic nervous system" is disrupted by high temperatures, humidity, and air conditioning, the function that unconsciously regulates and controls the body stops working, causing various symptoms of heat stroke and air conditioning sickness. As a result, this damages health, which directly leads to skin problems.
・A beauty lifestyle you should strive for <br data-mce-fragment="1">Here are some things you should be conscious of in your daily life in order to regulate your autonomic nervous system.
<How to switch to ON when you wake up in the morning>
● Get some sunlight. ● Drink a glass of water. ● Have breakfast.
<Measures against heatstroke and air-conditioning illness during the day>
● Drink plenty of water. ● Wipe off sweat when you sweat. ● Carry a jacket or other clothing to protect yourself from the cold.
<How to switch off, such as by resting or sleeping>
● Listen to relaxing music when you get home. ● Take a bath in lukewarm water.
● After bathing, use a moisturizing gel for facial care and a body lotion for body care.● Avoid watching TV or using your smartphone until just before going to bed. This is important as it switches from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation of the mind and body and leading to good quality sleep.
<How to spend your holidays>
● Get into the habit of sweating through moderate exercise during times when it's not too hot, such as in the morning or evening.
Getting into the habit of sweating rather than suppressing it will help maintain the normal functioning of your autonomic nervous system.
We've shared some tips for maintaining a healthy beauty routine to help you get through July, which is expected to be extremely hot.
In the next article, I would like to talk about "soothing skin care for summer skin."
