Celebrate SAFE HOLI, says DMCH DOCs

Ludhiana, March 20, 2019: ‘HOLI’-a festival of colors is much-awaited by children and youngsters. Originally, the festival was celebrated to mark the commencement of spring using colours made from flowers but over the years, chemicals and harmful substances have replaced flowers. Today, harmful substances like mica, glass powder and acids are used that can cause severe skin or hair problems.

Doctors in Department of Dermatology, DMCH including Dr Sunil Kumar Gupta (Professor & Head), Dr Sukhjot Kaur (Associate Professor), Dr Vidushi Malhotra and Dr Jaspriya Sandh (both Assistant Professors) advise one must be cautious at the time of Holi and follow certain preventive measures to help you in steer clear of skin allergies.

Ø Try to use vegetable colours

Ø To be safe from allergies, one should apply moisturizing cream or lotions on the skin before playing Holi

Ø Do not use items like kerosene oil to remove dark colours

Ø Do not use laundry soap at all to avoid allergic skin, this can lead to more allergies

Ø If your skin is sensitive then avoid rubbing the colour off your skin, rather remove it slowly and steadily

Ø Keep the children away from dark colours as their skin is sensitive and these colours can lead to severe allergies.

Ø Try good quality dry colours, which will help save water and also prevent skin allergies.

Another risk involved with ‘HOLI’ festival is consuming of ‘bhang’ and rashly driving of scooters, bikes and cars. Though ‘rash driving’ in itself is very dangerous but when a person rides vehicle after taking ‘bhang’ or any other intoxicant, it can prove fatal.

Dr Ranjive Mahajan (Professor & Head) & Dr Navkiran Mahajan (Professor) from Department of Psychiatry, DMCH says that no matter how you use ‘bhang’ or cannabis-infused Indian drinks, it can cause immediate and long-term adverse effects on your mental health including anxiety and panic disorders. Sometimes, the effect is so severe that it takes a user number of days to get back to the normal routine, says Dr Mahajan.

Dr Rupesh Chaudhary (Associate Professor) and Dr Pankaj Kumar (Assistant Professor) from Department of Psychiatry believe that Holi is a fun-filled festival but can be accompanied with grief and anxiety especially if one ignores safety measures. Chemically treated colors that have flooded the market these days pose the biggest threat to human health and ‘bhang’if consumed in large quantities can lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate followed by onset of depression and other mental health issues.