Travelling bright

Vikas Sharma

Air travel has become an experience to be endured rather than enjoyed. The downside for frequent air travellers is the rising incidence of adverse effects of long air travels on skin and mucosae. So, knowing some important facts are of paramount importance while flying.

The arid environment of a long air flight can make skin look dull, aged, dry and tired. Air travel may also increase the speed at which infections spread.

The health risks on a plane rise manifold when a flight is delayed and ventilation systems are turned off. Since there is hardly any moisture in the air during flight, moisturixers don’t work as well. Your best bet is to use a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is the key molecule involved in skin moisture and has a unique capacity to bind and retain water molecules. In fact, just one gram (0.03 ounce) of hyaluronic acid can hold up to six liters of water.

Inactivity as well as too much salt intake during a long flight can cause water retention, which shows up as facial puffiness and under eye-bags.

On a plane, even your mucus membranes dry out, impacting your sensation of taste. Significant percentage of  taste buds are said to become numb at high altitudes, while dryness and cabin air pressure also affect ears and sinuses. Other not-so-great side effects can include nosebleeds (from a super-dry environment), dry lips, and itchy red eyes.

Particularly if you’re on an overnight flight, make sure to cleanse your skin before sleeping. Flying increases your exposure to bacteria on surfaces like the seat, tray tables, and even magazines. The virtually moisture-free conditions inside a plane cabin increase your vulnerability to airborne infection. You’re more susceptible to bacteria and viruses which are known to thrive in conditions of low-humidity.

Don’t forget your sunscreen on the plane.  Studies have shown higher rates of skin cancer in pilots and flight attendants, so the same precautions should be taken if you’re travelling very frequently.

The most important product to carry along inside the plane is the broad spectrum UVA and UVB moisturizer. The intensity of UV rays on an airplane is twice that as found on the ground. In fact, for every additional 3,000 feet increase in altitude, there is a 15 per cent increase in the amount of UV radiation. Airplane windows filter only the UVB rays but do not filter the more harmful UVA rays.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based image dermatologist)