Use quality colours, stay safe

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 20

Markets are flooded with various kinds of colours to celebrate the festival Holi that falls tomorrow. Earlier, the festival was celebrated to mark the commencement of Spring using colours made from flowers. But over the years, colours made with chemicals and harmful substances have replaced the flowers. Harmful substances, such as mica, glass powder and acid, that are used to prepare Holi colours, can cause severe harm to your skin or hair.

Doctors from various health institutions have asked the residents to be cautious while celebrating the festival as these chemical-based colours can cause severe harm.

Experts from the department of dermatology, DMCH, including Dr Sunil Kumar Gupta, Professor and Head; Dr Sukhjot Kaur, Associate Professor; Dr Vidushi Malhotra and Dr Jaspriya, both Assistant Professors, say one must be cautious and take the following measures on Holi.

Preventive steps

• Try to use vegetable-based colours
• To prevent allergies, one should apply moisturisers or lotions on the skin
• n Do not use items such as kerosene to remove dark colours
• Do not use laundry soap on allergic skin
• If your skin is sensitive, then avoid rubbing the colour off and rather remove it slowly and gently
• Keep the children away from dark colours as their skin is sensitive and these can lead to severe allergies.
• Use quality dry colours, which will help save water as also prevent skin allergies.

Don’t drive under influence of ‘bhang’

Another risk involved with Holi is riding bikes or driving cars under the influence of ‘bhang’. Though rash driving in itself is very dangerous, when a person drives a vehicle after consuming ‘bhang’ or any other intoxicant, it can prove fatal.

Dr Ranjive Mahajan, Professor and Head; Dr Navkiran Mahajan, Professor, from department of psychiatry, DMCH, say no matter how you used ‘bhang’ or cannabis-infused Indian drinks, it could 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 a number of days to get back to the normal routine, says Dr Mahajan.

A piece of advice for parents

Another expert, Dr Sundeep Kaur, said for children, parents must make sure that:

• Kids don’t smear colours in eyes or ingest them
• If floor is wet, do not let kids run and jump on it
• Do not allow them to waste water
• Discourage them from playing Holi with eggs and mud

Useful tips for women

• Apply a thick coat of dark nail paint and remove it after playing Holi
• Tie hair in a bun or pony and wear a scarf
• Don’t walk alone on streets as you can be targeted by miscreants
• To stay safe in crowds, expensive jewellery should not be worn