Delhi Pollution: It's Also Your Skin You Need To Worry About

Delhi pollution has been the talk of not just the town but the globe too. 2019 has seen a huge spike in pollution levels across Delhi-NCR post Diwali, with air quality reaching 'hazardous' levels. While the Delhi pollution scenario seems to have improved this week, but that doesn't mean that we no longer need to take precautions. If you thought that the huge levels of air pollution was limited to causing health issues like reduced lung function, heart disease, breathing problems and probable chances of cancer, there's definitely more to the list than that. According to doctors, they have observed 30 per cent jump in skin related problems with the air quality worsening in the Delhi-NCR region.

Toxic high pollution in the Delhi-NCR is not only taking a toll on people's health but is also adversely affecting their skin, causing allergies, rashes and premature ageing, thereby forcing them to seek medical treatments.

According to VK Sharma, Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology, AIIMS in New Delhi, exposure to pollution leads to early ageing of skin, pigmentation, skin irritation and other skin related problems. Due to high pollution level, patients suffering from skin allergy experience aggravation.

"It is proven by research that high level of PM 2.5 present in the air leads to inflammation of skin. Due to high levels of pollution in Delhi, the number of patients with skin problems has gone up," Sharma said.

(Also read: Delhi Air Pollution: In The Wake Of Its Most Polluted Season Yet, Is Your Health Top Priority?)

^{Delhi-NCR records alarming levels of air pollution}

As the capital is turning into a gas chamber, along with respiratory, heart and other health problems, skin related problems are also rising. With winter around the corner, the situation is only getting worse, forcing people to seek medical help.

"While our skin is meant to work as a protective layer and ward off environmental hazards, the current levels of pollution is way too much for it to endure, resulting in various skin problems and premature ageing," said Dr Ajaya Kashyap, Medical Director, KAS Medical Centre and MedSpa in New Delhi.

"In the last few days, we have received a record number of patients with skin related issues and also for anti-ageing treatments. We see almost 30 per cent increase in number of patients," Kashyap stressed.

According to experts, Delhi's pollution is characterised by extremely high levels of Particulate Matter (PM), reaching up to 999 on some days, while the permissible level is 60 micrograms. This situation is even worse for the skin.

-With inputs from IANS

(Also read: How Plants Can Help You Tackle Air Pollution, Probably Better Than Tech)