Summer brings a baller time for all the water babies, the sea calling is a real thing, chilling by the pool is the verified Instagram, thing to do - and it all happens in Summer. If you are not making a Goa plan with your friends or booking an Airbnb with pools while sipping some coconut water, then what are you even doing? While we are making summer sounds like a season of 7th heaven, there are a lot of things that may not work out in the best way for you and your pretty skin. No, today we are not talking just about tan, there are so many common skin infections that you need to know about. Skin infections are common during summer and they mostly show up when you least expect them, spoiling your #summervibe moment.
Read on to know about these not-dangerous-but-annoying skin infections and make your summer a happy season for your skin. If you feel itching, redness, soreness, blister, rash or skin peeling on any part of your body, it can be one of the below-mentioned skin infections (ouch!)
- Swimmer’s Itch
- Folliculitis
- Heat rash or prickly heat
- Swimmer’s ears
- Melasma
- Yeast Infection Rash
- Athlete’s foot
- Hives
- Molluscum Virus
Swimmer’s Itch

Floating in a pool with your favourite drink is everyone’s summer dream, totally in parallel to Lana’s summertime sadness. But do you know swimming pools have a tiny parasite that causes itching and skin infection? Bizarre, right? These tiny parasites are found in fresh waters like swimming pools, lakes, ponds, etc. But it’s not a biggie, your skin just reacts to the parasites and it heals all by itself in a couple of days. The cases of swimmer’s itch isn’t that high unless you spending like half a day in the pool.
Folliculitis

As the name suggests, it’s a skin infection of your follicles. Your hair grows out of follicles, and when these follicles are clogged or infected due to sweat, dust, and grime it results in folliculitis. This infected follicles look like acne or pimple and often causes itching and irritation. To avoid folliculitis, you can avoid wearing tight clothes in summer and take a shower immediately after workout or doing any physical activity that gets you all sweaty. In short, always keep your body clean and refreshed.
Heat rash or prickly heat

We grew up watching not so pleasant commercials of prickly heat, it occurs when your sweat glands are blocked due to dust, oil, grime, etc. When your sweat is blocked inside the glands it causes skin infections like rashes, redness, irritation, itching and tiny bumps on your skin. This skin infection is pretty common in tropical regions but quite easy to prevent. Add a few drops of antiseptic liquid in your bathing water, always try to keep your body dry and cool. And needless to say, always stay clean and mostly indoors to avoid the blockage of sweat glands from any pollutants.
Swimmer’s ears

Who knew that swimming itself can trigger so many skin infections? Sigh! Swimmer’s ear is a condition in which the pool water gets trapped in your ears and causes an infection. This can cause irritation and pain if neglected for too long. Skin experts suggest drying your ears with a fresh towel right after coming out of the pool and using an earplug while swimming if possible. Also, make a note to never use a cotton swab right after coming after the pool as it pushes the possible water parasites along with the ear wax deep inside the ears causing serious issues.
Melasma

Although melasma can be caused to numerous other reasons, one of the primary causes of melasma is when your skin is exposed to UV rays for a long time. And the chances of you getting this skin infection in summer are quite high. Melasma can be mostly noticed on your face in the form of brown and grey patches. The best way to avoid Melasma due to UV rays is - you can make a guess - always use sunscreen and try to be indoors or in a shade as much as possible.
Yeast Infection Rash

Alright ladies, pay all your attention to this one. Warm, moist and sweat defines summer and you know it’s not a good combo for your intimate areas. It’s an ultimate reason for vaginal yeast infection caused by an excess growth of fungus, scientifically called Candida Albicans. Due to warm and moist conditions, the pH level of your intimate area gets more acidic and leads to a skin infection. You can prevent this by switching to cotton or any breathable fabric and using solutions that help to maintain the pH level balance down there.
Athlete’s foot

Now you don’t necessarily need to be an athlete to contract this skin infection. Athlete’s foot is generally caused by closed toe footwear when your foot gets sweaty and don’t get to breathe. The symptoms can be skin flaking, peeling, and redness between your shoes. In worst cases, you can even get blisters which can get painful if not treated. This skin infection can be avoided by choosing summer footwear that has more room for your toes to breathe and always remember to wash your feet as soon as you reach home. You can also use a good quality sweat absorbing socks to keep your feet happy.
Hives

It sounds cute but it’s not. Hives is a skin infection that can be caused due to many factors like an insect bite, allergens, pollens, medication, etc. But it’s also commonly caused due to extreme heat and profuse sweating. Hives look like red swollen bumps or welts with defined raised edges. This minor skin infection can show up anywhere on your body. Normally it disappears by its own when your body adjusts in the better temperature. To treat hives, you can take cold showers and choose summer friendly clothing.
Molluscum Virus

This one is no less than a nightmare. Molluscum virus is a skin infection caused due to the overexposure to chlorinated water. This virus mostly attacks kids and can make them suffer for as long as four years! (Yikes). It causes white bumps all over your body and it’s contagious by touch. To avoid this, make sure your kids swim in clean pools and give them a good shower right after they’re done with it.
Written by Sachin Pandey on 17th Apr 2019
Stay ahead in beauty with Sachin Pandey’s expert skincare, haircare, and makeup insights for a flawless and glowing appearance.