Play Holi the ’natural’ way

Synthetic colours cause skin allergies, irritation in eyes

Play Holi the 'natural' way

Synthetic colours cause skin allergies, irritation in eyes

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As the city prepares to celebrate Holi, doctors have a word of cautionu00a0 - play organic, with an ounce of care.

Chemical colours have serious side effects (see box) like damage to kidneys, various types of cancer, chemical burns and damage to scalp. "Use natural colours instead of metallic ones. Each year, we have a stream of patients in our clinics who don't heed our advice and get allergies. These are painful and can last long," said Dr Dhanashree Bhide, dermatologist at Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have also issued strict instructions to vendors. FDA have issued an advisory to use synthetic food colours, and MPCB has asked vendors to stop selling colours containing metals or industrial dyes.

Dr Hemant Todkar, eye specialist at Sassoon hospital, said that most common eye problems during this festival are chemical conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion and corneal burns.

"If water balloon hits the eye, it can cause direct injury. The toxic colour can cause injury to eye and lead to a chemical burn. One may suffer from red eyes and irritation for many days," he said.

Typically, skin allergies include severe itching, burning sensation with skin rashes, swelling and blistering of skin.
Also, doctors advice playing Holi without contact lenses and washing eyes immediately with water if any irritation occurs. Do not rub eyes and visit a doctor instead of selfmedication, they said.

"For skin care, one should apply oil to face and hair. Conversely, one can apply lots of moisturiser before playing Holi. Face should be washed with a mild cleanser. Skin should not be rubbed vigorously to remove colour. It could lead to irritations and pigmentation," said Dr Yashwant Tawade, head of dermatology department at KEM hospital.

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