- Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has always had a bottle of hydroalcoholic gel on hand so that they can be disinfected wherever they are.
- But as summer arrives, dermatologists warn of the risks of using an alcoholic solution when the skin is exposed to the sun.
- This can lead to irritation or even brown spots on the skin, explains Dr. Catherine Oliverès-Ghouti to 20 Minutes .
It's going to be sunny. It's going to be hot. But despite the summer temperatures of the coming days, the official start of summer this Saturday and the summer holidays which are fast approaching, there is no question of relaxing on the barrier gestures to keep the Covid-19 at a good distance. The first of these is to wash your hands very regularly. A good reflex that for many, goes through a bottle of hydroalcoholic gel that can be drawn throughout the day to disinfect the hands.
A gesture that has become a reflex since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but which can damage the skin. As Spain prepares to launch its tourist season after a long and strict confinement, the dermatologists of the country are raising the alert this week on the dermatological risks linked to an intensive use of hydroalcoholic gel at the beach. For Dr. Marta Frieyro, dermatologist at Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital, in the south of the country, the rapid absorption of the hydroalcoholic gel creates a false sensation of total evaporation of the product on the skin, while "it remains a long time on its surface "and that exposing the skin to the sun can lead to" a burn ", she told the Spanish daily El Mundo .
Is there really a risk for the skin? "Yes," answers 20 minutes Dr. Catherine Oliverès-Ghouti, dermatologist and member of the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV). You shouldn't apply hydroalcoholic gel to your skin if you expose it to the sun. ” And here's why.
Spanish dermatologists are concerned about improper use of hydroalcoholic gel when exposed to the sun. What do we risk and why?
Indeed, the Spanish press has been echoing this for several days. First, using hydroalcoholic gel at the beach is useless: there, a priori, you don't touch any elevator button or door handle, but only your own things and the sand.
Already, intensive use of hydroalcoholic gel can irritate the skin. I have been receiving patients lately who use hydroalcoholic gel throughout the day and who have dry and irritated skin on their hands. Some people develop a form of hives, redness and describe burning sensations. And that's because they use too much hydroalcoholic gel. The protective barrier of the skin is exposed by overuse of this product, and putting moisturizers is no longer enough to rehydrate and relieve.
In addition, the shortage of hydroalcoholic gel at the height of the health crisis led to the appearance of counterfeit or incorrectly dosed gels, the composition of which does not comply with the prescriptions of the WHO and the health authorities. Some contain too much alcohol, others contain a mixture of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, which can lead to the appearance of skin irritations and burns even without exposure to the sun.
What is the specific risk of using hydroalcoholic gel at the beach?
Moms remember this all the time: you don't wear an alcohol-based perfume directly on your skin during the summer, because if you expose yourself to the sun, you risk having spots. Well not only is this true, but with regard to hydroalcoholic gel, the risk is exactly the same. It is made up of around 70% alcohol. However, it is a photosensitizing substance: if you expose your hands brushed with hydroalcoholic solution to the beach, then you risk what is called a charm dermatitis, a characteristic burn caused by the reaction of alcohol on the skin with the sun. Clearly, we first develop a burn, the skin is red and irritated, then the stain takes a brown pigmentation which can last for years.
The risk applies to the beach of course, but also when you are exposed to the sun, so this precaution also applies to lunches, coffee breaks and other aperitifs that you can do on the sunny terrace of bars and restaurants. We sit down in the sun, wash our hands with hydroalcoholic gel and have lunch outside, at a time when the sun is the worst for the skin. It's very harmful!
What advice would you give to alcoholic gel addicts?
Obviously, it is very practical and allows "nomadic" use. But for effective hand disinfection, nothing beats a good hand washing with soap, preferably from Marseille. The soap removes all germs and viruses present on the skin. Composed in particular of a mixture of soda and vegetable oil, it encompasses the viral particles and makes them inactive. So, if you are on the terrace, you go to wash your hands with soap and water rather than with your hydroalcoholic gel. We wash them thoroughly, not forgetting the space between the fingers and the back of the hands.
And at the beach, you just need to take with you a small bottle containing liquid hand soap, the one we use when coming home from work or coming out of the toilet, and we will wash them with clean water. water terminals found on all beaches. Of course, we don't forget the other good dermatos reflexes at the beach as on the terrace: we avoid basking in the sun between noon and 4 p.m., and we don't forget our sunscreen. The coronavirus is still circulating, but does not eliminate the risk of melanoma.
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