4 Gym habits which can ruin your skin

It’s great if you have a habit of going to the gym as not many do. It’s good for both your health and wellness but at the same time, can cause havoc to your skin. This is especially if you are used to any of these below bad habits wherein you will have to take some time to rethink things.

  1. Letting loose your hair

If you have a habit of leaving your hair, and do not pull it back from your face, the hair products and not sweat may cause skin problems. So if you notice some breakouts on your hairline or forehead, don’t just blame sweat. All the mousses, gels and hair products you use are also to blame.

  1. Wrong way of tying hair

While most people at the gym wear headbands, bandanas or hats across their forehead, it’s not a good habit as it leads to a backup of oil and perspiration in the pores. This in turn leads to little clogged bumps and breakouts.

While this may not be much of a problem for you if your skin isn’t prone to breakouts, if you notice that you are getting clogged pores, it’s better to keep the bandana or headband further back in your hairline and not across your forehead.

  1. Dehydration

It’s obvious you get dehydrated while you exercise as your skin loses water due to evaporation. This dehydrated skin increases the surface lines and leads to the premature dying of skin cells. This in turn leads to premature aging and a buildup of dead skin cells which clogs the pores.

So make it a habit to use a lightweight moisturizer when you go to the gym as it helps retain the water in the skin. However if you are exercising outdoors, you’d better use a very light moisturizer with a sunscreen.

  1. No gloves while working out

It’s always better to wear gloves while working out as they protect your hands from getting injured by handles and barbells. They also prevent the transmission of bacteria and viruses like warts and staphylococcus bacteria which can trigger an impetigo infection.

Impetigo is a common skin infection which is easily transmitted at the gym and leads to blisters and sores. In case you are not comfortable wearing gloves while working out, it’s better to disinfect your equipment using a spray or wipe.

For more gym habits you need to avoid while at the gym, just wait for the next post!