A dermatologist has warned that excessive scrubbing during or after immersion in a hot spring can result in unhealthier skin or severe itching, and advised people not to wear makeup to hot springs, as it could result in rashes.
Some older people are fond of vigorously scrubbing their backs with towels when visiting hot springs, Lo Yang (羅陽), a physician at Cathay General Hospital’s department of dermatology, said on Thursday.
Aside from the question of how sanitary such an action is in a public space, the reason the skin feels silky smooth afterward is because the water is hot, and the difference in temperature makes it easier for dead skin to flake off, Lo said.
If a person scrubs their skin too vigorously when soaking, it can cause the skin to become “too clean,” Lo said.
The stratum corneum — the outer layer of the skin — and the sebum that are removed are important barriers for the skin and help keep moisture in the body, he said.
People who have asteatotic dermatitis, or those whose skin itches during the dry season, might feel very itchy when after scrubbing their bodies, Lo said.
As for wearing makeup while at hot springs, the hot water would cause the pores to dilate and the makeup would prevent waste matter and aging cells from being excreted, he said.
If serious, the individual might also develop a heat rash, Lo said.
As for using skincare facial masks at a hot spring, as often depicted in Japanese TV shows, he said that many masks contain preservatives, which could seep into the skin.
People should use the masks after finishing their hot spring bath, but only after washing their faces first, Lo said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days. A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and three high-altitude balloons, the MAC said in a statement. The Chinese military also carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, the MAC said. On
Thirty-five earthquakes have exceeded 5.5 on the Richter scale so far this year, the most in 14 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said on Facebook on Thursday. A large earthquake in Hualien County on April 3 released five times as much the energy as the 921 Earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999, the agency said in its latest earthquake report for this year. Hualien County has had the most national earthquake alerts so far this year at 64, with Yilan County second with 23 and Changhua County third with nine, the agency said. The April 3 earthquake was what caused the increase in
INTIMIDATION: In addition to the likely military drills near Taiwan, China has also been waging a disinformation campaign to sow division between Taiwan and the US Beijing is poised to encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise “Joint Sword-2024C,” starting today or tomorrow, as President William Lai (賴清德) returns from his visit to diplomatic allies in the Pacific, a national security official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said that multiple intelligence sources showed that China is “highly likely” to launch new drills around Taiwan. Although the drills’ scale is unknown, there is little doubt that they are part of the military activities China initiated before Lai’s departure, they said. Beijing at the same time is conducting information warfare by fanning skepticism of the US and
NO RIGHT: After 38 years of martial law under the former KMT government, the KMT is the least qualified to accuse others of harboring such intentions, DPP officials said The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of creating a stir on social media by implying that the government supports martial law, adding that the KMT is the least qualified to criticize others after decades of martial law in Taiwan under the former KMT regime. After South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol late on Tuesday night declared martial law (which was rescinded six hours later), the DPP caucus issued a statement on Thread saying that Taiwan’s legislature was facing a situation similar to that in South Korea, which had prompted Yoon to declare martial law. “The South