Beat the Heat Away

If you live in a climate that tends to be hotter than hot like I do (Texas *cough cough*) You know by now how horrid the heat can be. It’s a lot to deal with for a healthy person but can be even worse and dangerous for someone who is chronically ill or has a disease like blood cancer.

Our bodies are weaker and more susceptible to overworking themselves or getting sick and prolonged heat exposure can make that worse. So what can we do?

Opt for lighter clothing

Back when I was in 5th grade we did a science experiment. We had a black piece of cardboard and a white piece of cardboard (I think it was cardboard. It was a long time ago.) and we left them out in the sun with two thermometers. We came back later and found that the black piece had gotten to a higher temperature. That’s because the color black absorbs heat more than the color white does.

So wearing clothing with lighter colors can actually help! Also opting for different materials like cotton or clothes that are meant for sweating like athletic shirts/shorts can be helpful.

Hats are great too! But remember heat escapes from your head so find a cap that is breathable and lightweight,

SPF

Obviously use sunscreen as much as you can. I like to use no less than SPF 50. I feel like that gives me the best coverage without breaking the bank. There are also sunscreens specifically made for your face and others made for your body. I learned this the hard way when I put the body kind on my face and it started melting into my eyes after a few hours.

Cooling devices

In Japan they have body wipes that they sell that have some type of ingredients on them that react to your skin so when it’s hot outside and you rub it on your body it cools down your skin. You can make your own here in America! Take a baby wipe and put it in the freezer. When you’re ready to use it, take it out and wipe yourself down. Ice packs are also nice for this, but tend to be a bit bulky.

Fans are also awesome and portable fans come in a variety of sizes and shapes. There are some you can wear around your neck like a necklace or around your shoulders and run on batteries so you can take them anywhere!

We can’t forget about thermal water bottles either. Just like they can keep hot drinks hot if you load it up with ice they can keep cold drinks cold for hours on end! I’ve seen some that advertise 15 hours of keeping cold.

Weird one: shave

Shaving actually makes a difference. For women we tend to shave our legs more often than men. Let me tell you it does make a difference! Armpits as well. I don’t sweat nearly as much with less hair under my arms.

These are just some options you can try to keep cool while you’re out and about during the summer time.

Do you have any other tips for staying cool? Warm wishes, Katelynn