Romancing in The Rain

It’s raining pains. It’s musty, mucky, malodorous,’ there’s wading in waterlogged roads, upturned  umbrellas, footwear going missing. And more.

Your house has uninvited guests flies- despite all your precautions. It’s not for nothing that they are called house flies. Fly paper can catch some of them. But a craftily wielded fly swatter that works on batteries can frazzle the (and mosquitoes, too). Discourage the pests by fixing nets on all windows, maintaining a spotless kitchen, covering food, bagging and sealing garbage.

See a doctor if you have nausea, vomiting. Fainting, a drop in blood pressure, wheezing, difficulty in breathing.

A passing car has splashed your clothes with muddy water. Shake out the garment vigorously and allow any other residue mud patches to dry. Then use a stiff brush or vacuum cleaner nozzle to remove the worst of it. Wash as usual. Keep your clothes short ‘n’ simple. Bermudas, shorts or cropped pants for guys.’ Skirts, solid coloured leggings, or capris for girls.  Smart rain goers carry a  portable iron that fits into a bag.

You are drenched and your white undies show shamelessly. Cover yourself with somebody’s   raincoat or dupatta- laughing all the way. Dry yourself with a hair dryer. In the future, wear skin toned or dark coloured undies – think green, purple, navy, indigo (white spells trouble)- in blended cottons and poly nylon, which can dry quickly and do not crush.

The elements have frizzed up your hair, and you have a dishy date, straight from office. Apply a bit of mousse or get and distribute evenly, straight on your wet hair. Don’t touch it. Just jet it air dry. A funky hair band or scarf can divert attention. To fight frightful monsoon frizzier comb your hair with a wide toothed comb before a shower to prevent tangles and knots. Don’t wash your hair too often- twice or thrice a week is enough. Only wash your scalp. Your hair will not get too dirty in this season. It’s the tousling that adds to the damage and tears cuticles (the outer layer of hair which is composed of overlapping cells that sit like scales on a fish) making it frizzier. Finger comb to detangle while still wet regular conditioner stay put for at least 5 minutes. Blast with cold water to close up the cuticles. Follow with an anti-frizz serum. Dry well so that you don’t leave any water behind. Try  a conditioning banana mask. Mash a banana, add a dash of olive oil and smooth over your hair, let it sit for 15 minutes. Then shampoo off with lukewarm water. Go for weekly vitamin treatments. Sleep on a satin pillowcase to prevent  the frizzies from forming. Cotton pillowcases tend to cause friction between the  hair and the fabric, specially if you move around a lot in your sleep.