ABSTRACT
Travelling on a mule through the hills and valleys of Afghanistan poses different kinds of problem to the skin compared with a cruise on a liner to the Caribbean. Apart from any psychological issues that result, travelling can also cause a host of physical minor injuries and discomforts on the skin even when ‘things go right’. Sunburn and miliaria crystallina and miliaria rubra are other potential skin problems that sometimes arise from travelling in tropical and subtropical zones. Dry scaling and cracked skin can result from exposure and travelling in or through cold climates. The chosen destination of travel will also result in exposure to the skin of the local human inhabitants. Skin plays a pivotal role in the body’s heat balance by modulating sweating and blood flow to the skin. Chronic exposure results in what is incorrectly perceived as ageing on all exposed skin surfaces.
