Doctors in Dubai are warning that residents' constant movement between scorching outdoor heat and heavily air-conditioned interiors is putting real strain on the body's temperature-regulation system — and on the skin.
Dr Negin Hakim, a family medicine consultant, explains that blood vessels dilate in heat and sweating becomes the body's main cooling method, but that mechanism works poorly in high humidity. She says abrupt temperature shifts can trigger headaches, fatigue, dizziness and poor concentration, while cold AC air irritates the eyes, nose and throat — though the swings alone don't cause colds or flu, since those illnesses require a virus.
Dr Maurizio Viel, a plastic surgeon, and Dr Somayeh Shamsei, an internal medicine specialist at Aster Clinic in JLT, point to a particular paradox: residents' skin can become oily and dehydrated at the same time. The result is a tight, flaky feeling, redness, breakouts and sometimes heat rash.
The doctors note that older adults, pregnant women, people with diabetes and those with cardiac conditions face a higher risk from these repeated temperature swings.
Their advice for Dubai residents: keep indoor temperatures moderate rather than freezing, drink water steadily through the day, reapply SPF 50 sunscreen every two hours, and stick to gentle cleansers paired with ceramide- and niacinamide-based moisturisers to protect the skin barrier.