Are You Ready For The Harmattan? Harmattan is a hot, dry, and dusty wind that blows over West Africa. The wind blows from the Sahara Desert into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March. Harmattan has very far-reaching medical implications, as it consists of fine dust particles between 0.5 and 10 micrometers.  It affects all exposed surfaces of the human body, including the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and respiratory tract, which directly communicate with the atmosphere. The skin can become dry during the harmattan season as a result of the dry wind. When the skin is dry, it becomes wrinkled. The skin can also have cracks, which can degenerate into bruises. People also have the tendency to develop skin rashes during the season, which can also induce itching, whereby they may inadvertently introduce infections to the skin. Therefore, people need to be well hydrated during the period and use emollient creams which help in moisturizing the skin. Adequate flu...