6 ways to minimize visible pores on your skin

Pores are openings in the skin through which your body's natural oil, called sebum, is released. They appear larger when they are clogged with dirt or oil, and are home to hair follicles. Dead skin cells and sebum which, put together, form a pimple can stretch out pores. Aging and exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun also contribute to the appearance of pores on your skin. Pores can be controlled with the right skin care. 

Here's how:
1. Choose your skin care products wisely 
Zinc and magnesium help to maintain your skin's oil balance and clear pores. Products with softening ingredients like rosemary and lavender may soothe your skin and prevent pores from stretching out. You should use products with salicylic acid as an ingredient since it unclogs pores, exfoliating your skin. 

2. Maintain cleanliness
Washing your face temporarily stops your pores from holding extra oil or dirt. Exfoliating two to three times a week can also control the cropping up of pores on your skin. However, these are temporary methods because you will have large pores naturally if your skin is oily.

3. Applying sunscreen
Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun for too long can make your pores look bigger. Applying sunscreen on the face and on exposed areas of your skin with SPF 30 can minimize your pores. Also, wear a broad-brimmed hat and withdraw stepping out in the sun between 10 A. M. To 4 P. M.

4. Treating the spot
Oily skin tends to have larger and more noticeable pores. Some areas of your face may be oilier making the pores visible. A clay mask can be used for spot treating if the pores on your nose, cheeks or forehead are large. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your skin and rinse it off with water after a few minutes. The clay extracts the extra oil out of your clogged pores so that the skin looks sleek. Using blotting paper on your oily areas can also be effective. 

5. Maintain a proper diet
Avoid food that is oily and high in fat because unhealthy oil can agitate the skin leading to clogged pores. You should eat low-fat foods like fruits and vegetables instead of munching on chips, cookies and candies. 

6. Remove makeup before going to bed
One of the biggest blunders that you can do is to leave your makeup on and go to bed. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores, stretching them out over time. Even if you forget to wash off your makeup at the sink due to some reasons, make sure that you at least remove it with face wipes. 





6 Ways to Minimize Visible Pores on Your Skin

Sitting or standing slouched does not only look bad but also has a bad effect on your spine. If not addressed in time, bad posture can become a person s second nature. Over time bad posture can change the natural curvature of your spine and lead to a number of health issues. Here are a few tips that could help:

1. Follow the structure of the chair
We spend a lot of time on office chairs. A well-designed chair will follow ergonomic guidelines to support your body. However, this can help only if you sit on the chair properly. Distribute your weight evenly on the chair. Try to align your body to the center of the chair. To do this try keeping your ears, shoulder, and hips in a straight line. Alternate between sitting at the edge of your seat and against the backrest to relieve your back muscles.

2. Change Positions
Though you can t change your desk every few hours, you can change how you sit. Tiredness is one of the leading causes for slumping and bad posture. Thus, to maintain a good posture try changing positions frequently. Stretch every half hour or so. Getting up from your table and walking over to a colleague to tell them something instead of calling them can give your muscles a break.

3. Use posture-friendly props
Along with ergonomic chairs, there are a number of other ergonomic props that could help maintain good posture. This includes footrests, pillows to support the lower back and lumbar back supports. These props can help ease the strain on the back muscles. Using a chair with an adjustable back is also a good idea. While walking, invest in bags and backpacks that are ergonomically designed to distribute their weight evenly over the entire back.

4. Exercise right
Improved posture is one of the many benefits of regular exercise. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running, and swimming help condition the body and maintain a good balance. Exercises that strengthen the back muscles are also great for posture. These exercises support the muscles of the upper body and relieve stress on the back muscles.

5. Wear the right footwear
Wear shoes that fit right and support the arches of your foot. This can help you maintain your balance and improve posture. Avoid wearing high heels for extended periods of time as they could have a negative effect on your center of gravity. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Tips For Improving Posture And Ergonomics!

Moles are a common form of growth or formation on your skin that appear often in the form of small, black spots. They can develop anywhere on the body. They usually occur during adolescence or childhood and with the passage of time, they may change colour. Moles are a type of skin growth, which usually do not go away with time.

On the other hand, freckles are often described as round, flat, dark colour spots which vary in size from about 2mm to 4mm. They may result from pigment precipitation in one particular area as the skin that surrounds the dark spot is comparatively lighter in shade. Being sensitive to the sun s ultra violet rays, freckles become more noticeable during or after sunlight exposure. Although freckles are usually found in areas which are not covered from the sun s exposure, they could also occur anywhere on your body.

What causes them?
Moles are caused due to certain skin cells, known as melanocytes, grow in a very close group instead of being evenly and normally spread across the skin. Moles that occur during birth are called congenital nevi and their chances of occurring are around 1 in a 100. These moles are more prone to develop into skin cancer (melanoma) in later stages of life.

Freckles on the other hand are 

Genetically transferred, so the chance of you becoming affected are higher, if any of your parents have it.
If there s a prolonged exposure to the sunrays, then freckles may appear on your skin and they become even more prominent on a fair skin. Since the presence of melanin is less in people with fair skin the sunlight exposure causes these dark spots to surface easily
Hormonal imbalances could be yet another reason for freckles to appear as estrogen could be over-stimulate cells that produce pigment and thus become more prominent in the presence of sunlight.
Rare disorders like Xeroderma Pigmentosum (a condition leading to extreme light sensitivity and also skin cancer in certain cases) can make your skin more sensitive to the UV rays, thus resulting in freckles.
Treatment of moles and freckles

Laser Treatment: There are different types of lasers which are absolutely safe and can help reduce or lighten these dark spots effectively.
Cryosurgery: The physician would use a light freeze in conjunction with liquid nitrogen to reduce the spots of freckles. However, not every spot responds to this kind of treatment.
Retinoids: Mostly used with a combination of other bleaching creams, retinoids help reduce freckles when used continuously for a couple of months.

Moles and Freckles? How They Can Be Treated?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland is not producing the thyroid hormones adequately. This is a fairly common condition.

What is thyroid gland?

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland located just below Adam s apple. It encircles the windpipe or the trachea. It is about 4 cms in height and weighs about 18 gms. This gland is responsible for the secretion of thyroid hormones. Hormones are chemicals produced by special glands like thyroid, adrenals, ovaries etc. They act as messengers and are carried by the blood to the various target organs.

What are the hormones produced by thyroid gland and what do they do?

The thyroid hormones are of two types   T3 (Tri iodo thyronine) and T4 (Thyroxine). These hormones are mainly responsible for the body s metabolism - a process in which food is converted into energy in the cells. They influence growth and development and regulate various bodily functions which are mentioned below:

Heartbeat
Body temperature
Breathing
Body weight
Metabolism of fat
Menstrual cycles in females
Functioning of Nervous system
Digestion
Burning calories etc.
What is Hypothyroidism?

Inadequate production of hormones by the thyroid gland is termed as hypothyroidism. This is also called Underactive thyroid state. Hypothyroidism can make the body s development to slow down and reduces metabolism rates.

What are the causes of Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism can be caused by a number of factors:

Hashimoto's thyroiditis: This is the commonest cause. This is an autoimmune disorder (normally body s defence system fight against external infections. In autoimmune disorder the defence system attacks the healthy cells of the body by mistake). In Hashimoto s thyroiditis the immune system/defence system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland and destroy it.
Iodine deficiency in diet. For the production of thyroid hormones iodine is very important. The body does not produce iodine normally, so it needs to be supplemented from outside. Iodine is mainly present in the food we eat. It is mainly present in shellfish, salt-water fish, eggs, dairy products. If a person does not eat iodine rich foods, he may end up with iodine deficiency leading to hypothyroidism. Currently, this causative factor is on the decline due to government initiative of table salt with iodine.
Surgery: Surgery to remove thyroid gland (for e.g. thyroid cancer treatment, overactive thyroid etc.)
Radiation to the neck (to treat cancer in the neck area): The thyroid gland cells are damaged due to the radiation.
Treatment with radioactive iodine: This treatment is used for managing hyperthyroidism/overactive thyroid, where the thyroid gland produces excessive thyroid hormones. One of the treatment modalities is by radioactive iodine. Sometimes this radiotherapy destroys normal functioning cells which lead to hypothyroidism.
Certain medicines: Certain medicines used to treat heart conditions, cancer, psychiatric conditions etc.   for e.g. amiodarone, lithium, interleukin-2, interferon-alpha.
Pregnancy: Pregnancy (the reason is unclear but it has been noticed that the thyroid may get inflamed after delivery   this is called Postpartum thyroiditis.
Damage to the pituitary gland: Pituitary gland is a gland which is present in the brain. It produces a hormone called TSH (Thyroxine-Stimulating hormone).The TSH tells the thyroid gland how much thyroid hormone it should make. If the levels of thyroid hormone in the blood are low, then the TSH will stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more Thyroid hormone.
Hypothalamus disorders: This is an organ in the brain. This produces a hormone called TRH (Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone) which acts on the Pituitary gland to secrete TSH. So any disorder of Pituitary gland will indirectly effect the production and secretion of Thyroid hormones. These are very rare disorders.
Congenital thyroid defects: Some babies are born with thyroid problems. This is due to the thyroid not being developed normally during pregnancy. Sometimes the thyroid gland does not function normal. This can be identified by screening for thyroid disorders in the first week after delivery. This is usually by a blood test using a small drop of blood from the baby s heel.
What are the different types of hypothyroidism?

One classification is based on whether the defect is with the thyroid gland or not:

Primary hypothyroidism: The problem is in the thyroid gland itself and thus there is reduced production /secretion of thyroid hormones.
Secondary hypothyroidism: Here the problem is with the Pituitary gland or the Hypothalamus. This results in abnormal production of TSH or TRH, which indirectly leads to less production and secretion of thyroid hormones.
Another classification is based on the symptoms and levels of the thyroid hormones and TSH:

Overt hypothyroidism: Here the patient is having the symptoms. Further the T3/T4 are low and TSH is high
Subclinical hypothyroidism: Here patient may or may not have symptoms. The T3/T4 levels are normal but TSH is high. In this situation the patient is at an increased risk of developing overt hypothyroidism in the future especially if he has Thyroid peroxidase antibodies on testing.
Who are at risk of developing Hypothyroidism?

Women have a higher risk of suffering from hypothyroidism than men.
Older people are at increased risk.
People suffering from other autoimmune diseases like Coeliac disease, Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus, Vitiligo, Pernicious anemia, Multiple sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Addison s disease etc.
People with psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder
People with Chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, Turners syndrome also have a high risk of suffering from hypothyroidism.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?

Symptoms vary from person to person. They may also mimic other conditions and hence be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms may also develop very slowly over a span of moths-years. Some of the characteristic symptoms of this disease are:

Depression
Constipation
Hair loss
Dry hair
Dryness of the skin
Tiredness
Body pains
Fluid retention in the body
Irregular menstrual cycle
Increased sensitivity to cold
Reduced heart rate
Increase in size of the thyroid gland   called Goitre. This is due to constant stimulation of the thyroid gland by TSH.
Weight gain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Hoarse voice
Infertility
Loss of libido/sex drive
Confusion or memory problems especially in the elderly
What are the symptoms to look for in a baby if you suspect hypothyroidism?

Infants suffering from congenital hypothyroidism may show no symptoms or exhibit signs of excessive drowsiness, cold hands, cold feet, constipation, hoarse cry, poor growth or absent growth, poor appetite, bloating of abdomen, puffiness of face, swollen tongue, persistent jaundice.

How to diagnose hypothyroidism?

Blood tests:

TSH: This hormone is made in the pituitary gland and it stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine. If the thyroxine levels are low in the blood, the pituitary gland produces and secretes more TSH into the blood to act on the thyroid gland to produce more thyroxine. A raised TSH level indicates hypothyroidism. Other tests are not usually necessary unless a rare cause of hypothyroidism.
T4: A low level of thyroxine indicates hypothyroidism.
T3: these levels are generally not needed to diagnose hypothyroidism
Anti-Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO antibodies) or Anti- thyroglobulin antibodies are present in 90-95% of patient with autoimmune thyroiditis.
Other blood tests include Creatinine Kinase, Serum Lipids, Complete blood picture etc.
Ultrasound of the neck is done if the patient presents with a thyroid swelling.
What is the treatment of hypothyroidism?

Overt hypothyroidism is treated by synthetic Thyroxin hormone which should be taken every day on an empty stomach at least 30   45 minutes before breakfast. The treatment is continued for the rest of the patient s life. Regular thyroid function tests are done once every 8 weeks-12 weeks to adjust the dose of the thyroxine in the initial period of diagnosis. Once the thyroxine dose is stabilised, the tests can be done even once a year. This treatment is quite effective.

Sub-clinical hypothyroidism is only treated if the patient is a woman and is contemplating pregnancy, in patients with symptoms or if the TSH is quite high.

What are the side-effects of thyroxine medication?

There are few side effects if any. Most people tolerate these medications quite well. An important consideration before starting medication is to check if the patient has chest pain/angina. These people are started on the least available dose. If these patients are started on a higher dose they notice a worsening of their angina pains.

Side effects mainly occur if the thyroxine dose is high which leads to hyperthyroidism. The symptoms of this could be palpitations 9increased heart beat), weight loss, profuse sweating, anxiety, irritability etc.

There are some tablets which increase with thyroxine tablets. These include carbamazepine, iron supplements, calcium supplements, rifampicin, phenytoin, warfarin etc.

What are the complications of hypothyroidism?

If untreated hypothyroidism can lead to:

heart problems like heart attack due to increased levels of bad cholesterol like LDL, or heart failure due to fluid retention
obesity
infertility
joint pains
depression
A pregnant woman with hypothyroidism is at increased risk of giving birth to a baby with congenital hypothyroidism, also known as cretinism. Further, the woman may have pregnancy related complications like pre-eclampsia, premature delivery, low birth weight baby, anemia, post-partum haemorrhage (bleeding after delivery) etc.
Myxoedema is another complication where the patient has extremely low levels of thyroid hormone. The body temperature drops drastically making the person lose consciousness or go into a coma.
References:

2013 ETA Guideline: Management of Subclinical Hypothyroidism; European Thyroid Association (Nov 2013)
Management of primary hypothyroidism: statement by the British Thyroid Association Executive Committee; British Thyroid Association (2015)
The diagnosis and management of primary hypothyroidism; Royal College of Physicians and others (June 2011)
Suh S, Kim DK; Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Cardiovascular Disease. Endocrinology Metabolism (Seoul). 2015 Aug 4.
UK Guidelines for the Use of Thyroid Function Tests; British Thyroid Association (2006)
Gaitonde DY, Rowley KD, Sweeney LB; Hypothyroidism: an update. American Family Physician. 2012 Aug 1 86(3):244-51.
Bindra A, Braunstein GD; Thyroiditis. American Family Physician. 2006 May 15 73(10):1769-76.
Wilson GR, Curry RW Jr; Subclinical thyroid disease. American Family Physician. 2005 Oct 15 72(8):1517-24.
British National Formulary; NICE Evidence Services (UK access only)
Baumgartner C, Blum MR, Rodondi N; Subclinical hypothyroidism: summary of evidence in 2014. Swiss Medical Weekly. 2014 Dec 23 144:w14058. doi: 10.4414/smw.2014.14058. eCollection 2014.

Know Everything About Hypothyroidism

Lupus is an inflammatory disease that is chronic in nature. It occurs when your tissues and organs are attacked by your body's own immunity system. The inflammation that this disease causes can affect the other parts of your body as well, like the joints, kidneys, skin, brain etc. It is often difficult to diagnose because it lacks distinct symptoms. However, one of the most identifiable symptoms of lupus is a ring-shaped rash on the face.

Lupus can be caused by a number of factors like:

Excessive exposure to sunlight
Susceptibility towards infections
Certain anti-seizure, blood pressure and antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
The symptoms are neither distinct nor regular. However, some common symptoms could be-

Fatigue and fever
Pain in the joints, stiffness and swelling
Ring-shaped facial rash
Skin lesions on exposure to the sun
Chest pain and shortness of breath
What else can lupus lead to?

Several complications may arise if lupus is left untreated. Some of them are-

Kidney damage and failure
Hallucination, seizures, strokes and several other problems associated with the brain and the central nervous system
Anemia, blood clotting, vasculitis etc.
Increased susceptibility to pneumonia
Increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases
Treatment
Lupus is a significantly dangerous disease and medical help should be immediately sought if you think that you have symptoms associated with it. Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms of individual patients.

Lupus (Skin Rash) - How It Can Be Treated?

Most of Almost every one of us dreams of a flawless skin. But, your beauty gets a patch of ugliness with the presence of unwanted moles on your skin. Moles develop from cells called melanocytes, which produce pigment melanin that gives skin its color. It is for this reason that the moles are darker than the other parts of the skin. They are usually caused due to hormonal changes.

Here are some common causes behind moles:

Teenage: It is the stage that sees a lot of hormonal changes and imbalances. This increases the chance of developing moles.
Pregnancy: It is that period when a woman s body goes through a hell lot of changes. It doesn t give rise to more moles but it is responsible for darkening of the existing ones.
Sunlight: Exposure to sunlight for a prolonged period of time may lead to the formation of moles. These can worsen later by taking the shape of melanoma, or skin cancer.
Genetics: Researchers believe that genes are responsible for having moles on the body or face.
Types of Moles
It is difficult to identify the various types of moles. They almost look the same. But, on closer scrutiny, you will see the differences. Here are the most common ones:

Dermal melanocytic naevi: They protrude from the skin. They have a pale hue. They may have hair on them as well.
Junctional melanocytic naevi: They are either flat or round. They are deep brown or black in colour.
Compound melanocytic naevi: They protrude from skin. They are light brown in colour.
Blue naevi: They are dark blue in colour.
Halo naevi: The moles have a pale circular ring around it.
Home remedies to get rid of moles
Here are some common home-based remedies to treat moles:

Apple Cider Vinegar: It is a strong natural acid. It burns the area and the mole falls off. But, you need to be anti-allergic to the acid. Dip a cotton ball in the acid and apply on the affected part. You will see results in 10 days time.
Baking soda and Castor oil: The mixture of baking soda and castor oil makes a slow but effective solution for treatment of moles. It also prevents the scars. Castor oil has the ability to disperse any growth of pathogens.
Flaxseed oil, Ground Flaxseeds and Honey: This is an effective remedy for moles that are raised from the skin. It causes loosening of the edges of the mole. Gradually, the mole falls off due to its application.

Moles - Know The Common Types!

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