Vitiligo is a disorder in which the skin starts losing its original color in the form of unequal shapes and sizes. This problem of skin pigmentation means that the melanocytes in the skin get damaged. This leads to the development of the white patches on the skin.

The hairs which grow on the affected area start losing their color and become gray. This problem also causes psychological disorders which related to appearance and many times, the adolescent's high dose of medications if this disorder develops in the visible areas like face, hands, arms or the feet. The adolescents start feeling embarrassed, depressed and worried about what the others might think of them and how they would react to seeing them.

Causes

Though the exact causes of vitiligo are not clear, the researchers assume that this disorder is just like an autoimmune disorder. This means that the pigmentation or the element which gives color to the skin get destroyed by the antibodies of the person s own body.

In some cases, it has also been observed that the initial stage of this disorder relates to an event which causes psychological stress to the person. People whose parents or other family members suffer from this disease are also likely to suffer from the same. This can be said that this disorder passes down the genes from generation to generation.

If people have suffered sunburns, rashes and other disorders related to the skin where the hair turns gray before the person turns thirty-five, are also some of the causes of this disease.

Role of homeopathy in treating Vitiligo

Homeopathy aims at treating the problem from the root, over a period of time yet in an effective manner. This field of medicine works at building the immunity of the patients and restore their health. As per homeopathy, it is important to understand the constitution of the patient before prescribing any type of medicine. Also, homeopathic medicines prescribed to an individual are related more to the constitution of the individual, the symptoms it is indicating and the overall psyche of the patient. 

Further, it is required that the formation of the melanin in the body is improved, in order to treat the problem. Since all patients are different, thus they respond differently to the treatment provided. And, the course of the treatment can only be decided once the underlying root cause is determined. Homeopathy treatment goes beyond the general and medicinal aspects of the vitiligo treatment. 

All these medicines listed above are only suggestive in nature and can change with the change in symptoms. Therefore one should only take homeopathic medicines as prescribed by the doctor. 

Vitiligo - Know Why Homeopathy Is The Best Choice Of Treatment!

How does salt help in clearing skin?

Of all the health problems current lifestyle poses, one that harasses both men are women, at times even in their 30s, is marks or blemishes on the face. Acne and blemishes have become almost constant features on the skin, all thanks to the irregular eating habits, junk food, alcohol, late nights and of course, pollution. It is one of the lesser known facts that salt helps clear up the skin. Sea salt and epsom salt are the ideal salts to be used. Let us see how.

1. Salt for bathing - adding salt to your bath is advised for physical and spiritual cleansing. After you are done with your usual bath and washed off the soap, have a bath with salt mixed water. This not only clears the complexion overall but also lightens dark marks on the body.
2. Salt for application - two teaspoons of sea salt mixed with water and applied on the face with cotton, three times a day is said to treat the problem of acne. Having the natural ability to reduce moisture, salt does wonders to your skin by drying out the oils. This eliminates chances of pores getting clogged, closes them and increasing bacterial buildup.
3. Salt as a mask - salt when mixed with honey makes a great mask for the skin. Since both the ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties, this mask soothes the skin, retains hydration in the skin and balances the oil production. A couple of teaspoons of finely ground sugar, when mixed with double the amount of raw honey, makes a perfect balancing mask for the skin.
4. Salt as toner spray - a teaspoon of sea salt mixed with some warm water in a spray bottle until the salt is dissolved makes for a perfect spray toner. Make sure to avoid the eyes, though.
5. Salt for exfoliation - salt is known to be a skin-exfoliate and is often found in body scrubs. One can also make scrubs at home by mixing together aloe vera juice or gel, salt, oil of your choice, essential oil and dried lavender flowers.

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Do You Know Salt Is Only God For Clear Skin?

Causes of Hairfall and Solutions to Treat Them

In general, you lose about 50-100 strands of hair each day, but the loss is not visible as new hair grow in their place. However, if you lose more than a 100 strands in a day and more than 200 strands on the day you shampoo, you may be suffering from what is known as excessive hair fall. 

Certain factors or reasons may cause you to lose hair at an alarming rate, which are,

1. Thyroid problems
Your thyroid is responsible for your body?s overall functioning. The hormones (primarily T4 and T3), which it produces help in regulating metabolic activities. Problems with your thyroid gland can cause your hormone levels to rise or fall to unhealthy levels, which can result in hair fall. You can improve the functioning of your thyroid gland through a diet rich in calcium, iodine, magnesium, protein and Vitamins A, B and C.

2. Scalp infections
Infections of the scalp can also be one of the factors that may cause your hair to fall at an alarming rate. Of the different scalp infections, the ringworm scalp infection is the most common. Although this fungal infection can occur in any part of your body, when it develops on your scalp, you end up losing clumps of hair. Alongside the use of anti-fungal medications, even anti-fungal shampoos and creams can provide you with respite from the problem.

3. Poor diet
Gorging on unhealthy foods or going on a crash diet can result in the lack of essential nutrients in your body, which are required to maintain healthy hair. Furthermore, since hair is made of protein, having a balanced diet consisting of proteins and vitamin- rich foods is a must.

4. Stress
Stress gives rise to certain conditions such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium (hair loss caused post-pregnancy or surgery) and trichotillomania (an impulsive need to pull your hair out), which can cause you to lose significant amount of hair. To avert a hair loss crisis caused by stress, make it a point to do some simple stress-reducing exercises, such as meditation or breathing exercises.

5. Hair styling products
Using hair styling products like hair colours and straighteners can cause you to experience hair fall problems. Your hair not only becomes dull and dry due to their use, but also becomes weak and brittle, leading to a gradual loss of hair. Regular oiling and use of homemade hair masks are some of the ways you can try to counter the negative effects of these hair styling products.

6. Cancer treatment
The drugs that are used in the treatment of cancer not only destroy the fast-growing cancer cells, but also the healthy blood cells in your body. For this reason, consuming foods that possess cancer-fighting properties (like oatmeal, tomato, almonds, garlic etc) is a sure-shot way of fighting the disease as well as averting any side-effects that may arise because of the treatment.

7. Alopecia areata
Lastly, hair fall can also be caused by alopecia areata, which is a kind of hair loss that takes place when your body?s immune system erroneously attacks your hair follicles, and prevents growth of new hair.

8. Genetics
The origin of your severe hair fall or baldness can be traced back to your ancestors. So, your genes can be a factor behind your hair fall problem. If this is the cause, your body then becomes unable to produce new hair.

Apart from the changes that you can make in your lifestyle to address the causes of your hair fall, there are also techniques out there that you can employ to permanently treat your problem, such as platelet rich plasma, mesotherapy, stem cell therapy, ozone activated platelet rich plasma & hair transplant.



8 Common Causes of Hairfall + How To Overcome Them

The skin is the largest external organ as well as the largest organ in general in the human body. There are many types of skin diseases that can afflict your body and they may appear anywhere. Ayurveda is a potent weapon which can be used to treat many skin diseases effectively. The natural remedies of Ayurveda are being increasingly adopted throughout the world. Let's take a look at a few of the skin diseases that can be easily cured by Ayurveda.

Eczema - one of the most common types of skin diseases, eczema is characterized by the reactions that the skin has. These reactions can manifest themselves in many forms. The most common reaction is swelling of the skin with redness. Other forms may also develop blisters, cracking of the skin, scaling or papules.

Scaly rashes - scientifically known as papulosquamous eruptions, scaly rashes are usually the result of itching which in itself is a reaction to some internal or external factors. These rashes can be mild to severely painful depending on what had caused them. Some factors behind these may be eczema, reaction to drugs, psoriasis and others.

Urticaria - these rashes differ from other ones as they persist for a short period of time and usually result in swellings on the skin. These swellings may be very sensitive and itchy. Some common examples of urticaria are nettle rashes and hives that may develop due to an external factor such as bug bites.

Psoriasis - Ayurveda has great treatments for this disease as its incidence within the population is quite high. This is a non-infectious skin condition where inflammation occurs in the affected parts of the skin and reddish scales form on the body. This problem is usually attributed to excessive cells within the body.

Pruritus or itching - another very common skin affliction which can be caused by a variety of factors, it can be a reaction to something external or be caused by internal issues that may be developing. Mostly caused by the reaction of external nerve endings they may become very painful if over stimulated.

Ayurveda has many remedies for all of the ailments mentioned above along with many other skin disorders and has gained popularity as it completely natural and devoid of side effects encountered with conventional medicine.

Common Skin Diseases That Ayurveda Can Easily Cure

There are mainly three kinds of burns. The degree of burns is determined by the extent of damage that the burn causes. First degree burns are minor while third degree ones are extremely severe. Variety of factors could lead to a burn. They may be chemical, electrical, fire and even sun induced. Boiling or scalding liquids might result in burns as well. The burn type isn t necessarily determined by what causes it. Scalding hot water might cause all the three types of burns; based on the duration of the skin being in contact with the water and how hot the water is. 

Electrical and chemical burns need immediate tending to by a doctor as it might affect the internal body without it being apparent as the damage to the skin is not much. There are also fourth-degree burns. This type of burn includes all of the symptoms of a third-degree burn and also extends beyond the skin into tendons and bones.

First-degree burns: These result in the least skin damage and are also known as  superficial burns  as they only affect the skin s outermost layer. Redness, pain, minor swelling and inflammation are all the symptoms of a first degree burn. As a first degree burn heals, dry skin and peeling takes place. As the skin peels, the symptoms and signs disappear as the burn only manifests on the top most skin layer. It usually takes a week or little more for a first degree burn to heal without any scarring. If the burnt area affects over three inches of skin, or is on the face, then a doctor should be consulted. Home care generally suffices for a first degree burn. Healing time accelerates with rapid treatment of the burn.
Second-degree burns: They are serious as the extent of damage is deeper than the topmost layer of the skin. The skin becomes extremely sore with the formation of red blisters. The blisters might pop open and as time passes, the wound may develop a scab. Proper bandaging is required to reduce chances of an infection. Home remedies should be avoided. The burns usually heal within three weeks.
Third-degree burns: They are the most severe. They extend through each layer of the skin. They might not cause any pain due to the severity of burn as the nerves might get damaged. There might be extreme scarring if corrective surgery isn t done.

Burns - Understanding Its Degrees!

Eczema refers to any kind of superficial inflammatory process that primarily involves the epidermis, and is characterised by itching, redness, vesicles and sometimes crusting and oozing. Another term for eczema is atopic dermatitis. This kind of skin infection can start during infancy and continue until many years. Though there are some people who outgrow the condition, others may have it all their lives.

Causes:

The factors that play a role in causing eczema are:

Genetics is one of the factors that may affect the proper functioning of your skin as a barrier against harmful substances. Therefore, if either one of the parent or both suffers from the condition, it is very likely that their children too will suffer from it.
Abnormal functioning of your body's immune system can also lead to this skin condition. This is because it's your body's immune system that fights off infections as well as harmful intruders.
Dry skin brings down your skin's ability to fend off irritants as well as allergy causing substances from entering your skin, resulting in an inflammatory condition.
The presence of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which brings about sweat buildup, inflames the skin considerably, leading to this condition.
Even environmental factors like pollen, cigarette smoke lead to the flaring of eczema.
What are the symptoms of eczema?

Atopic dermatitis is commonly seen as dry patches appearing on the skin and sometimes these patches are extremely itchy and cause discomfort. In the case of infants, the rashes appear on the scalp and cheeks and often bubble up before the liquid oozes out. Rashes commonly appear on the backside of the creases of the elbows and knees in the case of kids above two years, and other places on the body may also be affected. In adults, the rashes can make the skin dry and cover maximum area of the body. It may also lead to further skin infections, skin irritation, and may also cause eye problems.

How can eczema be treated?
Though there is no overall cure for eczema, but the treatments can heal the affected skin as well as prevent flaring of the symptoms. Doctors often suggest a plan of treatment on the basis of the age of the patient, symptoms, and the present state of health. You can opt to take warm baths on a regular basis and apply moisturiser within three minutes. You will have to avoid harsh soaps and instead use the mild soap or non-soap cleansers while washing. It is important to keep your fingernails short so that you don t scratch the affected area which would further aggravate it.
If you are unable to keep eczema under control with all these preventive tips, then it would be best to consult a dermatologist for curing it.

How can you prevent an eczema outbreak?

It is very common for this skin condition to flare-up from time to time. But you can avoid such outbreaks or reduce their severity by following these very simple ways:

Sudden changes in temperature can cause the skin condition to break out. So, when the weather is hot, keep yourself cool but during cold weather, use a humidifier to prevent the skin from drying out.
Keep sweating in check as it can cause an outbreak very easily
Keep your skin well-moisturized so that it doesn't dry out causing further irritation.
Avoid the use of harsh detergents and soaps, woolen materials as well as the consumption of foods that may lead to flare-ups. 

Eczema - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

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