Dandruff is a chronic disorder, which significantly affects the scalp region and is characterized by the appearance of minute white flakes on the scalp. Although dandruff does not cause serious problems, recurrent appearances of dandruff can be embarrassing for the concerned person.

Symptoms

If you spot numerous white flakes repeatedly on the shoulders or on the shoulder region of your shirt and experience severe itching around the scalp, particularly during weather changes, it is likely that you are suffering from dandruff.

Causes

Dandruff might develop due to a lack of proper hair care, side-effects of certain shampoos or hair care products, seborrheic dermatitis (characterized by scaly red coloured patches on one s scalp), dry or oily skin, eczema, excessive stress, hormonal changes, side effects of serious diseases such as HIV or Parkinson s disease (a disease of the nervous system that impairs human body mobility) and also cold weather conditions.

Prevention and treatment

You can control dandruff by applying any of the following treatments:

    Therapy involving peeling and subsequent strengthening of the scalp might help in the complete elimination of dandruff. The therapy is developed with the help of highly operative anti-fungal ingredients which sanitize the scalp and regulate the growth of the fungi  Malassezia  to a normal level. This helps in the elimination of the intense itchy sensations and the minute white flakes around the region of the scalp. The therapy also aims to provide adequate nourishment to the hair. This therapy helps in the flattening of the dandruff affected hair strands along with the subsequent reinforcement and protection of the hair follicles. If the dandruff is caused due to an oily scalp, this therapy might be useful in the regulation of the unnecessary and excess oil level.
    In order to treat dandruff, a therapy aimed at the purification and balancing of the scalp might be helpful. This treatment incorporates a mixture of natural oils which help in the subsequent nourishment of the scalp; the therapy helps your hair to regain its lost vigor.

Further recommendation

Along with the aforementioned therapies, you can also use certain products which might help as well:

1. Anti-dandruff lotions contain a healthy amount of effective ingredients which aim at the removal of the itchy sensation on the scalp along with the subsequent elimination of dandruff.

2. You can also use anti-dandruff shampoos on a regular basis which help to remove dandruff and strengthen the scalp.

Dandruff: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

One of the silent diseases in the female population, endometriosis can be symptomless for years and sometimes even decades, but can sometimes manifest itself quickly. The uterus is lined on the inner side by a tissue known as endometrium. When this tissue is found in other parts (fallopian tubes, abdomen, near the ovaries, etc., it is known as endometriosis.

Causes: The exact cause for endometriosis is not clear. There is a possibility that during the regular period, there could be spilling of the tissue back into the fallopian tube, from where it reaches the ovaries or other organs and gets implanted.

There are certain predisposing factors for a woman to develop this condition, including genetic correlation and non-menopausal women. The female hormone estrogen is essential for the development of endometriosis. There are also immunological reasons attributed to the development. It can range from minimal to mild to moderate to severe.

Symptoms: From being completely benign to causing severe pain, endometriosis can present itself in varying ways. The implanted tissue can be minimal like a small lump to large clumps. The symptoms are not dependent on the size of the implanted tissue, however, 

1. Painful menstruation: One of the most common causes of non-menstrual cramps, the pain is different from usual menstrual pain, starts a few days before the period and can last up to after the period.

2. Pelvic pain: One of the most common causes of pelvic pain, this can happen wherever the implanted tissue is. In severe cases, this tissue can also bind different organs, forming what are called adhesions. The bladder or the bowels may adhere to the uterus. These are more painful than individual lumps of tissue outside the uterus.

3. Intermenstrual bleeding: There could be spotting to severe bleeding between the regular cycles.

4. Painful sex: There is a deep pain within the pelvis and it can lead to losing interest in sex.

5. Infertility: The most severe symptom and complication is not being able to become pregnant.

Diagnosis: A detailed patient history, discussion on symptoms followed by ultrasound and laparoscopy can help in diagnosing endometriosis.

Treatment: If there is no symptom and fertility is not an issue, then it is possible that no treatment is required. However, depending on symptoms and complications, the following are done.
- If pain is the only main problem, painkillers are administered
- Surgical treatment may be required if there is severe bleeding and adhesions complicating the situation. 

This will also relieve other symptoms
1. Hormone therapy is also an option for treating endometriosis.
2. If you are having pelvic pain and irregular bleeding, bring it up with your doctor. Even if it is not endometriosis, a thorough check up will put your mind at rest.

Endometriosis and Complications Associated With It

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a common condition where cells of the lining of the womb (the endometrium) are found elsewhere, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It mainly affects women during their reproductive years. Endometriosis is not an infection and it is not contagious.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain, pain during or after sex and painful, sometimes heavy periods. It may cause problems with getting pregnant. It can affect many areas of a woman s life including her general physical health, emotional wellbeing and daily routine. Many women may have no symptoms. It is a long-term condition. Some women with endometriosis become pregnant easily while others have difficulty getting pregnant.

What causes endometriosis?

Endometriosis occurs when the cells of the lining of the womb are found in other parts of the body, usually the pelvis. Each month this tissue outside the womb thickens and breaks down and bleeds in the same way as the lining of the womb. This internal bleeding into the pelvis, unlike a period, has no way of leaving the body. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to the reproductive organs. Less commonly, endometriosis may occur on the bowel and bladder, or deep within the muscle wall of the uterus (adenomyosis). It can also rarely be found in other parts of the body.

The symptoms of endometriosis are common and could be caused by a number of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

There is no simple test for endometriosis.
Your gynaecologist may examine your pelvic area, this will include an internal examination.
You may be offered a scan. This can identify whether there is an endometriosis cyst in the ovaries. A normal scan does not rule out endometriosis.
For most women, having a laparoscopy is the only way to confirm endometriosis; because of this, it is often referred to as the  gold standard  test. This allows the gynaecologist to see the pelvic organs clearly and look for any endometriosis.
Several factors may influence your decision about treatment. These include:

How you feel about your situation
Your age
Whether your main symptom is pain or problems getting pregnant
What treatment can I get?

The options for treatment may be:

Pain relief

Hormone treatments: There is a range of hormone treatments to stop or reduce ovulation (the release of an egg) to allow the endometriosis to shrink or disappear. The hormonal methods below are contraceptives and will prevent you from becoming pregnant:

The combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill or patch. These contain the hormones estrogen and progestogen and work by preventing ovulation and can make your periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
The intrauterine system (IUS): this is a small T-shaped device which releases the hormone progestogen. This helps to reduce the pain and makes periods lighter. Some women get no periods at all.
The hormonal methods below are non-contraceptive, so contraception will be needed if you do not want to become pregnant:
Use of hormonal progestogens or testosterone derivatives
GnRH agonists are drugs that prevent estrogen being produced by the ovaries and cause a temporary and reversible menopause.
Some women find that recreational exercise improves their wellbeing, which may help to improve some symptoms of endometriosis.

Surgery: Surgery can be used to remove areas of endometriosis. There are different types of surgery, depending on where the endometriosis is and how extensive it is. How successful the surgery is can vary and you may need further surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery: The gynaecologist removes patches of endometriosis by destroying them or cutting them out.
Laparotomy: If the endometriosis is severe and extensive, you may be offered a laparotomy. This is major surgery which involves a cut in the abdomen, usually in the bikini line.
Hysterectomy: Some women have surgery to remove their womb (a hysterectomy) with or without the ovaries. Depending upon your own situation, your doctor should discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with you if you have your ovaries removed.
What if I am having difficulty getting pregnant?

Getting pregnant can be a problem for some women with endometriosis. Your doctor should provide you with full information about your options such as assisted conception. If you become pregnant, endometriosis is unlikely to put your pregnancy at risk.

Endometriosis - Signs & Symptoms That Indicate It!

For most us tattoos are a form of expressing their personalities. However, the things you identify with, in your teens may not be something you want to be associated with as you grow older. In some cases, a tattoo may not come out as you imagined it to be and this may leave you with a permanent adornment that you don t like. Thankfully, though tattoos are permanent, it is possible to remove them. As with getting a tattoo in the first place, removing it is not as simple as it sounds and can be quite painful. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind before opting to remove a tattoo.

Complete removal is not guaranteed: Not all tattoos are the same, the deeper tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the harder it is to remove. In many cases, tattoo removal may leave behind a faint shadow of the tattoo or cause permanent scarring.
How you got your tattoo made affects its removal: Professional tattoo artists have a steady hand and inject ink at the same depth, unlike amateurs who inject ink at varying depths. Thus removing a professional tattoo is easier than removing one made by an amateur.
It is painful: As when getting a tattoo made, removing it is also painful. The amount of pain felt depends largely on the location of the tattoo. In the case of laser treatment, this can be described as the feeling of having an elastic band repeatedly strike the skin. You could ask for local anesthesia or a numbing cream to be applied before starting the procedure to reduce the pain.
Multiple sessions are required: On an average 6-10 sessions are required to remove a tattoo. However, the actual number of sessions depends on a number of factors including the location of your tattoo, the number of colors in it etc. you will also need to wait at least 6 weeks between sessions to reduce the risk of side effects.
There are side effects: Some of the side effects you may notice after a tattoo removal session are blistering of the skin, bleeding, redness or darkening of the skin and inflammation of the tattooed area. These are temporary and should subside in a few weeks. However, darkening or lightening of the skin can last for up to a year. Scarring, burns and textural changes to the skin are other potential side effects. These can often be permanent.

Tattoo Removal - 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go For It!

Dry skin is a condition caused by the lack of moisture in skin. Fine lines and wrinkles are just some of the conditions, which may be caused due to dry skin. Dry skin can also be very uncomfortable. The condition is mostly caused by environmental factors such as exposure to harsh weather conditions or getting soaked in hot water.

People at risk:
1. Age: People who are older than 40 years of age tend to be more at risk of dry skin than people who are younger than 40 years.
2. Climate: As mentioned earlier, weather conditions play a pivotal role in causing dry skin. Therefore, people who live in areas where the climate is either very hot or very cold tend to get dry skin more often than people who live in temperate climates. Low humidity is another factor which causes dry skin.
3. Profession: Some professions, such as nursing or hairstyling requires frequent usage of hot water all through the day, which can also lead to dry skin.
4. Swimming: Swimming is one of the major causes of dry skin. This is especially true in pools, which have chlorine. This is because chlorine increases the itchiness on your skin.

Treatments:
1. Lifestyle changes: Usually, lifestyle changes such as avoiding long, hot showers and putting moisturizers are good enough to make sure that dry skin goes away.
2. Lactic acid: Creams with lactic acid and urea can be prescribed by your doctor, if the dryness of your skin does not go away with moisturizers. These creams are usually over-the-counter medications.
3. Prescription creams: Prescription creams are given, only when conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis or ichthyosis are present.
4. Wet dressing: Wet dressing is given only when dermatitis has set in, as it mostly help in preventing the infection.
4. Oiling: Oiling your body, especially with fish or flaxseed oil, ensures that your body does not succumb to dry skin.
5. Hand sanitizer: Normal hand sanitizers tend to make your hands dry. Thus, dermatologists recommend hydrating hand sanitizers that allow your hands to maintain their moisture. Therefore, whenever you are using a hand sanitizer, use a hydrating one.

Risks and Treatment of Dry Skin

What is Follicular transfer (FT) is also known as follicular unit extraction (FUE).

It is a type of hair transplant procedure which is less invasive than the other types. It is performed when the person has a good hair growth at the back or side of the head which becomes the donor s area.

How is it performed?

The procedure is performed by specially designed instruments under a high powered microscope which provides precision for best and natural results. When the part gets numb the follicles are isolated with a specialized punch device which extracts the follicular units completely with necessary glands. This method is used to separate the surrounding tissue from the follicular unit which results in minimal injury and undetectable scarring.
Then the follicles are removed without any damage to the area. If the scar is left behind it takes few days to heal proceeded by hair growth which takes about weeks.
Then the extracted hair is prepared and sorted for treatment.
Then the follicles are implanted in the scalp by making small incisions by microsurgical needles generally in a group formation of 1-4 to give a natural and recognizable look.
To create a natural hairline transacted hair are used, which will start to grow within weeks naturally. The length of your hair depends upon the follicular units grafts. Approximately 12 months later you will have re-grown hair.
You can get the discharge immediately after the treatment. In 5-7 days the healing takes place after which the redness and swelling disappear.
Advantages of Follicular Unit Extraction

Easy recovery: As there were small incisions made in the procedure which lowers the risk of widening which generally occurs in FUT procedure. This is the reason there are fewer limitations on exercise post-procedure.
Less scarring: FUE doesn t produce linear scarring on the donor's area because it doesn t require any sutures, scalpels; due to which you can wear your hair short too.
Quick healing: As there is less scarring, the time required for healing is very less as compared to FUT where the scarring is more, therefore, the healing is slow.
Disadvantages of follicular unit extraction

It s expensive: As the cost is decided on a number of sessions required for the procedure. FUE requires more sessions than FUT, as this transplants individual follicle units which are more time-consuming.
It s temporary: In most of the cases it doesn t last longer than FUT. because in this the follicular units are taken from a various area which leads to thinning of the donor zone and visible scarring.
Shaving: The one who doesn t like shaving can have a problem. Because FUE requires shaving of donor s area. Only in advanced procedures like long hair FUE, shaving is not required.

Follicle Transfer - Know The Benefits!

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