Psoriasis is a durable autoimmune disease defined by patches of irregular skin. These patches of skin are usually scaly, red and itchy. Its symptoms vary greatly in severity, the coverage might be small and focused or it could spread all over the body.

Types
There are mainly five types of psoriasis:
1. Plaque- also called psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common kind of psoriasis (90% of cases). It affects the skin behind the forearms, over the navel, shins and scalp, usually presenting itself in red patches with white- colored scales over it.
2. Guttate- has lesions that are drop-shaped.
3. Inverse- red patches show up in the folds of your skin.
4. Pustular- pus-filled blisters form. They are non-infectious.
5. Erythrodermic- the rash spreads wider. In some people, even fingernails and toenails get affected as pits may form on them or their colour may change.

Causes
Anything from emotional trauma and stress to streptococcal infection can cause psoriasis. Sometimes you might carry predisposition for psoriasis in your genes and stress may aggravate it. Environmental factors may also lead to psoriasis. And then again defects in the immune system may also be the underlying cause. Even after thirty years of research, the exact cause for psoriasis remains a mystery. There is no age limit to psoriasis. It can show up from anywhere between infancy to old age.

Symptoms
Common symptoms include
1. Pink or red scaly bumps that are smaller in size, but become plaques later, show up on the skin. Although these scales can show up anywhere, they are mostly common on sites where there is much friction, abrasion or scratching.
2. Small pinpoint depressions or pits might show up on toenails and fingernails. Distal onycholysis, which refers to large brown/yellow divisions on the nails, shows up as well.
3. Sore throat may follow if it is guttate psoriasis.

Treatment
Psoriasis is not curable. But its symptoms can be managed with steroid creams, ultraviolet creams, vitamin d3 creams and with medicines that act as immunosuppressants. Creams alone can help control symptoms in 75% of patients with psoriasis.

All About Psoriasis

Can scratching your head lead to hair loss? (and how to banish that nagging itch without scratching)

Yes! scratching your head actually leads to hair loss so you should avoid doing it.

Scratching your head with your fingernails for as little as 90 minutes is enough to remove all your cuticular scale. A cuticular scale is a protective covering on every individual strand of hair. The loss of this covering leaves your hair shaft weak and damaged and hence leaves your hair susceptible to easy breakage and hair loss.

There are several ways you can deal with itchiness in your scalp that does not include scratching your head. These alternative ways will help ensure you don't suffer from any hair loss.

These include

1. Instead of scratching, pat or rub the sensitive area with the flat of your fingers.

2. Having a dry scalp can also increase itchiness. It would bee a good idea to use natural oil on your hair before you wash it if that's the reason behind your itch.

3. Sensitivity to a new product may be causing a sudden itchiness in your scalp. So, if you have switched to a new shampoo, mousse or anything else, do try abstaining from applying it for a few days to see if the itchiness subsides.

4. When your scalp feels itchy, try and distract yourself. The more you think about how itchy your scalp is, the more it will itch.

While scratching your hair does lead to hair loss, the good news is your hair will grow back because the damage is not permanent. However, it is not advisable to keep scratching your head because you'll just lose more hair.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Should You Oil Hair When You Have Dandruff Problem?

Can scratching your head lead to hair loss? (And how to banish that nagging itch without scratching)

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which is chronic i. e. Lasts for years or more than at least six weeks and may affect any part or organ of the body. The immune system fights off viruses, bacteria and germs by producing proteins known as antibodies. Autoimmune means that due to some defect, your immune system is unable to differentiate between the healthy tissues in your body and foreign invader that harms your body; thus creating antibodies that destroy the healthy tissues. This causes inflammation and damage to various parts of the bodies, leaving the sufferer in excruciating pain. 

Symptoms:
1. Fatigue: most of the people suffering from lupus experience weariness and fatigue. People usually take afternoon naps to remedy this. However, this may lead to insomnia. Talk to a doctor to successfully cure this symptom.
2. Unexplained fever: if you suffer from recurrent fever that hovers around 99 to 101 degrees fahrenheit, visit the doctor as soon as possible since this is a sign of infection or inflammation.
3. Hair loss: one of the most prominent symptoms of lupus is hair loss or thinning of hair. You may find your hair looking brittle, thin and ragged, including the hair on your eyebrows, eyelashes and other parts of the body. 
4. Lesions or skin rash: another prominent symptom is the butterfly rash that covers both the cheeks and the bridge of the nose and appears right before a flare up. This rash may occur all of a sudden or when exposed to the sunlight. Lupus also causes lesions and discoloration on various parts of the body due to exposure to sunlight or artificial light.
5. Pulmonary issues: lupus causes pleuritic chest pain due to painful inflammation in the lungs as well as the areas surrounding it such as diaphragm and lung blood vessels. This affects the patient's breathing process. Moreover, lupus is also known to decrease the size of the lung also called the" vanishing lung syndrome" that is identified by shortness of breath and chronic chest pain.
6. Kidney inflammation: most individuals suffering from lupus tend to develop nephritis that is inflammation in the kidneys. It is imperative to visit the doctor if you have symptoms of nephritis as it may cause end-stage renal disease (esrd) if untreated.

Symptoms of Lupus

Home remedies for skin allergies 

Skin allergies are often indicated by redness, scaly, itchy, chapped or bumpy skin. These may occur due to a variety of factors. Usually, when an allergen or a foreign element comes in contact with skin, it triggers an immune system response leading to an allergic skin condition. Other factors may include climatic changes like heat and cold, infections, cosmetics, specific foods or even medications resulting in skin allergies. Often, mild skin allergies do not sustain for long even if these are not treated. However, to get relief from the pain and added discomfort caused by these skin allergies, these home remedies are a lot easier and safe bet.

Cool down the itch

Use typical ice packs or cold running water over the infected part to treat itching. Using a cold water cloth over infected area relieves from suffering. Do not try using hot water as it relaxes in the beginning but makes the condition worse later.

Scare the scar

Aloe vera is the best bet in almost all skin ailments due to its remarkable anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Regular oral intake of 2-4 teaspoons of aloe vera gel or the application of its pulp on areas of dark spots or scars eradicates scars and rashes from the face and other skin areas.

Act on acne with apple cider

The best option to treat the most irritating yet much prevalent skin ailment is apple cider vinegar. Add one part of apple cider vinegar to three parts of water. Mix it well. Use cotton balls to apply this solution on acne directly and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with water. Apply this three times a day to seek optimum results.

Coconut oil sways away eczema

First, wash your hands with utmost care. Then, pat them dry. Use your fingers to slowly rub coconut oil on the affected area. Leave it for some time to get it dry. Use it as many times as you want to get the benefits. Actually, application of this oil on the affected portion is recommended for a longer duration for best results.

Bye-bye to rashes with baking soda

Baking soda is to be applied on the rashes directly. Then, to get better results, press the skin softly and see the rashes disappear soon.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.


Quickie Home Remedies for Skin Allergies

When an injury happens, the normal tendency of the skin is to repair itself from inside out, until it is completely closed and healed. However, in some cases, due to various reasons, excessively large scars can form. These hypertrophic scars are known as keloids. Here is everything you would like to know about keloids:

Features of keloids:

Benign, fibrous, smooth, hard growths that form over a healed wound
Can be bigger than the original wound
Most commonly found on chest, ear lobes, cheeks, and abdomen
Pregnant women are usually at the risk of developing keloids
Though they do not develop into malignant lesions, they are a cosmetic issue, especially when the visible portions of skin are affected
They are localized, flesh-colored and red in color
They are raised from the surrounding tissue and are prone to repeat injury
It continues to grow with time
Could cause discomfort and irritation when it comes in contact with clothing
Sun exposure or tanning can worsen it and cause tenderness
Common injuries that can lead to keloid formation include burns, surgical incisions, skin piercings, chicken pox scars, tattoos, etc.
Treatment for keloids may not always be effective and need repeat treatments
Treatment options: If the keloid is not in a visible area and does not cause any problem, it is best to leave it untreated and observe for any changes. The following changes could indicate the need for treatment.

Change in color from pale pink to red (indicating inflammation)
Severe increase in pain/tenderness
Sudden increase in size, which could indicate malignancy (keloids are an area where benign growth can turn cancerous)
A biopsy can be done to identify if treatment is necessary. This involves removing a small part of the tissue by injection and sending it for laboratory examination.
Treatment options include both nonsurgical and surgical. Nonsurgical methods are tried first before resorting to surgery.

Steroid injections into the keloid to control growth and inflammation
Moisturization to keep it soft and avoid dryness and cracking and bleeding
Freezing the tissue (cryotherapy) to freeze the growth can help in further increase in the size of the tissue
Laser to remove the tissue, especially if it is small. Alternately, this could be used as a secondary measure after the keloid is excised to prevent further growth
Radiation therapy to shrink the growth
Surgical excision, where the keloid is quite visible or large. This could be followed by radiation or laser to prevent further growth.
Also, in people who are prone to develop keloids, surgical incisions can be treated for a longer time with pressure dressings and silicone pads.

Keloids - Know About Its Treatment!

Stretch marks don t only happen after childbirth, they can happen to anyone due to sudden changes in body size and weight. These are like ugly brown scars usually present on the stomach, thighs and hips. Truth be told, 90% of pregnant women will get stretch marks around these parts of their bodies.

These are some very easy things one can do to get reduce the appearance of stretch marks both old and new:

Moisturizing- Lotioning  up regularly can lighten stretch marks. Moisturizing helps to hydrate skin and this makes it easier for it to stretch. Moisturizing is very effective in lightening new stretch marks and can prevent new stretch marks from forming. Older stretch marks are more difficult to get rid of, though.

Retin A- Retin-A based creams are very effective against stretch marks. Retin-A works by boosting collagen production which helps the skin to stretch out and avoid tears which cause stretch marks. Pregnant and nursing women should not use Retinoic acid containing products, however. It also doesn t work on old stretch marks.

Glycolic Acid- This too can increase collagen production when used on skin. It is even more effective as alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) which is used in chemical skin peels. You can use glycolic acid on skin even during pregnancy. Save your skin from sunlight when using glycolic acid.

Vitamin E Oil- This is touted as the miracle cure for stretch marks and it delivers especially when used on new stretch marks. Use it with an unscented moisturiser for better coverage.

Essential Oils- These are common home remedies for tackling stretch marks. One can use them directly on skin or mix with the carrier oil before use. These are the ones to go for:

Lavender

Rose

Frankincense

Vitamin C- You can take Vitamin C as a supplement to lighten stretch marks. You can also mix topical glycolic acid with Vitamin C and apply on the skin directly.

Lasers- These are the magic wands of cosmetic surgery and rightly so. Fresh stretch marks can be tackled using a pulsed dye laser also called vascular laser. The downsides of this laser treatment are that it works on early stretch marks and not on mature ones. It is also very expensive. This laser also doesn t work on darker skins.

Fractional Laser Treatment- These are very effective against older stretch marks. Your doctor will use this laser to resurface the older marks smoothing the surface of the skin. The treatment is very expensive and can cause hyper-pigmentation and scarring.

Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck- This is the only certain way to obliterate stretch marks. What the surgeon does is cut out swathes of skin from your abdomen with stretch marks. Downsides are that it s a risky procedure. There could be life-threatening complications and recovery takes long, sometimes as long as 3 to 6 months.

Stretch Marks - How To Get Rid Of Them?

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