Wrinkles are a normal yet unsightly sign of aging, which can come about due to various reasons including too much exposure to the sun, poor diet, excessive smoking and drinking, lack of proper sleep, advent of age, loss of moisture and elasticity as well as collagen, which creates a smooth and supple look and other such reasons. Cosmetic and plastic surgeons are now turning to a variety of methods to lessen the pronounced look of wrinkles and remove them for younger looking skin. Here are a few methods currently in use:

*fillers: fillers like collagen and others including poly lactic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite and hyaluronic acid can be used to restore the elasticity of the skin even as they provide precious hydration. These injectables can be used on the face as well as on hands for a smooth and supple look.

* botox: to get rid of the lines on the forehead and to prevent the onset of more pronounced wrinkles, botox or botulinum toxin type a is a favoured element used by many cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists. This is usually administered via injection.

* retinoids: this is administered with a surgical procedure in order to remove uneven pigmentation as well as the roughness of skin, which sets in with age and excessive smoking and sun exposure. It may cause skin peeling and redness.

* laser: the use of laser resurfacing can also help in stimulating collagen production of the skin, which restores some of its elasticity so that wrinkles may be removed and further wrinkles prevented. 

*surgery: the use of surgical methods like face lifts, brow lifts and other cosmetic processes can help in giving the skin a tighter look, which does away with the appearance of wrinkles. These are usually minor procedures from which one will heal fast.

*dermabrasion: this method is a surgical one that basically sands the surface of the skin in order to remove the wrinkles. It can cause side effects like permanent discolouration of the skin as well as scarring of sensitive skin in particular.

* peels: glycolic acid peels and deeper peels that use elements like salicylic acid can be used to go deep into the skin and making it smooth again. It basically makes a difference to the fine lines. There is a chance of side effects like scarring, bruising and general discolouration in this method as well. 

Adequate sleep, good nutrition, avoiding excessive sun exposure and a good skin care regimen can help in keeping wrinkles at bay for a long time. Moisturising with products that contain plenty of vitamin a and e can also help in reducing fine lines.

Getting Rid Of Wrinkles

Pregnancy is a life-changing phase in a woman s life. In addition to a baby (or babies!), there are a lot of physical and emotional changes also that come with it. The more evident are the physical ones, and in addition to weight changes, the stretch marks are the most obvious.

The uterus or the womb grows to its full extent to accommodate the developing baby, and so there is stretching of the connective tissue in these areas. After delivery, the tension is lost, and these marks become evident.

What are stretch marks?

These marks appear as lines on the skin and are most commonly found in areas such as the buttocks, arms, breasts, thighs and stomach. They are different in appearance in comparison to the normal skin. It may appear pinkish or purplish initially and then it takes a shiny appearance later. When you feel the stretch marks, you may feel a certain indentation or ridge on the skin. It may feel sore or itchy as well sometimes.

They most commonly appear during adolescence when there is rapid growth and stretching of the skin. It is also seen in women pre and post pregnancy. Stretch marks can also appear when there is a sudden change in weight.

How To Treat Them?

Use Moisturisers: People who use moisturisers show an increased elasticity of the skin, which reduces the appearance of stretch marks on the skin. Keeping the skin hydrated stops the skin from tearing and creating stretch marks. Moisturising is not entirely effective on older marks, but it can help with newly formed stretch marks. You can also use it on areas that are prone to stretch marks.

Retin-A: Retin- A is known to boost collagen production that helps the skin to stretch out with ease and not cause tears. When Retin-A is used, it is recommended to limit the sun exposure as the skin becomes more susceptible to sun damage and burning.

Glycolic Acid: This chemical compound falls under the category of an alpha-hydroxy acid which is commonly found as a major ingredient in chemical peels. It is known to amplify the production of collagen and increase the tensile strength of the skin. Go to your dermatologist for a stronger dose for more effective results.

A Combination of Retin-A and Glycolic Acid: A combination of these two potentiates the action of each other and gives better results.

Vitamin E Oil: You can find Vitamin E oil capsules in medical shops that are known as the miracle medication when it comes to curing stretch marks.

Essential Oils: Certain essential oils like rose oil, lavender oil, or geranium oil are known to reduce stretch marks.

Vascular Laser: Pulsed dye laser that is kept at the wavelength of 585 nm is used to remove the stretch marks that are red and newly formed. It may not be effective on the older ones that have turned silver. This process is highly expensive and needs about 6 sittings. The efficacy of this procedure also depends on the complexion of the skin. Much like laser hair removal, vascular laser does not work on darker skin. The colour difference between the marks and the actual skin tone should be prominent.

Fractional Laser Treatment or Laser Resurfacing: This is used to get rid of the older stretch marks that have turned light and are no longer red. This procedure is more expensive than the previous one and is prone to leave scars on the site of application.

Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck: The only permanent solution to get rid of stretch marks is to cut them out entirely. If you are tired of the stubborn tiger stripes, then this could be your only way out.

RF Micro-Needling Device: This is a more cost effective alternative to CO2 Laser Resurfacing that could be used on any stretch mark types  new and old . The micro needles are driven directly into the skin to a certain depth (0.2mm-3.0mm) and radiofrequency (RF) energy is then released inside the skin. Minimally invasive RF thermal energy creates fractional electrocoagulation in the dermis which facilitates a natural wound healing process promoting the remodelling of collagen.

10 Tips To Treat Stretch Marks Effectively

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

Vitiligo or Leucoderma is a genetic disorder triggered due to mental stress and constipation. Leucoderma or vitiligo is called Shivita kushta according to Ayurveda and is caused due to defect in brajak pitta. Brajak pitta is a color forming agent in body and defect in formation of brajak pitta causes vitiligo. There are many causes, which can trigger vitiligo other than stress and genetics.

There are certain food combinations , such as taking milk and sour fruits together can trigger vitiligo. Also, using excessive salty food and meat products with milk can trigger disease. Deficiency of copper and vitamin B12 can trigger this disease. So treatment of vitiligo is done taking in account many factors.

Toxins produced in body are neutralized using herbal medicines, which helps in stopping the spread of disease. External herbal application containing Wrightia Tinctoria help in repigmentation on white skin. According to modern science steroids are used in pulse therapy where steroids are used 2 times a week.

This also prevents the disease from spreading. In some severe cases integration of allopathic and Ayurveda is key to success.

There are few important points, which vitiligo patients should always take in account, such as:
When disease is spreading sitting in sun for prolonged period can trigger the spread.
Using Brinjal and raw tomatoes and excess of vitamin C is not good.
Irregular lifestyle is a trigger the disease along with consumption of alcohol.

All About Vitiligo

The first thing anyone notices about you is your face and often people find themselves wishing for things like a slimmer nose, fuller lips etc. This is where facial cosmetic surgery comes in. Facial cosmetic surgery can address areas like your eyebrows, nose, cheeks, chin etc to give you the facial structure you've dreamed of.

Take a look at some of the common types of facial cosmetic procedures:

Brow lift: Frown lines and creases that develop across the forehead, between the eyes and over the nose bridge can be addressed through this procedure. This surgery is performed mainly to combat signs of aging and involves raising eye brows that may be sagging over the eyelid.
Eyelid surgery: Puffiness in the upper eye lids may be caused by excessive fat deposits. When combined with sagging skin, it can disturb the contours of the eye and in some cases cause vision problems. Blepharoplasty or eye lid surgery removes this excess skin and corrects fine lines, wrinkles and bags under the eyes.
Nose: A rhinoplasty is used to reconstruct the nose. The nasal skin is separated from the tissue and cartilage structure underneath which is then reshaped as desired and then sutured together again. Rhinoplasty is of two types; open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty.
Ears: An octoplasty is a facial cosmetic surgery aimed at correcting protruding ears or large outer ears and correcting ear deformities such as a lop ear, cupped ear or shell ear and torn ear lobes. This surgery is usually performed on children between the ages of 4 to 14.
Chin: Surgery on your chin can reshape it to make it look smaller or bigger as desired. This can be done by reshaping the jaw bone or inserting an implant. In some cases the procedure may be combined with liposuction.
Forehead: Signs of aging on the forehead, frown lines or heavy brows triggered by stress and hereditary furrowed lines above the nose can be addressed with a forehead lift. This procedure is often performed along with a facelift or eyelid surgery.
Facelift: As we grow older, our skin loses its elasticity. This triggers the development of wrinkles and deepens creases along the nose and cheek. Facelifts address these signs of aging by tightening skin and strengthening the muscles beneath it. Facial cosmetic surgery can also be used to correct congenital defects such as cleft lips and to treat scars.
Surgery to repair a cleft lip or cleft palate not only enhances appearances but also enhances the quality of life by improving functionality. Scar revision surgery involves the injecting or application of steroid medication to lighten the scar and make it less obvious. To treat burns that leave behind prominent scars, a procedure called Z plasty may be used.

Facial Cosmetic Surgery - Which Type is Suitable for You?

All ayurvedic treatments have their roots in hundreds of years of research and thus are extensive. The philosophy followed by these treatments is that every human being in governed by three doshas of forces - vata (air), pitta (fire) and kapha (earth). Depending on the force that is in highest proportion in an individual, all his psychological and physical attributes are determined. Hair loss is attributed to the pitta dosha which is concentrates on metabolism and digestion. The various methods to treat premature loss of hair, according to ayurvedic principles are:


	Balancing the pitta dosha:&nbsp;pitta dosha can be managed by eating less salty, fried and spicy food, consuming limited amount of alcohol, coffee and meat and reducing smoking habits. Certain herbs can curb excess pitta like shatavari or asparagus and bitter vegetables.
	Ayurvedic oil and shampoo: an effective remedy is oil made by boiling a cup of neem (margosa) leaves in 4 cups of water. The mixture is then strained and stored. If applied at night and rinsed off in the morning, hair loss can be prevented and your hair gets healthier. An ayurvedic shampoo can be made at home by preparing a mixture of methi (fenugreek), green bean (mung dal), soapberries, lemon juice and curry leaves which need to grinded well together before applying on the scalp.
	Ayurvedic diet plan:&nbsp;ayurveda believes that a well-balanced diet is the preventive measure to most ailments, including hair loss. Consuming vegetables with high protein and iron content like cauliflower, kale, pumpkin leaves, spinach, salsify, lentils, beet greens, string beans, dandelion greens, raisins, soybeans etc. Proves to be helpful in this regard. This diet can also help to combat systemic diseases like alopecia which may causes loss of hair and sizeable bald spots.
	Ayurvedic medicines:&nbsp;four ayurvedic medicines are used extensively for the purpose of combatting hair loss. These are thikthakam kashayam, thikthakam grisham (regulates metabolism), chyavana prasam and narasimha rasayanam, which improves the strength and quality of hair).
	Combating other problems that cause hair loss:&nbsp;using herbs like brahmi (to manage stress), shilajita and jatamansi (for thyroid imbalance), cardamom (for chronic problems) and ashwagandha (for immune system disorders) can indirectly help when hair loss is a symptom or side effect of another disease.



Combating Hair Loss And Ayurveda

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