5 common myths on dandruff you?ve probably fallen for

Dandruff is not only an embarrassing condition but also a major cause for hairfall and hair weakening. It is estimated to affect as many as one in five individuals in india. Even though this is such a common issue, there?s still heaps of misleading conceptions about dandruff.

Myth1: ?all flakes in your hair is dandruff?

Fact: sometimes flakes are only a consequence of dry skin on your scalp. While the difference between dryness and dandruff might be unclear to the common individual, medical experts do make a distinction between the two. If your flakes are relatively small and white, chances are you?re dealing with a dry scalp - dandruff flakes tend to be larger and yellowish in colour.

Myth 2: ?dandruff is contagious?

Fact: dandruff is not something that you can catch from someone else. The fungal bacteria that can lead to the appearance of dandruff are present on everybody?s scalp, which means all our scalps are naturally predisposed to the condition.

Myth 3: ?dandruff results from bad hygiene?

Fact: while regular shampooing can help keep dandruff under control, this condition does not stem from a lack of hygiene?even the most diligent hair washers can find themselves suffering from it. This is because dandruff is caused by various components, which include a characteristic overproduction of hair oil or an excess of parasitic microorganisms that live normally on our scalps.

Myth 4: ?dandruff only occurs on the scalp?

Fact: it's true that your scalp is the most widely recognised spot to experience dandruff, yet it's by all account not the only possibility. A few individuals additionally observe that areas such as the eyebrows, ears, and around the nose are inclined to flaking too.

Myth 5: ?dandruff can cause hair fall?

Fact: hair fall is at some point connected with dandruff and an irritated scalp; however, these conditions are not mutually exclusive. Hair fall is not brought about by dandruff, but rather might be prompted by the incessant need to scratch a bothersome scalp. When we scratch our heads, the activity causes breakage in the hair. The root cause of hair fall includes anxiety, diet and the overall health of your scalp.

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5 Common Myths about DANDRUFF Busted!

Ayurveda believes health is managed by 3 components i.e. pitta, vata and kapha dosha. The type of skin that a person has also depends on which of these is predominant. Accordingly, in people where pitta is dominant, it is warm to the touch and more prone to breakouts and moles and freckles. In people where vata is dominant, the skin is thin and remains cool, gets dehydrated easily and is easily affected by dry weather. In people with kapha dominance, the skin is thick and greasy and is more tolerant to sun exposure.

Allergy is when the body responds adversely to a component which might have reached the system either through air, food or contact. Various substances cause allergies and with most allergies, skin rashes are common, can be of mainly 4 types:

Contact dermatitis: When the skin comes in touch with an allergy-causing agent, the skin breaks out into a rash. The inducing agent could be rubber, chemicals, metals, pets, etc.
Bites and stings: When insects such as bees or other insects sting or bite, the surrounding area develops a rash.
Warm weather: When the weather is too warm, there is prickly heat effect, which produces a rash.
Food induced: When certain food items like peanuts or eggs are consumed, some people develop a skin rash.
Whatever the reason, the mode of management would be to try to achieve a balance between the three components.

Poppy seeds: A paste of poppy seeds powder mixed with lemon juice and water can help get rid of rashes.
Buttermilk and baking soda: Use a cotton swab to apply a mixture of buttermilk and baking soda on the affected skin area and see the rashes disappear. The soothing effect and relief will be felt immediately.
Basil leaves, garlic and olive oil: Crush some basil leaves and add some garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil to form a smooth paste. Apply over the skin rash for 1 to 2 days until the rashes disappear.
Oatmeal bath: Adding a cup of uncooked oatmeal into the bath water and using this water for a bath after 5 minutes is a great way to get rid of rashes and their redness and itching.
Essential oils: Almond oil, chamomile oil, and tea tree oil can be mixed in equal proportions to get relief from rashes of almost all causes.
Cold tea bags: Using cold tea bags on the skin helps relief of the rashes through tannin contained in the tea, which has great healing properties.
Just as skin rash is very common, so is the treatment. These substances are readily available in the kitchen and so treating a skin rash is very easy.

Rashes on Skin - Ayurvedic Remedies for Treating it!

Tennis toe is also known as runner s toe since athletes are mostly runners; skiers and tennis players also get this injury often. Due to its ugly appearance, tennis toe is also known as a black toenail. This injury causes bleeding under the toe along with moderate to heavy pain. Although it is not considered to be type 1 serious injury, it can still force an athlete to abstain from participating in any events. The blood from the toenail might take its own sweet time to get out of the way. As a result, the recovery time for this injury can last for weeks together. This, unfortunately, is also an ideal condition for infection to set in.

How does it happen?
This condition may arise because of the friction between the toenail and the running shoes or constant downward pressure on the toe. In case if the shoe is tighter than normal, it can damage the toenail. If on the other hand, the shoe is very loose, it can result in similar condition due to heavy pressure on the nail. Tennis toe can also arise in a situation, if the toe constantly bangs the shoe from inside. Extreme hot weather may also result in toe swelling. Finally, one may encounter tennis toe if a blow is faced on the toe. Irrespective of the cause, the blood clots inside the nail resulting in swelling and pain. Too much damage might result in falling off of the toenail altogether.

Treatment plan:
1. If the tennis toe is minor, the injury resolves all by itself
2. The toenail should be clipped together to ensure that it does not result in any friction with the shoe.
3. During the injury, it is advised that a person wears bigger size shoes with wider toe space so that it does not result in any further irritation.
4. If the toenail is torn, make sure to tap it up so that adequate protection is there from outside forces.
5. In case the injury is serious a doctor might have to intervene and drain the blood with a surgical instrument.
6. Another medical solution is to remove the toenail surgically, drain the blood and tape it up for a good one week until new nail formation takes place.

Precautionary measure:
1. Running shoes should be at least half a size bigger than the normal size.
2. Toenails should be regularly trimmed in order to avoid any injury.
3. If a person has a tendency of sweating too much, it makes sense to wear a pair of socks at all times.
4. While running, shoe laces should be tightened to avoid sudden friction between the toe and the shoe resulting into tennis toe.

Tennis Toe - How it Should be Treated?

A wart (also known as verruca) is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a solid blister.

Warts are a type of infection caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses. Warts can grow on all parts of body. They can grow on skin, on the inside of mouth, on genitals and on rectal area. Common types of HPV tend to cause warts on the skin (such as the hands and fingers), while other HPV types tend to cause warts on the genitals and rectal area. Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses and don t seem to get warts as easily as other people.

Warts come in all shapes and sizes. They are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can happen to any individual, irrespective of age or sex. They can grow on external skin, genitalia and even on the rectal area. Viral warts are contagious when one comes into contact with the skin of infected person. Sometimes they disappear on their own in a few months and at other times, they can last for years. Usually harmless in nature, warts become a cause of concern due to their unsightly appearance. 

Common Homeopathic Remedies: 

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. The homeopathic remedies for warts given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the treatment of this condition.

Homeopathy is a medicinal repository when we talk about treating viral warts. Medication is selected after a careful examination of the patient and considering his/her medical history. Here are some of the most advisable homeopathic medicines that are usually prescribed for viral warts. 

Thuja Occidentalis: Thuja is one of the most commonly prescribed homeopathic medicines for various kinds of warts. Especially if no other remedy is clearly prescribed, Thuja can be considered. 
Antimonium Crudum (Ant-c): This remedy works best for hard and smooth warts which appear in groups. These kinds of warts are often found on soles and hands. 
Calcarea Carbonica (Cal C.): Useful for treating warts that appear on the neck, this homeopathic remedy treats warts that are round, hard and appear solitarily. 
Causticum (Caust.): This remedy treats old, large warts that usually appear on the face (nose), under the fingernails or even on the fingertips. Such warts are hard, painful and bleed easily. 
Dulcamara (Dulc.): Flat looking warts appearing on the face and hands call for this remedy. These warts are brown to blackish in colour and get worse in cold or damp weather. 
Graphites (Graph.): This remedy works for warts that are periungual or corn-like in appearance. They appear on palms or soles of the feet and have a yellowish tinge. This medicine also works for patients of eczema. 
Different individuals respond differently to homeopathic treatments. It is important to take a holistic approach to the case in point and start treatment accordingly. We have treated more than 1200 such cases with Homeopathic treatment, so that dermatologists refers patients to us.

Viral Warts and Its Solution With Homeopathy

Ringworm of the scalp usually affects children. This is a common type of a fungal infection of the scalp and has nothing to do with the worms as the name suggests. This is treated with antifungal medications and though the antifungal shampo-is not to-effective, it might be advised along with medication.

Causes of scalp ringworm:

 Most of the times a ringworm infection is transfered from person to person through sharing towels and touching. The fungi and its spores can remain alive on brushes, combs, sheets, furniture and unwashed towels for long. Some people are only carriers of fungi, meaning that they carry the fungi and its spores in their hair and skin but do not have any infection and symptoms. But they might pass the fungi to others who may develop the symptoms.
 It spreads from pets like cats and dogs who are very prone to fungal infection of the skin. They easily pass their infection to children and other family members. Farm animals are also a source of fungal infection and if the farm gate is touched from where the infected cattle passes, it is enough to cause infection.
 Also at times there is no reason and fungi infection can just happen out of the blue. Like for example, the fungi spores can get transmitted through air, they might get into the air by an infected person and land on someone else's head. This can develop into fungi and can cause infection.

Symptoms of scalp ringworm:

 The infection looks more like dandruff, a severe form of dandruff in different parts of the scalp. This is often mistaken to be psoriasis.
 In some infection there is loss of hair leading to bald patches. These patches become scaly and inflamed. The patches might have broken off small hair.
 Several painful pustules and boils occur on the scalp
 In severe infection there is boggy swelling on some part of the scalp, which is known as kerion. This might be tender and oozing and if not treated can lead to hair loss and permanent scarring.
 In severe infections like with pustules and kerion, one might develop high fever and the glands of the neck might swell. 

Treatment of scalp ringworm:
The treatment of the fungal infection of the scalp involves the following:

 Antifungal medicines: these are usually taken in the form of tablets and following are advised:
 Griseofulvin: this is often the first choice and a course of 8-12 weeks is required. The tablet can be crushed and taken with water.
 Terbinafine: the course for this is four weeks and is important to complete the course in order to get rid of the infection.

Fungal Infection on Scalp: How to Treat It?

Cellulitis is a serious bacterial infection that is characterized by red and swollen areas on the skin. The condition may spread quickly to other areas of the body. The most commonly affected areas of the body are the lower legs, although it affects other areas of the body as well. 

The disease may affect either the outer layer of the skin or the tissues underneath your skin, from where it may spread to your bloodstream and the lymph nodes. If the condition is not treated on time, it may turn into a life threatening one.

Symptoms:

    You may experience inflammation and redness on your skin
    The affected area may become tender and painful
    The area may feel warm
    Presence of skin rashes around the area
    Pus filled formations on the skin
    The skin may have a tight and swollen appearance
    You may run a fever
    Feeling dizzy and fatigued if the condition turns serious

Causes:
This condition occurs when bacteria such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus enter the body through cuts or cracks on the skin. Surgical incisions, cuts and insect bites are usually the causes of the infection. Some other risk factors include a weak immune system, diabetes and skin conditions such as eczema and athlete's foot.
The condition is treated by antibiotics. If oral medications do not work, then the medicine may be administered intravenously.  

There are certain preventive measures which you can employ to minimize the risks of cellulitis:

    If you have a wound or cut in the body, make sure to apply ointments that help in killing the germs.
    Always wash your wounds with warm water and soap.
    Apply bandage to the area to prevent exposure to dust and bacteria. Make sure that you replace the bandages on a regular basis.
    On any sign of infection such as redness and pus drainage, consult a doctor.
    Apply moisturizer on your skin to prevent cracks on the skin.
    Take care while trimming your finger and toe nails so as to not injure the skin around the nail.


Cellulitis - Causes, Signs & Symptoms and Treatment 

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