It is a common knowledge that beer has health benefits when used in masks, scrubs, as conditioners, etc. This reason is good enough for even non-drinkers to stock up their fridges with cans of beer. 
Here are a few ways by which we can use beer to make our skin and hair better:

Use beer as a conditioner - Beer happens to be an excellent conditioner. Mixing one cup warm beer with a teaspoon of jojoba oil makes a natural, non-greasy conditioner. Wash your hair with your regular shampoo and use this mix as a conditioner. The beer in it will give volume to your hair while jojoba oil will add shine and luster.
Use it for a face pack - Take two to three strawberries mash with a fork, add few drops of beer and make a paste. Rub this paste all over your face in a circular motion. Rinse after 15-20 minutes and apply moisturizer on your face.
Soak in beer laced water - Beer can be used in bubble bath too! Mix some soap with beer of your choice and add the mix to the running bath water. Soak in this water and feel your skin become soft and smooth.
Use beer as a hair-pack - Wash your hair with your usual shampoo. Now pour the mixture made of distilled water, beer, two teaspoon apple cider vinegar and few drops of essential oil (any scent), on your hair. Make sure it reaches the hair that is inside as well. Rinse this mixture with lukewarm water. You can do this once a month.
Get the beer glow - Take half a teaspoon of beer, one egg white and a drop of almond extract. Whisk them together and keep aside. On your washed and dried face, apply the mask and let it dry until your skin feels tight. Wash it off with lukewarm water.
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Do You Know What Beer Does To Your Hair & Skin?

A burn scar on your skin does not only spoil your appearance, but also hampers your self-confidence. You can undertake a plastic surgery in order to eliminate burn scars and burn marks. A burn repair surgery is an effective way to fix any previous or fresh burn scars. Although a burn scar cannot be totally eliminated, this surgery helps in improving basic functions and makes the scar less prominent or noticeable.

About Burn Repair Surgery: There are two types of burn repair surgeries. An acute burn surgery is carried out immediately after a burn injury has been inflicted. It is undertaken in a hospital by a team of surgeons who specialize in acute burn repair surgeries.

A re-constructive burn surgery is usually carried out after the initial burn scar heals. Re-constructive burn surgery aims at improving both the functional appearance and the cosmetic appearance of a burn scar. This form of burn surgery incorporates the modification of the scar tissue. The treatment procedure for scar tissues requires several months to be successful. New scar contractures may appear for a long time after an injury. Facial burn scars, which cause problems with the eyes, lips, nose and cause hair loss can be rectified. Abnormally thick, white and discolored scars can also be lightened by undergoing a burn repair surgery.

Procedure: The surgical procedure of burn repair surgery primarily involves scar release methods. After a tight scar has been released, the opening or incision made in the skin is repaired. Several techniques are applied for the purpose of closing the wounds. These include skin grafts and skin rearrangement or Z-plasty. Sometimes, more advanced flaps are required. This depends on the location of the scar and the desired results. Minor procedures are performed in the form of an outpatient surgery, but in case of larger grafts and flaps, inpatient facility is required.

After undergoing the surgery, you must follow your surgeon's care instructions properly for effective healing. This would also enable you to have a long-term effect and improved appearance of burn scars. Follow-up appointments with your surgeon after the surgery are essential.

Before deciding on undergoing a burn repair surgery, you must consult an efficient cosmetic surgeon and discuss about the surgical procedure. You should know all important facts regarding the surgery and also have an idea about the results, which would be obtained. Non-surgical therapies can also be undertaken for repairing burn scars, which include scar massage, application of pressure garments and some other topical therapies.

How Effective Is Burn Repair Surgery?

Scabies is a highly infectious disease, which is caused by very tiny wingless insects called the Human itch mite or scabies mite. The insect lays 1 to 3 eggs daily after burrowing into the skin. A small, almost invisible blister is formed on the area. You might also feel an urge to itch especially at night, which would likely cause a red rash to form on the scratched area. Sides of fingers, in between the fingers, the back of your hands, the wrists, elbow, and armpits are the common areas where scabies affect. It is generally spread when you come in close contact to any infected person or their belongings. Scabies can occur at any age, but is most common among children.

Treating scabies with homeopathy:

Homeopathy, due to its safe and natural medicines are the best alternative in treating scabies. It attacks the infection at the roots and does not let it reappear. Here given below are some of the best homeopathic remedies:

    Sulphur: If you are suffering from a recurrent or suppressed form of scabies, Sulphur is one of the best remedy for you. You might feel an intense urge to scratch the area, which worsens with when washed and exposed to heat. Your skin might be extremely sensitive to air, wind as well as washing.
    Causticum: If you have scabies in the folds of the skin and between the thighs, causticum works well for you. Intense itching, scratching and soreness are some of the symptoms you experience.
    Arsenic Album: The infection occurs in the bend of your knees and it could be dry as well as full of small pustules. You may experience itching and a burning sensation around the area. Application of cold water may also make you feel better. These symptoms are well treated with Arsenic Album.
    Sepia: It is one of the best homeopathic remedy if you have scabies, and scratching the area as much as it feels, would not give you any kind of relief. Your skin might turn pinkish and the condition worsens when exposed to open air. You may also feel better in a warm room.
    Psorinum: You can opt for this medicine if you have any past history of scabies. If your infection has not been properly cured, it can result into internal infection e.g., asthma, heart ailments etc. You might not want to stop itching until your skin starts bleeding. You may feel better if you lie down for some time.

How Best to Treat Scabies with Homeopathy

We grow up thinking of our nails as dead cells and pay attention to them only to trim them once a week. If you re a woman, this might extend to painting them in different hues. However, the shape, texture and natural colour of your nails along with the rate at which they grow says a lot about your overall health.

Homeopathy is an effective way of treating nail disorders as it addresses the root cause of the problem. This form of treatment has negligible side effects and hence, can be used over a long period of time. However, homeopathy should never be used to self medicate. This is because a homeopathic prescription depends on the symptoms presented and the personality of the patient.

Here are a few changes in your nails that could be signs of health disturbances.

Horizontal ridges: White horizontal ridges across your nails are developed when there is a pause in the growth of the nail. They could be an indication of an injury or a symptom of a serious illness. These are also known as Beau s lines or Mee s lines. Beau s lines are developed due to psoriasis, diabetes, circulatory disease or a severe deficiency of zinc. Mee s lines can be a result of arsenic poisoning, malaria, leprosy, Hodgkin s disease or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Vertical ridges: This is a common sign of aging and is usually nothing to worry about. However, in some cases, it could be a sign of vitamin B12 or magnesium deficiencies.
Spoon nails: If the edges of your nails curve upwards and take on a spoon-like look, it could be a sign of anemia, excessive iron absorption, heart disease or hypothyroidism.
Pitted Nails: Dents or pits in your nails are usually a sign of psoriasis. It could also be a symptom of tissue disorders such as Reiter s syndrome or autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata.
Dark nails: If you notice dark,discoloured patches on your nails, consult a doctor immediately. This could be due to melanoma which is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Yellow Nails: Smoking and excessive use of acrylic nail polish are the two most common causes of yellow nails. However, if your nails are thinand crumbly along with being yellow, it could be a sign of a fungal infection. In rare cases, yellow nails could also be a sign of thyroid disorders, diabetes or psoriasis.
Clubbing: Nails that are enlarged and curved downwards are said to be clubbed. This is typically a sign of low levels of oxygen in the blood. It could also be symptom of lung disease, liver and kidney disorders, AIDS and inflammatory bowel disease.

Nails - Can They Indicate Any Illness?

The uterine cavity has a tissue base that is known as the endometrium. When this endometrium spills over or spreads to the other parts of the reproductive organ, it begins to punch through the uterine lining. Such a condition creates complications and even infertility, and is known as endometriosis.

Read on to know more about endometriosis and how it can cause infertility.

Endometriosis

When the endometrium tissue spreads to areas like the ovaries, and the abdominal cavity, it can lead to numerous complications. Apart from pain, this may also cause infertility. 5 to 10% of the women worldwide suffer from this condition and have trouble conceiving. Additionally, about 30 to 40% of the infertility cases are due to endometriosis, not all cases. These figures are all confirmed by various medical studies.

How does it cause infertility?

Endometriosis can prevent ovulation, which is the process that occurs every month. During the ovulation process, the ovaries release eggs that may be fertilised in order for the woman to conceive. In this condition, the fimbria of the fallopian tubes also has trouble in capturing the egg, which prevents conception from taking place. This leads to infertility in the long run. Endometriosis also interferes with the proper production of the hormones that are required for normal ovulation and fertilisation of the egg.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis of the condition can be done with the help of lab tests and ultrasounds as well as imaging tests that can create the image of the womb and the endometrium lining. This will help in showing the severity and damage caused by the tissue. A surgical procedure called a laparoscopy may be carried out by the doctor to ascertain whether the patient is suffering from this condition. In this procedure, a small incision will be made and a camera will be inserted to view the insides on a screen, to learn more about the tissue s spread and the kind of treatment that will be required. The doctor will also diagnose the condition on the basis of various symptoms like irregular and heavy bleeding.

Treatment:

Treatment for endometriosis associated with infertility needs to be individualized for each woman. There are no easy answers, and treatment decisions depend on factors such as the age of the woman, the severity of the disease and its location in the pelvis, the length of infertility, and the presence of pain or other symptoms. Some general issues regarding treatment are discussed below.

Treatment for Mild Endometriosis

Medical (drug) treatment can suppress endometriosis and relieve the associated pain in many women. Surgical removal of lesions by laparoscopy might also reduce the pain temporarily.

However, several well-controlled studies have shown that neither medical or surgical treatment for mild endometriosis improve the pregnancy rates for infertile women as compared to expectant management (no treatment).

For treatment of infertility associated with mild to moderate endometriosis, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination - IUI is often attempted and has a reasonable chance to result in pregnancy if other infertility factors are not present.

Details about IUI success rates with endometriosis

IUI and endometriosis

Success rates with IUI for endometriosis have been variable in studies, showing:

A pregnancy rate of 6.5% for women with endometriosis vs. 15.3% per cycle for unexplained infertility
A pregnancy rate of 5.6% for women with advanced endometriosis vs. 22.7% per cycle for mild endometriosis vs. 25.7% for no endometriosis
Pregnancy chances with insemination for natural cycle IUIs (no drugs) with endometriosis are about 2% per cycle vs. 11% with injectables plus IUI for endometriosis
Treatment for severe endometriosis

Several studies have shown that medical treatment for severe endometriosis does not improve pregnancy rates for infertile women.

Unfortunately, the infertility in women with severe endometriosis is usually resistant to treatment with ovarian stimulation plus intrauterine insemination. If the pelvic anatomy is very distorted, artificial insemination is unlikely to be successful. These women often require in vitro fertilization in order to conceive.

Although the studies of in vitro fertilization for women with severe endometriosis do not all show similar results, pregnancy success rates are usually good if the woman is relatively young (under 40) and if she produces enough eggs during the ovarian stimulation.

Endometriosis - How It Results in Infertility?

Did you know that milk can cause acne?

Including cheese, milk, and ice-cream etc into your daily meals maybe the reason behind the painful acne on your face. Processed milk and other dairy products negatively affect your skin and trigger the formation of whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. 

Here s how milk causes acne and what you can do to get clearer skin.

How does milk cause acne?

1. Milk contains a growth hormone IGF-1 (responsible for the growth and strength of calves) in large amounts. This has an adverse effect on your skin, and is responsible for its inflammation, which results in acne. In fact, this hormone can even increase the size of the acne.
2. Consumption of milk and other dairy products also result in a sharp rise in the amount of insulin present in your body, which initiates more IGF-1 production by the liver, thereby increasing acne.
3. Excessive sebum (oil) is secreted by your skin due to the consumption of milk, which results in more number of clogged pores, causing an acne breakout. Additionally, an increase in sebum helps the acne bacteria to grow and breed, which further causes skin inflammation.
4. Consumption of milk can render your skin unable to get rid of dead skin cells, causing more acne due to clogged pores. This happens as milk sticks dead cells together inside your pores, interfering with their natural process of falling off.

What can you do to get acne-free skin?

The best way to get acne-free skin is by trying to limit your consumption of milk and dairy products. You can do so in two ways:

1. Discontinue Milk Intake: Stop consuming milk and its products completely for at least 30 days and observe the changes. If your skin improves after 30 days, you can add small amounts of high-quality dairy, like organic yoghurt, to your diet. If eliminating milk does not show any positive effects, try observing other triggers of acne and look for appropriate methods of removing them. 

2. Switch to Organic Milk Products Only - If you find it difficult to totally cut off milk from your diet, try reducing the amount of milk intake and totally avoid processed milk products. Switching to raw, grass-fed dairy products will also be beneficial.

What are the alternatives to milk which can be consumed without harming your skin?

You can also replace milk with the following products in your diet chart to prevent the occurrence of acne.

1. Organic almond milk without added sugar
2. Organic coconut milk containing no artificial sweeteners
3. Natural coconut cream

Warning: Do not consume soy milk as a milk substitute as it contains omega-6 fats, which cause skin inflammation and swelling of acne.

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

Did you know that milk can cause acne?

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