Ringworm is something which is quite unpleasant to have, to say the very least. However, there are just so many myths about it and if a person is to avoid it, debunking of these myths is something which is quite critical!

It comes in all forms! 

Ringworm can affect a person even when he or she thinks it is something else. As a matter of fact, a barber s itch is not a form of lice, as many people believe it to be. In actuality, it is a beard ringworm! The effect of this sort of ringworm can be quite irritating as what happens is that there is swelling of the face and sometimes even the person s neck. There are various parts of the body which can be affected by ringworm, apart from the face. These include the scalp, the feet and sometimes, even the groin area.

Anyone can get it! 

Many people are of the opinion that it is only children who are at risk to get ringworm. While it is true that children seem to have the propensity to be diagnosed with it, it is something which can affect people across all age groups. As a result, it is very important for a person to be aware of ringworm and what it looks like regardless of his or her age.

It is not caused by worms!

No matter how misleading its name may be, there is actually no worm as such which leads to the problem known as ringworm. In fact, it is caused by dermatophytes, which are a sort of fungi. The reason why it is called ringworm is due to the effect it has on the skin; it red spots on the skin in the pattern of rings, usually. However, if a person happens to get ringworm of the scalp, then he or she may not develop the rings which are associated with ringworm. In its stead, he or she may see that the scalp is getting progressively flaky. A flaky scalp is often seen due to the effects of dandruff. In fact, both conditions are often confused.

Antibiotics don t work!

When a person in a house has ringworm, it is generally thought that the problem is one which would go away as a result of following a course of treatment which involves some antibiotics. However, when it comes to ringworm, this is not the case. On account of the fact that it is a fungal infection, it is treated with anti-fungal medicines. Antibiotics kill bacteria. The fact that ringworm can be caught or given to a pet makes it something worth worrying about!

Ringworm - Decoding Common Myths!

Pubic lice, also known as  crabs , is a condition which occurs when certain parasitic insects are present in the genitals. These insects cause red spots to form on the vagina which result in itching. Crabs are also known to affect other parts of the body such as eyebrows, eyelashes and beards. This disease is extremely contagious in nature; it can be passed on from one person to another via sexual intercourse, hugging and kissing. In some cases, this condition can also be passed on from the parent to the child.

Symptoms
If you are affected by crabs then you will have itching and pain in the genitals. The saliva of the insect can cause allergic reactions on the skin, resulting in the itch. The itching tends to worsen at night. Bluish or red spots may appear on the affected area. The lice are usually around 2 cm long and can t be spotted easily.

Causes
Contrary to popular belief, pubic lice or carbs are not caused by poor hygiene. This disease spreads via bodily contact with an infected person and they feed on human blood to survive. Lice usually spread via sexual intercourse which may be anal, vaginal or oral.

Treatment for pubic lice
Treatments for pubic lice involve shampoos, lotions and insecticide creams. Some of the treatments for pubic lice need to be applied locally while others require full body treatment. Apart from following the treatment procedures, you need to take preventive measures to prevent infestation. Avoid sharing personal items such as toiletries, as lice can spread through it.

Crabs (Pubic Lice) - Are they Contagious?

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

Urticaria, commonly known as hives, usually occurs due to an allergic reaction. Sheetapitta is a similar condition in Ayurveda, as the symptoms are similar. Sheetapitta is comprised of two words-  sheeta  (cold) and  pitta  (warm). The condition occurs due to dominance of cold (existing in kapha and vata dosha) over pitta dosha.

Causes of Sheetapitta/urticaria-
Ayurveda believes, sheetapitta is caused due to the following reasons-

Excess intake of pungent (katu) and salty (lavana) food, mustard
Over consumption of sour gruels
Sleeping during the day
Contact with cold substances
Exposure to cold wind
Improper emesis (vomiting)
Insect bite (keeta damsha)
Coming in contact with poisonous bugs and insects (krimi samsarga)
Effect of seasonal changes on the body
Due to the factors mentioned above, especially because of exposure to cold wind, kapha and vata doshas become aggravated, and inevitably combine with pitta dosha. These spread all over the body and produce rashes on the surface of your skin.

Symptoms-
A person having sheetapitta/urticaria will encounter these symptoms-

Itching/pricking sensation
Nausea/vomiting
Fatigue
Tastelessness (aruchi)
Thirst (pipasa)
Lethargy
Reddish discoloration of the eyes (rakta lochanata)
Fever
Ayurvedic approach to cure Sheetapitta-

Ayurveda focuses on eradicating the doshas and purifying of the body toxins with Ayurvedic medicines & Panchkarma procedures. This is the essential part of Ayurvedic approach to cure urticaria. Abhyanga (massage), svedana (fomentation), vaman (induced vomiting) and virechen (induced lose motion) are very effective in treating Urticaria.

Ayurvedic treatment for Urticaria (Sheetapitta)-
Ayurvedic treatment for urticaria involves body purification therapy like Samshodhana, and oral medications. Some popular, effective techniques used in the treatment are-

Applying mustard oil all over the body
Applying mustard oil mixed with Saindhava lavana and Yavakshara
Use of a herbal powder named Eladi choornam that contains natural ingredients like elaichi
Applying medicated paste prepared from Haridra and Doorva, Kushta and Ghee over the rashes
Apart from these, herbs such as Guduchi, Yashtimadhu, Amalaki are recommended in the treatment of sheetapitta
Although urticaria is not a fatal condition, it can seriously affect one s quality of life. Many people suffer from urticaria for several months or years. Continual intake of conventional medicines reduces body s immunity. Moreover, the incidence of recurrence of this condition is often found. Thus, Ayurveda has an upper hand in treating hives, as it offers a comprehensive and permanent solution for this problem.

Sheetapitta - Causes, Symptoms & Ayurvedic View On 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

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is one of the five sense organs, helping us with  touch.  The first outer layer is called the epidermis and the underlying layer is called the dermis. The skin has a protein known as keratin, which protects it from various external toxins and infections.

In some people, due to unknown reasons, there could be pile up of this protein in the deeper layers, producing small bumps, which feel like sandpaper. Literally, the term keratosis pilaris (KP) refers to piling up of keratin pigment. It can block the hair follicle that would normally open into the skin. When there are multiple blocks in the same area, there could be a sandpaper-like rough feeling to the touch. This gives this condition other names including goosebumps, chicken skin or chicken bumps. Though it is a cosmetic issue, it is medically a benign and very common condition.

Cause

KP, as it is popularly known as, is believed to be a genetic disorder with faulty genes leading to excessive accumulation of keratin. These appear as red, small bumps that are usually seen on the hands, arms, thighs, buttocks, and rarely on the face. The surrounding skin may be inflamed if there is a buildup of skin under the pile of keratin.

The onset of KP is usually in the first decade of life, worsens during puberty, and reduces during adulthood. There are, however, instances where the onset happens during adulthood. Twins and people with atopic dermatitis are more likely to have KP.

KP is more common in people with dry skin as oily skin seems to offer some protection.

There are also studies that give it a correlation with weather, with winter seeing more of this condition than summer. This is because our skin tends to dry more in winter than in summer. There could be some people who are completely normal during the summer months but will develop these bumps during the winter, which again subsides with the season.

Signs and Symptoms

As noted above, KP is a medically benign condition. There is a cosmetic concern if it is in the visible areas like arms and hands. Also, the area could feel rough and dry, but the affected person may not experience any itching or other harm. People with atopic dermatitis and eczema are more likely to develop KP; hence these other skin conditions require proper management.

Management

Patient education is the most important. This disease does not require any treatment and is usually self-limiting. It is very rare for KP to affect the whole body. Creams containing alpha hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, or vitamin A may be required to remove dead skin cells and to prevent clogged follicles from the bodies of the affected people.

Keratosis Pilaris: Signs, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Don't wait any longer, manage your Pediatric Dermatologist online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Pediatric Dermatologist - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES