Vitiligo is a skin disorder which results in the loss of skin pigments in different parts of the body due to the destruction of the colour producing cells called the melanocytes. Vitiligo can affect any part of the skin present in different parts of the body. Vitiligo is a disorder in which the immune system of the body gets overactive and destroys these colour producing cells on it's own, therefore resulting in white patches which are generally much fairer than the original skin colour of the human skin. In this article we are going to talk about some more facts and details about Vitiligo.

Facts about Vitiligo

Here are some important facts about vitiligo which should be kept in mind:

Vitiligo can affect an individual of any skin colour, gender, age and ethnicity. There is no particular set of people, only who gets affected by it.
Vitiligo cannot be cured completely even though a few treatments are there. Usually it is a lifelong disorder and once affected stays with the person forever.
Thankfully, in spite of being a harmful disorder, vitiligo is not at all contagious. Vitiligo cannot be spread to others when they come in contact with a person suffering from vitiligo.
After reading these few points we hope you now know about vitiligo in a much better way.

Symptoms of Vitiligo

One of the common symptoms of Vitiligo is that the skin will have white patches in the affected areas. The white patches can occur on any part of the body ie hands, legs, lips, mouth and armsarmpit, groin, eyes, nostrils, navel and genitals.

In focal pattern this white patches will be seen only in some few areas and in segmental pattern this white patches will be seen in one side of the body and in bilateral pattern this white patches will be seen different parts of the body. Sometimes vitiligo may be associated with white hair (Leukotrichia)

Sometimes you may have difficulties in understanding whether a particular skin colour disorder is Vitiligo or not. Thus here are the symptoms to look out for:

Vitiligo results in loss of skin colour in different parts of the body in patches.
Early whitening or graying of hair present on your scalp, eyes or even the beard can indicate the onset of vitiligo.
Vitiligo even affects the mucous membrane inside your mouth and nise and therefore you will understand when the inside of the mouth starts losing colour as well.
Vitiligo usually spreads in different skin parts of the body. But it sometimes can also affect only one side of the body and is known as segmental vitiligo.
So here are the important symptoms that can be observed to understand whether a person has vitiligo or not.

Vitiligo - Signs You Need To Be Aware Of!

 Hives , also known as urticaria, is the outbreak of pale red, swollen bumps on the body. It can occur on any part of the body including the face, back, arms or legs. It is a type of hypersensitivity reaction in which the cause for the reaction is idiopathic (unknown). Also, it can come in various shapes and sizes. Hives can be associated with redness, itching, and a burning and stinging sensation. These can last for more than a minute or even more than that; up to days.

What causes hives?
Most of the times, hives are idiopathic, i.e. the reason that causes this type of hypersensitivity reaction is unknown. The bumps are caused by the action of histamine that makes the plasma in the blood leak out of the small blood vessels. Histamine is a substance that is released from a specialized cell and is what causes allergic responses in general. There are three types of hives- namely, acute, chronic urticaria and physical urticaria. Acute urticaria is when the hives last for less than six weeks. Chronic urticaria occurs when the hives last for more than six weeks. 

Physical urticaria refers to the condition when the hives are triggered due to causes such as heat, cold, sun exposure, sweating, pressure and exercise. Although, this condition is mainly idiopathic, there are common causes that may trigger this condition such as:

Foods such as nuts, fish, chocolates, milk and milk products
Environmental triggers such as pollen grains, dust etc
Medications such as ibuprofen or paracetamol
Insect bites
Latex
Blood transfusion
Bacterial infections including strep throat and urinary tract infection
Pet dander
Plants such as poison oak or poison ivy
What are the symptoms of urticaria?
Hives are usually self-diagnosable. The various symptoms of urticaria are:

Swollen red bumps known as weals
The red bumps can occur suddenly and subside all of a sudden as well
 Blanching which is characterized by the whitening of the swollen red part.
They occur on any part of the body and can change shapes, and sizes. It can become larger or it can reduce in size; it can also move around in the body.

Hives - Most Common 9 Reasons Behind It!

Burning your skin is a very traumatic experience and can leave behind scars that remind one of the traumatic incident. Scarring caused by burns may fade a little with time but are usually permanent. Apart from affecting your appearance severe burns can also affect the functioning of the body. Burns can make a person withdraw socially by making him or her afraid of how people will accept them with their scars as well as make them depressed about their appearance.

Burn repair surgery can be categorised under two headings: Acute and Reconstructive

Acute repair surgery happens immediately after the burn and deals with large burns and deep burns that affect critical areas. The focus here is to aim for saving of life of burn patient with earliest wound healing with various surgical means.
Reconstructive burn surgery addresses the deformities & scars after the initial burn wounds have healed. The goal here is to improve the appearance of the scars and ensure improvement of functioning. 
There are many types of reconstructive surgeries for burns and the type of surgery best suited to a patient is based on the location of the scar, the extent of scarring and the patient s personal goals.

Skin grafts: This involves the removal of healthy skin from one part of the body and transplanting it to the burn site. This split thickness skin graft include only a few outer layers of skin & full thickness graft involve the entire dermis. This is used in cases of deep burns where full thickness of dermis is affected. Also skin grafts are used for defects following release of burn contracture . 
Flaps: These are thick skin tissues with its own blood supply, used to cover exposed vital structures like vessels , tendons, nerves, bones, etc especially in deep electrical burns of extremities. 
Free flap procedure: In this Microvascular Surgery , muscle, bone or skin is transferred from one part of the body to another to reconstruct huge defects after contracture release or for cosmetic improvement of ugly burn scars. 
Tissue expansion: This involves the insertion of a balloon expander under the skin near the burn scars & deformities. As the balloon is filled with saline, the skin stretches and grows. Once the skin has stretched enough, the expander is removed and the skin can then be used to replace the burn scars & deformities.
This procedure has many advantages as the skin colour and texture are a near perfect match thus reducing scarring to a large extent. However, it is a very slow procedure and can take a few months.

Burn Repair Surgery - How Can It Help To Reduce Deformities & Scars?

How to control hair loss through Ayurveda?

Hair loss has a direct impact on the way you feel about yourself, your self esteem and confidence. It is also true that it is a very common problem and can be controlled and stopped completely through proper treatment. Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss has long term effects and it brings out the best results since the issues get rectified from the inside which prevents them from coming back.

Ayurveda and Hair Loss
According to Ayurveda, hair fall is associated with body type that varies from person to person and also the stability of mind-body structure. Hair is considered as a byproduct of bone formation, as stated by Ayurveda. The tissues which are responsible for the development of bones are also responsible for hair growth. Diet, yoga, meditation and medicated herbal oil massage are the ayurvedic treatments generally recommended for hair loss.

Here are some ways through which Ayurveda addresses the problem of hair fall.
1. Dietary modifications
It is important to identify the lifestyle habits that cause hair fall problems. Consumption of excessive alcohol, meat, coffee, tea and smoking are some of these habits. Hair fall can also be aggravated by indulging in intake of too much greasy, spicy, oily, sour, fried and acidic foods.
Here are some ways suggested by Ayurveda to beat hair fall:
- Hair growth can be stimulated by drinking fresh juices of Pomegranate, carrot, spinach and Kokam.
- Sesame seeds promote hair growth as they are rich in magnesium and calcium.
- Cow's Ghee is a trusted remedy to resolve all scalp problems.
- Green vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and hence help in preventing hair fall.
- To make the roots of hair strong foods rich in vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, sulphur and zinc must be consumed, which are found in whole grains, soybeans, buttermilk, nuts and milk.

2. Yoga and meditation
Inverted asanas help in stimulating the blood flow to the head. Additionally, practicing deep breathing exercises to control anxiety, stress and keep the mind balanced is also advisable.

3. Ayurvedic herbs and medicated oil
Bhringaraja, Brahmi, Amla, Neem, Ritha and Ashwagandha are some ayurvedic herbs rich in essential nutrients that help in reducing stress and promoting hair growth. Different types of oils including coconut oil, brahmi oil, amla oil or mustard oil are useful in hair fall.

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

How to control hair loss through Ayurveda?

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)

Any surgery that requires an incision will involve sutures or staples as the last step of the procedure. This helps close the incision and keep out infections. Taking care of your stitches can help limit scarring and discomfort and speed up the healing process. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Keep it clean and dry: For the first few days, use a washed wet cloth to clean the incision site. After a few days, you may start washing the area with soap and water unless advised else wise by your doctor. Ensure that you dry the skin thoroughly after washing it. Avoid baths that involve soaking the area in water. Also, avoid swimming. Do not use any powders, lotions, creams, deodorants etc on the wound site.
Look out for signs of infections: Avoid activities that may involve exposing your wound to dirty water, chemicals, dust etc. This increases your risk of infections. Also look out for signs f infections such as redness, swelling, pus or bleeding, fever or increased pain from the wound. In case you notice such signs, consult your doctor at the earliest.
Do not scratch: As it heals, your skin is likely to turn itchy. However, refrain from scratching so as to reduce chances of infections. Do not try and pull away from the scab but let it fall off on its own. This will also help limit scarring.
Limit contact: Avoid wearing tight clothes or anything that sticks to the skin while your wound is healing. Instead have plenty of loose, comfortable clothes easily accessible. Also, do not take part in close contact sports such as football etc until the stitches have healed completely.
Change your dressing regularly: A dressing should be changed as soon as it gets wet or soaked with blood or other body fluids. Wear clean medical gloves while changing a dressing. When putting on a new dressing do not touch the inside of the dressing or apply any creams on the stitches unless advised so by your doctor. In the case of removable stitches, the doctor will usually remove the stitches after a few days. DO not attempt to pull the stitches out on your own.
Avoid exposing the wound to sunlight: New skin that forms as the incision heals is very sensitive to sunlight and gets sunburnt very easily. Limiting your exposure to sunlight can help reduce the effects of scarring.

Stitches Post Surgery - How You Should Take Care?

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