Moles are a common form of growth or formation on your skin that appear often in the form of small, black spots. They can develop anywhere on the body. They usually occur during adolescence or childhood and with the passage of time, they may change colour. Moles are a type of skin growth, which usually do not go away with time.

On the other hand, freckles are often described as round, flat, dark colour spots which vary in size from about 2mm to 4mm. They may result from pigment precipitation in one particular area as the skin that surrounds the dark spot is comparatively lighter in shade. Being sensitive to the sun s ultra violet rays, freckles become more noticeable during or after sunlight exposure. Although freckles are usually found in areas which are not covered from the sun s exposure, they could also occur anywhere on your body.

What causes them?
Moles are caused due to certain skin cells, known as melanocytes, grow in a very close group instead of being evenly and normally spread across the skin. Moles that occur during birth are called congenital nevi and their chances of occurring are around 1 in a 100. These moles are more prone to develop into skin cancer (melanoma) in later stages of life.

Freckles on the other hand are 

Genetically transferred, so the chance of you becoming affected are higher, if any of your parents have it.
If there s a prolonged exposure to the sunrays, then freckles may appear on your skin and they become even more prominent on a fair skin. Since the presence of melanin is less in people with fair skin the sunlight exposure causes these dark spots to surface easily
Hormonal imbalances could be yet another reason for freckles to appear as estrogen could be over-stimulate cells that produce pigment and thus become more prominent in the presence of sunlight.
Rare disorders like Xeroderma Pigmentosum (a condition leading to extreme light sensitivity and also skin cancer in certain cases) can make your skin more sensitive to the UV rays, thus resulting in freckles.
Treatment of moles and freckles

Laser Treatment: There are different types of lasers which are absolutely safe and can help reduce or lighten these dark spots effectively.
Cryosurgery: The physician would use a light freeze in conjunction with liquid nitrogen to reduce the spots of freckles. However, not every spot responds to this kind of treatment.
Retinoids: Mostly used with a combination of other bleaching creams, retinoids help reduce freckles when used continuously for a couple of months.

Moles and Freckles? How They Can Be Treated?

Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes loss of pigmentation of the skin. Melanocytes, the pigment cells, within the skin are destroyed. This causes these parts of the skin to lose color and turn pale. It might affect different parts of the body including the arms, legs, face and even genitalia. It can affect a person of any age, ethnicity or gender.

Causes
The exact cause of vitiligo is not definitively known. However, there are a number of risk factors that might contribute towards the condition. These include-

Autoimmune disorders- Vitiligo might be a result of an autoimmune disorder where the overactive immune system destroys the pigment cells of the skin.
Exposure to Chemicals- Exposure to certain chemicals can increase the risk of vitiligo by causing depigmentation.
Hereditary factors- There might be a genetic pre-disposition towards vitiligo. Though a person can exhibit symptoms of the condition at any age, it is most commonly found to manifest itself around the age of 20 years.
Symptoms
Vitiligo may start with a simple spot of pale skin but over time, this spot expands and turns paler until it is white in color. Irregular in shape, the edges of these spots may inflame and cause itchiness.

Treatment
The treatment of vitiligo will be determined by a number of factors such as the number and the extent of the white patches and where they are located. Vitiligo treatment includes cosmetic, medical and surgical methods.

Cosmetic Treatment- Cosmetic and skincare products such as sunscreens, dye or makeup can help relieve and hide signs of the condition.
Medical Treatment- Oral medication or medicated ointments may be prescribed to treat Vitiligo. Photochemotherapy which involves the use of PUVA rays to induce re-pigmentation may also be prescribed. If the condition has spread to a considerable extent then the physician might advise that the color from the remaining areas of the skin also be removed in order to match the affected areas.
Surgical Treatment- Surgical treatments are at times prescribed which involve skin grafting or tattooing. This is usually prescribed for those with small patches of affected areas.
With ongoing and extensive research being conducted on this skin condition, we will in the near future be able to both understand and treat it better.

Vitiligo - What Causes It and How Can It Be Treated?

Swollen breast tissues in men or boys caused by hormonal (testosterone and estrogen) imbalances is called gynecomastia. Both breasts or one breast can be affected by gynecomastia. At any point in life, from birth to puberty, even in adulthood, you might develop gynecomastia. Most of the times, gynecomastia is caused by hormonal imbalances, but there might be some underlying causes as well.
Gynecomastia is normally not a serious condition, but it can be difficult to deal with the pain and embarrassment.
It can be cured with surgery or medication if it doesn't go away on its own.

Symptoms and signs of gynecomastia include:

Enlarged glands in the breast tissue
Tenderness in the breast
The causes that trigger gynecomastia include:

Hormonal changes: Testosterone and estrogen control the sexual development in men and women respectively. Estrogen is not a hormone that only women produce; men produce it too. When the production of testosterone and estrogen are thrown out of balance, gynecomastia occurs.
Medication: Certain medications such as anabolic steroids, androgens, HIV/AIDS medicines, antibiotics and chemotherapy can cause gynecomastia.
Drugs and alcohol: Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, heroin and methadone cause gynecomastia.
Health condition: Certain factors, such as aging, hypogonadism (hormonal disorder), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), tumors, kidney failure, cirrhosis, liver failure, malnutrition and starvation can lead to gynecomastia.
Herbal products: Essential oils derived from plants such as lavender or tea tree, used in lotions or shampoos, have weak estrogenic actives. They have been said to cause gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia can be cured either with medication or surgery. Surgical options for gynecomastia are, however, limited.

The two surgical options for gynecomastia include:

Liposuction: Liposuction only removes the fat from the breast, not the breast gland tissue. It has fewer complications, there is limited or zero blood loss and there is less distortion of the nipple.
Mastectomy: Mastectomy removes the gland tissues in the breast. The surgery uses minimal incisions to remove the gland tissue. Also, it involves less time to recover. 

Gynecomastia (Enlarged Breast In Men) - Know The Treatments!

Hair loss or alopecia is a problem common to both men and women. It can leave you feeling very miserable. But rather than getting upset knowing the cause will help you tackle the problem efficiently. 

The following are few shocking causes of hair loss that you may not be aware of:
1. Hair loss can be a hereditary problem for some people. It can be common to both men and women. Males may encounter male pattern baldness and females can encounter female pattern baldness.
2. Women can face hair loss problems for using hair styling tools. You must avoid hair strengtheners, curling irons and dryers in order to control hair loss.
3. Hormonal imbalances can lead to hair loss. Thyroid problems or levels of estrogen getting reduced in cases of women can cause hair loss.
4. Lack of protein in your diet can also result in hair loss. Insufficient protein intake according to your age may trigger hair loss.
5. Intake of too much steroids like birth control pills can also be a contributing factor.
6. Stress is also a major contributing factor for hair loss. Any form of prolonged anxiety or trauma can lead to hair loss problems.
7. Sudden and excessive weight loss also sometimes may be the cause for uncontrolled hair fall.

In order to combat the problem of hair loss you must consult a doctor and undergo the required treatment. 

The following are few treatments that can prove to be helpful for you: 
1. Many clinics nowadays provide hair transplantation treatment. You may consider hair transplantation if you encounter hair loss at an alarming rate.
2. Increase the intake of proteins in your diet. Include food like fish in your diet which is high on protein.
3. Massage hair oils like coconut oil, almond oil, amla oil as they will help nourish the roots of your hair.
4. Onion juice is proved to be very helpful in growing back hair on your scalp. Apply it on your scalp and it may help you to grow back your hair.
5. Applying henna at home can also increase the volume of your hair and make it look beautiful too.

Along with the above mentioned treatments, eating healthy and sleeping well will also help you to tackle your problem of hair loss. Normally a person sheds fifty to hundred strands of hair per day, but if it is more than that, consulting a doctor is highly recommended.

Shocking Causes of Hair Loss and Treatment

Plastic Surgery is a speciality that deals with reconstruction, alteration and restoration of certain parts in the human body. It improves a person's appearance and may also help in improving the functionality of various body parts. It can be classified as either re-constructive or cosmetic Surgery:

    Re-constructive Surgery: These type of surgeries are used to correct various defects in the body such as injuries as a result of trauma, physical birth defects, deformities in the ear and cleft lips.
    Cosmetic Surgery: Cosmetic Surgery is used to modify a part of the body for cosmetic reasons. The most common cosmetic surgery procedures are reconstructing the nose, removing fat from certain parts of the body and reshaping the breasts.

Outlined below are 5 facts about plastic surgery:

    Liposuction is popular among males: The most common plastic surgery among men is liposuction. So far, out of the 1 million plastic surgeries that men have undergone, most have been liposuction. The other popular cosmetic surgeries for men are face lifts and Rhinoplasty.
    35-50 year old undergo the maximum number of plastic surgeries. In 2014, over 4 million procedures were performed on people whose ages were in the range of 35-50 years. The most common concerns were sagging skin and fine lines. Liposuction was the most popular surgery in this age group.
    Most women opt for breast augmentation: Breast augmentation often requires correcting various issues such as post-op sagging and various other tweaks like modifying the size of the implants. The number of revisions in breast surgeries has actually gone up compared to the initial breast surgeries.
    Asian double eyelid surgery: A surgery where the eyelids are altered to make your eyes look bigger and attractive. It is a popular surgery among Asian women.

5 Facts You Never Knew About Plastic Surgery

Psoriasis is a condition in which rapidly multiplying skin cells cause the area affected to become rough, scaly and itchy. The affected area becomes red and sometimes painful and while the disease can t be cured, it can be managed by limiting the rapidly multiplying cells. The immune system is thought to be compromised in psoriasis which leads to Infection by opportunistic bacteria such as streptococcus. 

Till very recently, psoriasis was thought to be idiopathic, but studies show emotional imbalance or triggers such as cold and infections might lead to activating an inherently present gene. Even though it is usually limited to the skin, it can affect the joints and nails too. This autoimmune disorder occurs in patches where the scaly formation might become irksome, especially if it is in uncommon areas such as the mouth and genitalia. Psoriasis is also thought to be a result of alcoholism or medication such as lithium which is used to treat epilepsy or bipolar disorder.

Common homeopathic remedies
When treating psoriasis, homeopathy is a trove of invaluable resources and treatment options. Medication is customised for the patient after taking into account their personal medical history.
Homeopathy acts by trying to manage the root cause of psoriasis which is an immunocompromised state of being. The added advantage of homeopathy in treatment is the lack of side effects.

Here are some of the most feasible treatments for treating psoriasis with homeopathy:

Kalium Bromatum: It is the first line of treatment in a lot of cases of psoriasis, especially when the red patches are covered with silver scales. It is also used in syphilitic psoriasis.
Kalium Arsenicosum: It is an effective treatment for psoriasis that develops on the back and the arms.
Sulphur: It is best suited for skinny people or those who tend to be forgetful.
Calendula: It helps soothe and provide temporary pain relief for affected areas, especially if they are inflamed, but it doesn t address the underlying cause of the disease and hence doesn t treat it.
Kalium Sulphuricum: It is best used for papular psoriasis, especially when sebaceous secretions are also involved.
Arsenic Album: It is used for cases of psoriasis which improve on the application of warmth on the affected areas.

Psoriasis - 6 Homeopathic Treatments For it!

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

Consult for Rhinoplasty - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES