When an injury happens, the normal tendency of the skin is to repair itself from inside out, until it is completely closed and healed. However, in some cases, due to various reasons, excessively large scars can form. These hypertrophic scars are known as keloids. Here is everything you would like to know about keloids:

Features of keloids:

Benign, fibrous, smooth, hard growths that form over a healed wound
Can be bigger than the original wound
Most commonly found on chest, ear lobes, cheeks, and abdomen
Pregnant women are usually at the risk of developing keloids
Though they do not develop into malignant lesions, they are a cosmetic issue, especially when the visible portions of skin are affected
They are localized, flesh-colored and red in color
They are raised from the surrounding tissue and are prone to repeat injury
It continues to grow with time
Could cause discomfort and irritation when it comes in contact with clothing
Sun exposure or tanning can worsen it and cause tenderness
Common injuries that can lead to keloid formation include burns, surgical incisions, skin piercings, chicken pox scars, tattoos, etc.
Treatment for keloids may not always be effective and need repeat treatments
Treatment options: If the keloid is not in a visible area and does not cause any problem, it is best to leave it untreated and observe for any changes. The following changes could indicate the need for treatment.

Change in color from pale pink to red (indicating inflammation)
Severe increase in pain/tenderness
Sudden increase in size, which could indicate malignancy (keloids are an area where benign growth can turn cancerous)
A biopsy can be done to identify if treatment is necessary. This involves removing a small part of the tissue by injection and sending it for laboratory examination.
Treatment options include both nonsurgical and surgical. Nonsurgical methods are tried first before resorting to surgery.

Steroid injections into the keloid to control growth and inflammation
Moisturization to keep it soft and avoid dryness and cracking and bleeding
Freezing the tissue (cryotherapy) to freeze the growth can help in further increase in the size of the tissue
Laser to remove the tissue, especially if it is small. Alternately, this could be used as a secondary measure after the keloid is excised to prevent further growth
Radiation therapy to shrink the growth
Surgical excision, where the keloid is quite visible or large. This could be followed by radiation or laser to prevent further growth.
Also, in people who are prone to develop keloids, surgical incisions can be treated for a longer time with pressure dressings and silicone pads.

Keloids - Know About Its Treatment!

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?

Gynecomastia is a condition characterized by enlargement of the breast tissue in men. It occurs when there is an imbalance of the testosterone (male sex hormone) and estrogen (female sex hormone) in the body. It may a cause of embarrassment in men.
Causes:
The primary cause for this condition is increase in the level of estrogen in comparison with testosterone in the male body. Testosterone controls male characteristics such as body hair and muscle mass. Estrogen is responsible for controlling female characteristics such as breast enlargement. 
Men usually produce small quantities of estrogen in their body to maintain certain sexual functions. Complications occur when estrogen levels in the male body increase too much in proportion to testosterone.
The condition can be classified as follows:
1. Gynecomastia in infants:  Half of the infants are usually born with large breasts due to their mother's estrogen. The effect tends to wear of in a few weeks.
2. Gynecomastia during puberty: Gynecomastia occurs during puberty due to changes in hormones. The condition goes away without any treatment in six months to 1 year.
3. Gynecomastia in men: This condition may peak in men during the age of 50-80. Statistics show that at least 1 out of 4 men in this age group have this condition.

Some other causes for this condition in middle aged men are as follows:
1. Heart medications
2. Anti-anxiety drugs
3. Antibiotics
4. Chemotherapy
5. Medications that are used to treat heartburn
6. Smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol 

Treatments:
1.        If the cause of the condition is medications, then discontinuing the medicines should stop the effects. It can also be treated by taking medicines to reduce estrogen levels in the body. 
2.        Surgery is another option where an incision is made in the chest area and the extra breast tissues are removed from the area. This also requires repositioning of the nipple in the chest. 
3.        Post-surgery, you should stick to a proper and healthy lifestyle to retain the new shape of the chest area. Weight gain or taking steroids can cause the symptoms of this condition to reappear.


Causes and Treatment of Gynecomastia

Eczema is a skin condition which is characterized by rough, cracked, red, itchy and inflamed skin. Sometimes it can also cause blisters. Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis. It is a severe condition which starts during infancy and can go on throughout childhood. While some people may outgrow this condition, the rest might have it till adulthood.

Causes of Eczema:
1. Irritants- Certain irritants found in vegetables, meats, juices extracted from fresh fruits, disinfectants, shampoos, detergents and soaps can cause eczema.
2. Allergens- Dandruff, mold, pollens, pets and dust mites can also contribute to Eczema.
3. Microbes- Certain bacteria such as Staphylococcus Aureus, fungi and viruses can also cause eczema
4. Food products- Many people are allergic to food products such as wheat, soy products, seeds, nuts, eggs and dairy products. This might contribute to Eczema.
5. Stress- This doesn t cause eczema but can aggravate the symptoms of it.
6. Hormones- Women usually experience worsening of Eczema during certain stages of their menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.

Symptoms of eczema in infants and children:
1. Rashes appearing on the cheeks and scalp
2. Rashes which bubble up before fluid discharge
3. Rashes which cause itchiness and lead to disturbed sleeping; continuous scratching and rubbing can result in skin infections
4. Rashes which can appear behind the creases of the knees and the elbows; these rashes are also common on the legs, creases of the buttocks, ankles, wrists and neck.

Symptoms of Eczema in adults:
1. Rashes on the nape of the neck
2. Rashes on the eyes, face and neck
3. Rashes that can cause extremely dry skin
4. Extreme discomfort caused due to itching
5. Scaly skin caused due to rashes
6. Rashes which can result in skin infections
7. Lichenification, a condition wherein the rashes thicken and develop knots, is also a possibility.

How is Eczema treated?
1. Topical ointments and corticosteroid creams- These are anti-inflammatory medications which relieve symptoms of eczema such as itchiness and skin inflammation.
2. Antibiotics- These are usually prescribed if there is any underlying bacterial skin infection.
3. Antihistamines- These mainly reduce scratching at night. In some cases, it can also cause drowsiness.
4. Topical calcineurin inhibitors- This is a drug that suppresses activities of the immune system. It helps to prevent flare-ups and decrease inflammation.
5. Barrier repair moisturizers- These types of moisturizers repair the skin and reduce water loss from the skin.

Eczema - 5 Ways It Can Be Treated!

Vitiligo is a disorder in which the skin starts losing its original color in the form of unequal shapes and sizes. This problem of skin pigmentation means that the melanocytes in the skin get damaged. This leads to the development of the white patches on the skin.

The hairs which grow on the affected area start losing their color and become gray. This problem also causes psychological disorders which related to appearance and many times, the adolescent's high dose of medications if this disorder develops in the visible areas like face, hands, arms or the feet. The adolescents start feeling embarrassed, depressed and worried about what the others might think of them and how they would react to seeing them.

Causes

Though the exact causes of vitiligo are not clear, the researchers assume that this disorder is just like an autoimmune disorder. This means that the pigmentation or the element which gives color to the skin get destroyed by the antibodies of the person s own body.

In some cases, it has also been observed that the initial stage of this disorder relates to an event which causes psychological stress to the person. People whose parents or other family members suffer from this disease are also likely to suffer from the same. This can be said that this disorder passes down the genes from generation to generation.

If people have suffered sunburns, rashes and other disorders related to the skin where the hair turns gray before the person turns thirty-five, are also some of the causes of this disease.

Role of homeopathy in treating Vitiligo

Homeopathy aims at treating the problem from the root, over a period of time yet in an effective manner. This field of medicine works at building the immunity of the patients and restore their health. As per homeopathy, it is important to understand the constitution of the patient before prescribing any type of medicine. Also, homeopathic medicines prescribed to an individual are related more to the constitution of the individual, the symptoms it is indicating and the overall psyche of the patient. 

Further, it is required that the formation of the melanin in the body is improved, in order to treat the problem. Since all patients are different, thus they respond differently to the treatment provided. And, the course of the treatment can only be decided once the underlying root cause is determined. Homeopathy treatment goes beyond the general and medicinal aspects of the vitiligo treatment. 

All these medicines listed above are only suggestive in nature and can change with the change in symptoms. Therefore one should only take homeopathic medicines as prescribed by the doctor. 

Vitiligo - Know Why Homeopathy Is The Best Choice Of Treatment!

Ayurveda offers a unique and holistic approach in treating acne. It is an Indian healing system, which aims at treating pimples and acne by managing its underlying causes. Toxicity build-up and impaired digestion are targeted according to the doshas identified in an individual by an Ayurvedic practitioner. 

According to Ayurveda, the whole of the cosmos is made of 5 elements namely water, fire, air, earth and space. Doshas are aggregations of these elements and affect our well-being. If access to an Ayurvedic practitioner isn t feasible, then try cutting down on junk food as they contain additives and preservatives. Eat foods which don t have more than 4 ingredients.

Raw and unprocessed food is the best for digestion. Replace artificial skin care products with natural ones. Change your sheets and pillows regularly as they may have trace residues of acne causing organisms. Insecticides and disinfectants should be substituted for their natural counterparts, such as neem based cleaning agents.

Here are some Ayurvedic natural substances which work wonders for treating your acne:

Tulsi: An amazing way to get rid of pimples is tulsi (basil) paste when used by you on a daily basis. If access to fresh basil is difficult, then get a jar of dried basil from your neighborhood departmental store and use it with warm water. Use about 3 teaspoons so that a smooth paste can be formed and apply it on your face for over 10 minutes up to 5 times a week.
Lemon and Honey: A mix of lemon juice and honey is a simple, but effective homemade beauty remedy for the treatment of acne. Mix 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Apply the mix on the pimples and on the spots caused by the pimples. However, do not apply on severe pimple outburst as it can cause a severe and intense burning sensation. Keep it on your face for about 10 minutes and then wash it off. You can continue doing this 7 times in a week. You will eventually find very satisfactory results.
Cinnamon: Try dry roasting dalchini or cinnamon. Grind it finely and then make a creamy paste by adding honey to it. Apply this paste for a minimum of 5 times a week. Let its goodness soak into your skin and watch the benefits of the paste work its miracle!
Neem: Neem leaves (Indian Lilac) are the perfect natural way of treating pimples. Turn it into a paste and apply it on the areas affected with pimples. If getting fresh neem isn t feasible, try procuring some dried and bottled leaves instead and soak for about 15 minutes in hot water and use the same as a paste.
Sesame: Turn sesame seeds into a paste by soaking them overnight. Then turn into a paste. You can also use powder, which is readily available. Keep the paste on for 15 minutes and wait for the magic to work.
Potato: Potato juice or grated potato can be applied directly onto your pimples. Let the sticky potato juice sit on your face for over 10 minutes before washing it off. It lends a mild and natural bleaching glow to your skin. The same technique can be also tried with tomato juice.
Mint: Soak a few mint leaves and turn it into a fresh paste , it will act as an astringent.  Mint is also effective in making acne marks fade away if used regularly.

Acne - 7 Home Remedies for Treating it 

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