Are you experiencing skin itchiness and development of dry, scaly rashes on your skin? This indicates you have eczema, which is a group of skin diseases occurring due to the inflammation and irritation of skin. Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema. The disease can be controlled if proper treatment is undertaken.

Symptoms
Itchy skin is the most common symptom of eczema. In some cases, the itching starts before the development of the rash. The rash appears most commonly on the back of the knees, face, hands, wrists and feet. The affected areas become dry and thickened and in people with a fair complexion, the areas may turn reddish initially and then become brown.

Causes
The specific cause of eczema is yet to be determined. However, the condition is associated with an overactive response by the immune system to an external irritant. This response leads to eczema. The condition is more common in people who have a family history of allergies or asthma.

Treatment

As the condition turns the skin dry and itchy, certain creams and lotions are recommended to be used in order to keep the skin moist. You should apply these products when your skin is damp, ideally after taking a shower. This helps the skin in retaining moisture. You can use a cold compress to ease the itching.
Several creams such as hydrocortisone cream and ointments which contain corticosteroids are prescribed in order to reduce inflammation.
In case the affected area becomes infected, antibiotics should be taken to eliminate the infection-causing bacteria.
Antihistamines are used for reducing the severity of the itching. 
Prevention of Eczema Flare-ups

Moisturize your skin frequently
Avoid sudden changes in humidity or temperature
Abstain from overheating and sweating
Try to reduce stress
Avoid starchy material
Avoid soaps, detergents and solvents, which are harsh
Be aware of food items which trigger eczema flare-ups
It is recommended for you to consult a dermatologist if you experience any symptom of eczema. This will help you with a quick diagnosis so that you can start the treatment without further worsening of the symptoms.

Eczema - How You Can Prevent Its Flare-ups?

Vitiligo is a condition wherein the affected person starts losing the color of the skin, resulting in white patches. It can affect people of any age, sex, class, race, and ethnicity. Though Vitiligo is a lifelong condition, it can be managed with proper care and treatment.

Understanding the problem 

Vitiligo is a skin disorder where certain areas of the skin start losing its normal pigment. The total area of the skin that can be affected by the disease may vary from one person to another. It may even affect the inner side of the mouth, eyes and in some cases, even the hair.

Vitiligo is a photosensitive skin disorder which means that the affected areas shall be more sensitive to the rays of the sun than the unaffected areas. It is very difficult to determine whether the patches will start spreading or not, and to what extent. It may take weeks to spread, or the patches may remain stable for months or even years together. The lighter patches become more visible in people with dark and sun-tanned skin.

Causes

The destruction of pigment-causing cells called the melanocytes cause Vitiligo. The exact cause of vitiligo remains unknown, some conditions that contribute to vitiligo are mentioned below:

Albinism: It is a rare genetic disorder that lead to loss of color of the skin, hair, and the eyes.
Alopecia Areata: It is an auto-immune disease that leads to hair loss in patches. It can also lead to vitiligo.
Hashimoto s thyroid: It is also an autoimmune disease that leads to discoloration of the skin. This also makes the skin more sensitive.
Symptoms

Patchy loss of skin color
Premature whitening or graying of the hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard
Loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of your mouth and nose (mucous membranes)
Loss of or change in color of the inner layer of the eyeball (retina)
These white patches are more common in areas where the skin is exposed to the sun. The patches may be on the hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. Other common areas for white patches are:

The armpits and groin (where the leg meets the body)
Around the mouth
Eyes
Nostrils
Navel
Genitals
Rectal areas
Complications

If leaft untreated, patient can have an increased risk of:

Sunburn and skin cancer
Social or psychological distress
Hearing loss
Eye problems, such as inflammation of the iris (iritis)
Treating vitiligo
Vitiligo is described as more than a cosmetic problem; it is rather a health issue requiring clinical attention. Several remedies can aid in making the condition less visible, and some of them include:

Using sunscreen regularly: Using sunscreen protects the lighter areas of the skin which are more sensitive to sun rays. Since there are several types of sunscreen available, consulting with a dermatologist is safe before choosing a sunscreen.
Phototherapy using UVB light: Controlled exposure to UVB light is an effective treatment option for vitiligo. When this treatment is done at a clinic, you will need around 2 to 3 visits in a week, and the time required for the treatment will also be longer. UVB phototherapy can also be used when there are numerous white spots all over the body. Since this is a full-body treatment, it is performed in a hospital. This treatment, together with other treatments can have a substantial effect on vitiligo, but it is always necessary to have realistic expectations about the treatment.
Skin camouflage: Those who are suffering from mild instances of vitiligo can greatly benefit from the camouflage treatment done with cosmetic creams or white patches.
Laser therapy: People suffering from limited, stable patches of vitiligo can immensely benefit from vitiligo. Laser therapy is a safe and effective way to treat this condition. It may not be very cost effective, but the results are totally worth it, a patient may have to be treated twice a week and take 24-48 session to treat the localised lesions of vitiligo.
It is best to start the treatment of vitiligo as soon as possible to manage the condition to a substantial extent. So, visit a dermatologist today and understand which treatment option would work best for you.

Vitiligo - How Can The Condition Be Treated?

Lupus is an inflammatory disease that is chronic in nature. It occurs when your tissues and organs are attacked by your body's own immunity system. The inflammation that this disease causes can affect the other parts of your body as well, like the joints, kidneys, skin, brain etc. It is often difficult to diagnose because it lacks distinct symptoms. However, one of the most identifiable symptoms of lupus is a ring-shaped rash on the face.

Lupus can be caused by a number of factors like:

Excessive exposure to sunlight
Susceptibility towards infections
Certain anti-seizure, blood pressure and antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
The symptoms are neither distinct nor regular. However, some common symptoms could be-

Fatigue and fever
Pain in the joints, stiffness and swelling
Ring-shaped facial rash
Skin lesions on exposure to the sun
Chest pain and shortness of breath
What else can lupus lead to?

Several complications may arise if lupus is left untreated. Some of them are-

Kidney damage and failure
Hallucination, seizures, strokes and several other problems associated with the brain and the central nervous system
Anemia, blood clotting, vasculitis etc.
Increased susceptibility to pneumonia
Increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases
Treatment
Lupus is a significantly dangerous disease and medical help should be immediately sought if you think that you have symptoms associated with it. Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms of individual patients.

Lupus (Skin Rash) - How It Can Be Treated?

Eczema refers to any kind of superficial inflammatory process that primarily involves the epidermis, and is characterised by itching, redness, vesicles and sometimes crusting and oozing. Another term for eczema is atopic dermatitis. This kind of skin infection can start during infancy and continue until many years. Though there are some people who outgrow the condition, others may have it all their lives.

Causes:

The factors that play a role in causing eczema are:

Genetics is one of the factors that may affect the proper functioning of your skin as a barrier against harmful substances. Therefore, if either one of the parent or both suffers from the condition, it is very likely that their children too will suffer from it.
Abnormal functioning of your body's immune system can also lead to this skin condition. This is because it's your body's immune system that fights off infections as well as harmful intruders.
Dry skin brings down your skin's ability to fend off irritants as well as allergy causing substances from entering your skin, resulting in an inflammatory condition.
The presence of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which brings about sweat buildup, inflames the skin considerably, leading to this condition.
Even environmental factors like pollen, cigarette smoke lead to the flaring of eczema.
What are the symptoms of eczema?

Atopic dermatitis is commonly seen as dry patches appearing on the skin and sometimes these patches are extremely itchy and cause discomfort. In the case of infants, the rashes appear on the scalp and cheeks and often bubble up before the liquid oozes out. Rashes commonly appear on the backside of the creases of the elbows and knees in the case of kids above two years, and other places on the body may also be affected. In adults, the rashes can make the skin dry and cover maximum area of the body. It may also lead to further skin infections, skin irritation, and may also cause eye problems.

How can eczema be treated?
Though there is no overall cure for eczema, but the treatments can heal the affected skin as well as prevent flaring of the symptoms. Doctors often suggest a plan of treatment on the basis of the age of the patient, symptoms, and the present state of health. You can opt to take warm baths on a regular basis and apply moisturiser within three minutes. You will have to avoid harsh soaps and instead use the mild soap or non-soap cleansers while washing. It is important to keep your fingernails short so that you don t scratch the affected area which would further aggravate it.
If you are unable to keep eczema under control with all these preventive tips, then it would be best to consult a dermatologist for curing it.

How can you prevent an eczema outbreak?

It is very common for this skin condition to flare-up from time to time. But you can avoid such outbreaks or reduce their severity by following these very simple ways:

Sudden changes in temperature can cause the skin condition to break out. So, when the weather is hot, keep yourself cool but during cold weather, use a humidifier to prevent the skin from drying out.
Keep sweating in check as it can cause an outbreak very easily
Keep your skin well-moisturized so that it doesn't dry out causing further irritation.
Avoid the use of harsh detergents and soaps, woolen materials as well as the consumption of foods that may lead to flare-ups. 

Eczema - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

6 Causes of hair loss you didn t know about and how you can combat this problem

In order to have healthy volume of hair on your head, the rate of hair loss and replacement should be in tandem. With age, your hair growth cycle shows signs of slowing down and factors like age, disease, and hormonal changes among others affect the pace at which an individual hair follicle moves through the 3 phases of the hair cycle. A disruption in your hair cycle can give rise to loss of hair that s rapid and unexpected. Hair loss or alopecia can affect both men and women. 
So what can cause your hair to fall at an alarming rate?

The reasons behind hair loss could be many, but here are 6 major ones: 
1. Lack of protein in your diet
When you exclude protein from your diet, your body starts to conserve the protein that it has by altering the growth cycle of your hair. In such cases, your hair enters into the resting stage, resulting in zero hair growth. 
In India, 9 out of 10 people are said to suffer from low amounts of protein in their diet, with 91% vegetarians reporting protein deficiency.

2. Iron deficiency 
Iron plays a very important role in the transportation of oxygen to the different organs of the body. Lack of iron in your diet (which is the principle reason behind anaemia) can give rise to several health problems including hair loss. Your body attempts to direct oxygen to important organs so as to support their functioning. As a result, your scalp witnesses a low supply of oxygen, which causes hair loss. 


3. Vitamin D-3 deficiency
Deficiency of vitamin D-3 gives rise to a type of hair loss called Telogen Effluvium (TE). This is a temporary hair thinning phenomenon that takes place when the all the hair on your scalp enter the resting phase at the same time, subsequently causing you to shed a large amount of hair later on. 

4. Smoking 
Smoking can also affect the health of your hair, especially the rate at which it falls and the number of strands lost in a day. A research carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health has revealed that smoking can cause a rise in a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
An increase in DHT level prevents new hair cells from growing and causes hair follicles to reduce in size with each hair cycle. As a result, the area on your scalp that gets affected by DHT experiences a lack of hair growth.  

5. Use of testosterone supplements in gym
Intake of testosterone in the form of supplements and injections to build muscle mass can trigger hair loss in men. This takes place when the testosterone in these supplements gets changed into DHT, thereby affecting your hair loss rate and amount. 

6. Past illnesses (dengue, TB and typhoid)
Falling of hair can also be brought on by illnesses such as typhoid, TB and dengue as the hair growth cycle comes to a stop. Hormonal or metabolic stress that is experienced during the course of such diseases may cause hairfall. 

What are the treatments available to cure hair loss?

1. Hair transplant
Hair transplant is a minimally invasive surgical technique that transfers hair follicles taken from other parts of your body to the balding area. Known by the name of Follicular Unit Transplantation, this hair loss treatment can help to bring back the natural appearance of a fuller head of hair. Hair follicles are harvested using two procedures- follicular unit extraction and strip harvesting. Procedure can vary from 4-8 hours or more depending on the case. 

2. Platelet- Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet- Rich Plasma (PRP) is another treatment alternative that can reverse hair loss. It s a simple non-surgical procedure that lasts about 60-90 minutes. In this form of hair treatment, the patient s own blood cells, more specifically blood platelets are injected into the scalp. Usually 8 sittings are required with each sitting being 2 weeks apart for better results.

3. Low Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT)
This form of hair therapy utilises light energy of a specific wavelength and threshold to stimulate cellular activity, thereby promoting hair growth. Various controlled clinical tests have revealed its effectiveness in encouraging hair growth in both the genders.  




 6 Shocking Causes of Hair Loss + How To Combat this Problem

Vitiligo is a type of skin disorder. It is an autoimmune disease in which the melanin cell stops functioning or starts dying, and forms blotches on the skin. It can affect any part of the skin. It may also affect the inside of the mouth and hair.

There are many treatments available to restore the pigmentation of the skin. However, one of the most trusted and reliable treatments is described in Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, there are tons of ways available in the house. By using these remedies, one can easily and adequately treat Vitiligo without any side effects. In Ayurveda, Mustard oil is one of the most significant remedies. Mustard oil is very beneficial to heal this type of skin disease.

Know More About Mustard Oil:

Mustard oil is extracted from the mustard seed by the process of steam distillation. The connotations of this oil may vary depending upon the part of the world the mustard seed is coming from. In some countries, mustard oil is only used for massage purposes. However, in many countries, it is considered edible. In both cases, mustard oil has millions of medicinal values and health benefits.  

Nutritional Value of Mustard Oil:

Mustard oil is packed with all the nutrients of the mustard seed. In 1 litre of mustard oil, there are 844 calories. Mustard oil has a total fat content of 100 grams which includes 21 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, and 59 grams monounsaturated fat. It has zero content of sodium, carbohydrates, and protein. It also contains some important fatty acids such as  linoleic, oleic, and erucic acid along with some important substance called Allyl isothiocyanate, that has several health benefits.

Benefits of Mustard Oil:

There are many health and medicinal benefits of mustard oil. Some of them are:

Mustard essential oil improves blood circulation.

Mustard oil helps in digestion by keeping the digestive system intact.

Mustard oil boosts appetite and makes a person feel full.

Mustard essential oils fight bacterial infections.

Mustard essential oils prevent fungal infections.

Mustard oil repels insects.

Mustard oil is good for hair.

It is also beneficial for many orthopaedic problems like arthritis, lumbar pain, cervical pain, vertigo, etc.

Mustard is also used for the treatment of Vitiligo.

How Is Mustard Oil Used To Treat Vitiligo?

Mustard oil is one of the most popular home remedies used to heal Vitiligo. It helps in producing intense melanoid pigments and one can observe pigment initiation within 10 days. Regular use of mustard oil in food, massaging, or in the form paste will help to treat this skin disorder.

According to a recent study, mustard or mustard oil has enormous therapeutic potential for treating Vitiligo. Paste of mustard oil and turmeric will help intensify the pigments of the skin.  

Take Away:

There are many home remedies available used to cure Vitiligo and mustard oil is one such ingredient. It is the most popular and scientifically proven method for the treatment of Vitiligo. However, it is best to consult a dermatologist or physician before opting for any of these remedies. Everyone s skin and internal function is different and hence it is better to always go for the options which are prescribed for better and safe result.

How Is Mustard Oil Beneficial In Vitiligo Treatment?

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