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

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?

Dandruff is not a major health concern but it can affect your self-confidence and self-image. This condition is most often the result of a dry scalp or type of dermatitis. It could also be caused by a yeast infection or eczema. Common forms of treatment for dandruff include medicated shampoos that fight the fungus or slow down the ageing of skin cells on the scalp. Some ways of treating excessive dandruff are:

Neem- Neem is renowned for its anti-fungal properties that help in the treatment of dandruff. It is also well known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Neem can be used on its own by applying a paste of boiled neem leaves on your scalp or used as a hair mask made of dried and crushed neem leaves and olive oil. Your scalp may itch a little on the application of this paste but this is temporary.

Coconut and Honey Scrub- Coconut helps preserve proteins in the hair and lessens dandruff. Honey is also used to treat dandruff as it has well known anti-microbial properties. To benefit from this, apply and massage a mixture of 2 teaspoons of honey or coconut oil and 3 teaspoons of yogurt to your scalp for about 10 minutes before washing your hair. Wait for about half an hour before rinsing it out. Dry with a towel and massage a few drops of coconut oil into the scalp. However, do not rinse your hair more than twice with shampoo while washing off the paste as it can strip your hair of its moisture.

Banana and Apple Cider Vinegar- Bananas are a good source of vitamin B that helps improve circulation and keeps skin healthy. Apple cider is also a known fungicide that helps treat dandruff. If you suffer from acute dandruff, massage a paste of 1 whole banana and 2 cups of apple cider vinegar into your scalp and leave for 20 minutes on a daily basis for a week. Once dandruff reduces, you can apply the paste once a week.

Yogurt- Yogurt is rich in healthy bacteria that helps reduce yeast in the body and prevents the scaling of dead skin cells. To use yogurt as a form of treatment for dandruff, apply a cup of fresh yogurt to the scalp and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing off. You could also add two spoons of freshly ground pepper to the yogurt as pepper also has antifungal properties.  

How To Deal With Excessive Dandruff?

Hives or urticaria is an outbreak of reddish swollen bumps around the skin surface, formed mainly due to the body s response to particular allergens. Generally, the infectious bumps are of varied shapes and sizes and last for about 5-6 weeks. Although not a serious medical condition, hives can cause tremendous discomfort to the concerned person and affect his/her daily activities. Hives can be cured with a prescribed dosage of antihistamines or oral corticosteroids.

Causes of hives

Although the exact reason behind their formation is still unknown, researchers suggest that this disorder occurs as a response to involuntary histamine release by the skin blood vessels (that in turn, causes a leakage of blood plasma). Some other factors that can be responsible are:

Hives can occur due to insect or parasite bites.
Hives can also result as a side effect of painkillers such as codeine and other anti- inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or ACE inhibitors.
Excessive exposure to sunlight or high levels of stress (leading to high cortisol levels in the body) can also result in hives.
Intense scratching around the same spot can also result to hive formation.
Excessive alcohol intake can render you even more vulnerable to this disease.
Excessive intake of foods such as eggs, fish, nuts, chocolate and berries might also cause hives. Additionally, excessive consumption of certain food preservatives can also trigger the release of histamine.
Suffering from serious underlying medical conditions such as cancer, hepatitis or thyroid disorders can make you prone to chronic cases of hives (which might last for more than 6 weeks).
Symptoms of hives 
The symptoms of hives include, but are not limited to:

Appearances of several reddish welts around the face or arms which might cause a severe itchy sensation.
Painful and abnormal swelling around the mouth
You might also feel tightness in your chest along with recurring bouts of dizziness.
If not treated promptly after diagnosis, hives might result in life-threatening allergic reactions, such as Anaphylaxis (narrowing down of the bronchial tubes, thus causing significant breathing trouble) and auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

7 Things that Can Cause Hives

6 ways to minimize visible pores on your skin

Pores are openings in the skin through which your body's natural oil, called sebum, is released. They appear larger when they are clogged with dirt or oil, and are home to hair follicles. Dead skin cells and sebum which, put together, form a pimple can stretch out pores. Aging and exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun also contribute to the appearance of pores on your skin. Pores can be controlled with the right skin care. 

Here's how:
1. Choose your skin care products wisely 
Zinc and magnesium help to maintain your skin's oil balance and clear pores. Products with softening ingredients like rosemary and lavender may soothe your skin and prevent pores from stretching out. You should use products with salicylic acid as an ingredient since it unclogs pores, exfoliating your skin. 

2. Maintain cleanliness
Washing your face temporarily stops your pores from holding extra oil or dirt. Exfoliating two to three times a week can also control the cropping up of pores on your skin. However, these are temporary methods because you will have large pores naturally if your skin is oily.

3. Applying sunscreen
Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun for too long can make your pores look bigger. Applying sunscreen on the face and on exposed areas of your skin with SPF 30 can minimize your pores. Also, wear a broad-brimmed hat and withdraw stepping out in the sun between 10 A. M. To 4 P. M.

4. Treating the spot
Oily skin tends to have larger and more noticeable pores. Some areas of your face may be oilier making the pores visible. A clay mask can be used for spot treating if the pores on your nose, cheeks or forehead are large. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your skin and rinse it off with water after a few minutes. The clay extracts the extra oil out of your clogged pores so that the skin looks sleek. Using blotting paper on your oily areas can also be effective. 

5. Maintain a proper diet
Avoid food that is oily and high in fat because unhealthy oil can agitate the skin leading to clogged pores. You should eat low-fat foods like fruits and vegetables instead of munching on chips, cookies and candies. 

6. Remove makeup before going to bed
One of the biggest blunders that you can do is to leave your makeup on and go to bed. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores, stretching them out over time. Even if you forget to wash off your makeup at the sink due to some reasons, make sure that you at least remove it with face wipes. 





6 Ways to Minimize Visible Pores on Your Skin

Lymphedema is a condition that typically affects the arms and legs. The most common cause of this condition is damage to the lymph nodes or their removal as part of a cancer treatment program. There is no known cure for this condition. However, surgeries such as Vascularized lymph node transfer surgery may help deal with it better.

Vascularized lymph node transfer surgery involves replacing the affected lymph nodes with healthy lymph nodes from other parts of the body. This allows blood to flow more easily and restores or augments the lymphatic drainage system. In most cases, the healthy lymph nodes are harvested from the patient s groin. This procedure is relatively new, and its limits are still being explored by doctors. In cases of breast cancer that causes lymphedema in the upper limbs, this procedure may be performed along with breast reconstruction.

To be a viable candidate for this procedure the patient must have maximized control over lymphedema through other forms of lymphedema therapy. This therapy will need to be restarted after the surgery to ensure good results. The lymphedema diagnosis should also be less than 5 years old such that the patient s lymphedema is in its early stages.

As with any other surgical procedure, there are certain risks associated with this procedure. These can include

Reaction to anesthesia
Bleeding
Infection
Scarring at the site and poor healing
Damage to adjacent blood vessels
Nerve damage that can cause a temporary loss of sensation
Muscle weakness
Numbness ta the sites from where healthy lymph nodes were harvested
Risk of Lymphedema in the area where the lymph nodes were harvested from
After the surgery, the patient will need to keep pressure off the site where the lymph nodes have been transferred. The surgery site may be bandaged but compression garments will not need to be worn. On being discharged the patient may resume normal activities such as driving and work. High-intensity exercises that involve the use of the operated limb should be avoided for at least a month after the surgery. Compression garments should not be used until recommended by the doctor or a minimum of 2 weeks post-surgery. They will also need to schedule review consultations with the doctor. The schedule followed usually involves check-ups after 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year. 

Lymphedema - Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer Surgery!

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