Dr. Atul Wadhwa

Skin care and beauty products are a multibillion dollar industry which has been known to use unscrupulous methods to ensure the success of their products. Not all of them are fraudulent as some specialist creams are known to be effective. The majority however is mostly a mixture of marketing gimmicks and very run of the mill ingredients which don't really do anything. Let's look at a few reasons why most anti wrinkle creams don't work.

1. Creams bought over the counter, barring non prescription ones, are mostly just moisturizers - When you buy a new wonder cream which is supposed to be beneficial for your skin and reduce wrinkles, all it may be doing is actually just moisturizing the skin. This results in smoother looking skin although the wrinkles are still there. This with the combination of the placebo effect makes you think it may actually be working to reduce your wrinkles.
2. The use of marketing to make a product appear what it isn't - Anti-wrinkle cream manufacturers use clever ploys to market their product and make it appear as a magic solution when it isn't. Digitally enhanced photographs and the use of models that are gifted with exceptionally good skin may lure you into buying their product when it may not be effective for you at all.
3. Lack of real ingredients - These creams lack the real ingredients for it to be effective anti wrinkle agents. Retinol is a regulated drug which is used in many high end creams and is known as the anti wrinkle drug. However, cheaper creams may not have any of this chemical and thus all the claims are complete hoaxes.
4. Making expectations too high - The human body is meant to change throughout the years, but due to excessive and hyped marketing, many are led to believe anti wrinkle creams will work wonders on them. However, even the best cream can only do so much and thus it is important for you to have realistic expectations of any product.
5. Wrinkle prevention is always easier than removing them - Leading a healthy lifestyle where you keep your body hydrated, and follow a proper diet and exercise well will do wonders for your skin. Keep your skin hydrated with light moisturizers as well and it will prevent more wrinkles from showing up. However, existing wrinkles will not go away completely but will remain minimized if you have a healthy lifestyle.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Blemish free skin, which is supple and radiant is everyone’s dream, however, there are certain lifestyle habits which can take a toll on your skin and affect it adversely.

Here are a few lifestyle habits which affect your skin:

1. Smoking can speed up the process of aging: Smoking can affect your skin adversely as it strips your skin of essential nutrients and oxidants. This leads to degradation of the basic units of the skin- collagen and elastin. The affected units also lead to uneven skin, appearance of fine lines and sagging. A study has also proven that smoking causes acne as the pores in your skin get blocked.

2. Stress: Stress has the power to cause major hormonal imbalances inside your body, which can affect your skin. Stress affects the skin’s barrier function which reduces its ability to absorb and retain moisture. Dehydrated skin looks dry and patchy and becomes flaky over time, leading to acne.

3. Not applying sunscreen: Your job might require you to stay outdoors for long, which exposes your skin to the harmful UV-A and UV-B rays of the sun and dust particles. In such conditions, using sunscreens with SPF (Sun protection factor) 30 or above is a necessity as otherwise, the rays can penetrate into your skin, weaken the collagen cells and lead to pigmentation and tanning in the long run.

4. Sleep: Sleeping for less than 6 hours at night can make you feel sleepy and tired the next day. Your skin also deals with the lack of rest which is why the radiance is lost and can lead to problems such as under eye bags, dark circles and saggy skin.

5. Poor nutrition: Poor nutrition which lacks in essential vitamins and minerals can cause serious problems in the skin. Including foods which are rich in vitamin C such as fruits lime, oranges and tomatoes and fatty fishes such as tuna, mackerel and salmons can help you retain radiant skin. Adding colourful fruits and vegetables to your diet will help you detoxify your skin and get acne free and supple skin. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dermatologist.

Surgery using a laparoscope is the most common way to remove the gallbladder. A laparoscope is a thin, lighted tube that lets the doctor see inside our belly. It is a minimally invasive surgery in which small incisions and specialized tools are used to remove a diseased or infected gallbladder.

The gallbladder is a small organ that sits right under the liver and is credited with bile storage, which can help the body in breaking down various kinds of fats that enter it. So, what all do you need to know about this operation? Read this list.

Reasons for Gallbladder Operation: The gallbladder is not a very efficient organ. It can lead to blockages and choking as the bile it stores can become very thick and difficult to handle. Also, this bile can harbour deposits that are hard ball like substances, usually known as gallbladder stones. The size of these stones can vary from the size of a grain to the size of a golf ball. 

Further, these gallbladder stones can cause infections, which can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating and more. Another reason can also be the gallbladder disease known as chloelithiasis, which can cause abdominal pain. Inflammation in the pancreas, also known as pancreatitis, can lead to gallbladder open removal surgery.

Risk: While the gallbladder removal surgery is usually considered a safe one, with little or no complications, there are risks attached to this surgery too. These include sudden and excessive bleeding and the creation of blood clots, allergic reactions to the drugs used as well as anaesthesia, blood vessel damage, accelerated heart rate which leads to an increased risk of contracting a heart attack or heart disease, infections, inflammation or swelling in the pancreas, and injuries caused to the bile duct during surgery.

You might also need this type of surgery if you have the following:

1. biliary dyskinesia, which occurs when the gallbladder doesn't fill or empty correctly due to a defect
2. choledocholithiasis, which occurs when gallstones move to the bile duct and potentially cause a blockage that prevents the gallbladder from draining
3. cholecystitis, which is an inflammation of the gallbladder
4. pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas

Laparoscopic surgery is preferred over open cholecystectomy surgery because the smaller incisions that are made reduce your risk of infection, bleeding, and recovery time.

Preparation: To prepare for your gallbladder removal surgery, the doctor may ask you to have a prescription fluid so that your bowels are flushed clean. You may also be asked to fast for at least six hours before the surgery so that there is no hindrance to the same. Also, the use of an antibacterial soap to bathe is usually prescribed so that the risk of contracting infections decreases.

While this surgery can be a simple one, you will have to take due care after the surgery to ensure that the recovery is fast and virtually pain free