Dr. Sangeeta Varma

The skin is known as the largest organ in the human body. It covers us from top to toe and has three layers: the epidermis which is the outer most layer, the dermis which lies just beneath it, and the hypodermis which holds the fat and connective tissue. The skin requires constant care and protection because it is exposed to the ravages of pollution, dust and harmful UV rays.

Let us consider the following reasons for taking care of the skin:

* Free Radicals: The particles or molecules that escape from dust, pollution and other such factors in everyday urban living, settle on the skin and clog the pores. It is important to clean the skin every single day and exfoliate at least once a week with a trip to the salon or with a facial scrub at home, so that these can be removed.

* Dead Cells: The skin throws up dead cells on a daily basis which may not be obvious to the naked eye. These need to be cleared daily as they can also clog the pores and give rise to acne, skin infection and other skin conditions that can take a turn for the worse with ailments like Melanoma and skin cancer.

* Elasticity: One must keep the skin clean and use anti aging products in a timely manner along with a good moisturiser and sun screen, so that the supple quality and glow is kept intact with a regular cleanse of the collagen which can be prevented from slipping away due to neglect. This collagen keeps the elasticity of the skin which makes the skin look firm and young.

* Prevention: One must clean the skin and use skin care products that prevent premature aging and accumulation of free radicals. Prevention is better than cure and this stands true in the case of skin care as well. 

* UV Rays: The powerful UV rays can hit your skin persistently and cause long term damage and sun spots. In order to lessen the damaging effect, it is important to use protective skin care products that will help in keeping freckles, age spots, brown spots, skin peeling and excessive sun burn and tanning at bay. 

* Skin Problems and Allergies: Bug bites, injuries and other allergies must be taken care of instantly with a visit to the doctor or medicated creams and medication. This will ensure that the delicate texture of the skin does not get marred by possible infection.

It is important to look after your skin with a proper routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising.

Women can find unwanted hair growth very embarrassing. This is especially true if she sports hair growth on her face. Excessive hair growth on a woman is also known as hirsutism. This differs from the usual fine 'peach fuzz' that covers the rest of the body. Such hair can be characterized as dark and coarse.

Hirsutism has a number of causes. Some of the most common reasons for this condition are:

- Genes
Hirsutism often runs in families. Thus if your mother or grandmother suffered from this skin condition, chances are that you may suffer from the same. This is most commonly seen in people from the Mediterranean region and south East Asia.

- Hormones

Hirsutism is also linked to an abnormally high level of male hormones like androgens in the body. This is usually seen in cases where women suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushings syndrome or tumors in the adrenal gland.

- Medication
A shift in hormone levels is also a common side effect of many types of medication. This is typically seen in drugs that include hormones such as anabolic steroids, drugs that spur hair growth and drugs that help with endometriosis. 

Facial hirsutism can be treated in a number of ways. Some of the ways to remove excess hair are:

- Shaving
This is an easy and quick way to remove unwanted skin. however, it may irritate the skin and with every shave, the hair growth may get coarser.

- Bleaching
This is a temporary solution for Hirsutism but may irritate the skin and does not suit dark skinned women.

- Waxing
When done regularly, waxing can reduce the amount of hair growth. However, this is a painful technique and can cause skin inflammation.

- Laser hair treatment
Compared to the above forms of hair removal, laser treatment can remove hair for the longest period of time. However, this is not a permanent solution and can have side effects like the lightening or darkening of skin.

- Electrolysis
This is permanent solution to hirsutism. It can require several sittings and may also lead to scarring or changes in skin colour.

- Medication
Prescription drugs can also change the way hair grows on the body. However, if you stop using this medication the hair growth with go back to its original form. Birth control pills and anti androgen blockers are the most common form of prescription drugs used to treat hirsutism.

Everyone wants to have a bright and radiating skin. But blemishes and skin abnormalities are common and can occur due to lifestyle, diet or hormonal imbalances. Moles and warts are typical skin issues. But how do you tell them apart?

Moles – What are they?

Hardly ever causing pain, they appear in many different colours and can be bumpy or flat. Most often of red, brown or black colour, they occur as a result of skin pigmentation called melanocytes. They can be caused due to direct exposure to sunlight or due to genetic factors as well. They can appear in any part of the body and form slowly, taking a long time to grow.

Warts – What are they?

Small bumps or rough growth on the skin that appear in hands, legs, fingers, soles of the feet, face or in the genital area manifest as warts. They are white or pale. They occur as a result of harmful virus infection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and hence, can be contagious. As opposed to moles, warts need to be removed quickly since a virus causes them.

How do you differentiate a mole from a wart?
Below are some common characteristics of each that can help you identify the skin problem:

Moles

• Either flat or elevated from the skin, they are commonly referred to as beauty marks or birth marks.
• At times, they have hair growing from them.
• Usually, they have one colour – mostly on the darker side.
• It cannot be transmitted between people.
• They are generated by a collection of pigment cells in the body and darken during hormonal changes.
• They tend to become cancerous and lead to melanoma.

Warts

• They are harmless, yet contagious.
• They have small black or dark dots in the centre that are tiny blood vessels, which provide them with nutrients.
• They grow outwards on the skin with a scaly or bumpy deposit.
• They can grow anywhere on the body, but are commonly found in feet, hands or fingers.

How to treat warts and moles?

The good news is that both warts and moles do not pose a grave risk to your health, but they are annoying and can turn dangerous in the long run. Especially with warts, you can give it to someone or acquire from someone, since it is a type of virus infection. So, seek medical assistance if you want them to be removed from your skin.

Be aware of the difference between warts and moles to know what you are dealing with.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells. The resulting substance varies from person to person and from facility to facility, making it difficult to understand how safe and effective any specific use is.

Hair Loss Male Pattern Balding or Androgenic Alopecia is a rising concern. Upto 40% of men lose 40% of their hair even before they reach 35 years of age. That’s staggering! But, fortunately, we now have the technology to counter it. Let us first understand the main types of hair loss. 

Hair loss is widely categorized into two types - Scarring and Non-Scarring 

Non-scarring hair loss is reversible and scarring hair loss isn’t. Each category has multiple causes that manifest in many different ways. And it’s very important to identify exactly what the underlying issue may be. A professional diagnosis is required by certified Dermato-Trichologists. Absolutely no treatment should be administered without a thorough understanding of an individual’s medical and genetic history. 

Depending on severity, there are three unique processes to treat hair loss. Early stages of Hair loss can be easily managed with a strong foundation of medical therapy. Appropriate oral & topical medicines are administered to reduce hair falland encourage hair thickening. This is the base of our process and depending on results, can be combined with other treatments. 

The next logical treatment to enhance regrowth is PRP or Plasma Rich Platelet Treatment. This is a highly successful, and not to mention, natural way to boost hair growth. Combined with medical therapy, PRP yeilds exceptional results. Finally, there is an option of hair transplants which ensures hair regrowth when there is more than 40-50% root loss or receding hairline.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma?

PRP is a novel non-surgical therapeutic option for patients who require stimulation of hair growth for hair loss conditions. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure concentrates the good cells from your own blood and injects them directly back into the area where it is needed. PRP involves using your own cells that are not modified or changed, and it will not be rejected by your immune system.

How does PRP work?

PRP contains special cells called Platelets, which release plenty of rich growth factors that can cause growth of the hair follicles by stimulating the stem cells and other cells in the microenvironment of the hair follicle and promote active growth phase. 

How is PRP performed? 

Blood is drawn as though you are having routine blood testing with utmost care. The blood is spun in a centrifuge machine and the PRP is separated and removed from the rest of the blood. We prepare high quality PRP by spinning down the blood cells to a high concentration with our unique well researched protocol. The PRP is then injected with very fine needled syringes into the balding areas with very minimal discomfort. The Procedure is a lunch time session, you can walk out of the session without any downtime. The sessions are performed every 1-3 months, 6-8 sessions based on requirement according to the individual case and maintenance sessions are planned accordingly. Results are noticeable in 2-6 months from starting the treatment. 

What is the cost involved?

PRP varies from clinic-to-clinic, patient-to-patient. The price is also largely dependent on the number of sitting required to strengthen the follicles. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dermatologist.

Botox can be used to relax specific facial muscles that cause facial wrinkles, be it forehead lines or frown lines or crows lines. The procedure takes hardly 10 minutes. You may notice an effect within 3-7 days and it may last from 4-6 months.

Dermal fillers are done to fill up the volume which depletes with our growing age. They rejuvenate our skin and makes us look younger. It can be done for nasolabial lines (laughing lines), for lips, cheeks, under eyes, chin, lower jaw etc. 

Do not let stress trigger hair fall and hair damage. Do yoga and meditation for effective results against stress.

We do not need moisturizer in this season but we can keep our skin hydrated in a natural way also by consuming these foods.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease which requires a lot of changes in lifestyle along with the daily medicines. Here are some recommendations for dietary changes for psoriasis patients.