Dr. Rahul Balmiki

When skin is infected by a fungus, the resultant infection is called tinea corporis (ringworm). It is most common in athletes and children. The infection may appear on the scalp, beards, groin, in between the toes and other places.

Causes:

Tinea corporis can be caused by:
1. Skin contact
2. It is contagious, so if you use towels, bed linens and clothes of an infected person, you will get infected too.
3. Touching a pet infected by tinea corporis.

Signs and Symptoms
1. The rash starts as a scant area of red, bumpy pimples and spots. Then the rash forms a ring, with raised, red borders and a clear middle. The border might look scaly.
2. The rash may show up on face, legs, arms or other body areas which are exposed.
3. The area feels itchy. It might also be flaky and dry. You might even experience hair loss in the infected area.

Diagnosis
The skin in the area will be gently scraped off and the sample will be collected. Then, the sample will be viewed under a microscope. That will help discerning, which type of fungus is causing the infection.

Treatment

The following treatment regime must be followed:

1. The skin must be kept dry and clean.
2. Fungal creams are best. Creams that contain miconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole or oxiconazole are excellent for fungal infections.
3. Only apply the cream on clean skin. You can use it twice in a day. Bandaging the infected area is not recommended.
4. To prevent the infection from spreading, wash your towels in warm water and use clean towels every time you bathe. Also, clean the bathroom and wear freshly washed clothes.
5. If pets are infected, treat them as well.

The infection usually goes away under 4 weeks. The infection may branch out to the nails, groin, scalp and feet. Self-care is effective, but if symptoms persist, then do consult a specialist. Ringworms have certain complications, such as scratching the skin too much causes skin infections and other skin disorders, which may need further treatment.

Periods, on their own, can be very uncomfortable but sometimes it can also trigger a rash making it all the more uncomfortable. This is a common problem faced by women who use commercial pads or sanitary napkins during this period. This is because they contain plastics, scents and chemicals that can irritate the sensitive skin in your genital area.

Here are a few tips to help you deal with these rashes:

1. Change Your Pads Regularly: Whether your flow is light or heavy, the same pad should not be worn for more than 4 to 6 hours. Change your pads even if your pad does not look full once this time has passed. Along with menstrual blood, sanitary napkins also soak up sweat and bacteria. The groin area is naturally moist and warmer than the rest of your body making it the ideal condition for bacteria to grow. Changing your pad regularly keeps these bacteria from multiplying.

2. Consider Alternatives: One of the main reasons pads cause rashes is because they rub against the skin and this friction irritates the skin. Hence, consider alternatives like tampons and menstrual cups that do not rub against the skin. You could also try cloth pads made using natural unbleached cotton.

3. Wear Right Underwear: Avoid synthetic underwear and use the only cotton while you are on your periods. This allows the skin to breathe and keeps moisture from building up inside the underwear. Also, ensure that your underwear fits well and can hold your pad in place.

4. Clean Well: Do not use wipes or tissue to clean your genital area but instead wash gently with water a few times a day. Once washed, dry the skin thoroughly before putting your underwear on. Do not use any type of soap, body wash or scents in the area. Also, avoid bubble baths and saunas.

5. See a Doctor: In some cases, a rash can also be a symptom of herpes or a vaginal yeast infection. If you alternate between pads and tampons, a rash could also be a sign of toxic shock syndrome. Hence, if the rash persists for a few days, consult a doctor. Your doctor can prescribe a topical cream to be used to relieve the itchiness and inflammation depending on the rash. You could also use an anti-chafing cream on your bikini line. Diaper rash cream is an over the counter cream that usually works well in such cases.

Botox is a wrinkle treatment, but is used for treating a range of medical conditions. It has been in use for well over 18 years and is considered to be safe when performed under the guidance of a medical practitioner. Apart from aesthetics, a range of other facial, migraine and dermatological problems can be addressed by Botox.

Myth #1

Botox limits facial expression: The primary objective of a Botox treatment is to enhance the look of a person and not the contrary. When administered by a skilled physician, you can still smile and animate like before. Botox in no way affects the sensory nerve. The muscle beneath the point of injection gets relaxed and remains active. The apprehension of limited facial activity is baseless.

Myth #2

Botox travel through your body: This again is a myth. Botox diffuses not more than 1cm into the skin. Due to its localized nature, it does not affect any other parts of the body other than the intended area.

Myth #3

Botox has toxic content: Botox, like any other drug, is safe when taken under supervision. Like other drugs, it too gets scanned by the drug regulatory authorities. It is neither dangerous nor contains any toxic substance.

Myth #4

Dermal fillers involve intense pain: Dermal fillers are not as painful as advocated by many people out there. It does have its fair share of discomfort but a medical practitioner always uses a topical anesthetic and other anxiety related medications during the treatment.

Myth #5

Downtime for Botox is fairly long: Botox is known as the afternoon injection for its convenience and easy procedure. Botox procedure has no downtime at all. Doctors often suggest against lying down for a good 2-3 hours after the injection. Dermal fillers might result in minor swelling but there are medicines to counter that too.

Myth #6

Botox is permanent in nature: Botox effects lasts for 4-6months. For people who take Botox shots regularly, it tends to last longer. 

Myth #7

Dermal fillers and Botox are the same: While people these days use them interchangeably, they are not the same. For instance, Botox lessens the effect of wrinkles by relaxing the facial muscle whereas dermal fillers add volume to the tissue and restores the muscle.

Myth #8

Botox is applied only when Facial lines are visible: This is not necessarily true. If the family of an individual has a history of facial lines, it makes sense to start Botox for facial line prevention. This delays the actual facial line appearance and requires fewer Botox shots going forward.

A receding hairline and premature hair loss is a major cause of concern for most people. The affected person suffers a major loss to his appearance, self-esteem and confidence level. With one of the biggest causes for hair loss being the increased stress levels across all genders and age groups, premature hair loss is seen more and more in younger ages, as early as the late 20s.

That being the case, hair transplant, which comes as a rescue to the affected people is gaining significant popularity. There are two main techniques of hair transplantation and both involve replacing the lost hair follicles from one part of the body to another part.

While the scalp is the most commonly used donor site, the chest and back also can be used as donor sites if there is adequate hair growth. In the recent years, advanced techniques are in place that yield more natural results, are less invasive, and enable a quicker recovery.

Read on to know some of the common benefits of hair transplantation.

1. Natural process: When compared to the wigs that were used earlier to mask the bald pate, the hair transplant is a more natural way to replace lost hair. It is healthier, has no chemicals, and does not have any harmful or allergic reactions.

2. Improved esthetics: The person’s own hair is transplanted and so the new hair growth that covers the bald pate resembles the rest of the hair, producing quite a natural appearance. Of course, there is the initial stage where the donor site requires some healing before the transplanted follicles are completely absorbed and begin to yield results. Also, this is far better than the wigs that give away the fact that the person has had hair loss and is using artificial hair.

3. Relatively permanent solution: Hair transplant is more or less a permanent solution to hair loss and receding hair loss. There are very few people who have had transplants and have again experienced baldness. Though the newly growing hair might be thinner, it is not that obvious for the others as it is for you. It is more often than not a permanent solution to the bald spots that you once experienced.

4. Psychological effects: Restoring lost hair improves confidence and self-esteem and improves self-worth too. The personality of a person changes drastically, and anybody who has gone through hair loss and had successful transplant surgery can vouch for it.

5. Low maintenance: There is actually no ongoing maintenance that is required after the hair transplant. Routine hair care suffices, making it easy for the person without multiple follow-up visits.

Go ahead with hair transplant, if you have a receding hairline. You will see the benefits for yourself.

Skin complexion varies and is caused by the skin pigmentation known as ‘melanin’, produced by cells called melanocytes, which gives skin the colour. The more amount of melanin, the darker the complexion. Melanin has a protective effect against sun exposure, as it reduces damage caused by the sun on the skin. It is proven that people with a darker complexion (with more melanin) are less prone to damage from sun exposure.

What are they? Freckles are cells that contain more amount of melanin compared to the surrounding areas. It is a common sight where some people have small, tiny black/brown spots on their faces. These spots may also be present on the hands, elbows, neck, back, etc., but are most obvious in the face. These are known as freckles.

Causes: Freckles are very common, and they are triggered by exposure to sunlight. The melanocytes absorb the sun and produce more melanin, thereby causing freckles. They are a natural reaction of the skin to the sun.

• It runs in families, and children are likely to have freckles if the parents had them.

• It also depends on complexion – fair people are more prone to have freckles than dark people.

• Tanning, whether done by the sun or in a salon, also increases the chances of having freckles.

• In some people, the freckles appear in the summer and disappear in the winter.

• While some precancerous lesions may start off as tiny brown spots and be mistaken for freckles, freckles per se are not cancerous.

Management: While there are stories that freckles are angel kisses, they are not true. Freckles do not bring any good luck charm and can be prevented and avoided to improve overall skin and esthetic appeal.

Prevention is the first option, and if you are genetically disposed to have freckles, it is best to take measures that can reduce freckles. Avoiding or reducing sun exposure and using good sun protection can help in reducing the number of freckles and the darkness of the freckles.

Freckles can be treated by one of the following:

1. Topical Creams- Though widely used, these contain bleaching agents which act on the entire skin and not just the freckles. Retin-A is one of the widely used products.

2. Laser- Considered the best method for freckle removal, a beam of the laser is used to get rid of the unwanted melanocytes which produce melanin. This not only reduces freckles, it also improves skin tone and colour.

3. Cryotherapy- Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the melanin-producing cells, thereby removing freckles.

If you have freckles, try these measures for getting rid of them. Once that is done, preventing freckle formation with limiting sun exposure and sun protection is extremely essential.