Dr. Aniruddha Malpani

Trichotillomania is a condition that urges a person to pull out hair from eyebrow, scalp and other parts of the body. This can lead to bald spots and several other complications in the body. Compulsive hair-pulling often starts in the teenage years.

Trichotillomania coupled with depression can lead to social and work-related impairment in a person. Hair-pulling, therefore, is a serious condition that a person should get rid of. Here is a list of 10 ways to manage trichotillomania effectively:

1. A plan to stop trichotillomania: It is important to notice when the urge of pulling the hair starts. Once this is being identified, it is time to interrupt the chain of feelings and listen to positive reminders in the head. Keeping a journal to note down the timings of hair-pull can help to identify a pattern. The time chart can then be used to keep one engaged.
2. Eliminate stress: It has been found that stress plays a pivotal role in hair-pull. It is, therefore, wise to prepare a list of activities that can cause stress. Once the list is prepared, each activity can then be analyzed individually and tackle accordingly. Thus, hair-pulling can be avoided.
3. Muscle relaxation: This is another method to release stress and refrain from trichotillomania. All it requires is to tighten the muscle for 5 seconds and then make the muscles loose. It reduces muscle tension and relaxes the body.
4. Think positive: Negative thinking is certainly one reason for hair-pull. Refraining from the fear of failure, negative thinking, too-much critical thinking etc. can help a person stay away from tension and eschew the habit of hair-pull every now and then.
5. Try Exercise: Various studies have shown that regular exercise regimen can go a long way in cutting down the tendency to pull hair. With exercise, the body produces an increased number of endorphins. The latter is believed to be the hormone that results in positive thinking.
6. Get sleep: Getting enough sleep is another crucial step towards eliminating Trichotillomania. Eight hours of sleep is crucial for the body to function properly. It fuels the body with enough energy and positive thought to sail through the day without having the urge to pull-hair.
7. Talk it out: It has been found that talking it out can help a great deal to reduce the tendency of hair-pull. It makes sense to talk to close friends, family, and relatives about the apprehension and other negative news that may be bothering an individual.
8. Consult a health professional: A doctor is the best bet when the disorder has been persistent for a long time. He can give sound counsel on the ways to cope up with the disorder and chart out a plan to get permanent relief from the condition.
9. Medication: If a doctor feels that the condition has surpassed the state of habits and lifestyle changes, he might prescribe drugs to reduce the symptoms and get relief from depression, anxiety, fluctuating emotions resulting in less pulling of hair. Some of the common medicines that are prescribed by medical professionals include Olanzapine, Fluoxetine, and Aripiprazole.
10. Find a support group: For those who are not willing to take a bet on doctors and medications, one best way to eliminate this condition is to join a self-help group. They act as a learning center and can greatly help to cut down the habit of hair-pulling.

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

Always apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. Use a clean and sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows.

Are you aware of the different consequences that may occur if you have multiple sexual partners? The more sexual partners you have, the risks of you getting an STI or sexually transmitted infection are enhanced. These infections are hard to treat, especially in patients with HIV. Until the infection is treated, your viral load may get pushed up. This makes it more likely that many people pass on the HIV virus by having unprotected sex.

What are the circumstances?

If you have sex with several partners, and one of them is infected with an STI, the virus is capable of being passed between you and all your partners. Many people end up having sex with each other without asking about STIs. This is risky as you can never tell if a person is infected by looking at them or having sex with them. If you are in a relationship with a mutual agreement of having sex outside the relationship, you need to be open and honest regarding any risk that you might have taken is a necessary part of looking after the sexual health of each other.

Things to Keep in Mind:

1. People have multiple sexual partners because of various reasons. These may include the thrill of having sex, the need to be desired, and also because of drugs and alcohol use because of which inhibitions are reduced. However, drugs and alcohol are very harmful to your body, leaving a negative impact and weakening your immune system. Several drugs and excess alcohol consumption affect the way your immune system tackles STIs.

2. Alcohol and drugs also make it more likely for you to practice risky sex, and take decisions which are unusual and unlikely to you in a sober state. Clouded judgement makes you avoid condoms while having sex. This might make you have sex with a partner despite knowing that you have got HIV. When your judgement is clouded, you may even skip the part of telling your partner about the fact that you have HIV.

For minimising your risk, in spite of having multiple sexual partners, you must always carry condoms with you. You should also avoid having sex when under the influence of alcohol and drugs. These are effective steps you should take to protect yourself and your sexual partner or partners from getting affected by HIV. You can also join a support group or consult a counsellor for advice regarding your situation. Having multiple sexual partners can also result in psychological disturbances.

Did you know that adding spices to your diet can help you lose weight? Well, now you do!  We have been using spices for years and years to enhance the taste of our food but were unknown to this magical thing that they could do. Turns out these spices not only make our food tasty but also help a great deal in losing weight. Plus, these are all readily available in our kitchens. The various spices that aid in weight loss are:

1. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is useful in balancing our insulin levels. Cells respond to insulin more readily because of cinnamon, and hence this is how cinnamon aids in weight loss. Thus, our blood sugar levels get balanced too. Cinnamon can be sprinkled as a seasoning. It can be sprinkled over coffee, smoothies. Or this spice can also be used in cooking.

       2. Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that is used in almost every Indian recipe. A component in turmeric called curcumin is what helps in weight loss. It decreases fat accumulationand bulk of fat tissue thus helping in weight loss.

       3. Ginger

Ginger is also a spice that is used in various Indian recipes. It is used to enhance the flavour of tea and also in other dishes. This spice helps speed your metabolism up and thus it plays an important role in weight management.

      4. Mustard

Mustard seeds help in boosting the metabolism rate. It means that calories get burned more effectively. Mustard seeds can be used for cooking or this mustard spice can also be had in the form of sauce. Mustard sauce is readily available and can be eaten with a varietyof dishes.

     5. Garlic

Garlic is yet another ingredient that is used in various dishes to enhance their taste. Garlic contains a component called allicin which helps to fight the bad cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels.

     6. Cumin

Cumin is also very commonly used in Indian households. It is mostly used for tempering dishes. It can also be used in powdered form. Cumin is very useful in digestion and thus promotes healthy digestion.