Skin Care

ACNE

Acne or pimples is a common skin condition frequently seen in young individuals during
teenage and youth years. This occurs mainly due to the action of hormones on the oil glands
in the skin. The draining ducts of the oil glands get blocked and hence they are not able to
drain the oil secretion. The oil and cells inside the blocked gland form a perfect environment
for the growth of Propionibacterium acnes (the organism responsible for acne).

 Thus, it
results in the formation of pimples or acne
Although acne is a disorder associated with teenagers but it can occur at any age of life. Acne usually
appear on face, neck, back and chest due to the abundance of pilosebaceous units in these areas.

Causes:

One of the most important causes is the increase in the male hormones (androgens)
that occurs in boys as well as girls during puberty. These hormones cause an
increased production of sebum (oil) and hence result in acne.

  • Hormonal changes related to pregnancy or such changes caused by starting or stopping birth control pills can also cause acne.
  • Hormonal changes related to pregnancy or such changes caused by starting or stopping birth control pills can also cause acne.
  • Another factor is heredity or genetics; there is evidence to support the fact that the tendency to develop acne can be inherited from parents.
  • Apart from this certain drugs, including androgens and lithium, are also known to cause acne.
  • Greasy cosmetics may cause further plugging of the follicles in the skin and hence can precipitate the onset of acne.
  • Majority of people who develop acne are between the ages of 12 and 25. For most people, acne tends to go away by the time they reach their thirties; however, some people in their forties and fifties continue to have this skin problem.
  • Hormones: studies have shown that increase in level of the male hormone testosterone can cause acne. There is an upsurge of testosterone in adolescence both in males and females. Too much of testosterone cause excessive secretion of sebum which leads to blockage of pores.
  • During pregnancy and menopause changes in hormones leads to an imbalance in the levels of testosterone and can result in acne.
  • Many women complain of increase in acne with relation to menses, starting or stopping of oral contraceptives may also lead to acne in some.
  • Stress: stress plays a major role in development of various physical disorders. Emotional disturbance can often lead to improper secretion of hormones.
  • Environment: Pollution, humidity and other environmental factors can contribute but may not be causative of acne.

Symptoms:

Acne are usually present mostly on face, neck, chest and back due to abundance of
pilosebaceous units in these areas. Acne may be present in following forms:

  • Acne are usually present mostly on face, neck, chest and back due to abundance of pilosebaceous units in these areas. Acne may be present in following forms
  • Whiteheads and blackheads (Comedowns): White or black tiny bumps on the skin which are nothing but the enlarged and plugged hair follicles
  • Whiteheads: There is clogging of the skin pore with trapping of sebum inside but it is not exposed to the skin. These appear as small white dots on skin.
  • Blackheads: These are the exposed contents of the previously clogged skin pore. It appears as black dots due to the deposition of the skin pigment melanin.
  • Papules: Inflamed lesions that usually appear as small, pink bumps on the skin and can be tender to the touch
  • Pustules (pimples): Pus-filled lesions that may be red at the base
  • Nodules: Large, painful, solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin
  • Lesions that can cause scarring
  • Pimples: when inflammation sets up in the skin pore, it leads to pimples. These are red and raised eruptions and may contain pus.
  • In severe cases acne may lead to formation of cysts, scarring or deep pitting on face.

Commonly recognized types of acne:

  • Acne vulgaris
  • Acne rosacea
  • Acne conglobata
  • Acne cosmetica
  • Acne fulminans
  • Acne medicamentosa
  • Acne keloidalis nuchae

Homoeopathy treatment:

Acne or pimples is nothing but an expression of the disturbance in the inner hormonal balance and
this is expressed at the level of the skin. Hence it requires to be treated at the inner level rather than
treating it by local application of cream or antibiotics. Homeopathy offers excellent treatment in the
cases of acne, which is effective, harmless and without any side-effects. Homoeopathy not only
helps in clearing up the skin but it also prevents the tendency to develop acne recurrently.
Homoeopathy is strongly suggested for the treatment of acne even in the most obstinate cases. treatment such as special education, behavioral modification, social skills training and counseling can help in better and faster treatment of ADHD.

 

HAIR LOSS (ALOPECIA ARETA)

Alopecia areata is loss of hair in patches. Although it can affect any hair-bearing area of the body, the term mostly connotes patchy hair loss from the scalp. The condition,
though it is benign in most cases, can cause tremendous emotional and psychosocial
stress in affected patients

  • Alopecia can affect people of any age – from infancy right up to the 80s
  • It can affect any part of the body
  • This condition can progress very rapidly leading to complete loss of scalp hair in a span as short as 15 days or can limit itself to one small persistent patch throughout a person’s life
  • It has phases of remissions and relapses even whilst the patient is on medication, and in few rare cases it’s known to relapse even 20 years after the first episode

Here are some of the features that are characteristic of alopecia areata:

  • Hair falls out in small patches leaving bald spots about the size of a small coin
  • There may be single or multiple such patches
  • The bald spots may remain static or may spread to involve larger areas of the
    scalp
  • In certain cases, hair loss is more extensive
  • Uncommonly, it may progress to total loss of hair on the head (alopecia areata totalis) or complete loss of hair all over the body (alopecia areata universalis)K

Causes:

Causes of Hair loss in male :
Male hormone called androgen
Inherited from both sides of the family
Progressive miniaturization of individual hair follicles which become smaller and have shorter
growth cycles
Ringwormcause for Autism.

 

Causes of Hair loss in Females:
After acute/chronic Illness
Hormonal problems
An overactive or underactive thyroid problem
Fungal infection of the scalp
Medicines used for gout, high blood pressure or heart problems, vitamin A (if too much is taken),
birth control pills and antidepressants

Symptoms:

A very predominant problem that develops non-verbal communication skills such as gazing, facial expression and body posture. Patient may show difficulty in linking words to their meanings making it hard to come up with the correct words to express their feelings.

Homoeopathy treatment:

The individualized treatment is based on the study of patient’s patches, extent, cause, genetic pattern, emotional sphere, hormonal imbalance, and other factors which lead and maintain the disease. 
The total length of treatment varies form case to case, depending of the following
factors:

  • Duration of Alopecia
  • Areas affected (scalp, beard, moustache, limbs, other body areas)
  • Extent of spread (Small or large; one or multiple spots)
  • Previous medication (Extensive use of oral or local cortisone)
  • Associated diseases like Under active thyroid, diabetes, other diseases,

One may expect a definite change in about three to five months, depending on the
extent. The total length of medication may be anything between six months to two years or longer.

ATOPIC DERMATIS (Eczema)

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy. It's common in
children but can occur at any age. Atopic dermatitis is long lasting (chronic) and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever.

Symptoms:

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) signs and symptoms vary widely from person to person
and include:

  • Dry skin
  • Itching, which may be severe, especially at night
  • Red to brownish-gray patches, especially on the hands, feet, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, eyelids, inside the bend of the elbows and knees, and in infants, the face and scalp
  • Small, raised bumps, which may leak fluid and crust over when scratched
  • Thickened, cracked, scaly skin
  • Raw, sensitive, swollen skin from scratching

Atopic dermatitis most often begins before age 5 and may persist into adolescence
and adulthood. For some people, it flares periodically and then clears up for a time,
even for several years.

Homoeopathy treatment:

Homeopathic treatment aims at healing form with in wherein reduces the relapse and recurrence.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder where rapid skin cell reproduction
results in raised, red and scaly patches of skin. It is not contagious. It
most commonly affects the skin on the elbows, knees, and scalp, though
it can appear anywhere on the body.

There are five different types of Psoriasis:

Plaque Psoriasis: this is the most common form of Psoriasis also known as Psoriasis Vulgaris. It transpires as patches of bumpy reddish skin encased by white silvery scales. These patches form primarily on elbows, knees, lower back, chest and scalp.

Guttate Psoriasis: this cultivates in children and young adults following a Strep infection. It materializes as small dot sized red spots on the chest, arms and legs.

Pustular Psoriasis: this appears as tender areas of fiery red skin with white pus-filled blisters mainly on palms and soles. This can be triggered by infections, pregnancy, sunburns or certain medications.

Inverse Psoriasis: this shows as smooth, red lesions in skin folds like arm-pits, genitals, between the buttocks and under the breasts. This is more prevalent in people who are overweight.

Erythrodermic Psoriasis: this exhibits as extensive redness as if skin is burnt with severe itching and pain. This can be life threatening because the skin loses its defensive function and may not be able to safeguard against heat and fluid loss nor preclude harmful bacteria from entering the body. This can be activated by illnesses, emotional stress, alcoholism or excessive use of corticosteroids.

Causes:

Though exact cause of psoriasis is not known, the genetic factor predominates in the development of psoriasis. It occurs due to some defect in the dermis due to which the cell production enhances suddenly and the epidermis fails to accumulate all those cells leading to patchy skin growth in the form of psoriasis. More than exact causes, some trigger factors have been identified that increase the symptoms of psoriasis.

Trigger Factor Of Psoriasis

  • Inherited from family
  • Stress, depression
  • Undue sweating
  • Skin injuries like cuts, scrapes, chemical irritation, tattoos, burns, vaccination and shaving
  • Food allergens
  • A strep infection, upper respiratory viral infection, boils, thrush or HIV
  • Certain medications like anti-malarial drugs, Corticosteroids, medications used to treat high blood pressure, arthritis, heart conditions and depression.
  • Sunburns
  • Cold and dry weather
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption

Symptoms:

  • Patches of dry skin
  • Itching and burnin
  • Discomfort and Insomnia due to itching
  • Pain
  • Cracked and bleeding skin
  • Blisters with pus
  • Fever in cases of Pustular Psoriasis
  • Yellow or pitted nails
  • Joint pains with swelling
  • Low self esteem and embarrassment because of your looks
  • Social isolation
  • Suicidal thoughts.

Homoeopathy treatment:

Homeopathy contemplates Psoriasis as an immune interceded condition instigated by faulty signals in the body’s immune system. Homeopathy can propose a curative therapy approach for Psoriasis. Homeopathic medicines are natural and safe with no probability of any side effects and treats Psoriasis without using any local ointments. The medicines work towards impeding the proliferation of skin cells which inevitably alleviates excessive scaling. Homeopathic remedies stimulate the
body’s own healing potential by restoring balance of the immune system and countering the genetic predisposition. Homeopathic treatment will control the number and severity of lesions, minimize flare ups, improve your quality of life, maintain long term remission, reduce disability and in most cases bring about a permanent cure.

VITILIGO

Vitiligo (Leucoderma) is a disorder in which the skin loses its normal color due to altered process of melanin (pigment) formation or due to destruction of the melanin cells. The symptoms typically include milky white spots of various shapes and sizes on the skin. Some cases show affection of the mucocutaneous junction such as corners of the mouth and eyes and the private parts.

The spots may remain localized to the affected part or may spread to involve the whole body but have no particular pattern of spreading. As much as 8% of the Indian population suffers from Vitiligo.

Causes:

The exact cause of vitiligo is not known but auto-immunity has been strongly suggested to be playing an important role. A family history of auto-immune diseases (such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, cancer, alopecia, etc.) is often observed in sufferers of vitiligo. Other commonly associated factors which either trigger maintain the condition, may be summarized below:

Homoeopathy treatment:

Homeopathic medicines are aimed at stimulating body's own healing process. They work at root level by correcting the immune mechanism which may be responsible in the process of developing vitiligo. Homeopathy also addresses the genetic factor as an underlying cause and the homeopathic medicines are supposed to correct the genetic predisposition. Homeopathy offers very effective treatment for vitiligo, especially in the cases where the disease is not extensive. Homeopathy can repigment vitiligo spots and control the spread. It may be noted that homeopathy has no role to play in the extensive cases, especially those who have their fingertips, genitals and lips affected.

WARTS

Warts are skin growths that appear on areas of the skin and body that are infected with a virus in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family of viruses. There are more than 100 different HPV types. Verruca is the medical term for a warts. The main symptom of human papillomavirus infection is that it triggers excessive growth of skin cells. This makes affected areas appear thickened, hard, and rough. 

Some types of warts are flat and smooth. You can get warts on any part of your body, but they commonly appear on the hands and feet. Warts are benign (noncancerous), but they are contagious. Most types of HPV cause non-genital warts

Warts can grow anywhere on the skin. There are 6 clinically different types:

  • Common warts have a rather bumpy surface and appear most often on
    the hands and fingers (of children, in particular).
  • Flat or plane warts are small, smooth warts appearing in clusters on the
    back of the hands, face, or legs. These are often difficult to treat.
  • Plantar warts are those appearing on the soles of the feet.
  • Filiform warts form long, thin projections around the eyes, face, and neck.
  • Periungual warts (common in people who bite their nails) occur under and
    around the fingernails.
  • Genital (venereal) warts are those appearing on the genitalia.

Human papillomaviruses that cause warts are very contagious. The virus is spread easily by skin-to-skin contact. Whether or not you develop a wart when you come into contact with someone else’s warts depends on a variety of factors, including the strength of your immune system. You are more likely to catch warts if you have a wound on your skin. Children who frequently get cuts and scrapes are at risk for catching warts. So are people who shave or bite their nails or hangnails. Some people are at increased risk for warts due to weakened immune systems. Teenagers and people who have conditions that weaken their immune systems, like HIV, are at increased risk for warts. So are people who take biologic drugs that suppress the immune system. Biologics may be prescribed for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and other autoimmune conditions. These medications suppress the immune system, so people who take them are at increased risk for viral infections and warts.

Homoeopathy treatment:

There are some diseases and maladies where homeopathy works marvellously. Rather some problems are such that only homeopathy can render relief. One such problem is warts these annoying and unsightly warts are cauterized by dermatologists. But they keep recurring even after cauterization is performed. A well-chosen homeopathic medicine help to literally fall off the pendulous warts.