Urticaria is a common skin problem characterized by development of itchy, transient weals (red patches) on the body. The number of weals and the severity of the condition is highly variable. These can also be associated with swelling of lips or any other part of the body.

Treatment of urticaria can be challenging as it is very difficult to identify the triggers. Treatment might involve long term use of antihistamines. Different individuals respond to different antihistamines. The optimal aim of treatment is to have reasonably good control of rashes with as minimum medicines as possible.

Many a times urticaria may go into remission but the duration of time required for tolerance to develop is unpredictable.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SKIN?

First and foremost use a sunscreen always whenever you are going out. Sunscreens need to be applied 15 to 20 min before you’re going out. Ideally they need to be reapplied every 3 to 4 hrs or immediately if there is heavy sweating. The amount of sunscreen to be applied is also important; if you apply too less it’s not effective.

Second, don’t use too much of soaps as they can cause damage to your skin resulting in dryness. Mild glycerine based soaps or mild cleansers can be used. Never rub soap into your skin, it needs to be applied gently with your hand. Don’t use scrubs for your bath. Bathing water shouldn’t be too hot or too cold. A warm water bath is ideal.

Third, immediately after your bath when the skin is still moist apply a good moisturizer liberally. Application of moisturizer immediately after bath traps the moisture within the skin and helps in maintaining the hydration of your skin thus helping in keeping it healthy.

Fourth, never experiment too much with your skin. Don’t use lot of cosmetics; try to keep them to as minimum as possible. When you wear a make-up always remember to remove the make-up with a cleanser before you go to sleep. Don’t try all sorts of things recommended by friends and relatives. Always test for contact allergy before using any Hair dyes; this is done by applying small amount of the dye behind your ear and observing for 48 hours to look for any redness, itching etc.

Fifth, Good diet helps a lot in maintaining nourishment of the skin. Diet that is rich in green leafy vegetables, carrots, sprouts, high coloured fruits like mango, papaya are good for skin. Drinking plenty of water is another important aspect of skin care.

These simple measures would definitely help in maintaining a healthy skin if followed meticulously. SKIN KNOWS TO TAKE CARE OF ITSELF WE JUST NEED TO SUPPORT IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

Acne (Pimples) is one of the most common skin problems for which help of a dermatologist is sought. Acne is a polymorphic condition characterized by development of multiple non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions due to obstruction of duct of sebaceous glands. Acne is mainly a problem of adolescence and young adults. Acne occurs in both the sexes, males suffer from slightly more severe type of acne.

Acne is not a disease it is a condition caused by obstruction of duct of the sebaceous glands (oil glands) present in the skin. The important cause for this is the increased secretion of sebum from these glands under hormonal surge seen during the teens, there is also abnormality in the lining of these ducts leading to obstruction, the obstructed gland with its pent up secretion is colonized by bacteria (Propionobacterium) leading to inflammation. Also sometimes the entire gland ruptures leading to more severe forms.

First thing to be understood is that acne is not a disease so no one can cure it, as u go on in life they stop. Acne can only be controlled. The treatment of acne depends on the severity of the condition; it may range from some simple face wash & creams to use of certain oral medications with creams. So, consult a good dermatologist and follow his direction you will definitely get better. The treatment may be prolonged so have patience, one more thing in spite of what treatment you take its likely that you will be getting few acne here n there. Don’t worry about them.

Hair loss is medically termed as alopecia, meaning loss of hair from any hair bearing area of the body.

Hair is appendage of the skin, which grows in a cycle. There are 3 phases in a hair cycle, namely;
Anagen – this is the growing phase, the duration of this phase determines the length of the hair. Most of the hairs are in this phase.
Catagen – this is the stage where hair growth stops and it starts involuting. This phase lasts for few weeks.
Telogen – this is the resting phase, here the hair which have stopped growing are held till they are shed off, this lasts for 2-3 months.
Exogen – this is the phase of hair shedding.

Every hair goes through this cycle, to keep producing the hair. Any disturbances in this hair cycle can cause significant hair loss. As some of the hairs are in a phase where they have to be shed, it is normal for some of the hairs to be shed daily. Normal average hair loss daily is 75-100 per day.

Hair loss is a very common problem for which a patient consults a dermatologist. In a broad way the cause of hair loss is most often simple, it depends the loss of hair is in a patch or it is diffuse occurring all through the scalp. Causes of these 2 different types of hair loss are varied.

Diffuse hair loss – this is much more common than the patchy hair loss. Most of the patients who come for consultation complain of diffuse hair loss. This hair loss can occur in a patterned manner in both the sexes; this is what is called as male-pattern and female-pattern baldness. The pattern of hair loss differs in males & females, in males it starts with recession of hairline from the front, while in females it starts as widening of central partening or loss of density of hair on the vertex i.e top of the head. This patterned hair loss is genetically determined process and is a gradually progressive condition.

The next common causes of hair loss particularly in a woman are Iron deficiency anaemia, thyroid disorders, malnutrition etc; this is termed as Chronic telogen effluvium. In some cases any acute sever illness like fevers (malaria, typhoid etc.), surgery, trauma, post-partum, severe stress can be followed by a bout of hair loss about 2-3 months following the event, this is called as Acute telogen effluvium. Some of the medications can also be a cause of hair loss; the common medications that can be a cause of hair loss are anti-cancer drugs, heparin, anti-thyroid drugs, retinoids etc.

Vitiligo is an acquired condition characterized by white patches. The stigma associated with this cutaneous condition is due to the importance given to the normal skin colour and the misconception that it may be spread due to contact. Since ancient times, this disorder has been called with different names and has been associated with significant social stigma.

Causes: The exact cause of vitiligo is not known. Several of factors play an important role in causation of the disease, but the extent of importance of the various factors is not known. The important factors are:

Genetic factors – In about 20 to 30% of cases there may be family history of cases. The exact mode of inheritance of vitiligo is not known, but it is most probably polygenic. It appears that multiple genetic defects are responsible for destruction of the melanocytes.

Auto-immune disease – association of this condition with other autoimmune diseases and presence of the lymphocytes around the melanocytes in the involved skin suggests that melanocytes are damaged by the own cells i.e. autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune disorders are the disorder where due to several causes the body starts damaging its own organs that is in case of vitiligo the melanocytes.

Neural factors – occurrence of some of the forms of vitiligo like segmental vitiligo along distribution of a particular nerve suggest that some factor derived from nerves may be responsible for vitiligo. Also melanocytes & nerve are derived during embryogenesis from neural crest cells. So, some of the neural factors may be responsible for causation of vitiligo.

Self-Destruct theory – it has been proposed that several metabolites produced during melanin synthesis are toxic to the cells and can cause destruction of melanocytes resulting in vitiligo. But, what causes these metabolites to accumulate and cause destruction of melanocytes is not known.

Combined theory – Not it is been proposed that a combination of these factors are responsible for causation of Vitiligo. But the relative importance of the various factors is not known.

Triggering Events – There are several triggering events for vitiligo, they are; Severe stress, Personal loss, Anxiety, Trauma, Exposure to chemicals like Phenol and its derivatives etc.