Are you losing more hair than you should, and what can you do about it?

There are many reasons why you are losing your hair. The loss can be sudden or you can lose hairs slowly, over a period of time. Normally one can lose up to 100-150 strand of hair a day and this is normal. The hair goes through a hair cycle and after 3-5 years a strand of hair goes into the resting phase and after 3 months this hair is replaced with a new hair. This hair fall is normal.

Unfortunately, the new hair will be shorter and thinner than the preceding cycle and hence after a few years you will notice less hair. This loss follows a pattern - in males there is a receding hairline and thinning at the crown, whereas in females there is thinning at the crown. This type of hair loss is related to age, genes and androgens. The treatment is usually hair tonic or oral medication and sometimes laser hair stimulation.

If you are losing hairs suddenly or the loss is significant (ie more than 150 hairs a day) you may be suffering form another type of hair loss called telogen effluvium, This is commonly seen after childbirth, 3 months after a stressful event, for example, an illness, surgery or psychological stress. This hair loss is often seen after crash dieting too. Although the fall is significant, telogen effluvium is a reversible condition. Once the trigger factors are gone, the hairs will re-grow on it’s own and recover in 3 months after you first notice the fall.

A third reason why you are losing hair could be related to a medical condition such as thyroid disease or anaemia or due to certain drugs including ant cancer drugs. Treatment, would be to remove the cause of the hair fall if possible.

If you are experiencing hair fall and you think it is more than your usual shedding, see a dermatologist who can help you with the diagnosis and the treatment.

This article was contributed to Tab A Doctor by,
Dr Joyce Lim, Dermatologist, Joyce Lim Skin & Laser Clinic

Why You Should Wear Sunscreen

For anyone who's ever wondered why you should wear sunscreen, the answers to this question are straightforward and beneficial to your health.

Reasons Why You Should Wear Sunscreen 

There is a huge variety of sunscreen options available today. Even people who don't wear sunscreen every day on exposed body parts usually invest in a bottle or more during summer, when outdoor activities call. There are a number of smart reasons to wear sunscreen daily. These include:

Avoiding sunburn: 

Besides being painful, sunburns are associated with an increased risk for melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. Anyone who has ever suffered a severe sunburn knows how debilitating it can be, but the temporary physical effects you see and feel may have consequences far into the future that aren't apparent at the time. 

Children are especially at higher risk for sunburns, and protecting their delicate skin now will cut down on their risk of skin cancer later in life; multiple blistering sunburns during childhood increases the cancer risk as a person ages. 

Cuts down on skin cancer risk: 

With more awareness about skin cancer and skin cancer risks, the sunscreen industry has seen a boom. The earlier and more often people are protected from the harmful rays of the sun, the more they cut down on their risks of getting this disease, which range from mild to life-threatening. 

It's worth investing in sunscreen and the small amount of time it takes to apply to avoid serious cancer down the road. Parents and caregivers, of course, will have to be diligent in applying sunscreen to children, and there are plenty of formulas made just for young and sensitive skin.

Keep skin wrinkle-free: 

Besides the health benefits of slathering on sunscreen every day, there's also a vanity reason, for those who want to maintain their youthful looks. Some of the damaging physical effects of too much sun include premature aging, or wrinkles, and age spots. 

If the skin cancer facts don't sway you, perhaps the idea that you can delay wrinkles will. You can easily wear a general sunscreen all over the body, while using a product made specifically for the face on that area. 

In addition, many cosmetic companies manufacture makeup with built-in sunscreen, so you can enjoy the convenience of multi-tasking products that will also protect you.

Prescription worries: 

Certain medications make the skin ultra sensitive to the sun's rays, making a sunburn or allergic reaction a more likely possibility, even if you don't spend a lot of time outdoors. 

Always check with your doctor or pharmacist when taking medications. Some over-the-counter meds also increase your sun sensitivity, such as those containing ingredients to fight serious acne. It's important to wear a sunscreen if you know you'll be outside while taking phototoxic or photoallergic drugs, but to be on the safest side, stay indoors as much as possible. 

Sunscreen Is for Everyone

Although some people, due to genetics and their physical makeup, are more at risk for developing skin cancer, anyone of any ethnicity can get the disease. Some people with darker complexions mistakenly believe that the additional melanin in their skin protects them from skin cancer, but this is not true. Everyone should be aware of why you should wear sunscreen, whether they're fair-skinned or not.

Smart Sunscreen Use

Young or old, dark or fair, sunscreen benefits everyone. The next time your child complains about having to endure being covered head-to-toe in sunscreen before you head to the beach or pool, you can explain why sunscreen is necessary. Besides the physical effects you may see now or sometime in the future, the serious health risks that may arise from never using sunscreen should be enough to convince anyone.



This article was originally published in lovetoknow.com

Everything You Need to Know About Eczema

What is Eczema?

Eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) is a chronic, recurrent skin disease that commonly occurs in early childhood but can continue or start in adulthood. Like other allergies and asthma, atopic dermatitis tends to run in families.

What are the Symptoms of Eczema?

Eczema typically begins as an itch that when scratched, erupts into a rash. The rash may occur anywhere on the body, although certain areas of the body are more common depending on the age of the person. Eczema initially appears as small red bumps, or vesicles, which can ooze or flake with continued scratching. As the skin continues to be scratched, it will appear leathery, or lichenified.

Where Does Eczema Occur on the Body?

The location of eczema on the body depends upon the age of the person. In infants and very young children, eczema most often involves the face, chest, and back of the scalp, since these are the areas where the child is able to scratch. Eczema doesn’t usually occur in the diaper region, unless the child is able to scratch there.

In older children and adults, the location of eczema often involves the skin in the bend of the elbows and behind the knees, since these flexural areas are the most easily scratched. Eczema can also involve the face, eyelids, and may be limited to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, particularly in adults.

Do Skin Infections Occur More Frequently in People with Eczema?

In people with eczema, the immune system is more focused on allergies than fighting infections. This means that the skin has less infection-fighting chemicals, giving various bacteria, fungi and viruses a better chance of growing on or infecting the skin. 

Colonization and infection of the skin by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can worsen eczema, and treatment with antibiotics may help improve the eczema. Fungal infections, such asringworm, are more common in people with eczema, especially if topical corticosteroid creams are used frequently. Viral infections are also more common in people with eczema, such as herpes infections andmolluscum contagiosum.

People with recurrent bacterial skin colonization and/or infection can improve their eczema symptoms with the use of bleach baths.

How is Eczema Treated?

Eliminating the triggers: Avoiding the triggers of itching should be the first priority for people with eczema. Avoid wearing clothing that can irritate the skin, such as wool, nylon and other synthetic material. Cotton clothing should be worn, and washed with a mild detergent and a double-rinse cycle. The use of fabric softeners should be avoided.

While cautious sun exposure can be helpful for eczema, over-exposure to the sun, resulting in sunburn, should be avoided. Therefore, sunscreen should be applied liberally to the skin before any prolonged sun exposure.

People with significant eczema should be evaluated for allergic triggers with allergy testing. Pet dander and house dust mites are environmental allergens that frequently worsen eczema, and common food allergies can worsen eczema, particularly in children.

Maintaining good skin care: Good skin care starts with adequate moisturizing and hydration, which decreases itching and formation of eczema. Hydration of the skin is maintained with the daily application of skin moisturizing creams. Bathing can be helpful if done in the correct manner –- daily soaking in a warm water bath, followed by the immediate application of a moisturizing cream from head to toe while the skin is still moist.

Medications for Eczema

Oral Antihistamines: Itching may be at least partially controlled with the use of low-sedating antihistamines during the day, or with sedating antihistamines, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) at night. It is controversial whether antihistamines are helpful for the treatment of eczema.

Topical Steroids: These medications are the first-line therapy for atopic dermatitis, and are available in lotions, creams, ointments and foams or solutions (for the scalp). Topical steroids are available in over-the-counter and prescription strengths. In general, medications in ointment forms are stronger than cream forms, which are stronger than lotion forms. Side effects, such as thinning of the skin, bruising and blood vessel formation, can occur with the prolonged use of high-potency topical steroids.

Non-Steroid Creams: Topical calcineurin inhibitors, such as Elidel (pimecrolimus) and Protopic (tacrolimus), are non-steroid, topical medications approved for the treatment of eczema in adults and children over the age of 2 years. They do not cause thinning of or pigment changes in the skin, can be used safely on the face, and can help reduce the amount of topical steroids needed when used for mild symptoms. However, the FDA has given these medications a black box warning based on safety concerns.

Systemic (Oral or Injected) Steroids for Eczema: Rarely, short courses of systemic (oral or injected) steroids are required to achieve control of a severe flare of eczema. Extreme caution should be used, as while the eczema typically gets better on systemic steroids, a “rebound effect” can occur with worsening of the skin soon after the steroids are stopped. If oral steroids are required, the dose should be tapered slowly to minimize this risk.

This article was originally published on About.com