What are Stretch Marks? Stretch marks are medically termed striae. In order to understand what stretch marks are, you need to first understand what the skin is made of. Normal skin is made up of 4% elastin and 80% collagen, both of which are elastic and soft tissue. While collagen is the soft portion of the skin, it is elastin that makes the skin soft, supple, and stretchable. When a person puts on a lot of weight, the excess fat below the surface of the skin causes the skin to stretch. When the skin is stretched beyond its elasticity and lacks support within the dermis, this layer of the skin tears. This damage causes prominent stretch marks that appear as raised and darkened lines on the surface of the skin. Pregnancy, an intense weightlifting regimen, and hormone replacement therapy are some of the causes of stretch marks.
Stretch marks affect about 90% of all women, and once they have passed the initial stage, where they are deep purple, red or pink in color, they cannot be treated. So, the best cure for them is prevention.
For most people, stretch marks may be regarded as a grave skin problem. This is because skin that is riddled with stretch marks is does lose a lot of its aesthetic appeal. These marks can destroy the beauty of the natural skin, making it look abnormal. It is also important to note that the elastin fibers are the most difficult of skin cells to repair, and once damaged, it is almost impossible for them to be repaired or regrown. Consequently, there is no remedy or treatment to remove stretch marks permanently, albeit they can be made lighter through the use of topical ointments and medications.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Acne is a common skin condition that can affect individuals of any age group, although it is more commonly noticed among teenagers and young adults. Acne develops when the follicle that carries dead skin to the skin surface becomes clogged. While acne in most cases is inflammatory, it can also develop as non-inflammatory acne. It manifests itself as tiny pimples, papules, nodules, or cysts, as per the increasing nature of its severity. Typically, acne begins to show in the years following puberty, as this is when there are considerable hormonal changes that take place in the body. Acne is also common among women due to monthly hormonal changes. Acne affects those areas of the skin that have the most number of sebaceous follicles. Thus, it is primarily visible on the face, chest, back, upper arms, and shoulders. Typically, acne wanes off after the inflammation as the clogged pores subside, and acne outbreaks lessen once we get into our early twenties, as this is when the hormonal levels balance themselves out. In rare cases, however, medical investigation and follow up is required for treating acne of a more stubborn nature. Additionally, since each individual is physiologically different, it is possible that the acne may continue late into your thirties and forties. While acne in itself does not pose any serious health risks, it could lead to scarring. Acne scars can, at times, be exceedingly stubborn, and may never really go away. Acne also has psychological implications as the acne and its scars are generally regarded as unappealing, leading to lowered self-esteem issues in teenagers and young adults.
• Acne can manifest itself as enlarged hair follicles filled with sebum, which are referred to as comedones. Blackheads are comedones that pop out of the skin surface, and white heads are comedones that have not pushed their way through the surface of your skin.
• Papules are pink tender bumps on the skin and pustules are red at the bottom but filled with pus, owing to bacterial infection.
• Nodules are the large and painful, solid pimples that are deep seated in the skin, while cysts are the deep and painful pimples that are filled with pus and can develop scars in future.
A doctor can easily diagnose acne during a physical examination. He/she may look into its stage, depending on the exhibition as comedones or nodules or cysts. The extended side-effects of acne are the scars that they leave behind. This may call for a long course of medical or cosmetic treatment. It is advisable to take precautions against any kind of skin irritation, so that the acne just fades off without leaving behind any scars.
Symptoms for Acne
Acne symptoms include the presence of different types of pimples and cysts on the affected area of the skin. A pimple appears when the blocked pore begins to drain, so what is visible is usually the latter stage of acne. Some of the different physical indications of acne are as follows:• Acne can manifest itself as enlarged hair follicles filled with sebum, which are referred to as comedones. Blackheads are comedones that pop out of the skin surface, and white heads are comedones that have not pushed their way through the surface of your skin.
• Papules are pink tender bumps on the skin and pustules are red at the bottom but filled with pus, owing to bacterial infection.
• Nodules are the large and painful, solid pimples that are deep seated in the skin, while cysts are the deep and painful pimples that are filled with pus and can develop scars in future.
A doctor can easily diagnose acne during a physical examination. He/she may look into its stage, depending on the exhibition as comedones or nodules or cysts. The extended side-effects of acne are the scars that they leave behind. This may call for a long course of medical or cosmetic treatment. It is advisable to take precautions against any kind of skin irritation, so that the acne just fades off without leaving behind any scars.
Pimples, whiteheads and blackheads are forms of acne. Acne is perhaps the most common among skin ailments that largely affect men and women alike within the age group of 12 to 24 years. Many people are of the opinion that the presence of pimples on the face, especially the cheeks and forehead could greatly affect their aesthetics. They therefore seek to break the pimple as soon as it appears on the face.
Pores of the skin are blocked by accumulation of dirt, sweat and oil secretions. Such secretions lead to white cysts known as whiteheads or cause blackheads when exposed to air. An infected blackhead or whitehead gives way to a pus filled pimple. These pimples are also known as pustules or papules and can cause severe inflammation of the affected area. As the sebum from within the sebaceous glands keeps collecting under the skin the pimple grows in size. There is a lot of debate about popping pimples and while some people believe that it is helpful others believe that it causes permanent scarring. To understand the arguments both for and against popping pimples, it is important to understand the stages of pimple formation. Sebum is produced in the sebaceous glands located in the lower layers of our skin. This sebum slowly rises through the pores of the skin and reaches the surface where it forms a very thin film of oil. This film acts as a barrier between the surface of the skin and the environment. In the first stage of pimple formation, a blockage of dead skin cells within the skin pore combines with the sebum to form a thick plug. At this time, you may not even notice that you have a pimple. The sebaceous gland continues to produce sebum and within a day or two a tiny pocket of sebum forms within your skin. Your skin has bacteria within it and this bacteria feeds on the sebum within your skin. Under normal circumstances their numbers are so small that they are of no consequence. However, when a pocket of sebum forms, the bacteria start to increase very rapidly as they have surplus nutrition. The skin around this inflamed area starts to thicken and soon a papule forms. Even if the blockage is cleared at this stage and the excess sebum removed from the inflamed skin pore, there is a hollow scar that remains. There are those who believe that popping pimples at the earliest stage will prevent the pocket of sebum from forming and this will allow the skin to heal without the formation of a hollow scar. This would mean that the blockage would need to be removed as soon as one notices it, and one of the only ways to do this is through popping pimples. However, there are many who disagree and claim that popping a pimple can damage the sensitive and delicate facial tissue and cause even more extensive damage as compare to the scarring caused by the pimple itself. You will need to consult your dermatologist or doctor on how to get rid of pimples by popping them and he/she will be able to advise you on methods of popping pimples and ways to prevent infection and scarring. Even if you decide to pop your pimples, make sure that you are very gentle and do not use excessive pressure as this could cause lasting scars. Pooping a pimple with a needle could cause blood to ooze out and is therefore dangerous and can also cause scarring that would be difficult to get rid of.
• Inflammation of Surrounding Areas: This is one of the most common symptoms of acne and as soon as you notice this, you should take appropriate steps. If you decide that popping pimples is the best method of treatment, you should pop it at this stage if possible. To allow the trapped sebum to come to the surface, it would be best to steam your face for at least 20 minutes or so as the steam will help to lubricate your pores and allow the sebum to be extracted. Do not use sharp implements to remove the blocked sebum but instead you can gently press down on either side of the pimple so as to force the blockage out. Make sure that you do not use your nails to do this or you can cause permanent damage.
Pores of the skin are blocked by accumulation of dirt, sweat and oil secretions. Such secretions lead to white cysts known as whiteheads or cause blackheads when exposed to air. An infected blackhead or whitehead gives way to a pus filled pimple. These pimples are also known as pustules or papules and can cause severe inflammation of the affected area. As the sebum from within the sebaceous glands keeps collecting under the skin the pimple grows in size. There is a lot of debate about popping pimples and while some people believe that it is helpful others believe that it causes permanent scarring. To understand the arguments both for and against popping pimples, it is important to understand the stages of pimple formation. Sebum is produced in the sebaceous glands located in the lower layers of our skin. This sebum slowly rises through the pores of the skin and reaches the surface where it forms a very thin film of oil. This film acts as a barrier between the surface of the skin and the environment. In the first stage of pimple formation, a blockage of dead skin cells within the skin pore combines with the sebum to form a thick plug. At this time, you may not even notice that you have a pimple. The sebaceous gland continues to produce sebum and within a day or two a tiny pocket of sebum forms within your skin. Your skin has bacteria within it and this bacteria feeds on the sebum within your skin. Under normal circumstances their numbers are so small that they are of no consequence. However, when a pocket of sebum forms, the bacteria start to increase very rapidly as they have surplus nutrition. The skin around this inflamed area starts to thicken and soon a papule forms. Even if the blockage is cleared at this stage and the excess sebum removed from the inflamed skin pore, there is a hollow scar that remains. There are those who believe that popping pimples at the earliest stage will prevent the pocket of sebum from forming and this will allow the skin to heal without the formation of a hollow scar. This would mean that the blockage would need to be removed as soon as one notices it, and one of the only ways to do this is through popping pimples. However, there are many who disagree and claim that popping a pimple can damage the sensitive and delicate facial tissue and cause even more extensive damage as compare to the scarring caused by the pimple itself. You will need to consult your dermatologist or doctor on how to get rid of pimples by popping them and he/she will be able to advise you on methods of popping pimples and ways to prevent infection and scarring. Even if you decide to pop your pimples, make sure that you are very gentle and do not use excessive pressure as this could cause lasting scars. Pooping a pimple with a needle could cause blood to ooze out and is therefore dangerous and can also cause scarring that would be difficult to get rid of.
Pimples Symptoms
Pimples Common Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms associated with the eruption of a pimple are:• Inflammation of Surrounding Areas: This is one of the most common symptoms of acne and as soon as you notice this, you should take appropriate steps. If you decide that popping pimples is the best method of treatment, you should pop it at this stage if possible. To allow the trapped sebum to come to the surface, it would be best to steam your face for at least 20 minutes or so as the steam will help to lubricate your pores and allow the sebum to be extracted. Do not use sharp implements to remove the blocked sebum but instead you can gently press down on either side of the pimple so as to force the blockage out. Make sure that you do not use your nails to do this or you can cause permanent damage.
HEAD BUMP
Head bumps have been a common problem faced by people over the years. One possible explanation for head bumps is; they form if you damage or break a small blood vessel under the skin. When the blood vessels are damaged they form pools of blood or blood clots which end up swelling the surrounding tissue there by causing the bump. The severity of head bumps depend completely on how hard you hit your head and the part of the head that is damaged. Since a head bump is not always a serious problem one quick home remedy you can try is applying an ice pack for two to three minutes. After that apply some vegetable oil on the bump and then apply some table salt in a circular motion on the bump. Allow this mixture to stay on the bump for three to five hours until the swelling decreases.
Head bumps that are caused by hard hits that occur in sports and accidents can be very dangerous. If your skull is injured in an incident then it is a matter of real concern as the skull is the protective covering of the brain. Many a times when the skull is damaged from an accident and heals after some time it becomes thicker just like a scar and forms a bump on the head. Head bumps could also be due to plugged oil gland or a sebaceous cyst. They are not dangerous as they gradually heal on their own or could be surgically removed as well. Some times due to changes in our metabolism the body tends to deposit toxins and fats called lymphomas in certain parts of the body the head being the most common. These cysts are not always harmful and very often can be treated through proper diet, exercise and hydro therapy. A homeopathic cell salt called calc flour can help in getting the balance back to your system. Head bumps formed at the back of your head just below the large prominence of the bone are called occipital lymph nodes. You must consult your doctor if you notice; these head bumps becoming larger and if you have significant weight loss along with frequent night sweats. It is possible that these bumps can form lymphoma which is a result of stress, muscle tension or hereditary. You must have plenty of foods that are rich in Vitamin C as they can help fasten the healing process.
Treatment for Head Bump
Head bumps that are caused by hard hits that occur in sports and accidents can be very dangerous. If your skull is injured in an incident then it is a matter of real concern as the skull is the protective covering of the brain. Many a times when the skull is damaged from an accident and heals after some time it becomes thicker just like a scar and forms a bump on the head. Head bumps could also be due to plugged oil gland or a sebaceous cyst. They are not dangerous as they gradually heal on their own or could be surgically removed as well. Some times due to changes in our metabolism the body tends to deposit toxins and fats called lymphomas in certain parts of the body the head being the most common. These cysts are not always harmful and very often can be treated through proper diet, exercise and hydro therapy. A homeopathic cell salt called calc flour can help in getting the balance back to your system. Head bumps formed at the back of your head just below the large prominence of the bone are called occipital lymph nodes. You must consult your doctor if you notice; these head bumps becoming larger and if you have significant weight loss along with frequent night sweats. It is possible that these bumps can form lymphoma which is a result of stress, muscle tension or hereditary. You must have plenty of foods that are rich in Vitamin C as they can help fasten the healing process.
Treatment for Head Bump
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
TIP ON stretch marks
The loss of skin's elastin and collagen is responsible for causing stretch marks. This loss can occur in two ways. First, hormonal changes caused by such things as prolonged steroid use or Cushing's syndrome can result in stretch marks. Perhaps the most common reason stretch marks form is because the skin is stretched more than normal, leading to a breakdown of tissue fibers. When this breakdown of tissues is present, a stretch mark develops and can be seen in the top layer of the skin.
Often, individuals are surprised to learn that stretch marks are actually a type of scarring. When the skin is overstretched and collagen production is disrupted, a type of scar forms. Initially, stretch marks appear as lines that have a red or purple coloring. After a while, the color changes, ending in a light, faded look.
Often, individuals are surprised to learn that stretch marks are actually a type of scarring. When the skin is overstretched and collagen production is disrupted, a type of scar forms. Initially, stretch marks appear as lines that have a red or purple coloring. After a while, the color changes, ending in a light, faded look.
Stretch marks
Do you know you can literally massage your stretch marks away? See how it is done! With minimum cost, maximum results. | |
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The Truth About Stretch Mark Creams
There are so many stretch mark cream products on the market today that claim to either prevent or reduce the appearance of stretch marks that I thought it might be beneficial to review exactly what these products do when it comes to treating your stretch marks. Scientifically, it has not been proven whether most of these products can help, but there are scores of women around the world that have evidence of their very own that creams and lotions have helped reduce, eliminate, and prevent stretch marks.What is in a stretch mark cream?
Most of the available stretch mark creams on the market contain a combination of cocoa butter, and Vitamins A and E. These items help promote overall skin health and can help improve the appearance of your skin.Cocoa butter keeps the skin moisturized and well hydrated. This can improve the overall elasticity of the skin which is especially helpful when attempting to prevent stretch marks.
Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that nourishes and protects your skin. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is an antioxidant essential for skin health. Glucocorticoids, a group of hormones, can reduce the effectiveness of Vitamin A so its addition in topical stretch mark creams is important.
Most of the prescription stretch mark creams available contain concentrated amounts of Vitamin A derivatives. They are more potent formulas than the over the counter treatments, and they have had some success reducing the appearance of stretch marks. A lot of the success of these prescription creams depends on the age of the stretch mark, skin tone, and overall skin health.
Shea butter is another addition to stretch mark creams that has become more common. It can help promote cell regeneration and circulation as well as provide a natural protection against ultraviolet damage to the skin.
Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) are another common ingredient found in many stretch mark cream formulas. These AHAs are derived from plants and are sometimes referred to as fruit acids. AHAs promote skin cell regeneration so your skin may feel a little dry and flaky when you first start using them as many old dead skin cells are removed from your skin.
Cream Application May Help Circulation
Not only do stretch mark cream ingredients help with appearance and prevention but the actual application of the creams may help with circulation in the skin's layers. The massaging motion during cream and lotion application stimulates the circulation in the area being massaged. If done daily, improved circulation and regeneration of cells in the area could result. Improved circulation leads to improved collagen production and skin cell regeneration both of which are needed to prevent and/or reduce the appearance of stretch marks.The reason most stretch mark creams can't completely remove existing stretch marks is because they concentrate their effectiveness on the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. The majority of damage caused by stretch marks is a combination of damage in the epidermis and the dermis, the middle layer of your skin. Topical treatments just can't penetrate the skin deep enough to provide total correction of the damage, but they can drastically improve the outer appearance. They can also help during the prevention stage of stretch marks by contributing to your overall skin health, which reduces your chances of having stretch marks form in unwanted places.
Disclaimer: The information provided within this site is not meant to be a substitute for a medical doctor's opinion. This site is for informational purposes ONLY. Please check with your medical practitioner before any type of treatment or prevention method is started.
Stretch Mark Prevention
The most important thing you can do to prevent stretch marks is to maintain healthy skin. Listed below are some ways you can keep your skin looking its best and hopefully prevent stretch marks from occurring.- Eat a variety of foods that promote healthy skin such as foods rich in zinc, Vitamins A, C, and D, as well as sufficient amounts of protein.
- Drink at least eight 8 oz. cups of water daily. You need to increase this amount if you also drink caffeinated beverages. Water helps keep you entire body healthy and helps keep you skin more elastic to help prevent stretch mark formation.
- An exercise program keeps your entire body healthy which, in turn, promotes healthy skin.
- Don't scratch the areas where you are likely to get stretch marks. This skin should be gently massaged with oils or creams if it feels itchy. Scratching pulls and stretches the outer and middle layers of skin and can contribute to more damage. Massaging is good for skin not only to prevent scratching, but it promotes blood circulation and helps stimulate new cell growth, both of which are important in preventing stretch marks.
- If you are pregnant, try to stay within the healthy weight gain limits of 25-35 pounds. More important than abiding by these numbers is to gain weight slowly over your pregnancy. Sudden spurts of growth can occur during pregnancy that can cause your weight to grow too quickly and increase your chances of stretch marks forming.
- Use a stretch mark cream or ointment more than once daily in the areas you are likely to develop stretch marks. The creams have ingredients which can help improve your skin's condition which lessens your chances of developing a stretch mark.
Disclaimer: The information provided within this site is not meant to be a substitute for a medical doctor's opinion. This site is for informational purposes ONLY. Please check with your medical practitioner before any type of treatment or prevention method is started.
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