Tips for Managing Your Skin

 Dr. KS Prasanna, Director, Institute of Applied Dermatology, Kasaragod, Kerala

Dermatology deals with skin, hair, and nail. There are various truths and myths which everyone should know while taking care of their skin. Healthy glowing skin is everyone`s dream. Cosmetic industries are flourishing because of all skin, hair, and nail care products. Following are a few of them -----

• A good shampoo is necessary for hair, so it is easy to manage and comb your hair. So, the hair looks glossy and stylish. Use a shampoo depending upon your skin and hair type, -oily, dry, and normal. Excessive flaking (roughness) may require antidandruff shampoo. Excessive dry hair may need oiling. Dry hair needs a shampoo that contains less surfactant and more conditioner, whereas oily hair needs more surfactants, less conditioner. For proper washing, wet the hair thoroughly with warm water. The first rinsing acts as a prewash to remove dust and water-soluble dirt and hair care products. Then apply the shampoo by hand and rinse it properly. Then use the right conditioner before rinsing. Dry the hair naturally.
• Don`t have an oil head bath, daily wash your hair either with soap or shampoo. Dry your hair naturally. Don`t use a brush, use a wide-spaced comb. Don`t use other people's comb to avoid dandruff and lice infestation.
• Don`t use excessive chemicals (hair cosmetics) on your hair, which makes the hair to dull and brittle. Apply oil to the hair just to make the hair manageable.
• Eat healthy food to improve your hair appearance.
• Apply sunscreen regularly to the face to avoid black patches, tanning, and wrinkles. For the best protection of the face, apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above. Reapply once every four hours
• Don`t apply any oil to your face, which can cause pimples called oil Acne.
• Acne(pimple) is seen commonly between the age of 12-24. If ladies get pimples after this age consider any other reasons like polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). Certain drugs like oral contraceptive pills, anti TB drugs, corticosteroids, lithium, antiepileptic drugs, etc. can cause it. Whenever you apply any steroid cream to eczema, anywhere in the body, after applying it wash your hands properly. Otherwise touching the face after applying these creams, can itself induce pimples on your face. Don`t squeeze or pick the pimples which may leave scars on your face.
• Unwanted hairs can be removed temporarily by waxing, threading, or hair remover creams, permanently by Lasers. But before doing lasers the reason for this excessive hair growth should be investigated. Any internal cause if found should be managed, otherwise it might recur.
• Black patches on your face could be due to pregnancy, hormonal pill, hereditary, or sunlight-induced. It is a challenging disease to treat. If you don`t improve with the correct usage of topicals, then consider either chemical peeling, lasers, or camouflage.
• Black tiny projections on the face, what we call seborrheic keratoses can be removed either by chemical or electrocautery
• Black pitted dots on the tip of the nose, which is known as trichostasis spinulosa, is a natural phenomenon. It is due to the retention of multiple vellus hairs in a dilated hair follicle. Treatment is only for cosmetic purposes.
• Skin whitening creams, which contain either steroid or hydroquinone is harmful to the skin. Continuous usage can lead to redness, skin thinning, dilated blood vessels, pimples, scaring, Skin turning into dark or white. Don`t use any skin whitening creams unless and until prescribed by a doctor.
• Always know your skin type, like dry, oily, or normal. Depending upon the skin type apply the moisturizers or use the face wash. For a person who has dry skin, use syndet soap, and apply moisturizer after bath. Persons with oily skin should use real soap to cleanse their skin. Patients with eczema should use Syndets or body wash. Combars can be used by a person with normal skin. If you are allergic to the fragrance or Paraben, which can be identified only by doing a patch test, you should follow your dermatologist's advice.
• Do not apply any steroid creams to the groin. If you have itching over the groin, consult the doctor. This is the period of fungal infection(ringworm). So, diagnosing the disease early helps the spread of the disease to other family members. Besides, if you apply the creams like trioderm, it becomes difficult for the dermatologist to arrive at the diagnosis.
• Nails protect the underlying bones and muscles. Nails are important because they serve as a window into the body. Many underlying diseases have characteristic nails. There could be a fungal or bacterial infection of the nail, anemia, psoriasis, lichen planus, vitamin D deficiency, lung, kidney, and liver diseases, etc. which are depicted on your nail. Sometimes the doctor might examine your nail, even though you have gone for a dermatology consultation. So, whenever you go for a dermatology consultation, don`t apply any colour to your nail.