http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/shingles--find-out-all-about-shingles.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/shingles--find-out-all-about-shingles.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Shingles, correctly called as herpes zoster, is a painful skin disease. In this, a virus that also causes chicken pox affects the skin and creates bands of blisters which are full of liquid, pus, etc. The disease settles over two to three weeks but the pain may remain for a month after that. Those who have had chicken pox in childhood are likely to get shingles as they age. Why do some people get shingles and others don't, is not known. Lets find out more about it.

Shingles> Causes and Symptoms>

The virus that causes chicken pox in childhood goes into dormancy. After years, it gets triggered again. The triggers may include age, stress, depressed immune system, etc. As the virus gets activated, the patient gets shingles. The affected area pains for a day or two. After that, the blisters begin appearing. Blisters appear on one side of the body in a band-like fashion.

For some days, new blisters keep appearing. They are full of liquid and are very painful. After that, the blisters begin crusting and fall off in two to three weeks. Pain may remain on the affected area even if all the blisters clear. If you get a blister on the nose, you should inform your doctor immediately because your eyes may get affected. It can lead to vision loss.

Shingles> Treatment>

Shingles clears itself in two to three weeks. But as the condition is quite painful, doctors try to clear it sooner. Painkillers are prescribed along with anti-viral drugs. Sometimes your doctor may also prescribe steroids. If secondary bacterial infection appears, antibiotics are given. Taking rest is very important. Application of calamine solutions may reduce burning and itching. The patient should keep away from others because the virus can be passed on. The passed on virus does not cause shingles but causes chicken pox in the new person who gets the virus.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Friendster users, click Friendster Layouts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-color--keep-your-skin-young-looking-with-even-skin-color-1.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-color--keep-your-skin-young-looking-with-even-skin-color-1.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
You envy those who have an even skin tone, with no spots, pigmentation or aberrations on their skin. You wonder why some people are blessed with a flawless skin color? Melanocytes are the answer. To find out how you can get an even skin tone that will be the envy of others, you will need to know more about skin color and how it produces defects.

Skin color is because of pigments that are microscopic in size. They are called melanin. If this melanin is evenly spread over your face, you will get an even tone. Even otherwise, you find different skin tone on your body. Some areas are darker in color while some are lighter. Those who develop tan can also see the difference in color of their cloth protected skin and unprotected skin. This is all because of change in melanin density over different spots. This microscopic melanin must be understood to get a complexion you would love. Lets begin.

Skin Color> Melanin Formation>

Melanin, as we have seen in the overview, consists of microscopic pigment particles that give the skin its color. Melanin also defends the skin against sun damage. As the sun rays strike our body, the UV rays begin damaging the skin and produce more free radicals. Melanin stops the damage to the skin by sun. It helps us fight skin cancer.

Melanin is formed by melanocytes - the cells that are scattered in the last layer of the epidermis. This layer is also called the basal layer. Melanocytes manufacture melanin and send it across to other parts of skin in a pack. This pack is called melanosome. The skin cells absorb these melanosomes and melanin is extracted. Melanin surrounds the DNA in the nucleus of the cell and protects the cell against sun. Sounds confusing? Let us only remember that melanocytes form melanin and this pigment gives color to the skin and protects it from sun.


This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.



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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Friendster users, click Friendster Layouts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-color--keep-your-skin-young-looking-with-even-skin-color-2.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-color--keep-your-skin-young-looking-with-even-skin-color-2.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500


In this part of the article we will find out about various skin color problems and treatment. With change in melanocyte distribution in the skin, you get many discolored spots and pigmentation problems. You may also get the problem of loosing pigments from skin, as happens in vitiligo.

More pigments cause different skin problems. Some of them are:

Moles,
Liver Spots,
Freckles,
PIH, and
Melasma.

Sun exposure accentuates all of these problems. As you know, sun makes skin produce more melanin and that increases darkening problems.

Skin Color> Bleaching>

What about bleaching of the skin discoloration? Here we have to address two concerns:

1) Stopping formation of new melanocytes at the pigmented spot, and
2) Removing the existing color on the pigmented spot.

Scientists have found that an enzyme called tyrosinase activates the production of melanin. This enzyme activity must be stopped on the discolored spot so that more melanin is not formed there. The common bleaching agents that help to stop formation of new melanin, are discussed below.

Currently the US FDA recognizes only hydroquinone as a bleaching agent. Other ingredients used in bleaching creams are called brighteners, lighteners, etc. Some of the common ingredients that can be used to stop further melanin getting produced are hydroquinone, kojic acid, and azelaic acid. Research is being conducted on many other molecules and some of them are getting incorporated in bleaching formulations.

The second problem, as we said is to remove the existing excess melanin. This can be done by exfoliating the skin and bringing fresh skin in its place. For that AHAs and tretinoin are commonly used.

You should consult your doctor and use a formulation that will not only remove the existing color, but also stop further color getting added. There are many formulations available and your doctor is the best person to address this. Take care that you don't use any product that irritates your skin and also avoid application on normal skin.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Friendster users, click Friendster Layouts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/acne--what-cures-acne-and-what-does-not-cure.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/acne--what-cures-acne-and-what-does-not-cure.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Does rubbing alcohol help cure acne? Can sunshine improve acne? Does food have any effect on acne? Let us find out.

Rubbing Alcohol -

Acne treatment is directed towards keeping the gland open, reducing sebum production, and killing the multiplying bacteria. If one can take steps to treat all these three issues the acne will get cured. Rubbing alcohol will only kill any bacteria that are present on the skin. It will not help in keeping the gland open or reducing the sebum production. It is also doubtful about how much alcohol will reach inside the acne and kill the bacteria there. It is therefore not advised to try treating acne with rubbing alcohol.

Acne & Food Connection-

There may be a connection between eating a particular food and getting acne. But science has yet to come to a conclusion about it. That does not mean that your acne may not be occurring by a particular food. Science has not solved all the mysteries and many of grandma's recipes work for no scientific reason. It is for you to make a chart of food and acne. Whenever you get a flare up, try to find out if you had eaten any particular food. If this match continues, avoid that food.

Acne and Sunshine-

Every acne treatment tries to address one or more of the causes of acne formation. Sunlight does not address any of the causes. What it does is to either burn the skin or tan it. With tanned look, acne looks less apparent and we believe that it is going away. But that is not true. Rather sun damages the skin and may cause early wrinkles, aging and even cancer.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.


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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Friendster users, click Friendster Layouts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/acne-scars--they-need-not-be-there-for-life.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/acne-scars--they-need-not-be-there-for-life.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The severity of the acne scar, the location and type of treatments that can be done are factors that decide the method that can be used to treat acne scars. Let us discuss some of them. Chemical peeling, laser, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, excision surgery and collagen or fat tissue filling are the common methods to treat acne scars. Depending upon your scars, your doctor will advise you about the kind of treatment you may have to undergo. Many people prefer to get treated only for deep scars and hope that the mild scars will resolve with time.

Tretinoin and acne scars-

Tretinoin comes as a cream or gel and it peels the upper layer of the skin. By repeated application, your mild superficial scar will become less prominent. You have the option of using an OTC product or a prescription product. Please consult your doctor about that. Along with treating mild scars tretinoin also removes dead skin cells and removes superficial age lines and spots.

Chemical peeling and acne scars-

Acne Scars can be easily removed with Chemical peeling. This method has been used since years for not only removing acne scars but also other skin blemishes and discolorations. With Chemical peeling doctors remove the layers of skin with chemicals. With the new skin forming the earlier blemishes disappear.

Microdermabrasion and acne scars-

In microdermabrasion small crystals are thrown at a high velocity and collected back by vacuum. These small crystals abrade the skin surface in a minimal way, removing the dead skin cells and some disfigured spots slowly. With repeated treatments, you may see some improvement in the scars. Microdermabrasion can be performed at home.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.


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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Friendster users, click Friendster Layouts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/hair-loss-treatment--the-best-option.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/hair-loss-treatment--the-best-option.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Hair Loss Treatment- The Best Option

Minoxidil is currently the best option for those who are losing hair or those who have a family history of hair loss and like to prevent it. Minoxidil stops hair loss and also regrows hair after it is used for a few months. Minoxidil comes in a solution form that is to be applied topically over the affected area. This medicine is available OTC in some countries while in some countries; you have to get a doctor's prescription for it. It is always better to use minoxidil with doctor's consultation even if you buy it OTC. Hair regrowth due to minoxidil will stop when you discontinue the application. It is available in different strengths and your doctor will advise you about the strength you should use. Use minoxidil with confidence and take care that you discuss the following with your doctor before you use it.

Precautions with Minoxidil-

1) Minoxidil use on pregnant women should be discussed with doctor.
2) Minoxidil should not be used while breast-feeding.
3) It should be used in children only after consulting the doctor.
4) For elder people above 65 years of age, consult the doctor before use.
5) If you have any heart related problem, you should talk about it with your doctor before using minoxidil.
6) Don't use any other topicals on the same site as that of minoxidil without consulting your doctor. It may increase absorption of minoxidil.
7) Don't overuse minoxidil. If you have missed a dose, don't use double dose next time.
8) Talk with the doctor about all the allergies you have, before using minoxidil.
9) After applying minoxidil wash your hands carefully, otherwise it will get absorbed.
10) If you have any scalp problems, discuss about that with your doctor before applying minoxidil.
11) If you are getting any hair treatment done, such as hair coloring, etc., talk to your doctor before getting any treatment done.
12) If you get any side effects such as skin rashes, redness, etc., talk to your doctor.
13) In case of side-effects such as blurred vision, headache, swelling of hands, feet or legs, sudden weight gain, tingling sensations, etc., you should stop use and consult your doctor immediately. Find out about all possible side effects with your doctor.


This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Myspace users, click myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/skin-care--one-medicine-for-acne-and-rosacea.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/acne/skin-care--one-medicine-for-acne-and-rosacea.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500



Azelaic Acid is one of the common products used nowadays for treatment of hyper-pigmentation, acne and rosacea.. Azelaic Acid is produced by pityrosporum ovale, yeast that lives on normal skin.

Azelaic Acid is normally used in a concentration of 20% in topicals for application to reduce hyper-pigmentation. Azelaic acid can also be combined with AHAs such as glycolic acid for skin color treatment. Azelaic Acid also helps treat acne, because it normalizes the skin shedding of follicles and also reduces bacteria p.acnes.

Those who do not normally tolerate hydroquinone as a bleaching agent can use azelaic acid in consultation with their doctor. If after application, any redness or itching or any such other reaction develops, stop use and consult your doctor immediately.

Azelaic Acid For Treating Acne And Rosacea

Azelaic Acid is used to treat acne and rosacea. It cures acne by killing the bacteria P.acnes that causes the acne. Azelaic Acid also opens the sebaceous glands by reducing production of keratin. With these two actions, azelaic acid reduces the acne inflammation and treats it. Azelaic acid is also widely used to treat the swelling, pustules and bumps in rosacea. How it cures rosacea is not understood yet.

Another use of Azelaic Acid is bleaching of skin. You can use Azelaic Acid to bleach hyper-pigmented skin. So, while treating acne or rosacea, you have to watch the skin color. If it is getting lighter, contact your doctor.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.






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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Myspace users, click myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-care--know-about-cosmtic-products-labelling.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/skin-care--know-about-cosmtic-products-labelling.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Cosmetic products are labeled with different words. Words such as - hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and ophthalmologist tested can be seen on many cosmetics. Such words make the buyer feel that they are buying something that is certified. The truth may be different. Before you get misguided, understand the meaning s of these words.

Hypoallergenic Product -

By reading the word hypoallergenic on any product, most people believe that it will not cause any allergy in them. But this may not be true. Manufacturers are not required to substantiate their claim that their product is hypoallergenic. The use of this term by a reputed company may mean that a product labeled as hypoallergenic has less chances of causing allergy in most of the consumers. You have to use a product and find out if it causes any allergy.

Dermatologist Tested -

Some products are labeled as dermatologist tested. That may mean that an independent dermatologist supervised the allergy test done by the company for a product. Unless this allergy test is conducted on a large number of volunteers, it may not give correct results.

Ophthalmologist Tested -

A product labeled as ophthalmologist tested is commonly meant for the area near the eyes and may mean that an ophthalmologist tested/supervised the test conducted by the company on volunteers near their eyes.

Validity Of Tests

The validity of tests may depend on the number of volunteers tested. Use products marked as hypoallergenic, etc., with caution because the results may be interpreted by a company in its favor to sell more products by luring consumers.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Myspace users, click myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/genital-warts-treatment-with-imiquimod.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/genital-warts-treatment-with-imiquimod.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The treatment of genital warts is not simple. It needs patience. Let us discuss about treatment of warts with application of Imiquimod, which is one of the most popular medicines for this.

Genital warts form on the male genitalia, female genitalia (both inside and outside) and near anus. They may appear singly or in a bunch and if allowed untreated, they can grow bigger and appear like cauliflowers. It is better to prevent getting genital warts rather than treating them. But the problem is this- one who passes on the virus that causes genital warts may be unaware that he/she has got the virus. So despite all precautions such as use of condoms etc. you may still get them.

Genital warts- surgical removal

To remove the wart the most popular method is to apply liquid nitrogen to it. Liquid nitrogen has very low temperature and will kill the skin and tissues of the warts. After few applications, the wart will get killed and can be removed easily. This is done by doctors and is not a very painful procedure. Again how to and whether to use liquid nitrogen depends upon the location of the wart. Your doctor may get electrocautery or surgical excision to remove the wart. Lasers have emerged as a good option. All the treatments depend upon the location of the wart. Even after the wart is removed, there is no guarantee that it will not come up again.

Treatment With Imiquimod-

Imiquimod is used topically to treat warts on the genital and anal areas. It helps the body's immune system to fight the virus. It does not cure warts. It helps the body to get rid of them. It also does not kill the virus. New warts can appear when imiquimod is being used.

Care-

Imiquimod should be not be used in pregnancy without doctor's consent. It also cannot be used inside the genitals: inside vagina. Imiquimod should not be used on inflamed skin. Use of imiquimod does not stop spreading of virus by the user. Imiquimod has to be used thrice a week for sixteen weeks.

Common side effects of imiquimod-

Skin blisters, cough, body aches, itching in genital area, etc., are common side effects of imiquimod. Your doctor will tell you more in detail.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.






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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Myspace users, click myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/imitation-tanners--tanned-look-without-any-fear-of-skin-cancer.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/imitation-tanners--tanned-look-without-any-fear-of-skin-cancer.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Sunrays, sunlamps and tanning beds cause damage. Taking view of this, artificial tanning liquids that produce a tanned effect have been developed with dihydroxyacetone. When you apply a sunless tanning product with dihydroxyacetone on your skin, it reacts with the amino acids in the epidermis of the skin and produces color. Dihydroxyacetone is the only ingredient approved by the US FDA for sunless tanning.

Formulations with Dihydroxyacetone>

Many formulations with dihydroxyacetone are available in the market. Most of them have added features such as added sunscreens, moisturizers, AHAs, etc. If you have oily skin, prefer an alcohol-based formulation. The concentration of dihydroxyacetone ranges from 2.5% to 10%. This determines the darkening ability of the formulation.

Using Imitation Tanning Formulations>

The final effect of tanning will depend largely upon the formulation concentration, application technique, skin type and complexion. You should wash your skin thoroughly and remove all the soap with an alkali remover, which comes with the formulation. If alkalis remain on the skin, they interfere with the reaction of dihydroxyacetone with the amino acids of the skin. Apply less quantity on elbows, ankles and knees or remove the excess with a cotton pad. Avoid all areas of mucous membrane such as lips, etc. Avoid areas near the eyes. Apply the tanning solution very carefully protecting your skin. Wash your hands immediately after application. Don't swim or take bath for at least an hour after application. The tan will take about an hour to develop and you may see full tan after about eight hours.

Imitation tanning formulations> Care>
Note that the tanned skin with dihydroxyacetone is not safe from sun. Protect it with regular use of sunscreens. The effect of tan will last till your skin does not shed away the upper layer of epidermis. You may have to apply the tanning solution again after that. The average period may be about a week.

Consult your doctor before use of any such product and get guidelines for safe application for your skin type. Read the manufacturers instructions carefully before using any such product.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.



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DoctorGoodSkin.com is a popular skin care guide where you can find a lot of information, articles and tips about acne, skin care, STDs, skin diseases and conditions, skin treatments, procedures, skin care products, etc. If you love solving quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards. Myspace users, click myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>