Skin Tag - What is that?

Skin Tags

What are Skin tags? – Acrochordon is the medical term for skin tags which are small pieces of hardened skin that become loosely attached by tissue to another part of the body. Skin tags are harmless and can be removed with surgical procedures or some conventional home remedies, although it is advised by doctors to have this skin tags checked because it is also a symptom of other body ailments like diabetes or even cancer. Majority of skin tags cases are generally non-fatal or harmless.
Even though it is harmless, skin tags appears on places that are highly visible on the body like eyelids, cheeks, and the neck which is a little disturbing for people who are conscious of their beauty and physique. Some skin tags can grow even in the groin and pretty-much everywhere in the body.


What causes Skin tags? - There is no certain explanation for what causes skin tags although there are some instances or diseases that can cause it. People from 50 years old and above are more likely to develop skin tags, but there are cases that infants develop them too. Men and women alike can develop this kind of skin impurity, but it is not contagious; so skin contact with people who have skin tags are safe (except for skin tags that was the result of the Human Papilloma virus or HPV). Here are some causes of skin tags that are already proven by some experts:

1. Excessive Weight – Friction of excess weight to other skin in the body can cause skin tags.
2. Pregnancy – There is a high possibility of skin tags developing during pregnancy due to excessive weight and hormonal imbalances.
3. Diabetes – People with type 2 diabetes are much likely to develop skin tags because of the imbalance of insulin in the body and excessive weight which is evident on diabetic people.
4. Genetics – Some cases of skin tags are hereditary and can be passed from parent to children, but development occurs in the later on the child's life.
5. Human Papilloma virus (HPV) – HPV, which is also notorious for warts, has over a hundred strains and it can even cause skin tags.

How to remove Skin tags? – There are many ways of removing skin tags. We can have the choice to seek medical intervention or just do simple home remedies.
Home remedies include:
• The use of dental floss or strings which you will tie on the base of the skin tag until blood circulation in the skin tag stops and it will fall off easily.
• Cutting the skin tag off with sterilized equipments.
• The use of onion juice where you put a few drops on the skin tag which will dry it and it will easily fall off.
• Tea tree oils which is proven to remove skin tags effectively. Apply it three times a day and within a week you'll see the result

Surgical remedies include:
• Laser treatment
• Chemical treatment
• The use of liquid nitrogen for freezing off skin tags
• Burning the root of the skin tags to prevent further development.
There are a lot of other form of treatment and remedies for skin tags. It is best to seek medical advice from doctors before undergoing such treatments.

Author: DarlenauDyer

Dry Skin - Help, i`m turning into a lizard!

Dry Skin

Dry skin is a very common ailment, especially during winters. In medical terms, dry skin is referred to as “xerosis”. A person's skin requires moisture and tends to become dry when enough moisture is not available when the oil glands cannot produce enough oil as required by the body. This can happen due to cold winter weather, heating in the house, bathing with too hot or too cold water, or rough towel drying.

Dry skin causes many problems. Cracks, itching, premature wrinkles, dry and unhealthy look and marks of scratches are few of them. If you have no diseases that are making your skin dry, you need to address the reasons that make your skin dry and adopt habits to correct the dryness.

What Is Dry Skin?
It is moisture that is no longer in your skin. The body produces different natural oils that keep the skin moist and soft. This helps to keep your skin from being less likely injured or dried out. When your skin is dry the amount of oils that your body produces has been reduced. Your skin is feeling dry, itchy and painful.

Dry skin is often very sensitive as it has a very low level of sebum. Due to it’s inability to retain moisture, the skin looks very dry or parched, and feels highly uncomfortable and dull till it is moisturized. Due to intense sensitivity, the skin tends to flake, crack and chap at places of extreme dryness. Dry skin often seems to be tightly drawn over the bones and is indicated by tiny expression lines around some sensitive areas like the eyes and the mouth.

Skin- why it becomes dry?

Skin becomes dry for various reasons. The sebum on the skin is getting washed very fast because you might be over washing it. You might be using harsh detergents. The weather may be playing a role. Dry air will suck the moisture away from skin. Air conditioners and room heaters produce dry air and that is one cause. Many skin problems make skin dry. Psoriasis is one of them. If you have persistent dry skin with flaking you should consult a doctor and find out if there is any underlying skin condition that is causing this. Sometimes, your daily use cosmetics may cause irritation.

Treatment for Dry Skin:
1] Diet is also one of the factors for dry skin ailments. Plenty of vitamins A and B can help the skin produce natural oils and avoid dry skin.

2] The usage of soap on dry skin should be minimal because it strips the natural oils from the skin and leaves the skin dry.

3] Weather conditions can also be the cause of dry skin.

4] Bathing in very hot water too often will also dry your skin out.

5] The best  thing you can do for your dry skin is exfoliate daily.

6] Another thing you should do to help your dry skin is to cleanse it regularly.

Whatever the cause may be dry skin can be prevented and treated. If caused by medical conditions you should consult your physician. But for the most part dry skin problems can be easily prevented by applying lotions and taking good daily care of your skin.

Author: naturalremedies

Skin rash - To scratch or not to scratch , that is the question

Skin Rashes

Saying that skin rashes can be pretty irritating would be considered an understatement. Skin rashes, when they appear, affect not just a person’s comfort, but also his or her self-esteem.

Skin rashes have different causes. 
One of the most common causes of rashes is an allergic reaction. This is actually called contact dermatitis. Although people have very specific allergies, there are certain plants that irritates just about everyone’s skin, like poison ivy or poison oak and others. These rashes are often caused by essential oils on a plant’s leaves or stem.

Getting rashes from contact with a substance can be cured by various creams or lotions. Usually, the rashes go away after a while. However, you can also get rashes from allergic reactions to food, drink or medication. If you develop rashes all over your body after eating, drinking, or taking in new medication, you need to consult a physician right away! Speedy development of rashes could be a serious sign of a severe allergic reaction, especially if you feel any constricting or swelling.

Your lifestyle may also cause skin rashes. If you do not wash skin regularly, you could get some bacteria or fungi that would irritate your skin. In order to prevent rashes, you should make sure that you wear clean clothes and sleep in clean sheets. Change sheets at least once a week.

In washing clothes make sure that you do so properly and wash out all the detergent. Detergent can irritate skin and cause skin rashes. You should also wear lose clothing to prevent sweat from accumulating, as this too can irritate skin and cause rashes.

Some types of skin rashes go away after a few days or weeks. If you find that you have rashes that do not go after a couple of weeks, you might have a skin condition and you should consult with a dermatologist.

Skin rashes have different causes and treatments. 
Going to a dermatologist would help you identify the cause of your skin rashes and the proper treatment for them. Remember that skin rashes can be aggravated if they receive the wrong treatment. You should also avoid scratching your rashes, even if they’re itchy. Doing so could actually spread the rash and make it even itchier. In other cases, the rash would come with inflammation and scratching it could break your skin.

There are also certain products that would provide you with temporary and quick relief from the symptoms of skin rashes. With these topical creams, you might also have an easier time identifying the cause of your rashes and whether you ought to be worried. These creams are often meant to neutralize allergens or kill fungi and bacteria that irritate the skin. If you find that a cream isn’t working, then you should consult with a physician. 

Author: bob

Scars - Things that help

Scar treatment
No scar can be completely removed. They will always leave behind a trace, but a number of procedures can improve their appearance.


Surgery -
Surgery will never completely remove a scar but can be used to alter its location or shape to make it less noticeable. Surgery is at times necessary to remove a scar on skin near a joint where it restricts movement, but it will leave another scar.

Laser surgery & resurfacing -
The use of laser on scars is still on an experimental phase, as the safety or effectiveness has not yet been proven.

Steroid injections -
A course of steroid injections into the scar may help flatten and soften the appearance of keloid or hypertrophic scars.

Z-Plasty -
Z-plasty is a surgical technique used to relocate a scar so that it more closely matches to the natural creases of the skin, where it will be less noticeable. In this procedure, the old scar is removed and new incisions are made on each side, creating small triangular flaps of skin. 

Skin grafting -
Grafting involves the transfer of skin from a healthy part of the body to cover the injured area. All grafts leave some scarring at the donor and recipient sites.
Make sure that your expectations from any surgery are realistic. You cannot expect that old scars will completely disappear; however, they will always turn flatter, paler and softer.

Creams -
Just like the other treatments for scars, creams can only help to the extent of making the scar look better. In no way are creams able to remove scars completely.

NuCERITY`s Skincerity is said to help -to a certain extent, improve the appearance of scars . I am not making claims that it removes scars . Scars cannot be completely removed. Ever. But try them yourself and let me know how it goes

source: http://www.mynucerity.biz/numy/products/skincerity/before-and-after-photos/



Home remedies to lessen scars -

• A mixture of sandalwood paste and black gram paste helps reduce the intensity of scars if started early.

• Rubbing your skin with ice cubes helps to tighten the skin.

• You can use cucumber and lemon juice on your scars.

• Vitamin E oil when applied on the scarred skin may do wonders for your skin.

• To prevent deepening of the scars, apply aloe vera gel, cod liver oil or vitamin E oil.

• Applying cocoa butter is also a good remedy in getting rid of the scars.

Author: Candy Willims

Scars - 99 problems but this one`s permanent?

Scars 

A scar is the pinkish or brown patch of skin that grows in the place where you once had a wound or sore. They are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin tissue after destruction of some of the dermis. A scar is thus the skin's natural way of repairing itself from injury. Most people have scars.
The word scar is derived from the Greek word eschara, meaning fireplace.

Every skin injury or wound heals with a scar. The appearance of a scar however depends on the type and extent of the wound, as well as how an individual's body heals.

Scar tissue is not similar to the tissue that it replaces and is usually of inferior quality. There is no hair growth on the scar tissue, and the skin there becomes less resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

How does scarring occur?
Scarring occur when the deep dermis layer of skin is damaged. The deeper the damage, the worse the scar.

Many skin scars are pale and leave a trace of the original injury that caused them. The time that a scar takes to form may range from a few days to, in some serious and rare cases, several years. Various treatments can speed up the process in serious cases.

To repair the damage, the body has to lay down new collagen tissues As the body cannot re-build the tissue exactly as it was, the scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding normal tissue. An injury does not become a scar until the wound has completely healed.

Factors affecting scar formation -
Many factors affect the severity of scar formation, such as –

- The size and depth of the wound.

- Location of the injury on the body.

- The blood supply to the area.

- Age of the person

- The thickness, type and colour of the person's skin.

- The direction of the scar.

Once a scar forms, it is permanent. However, it may be made less visible or displaced surgically.

Can scars be completely removed?
There is no way to remove scars completely. However, a skilled surgeon can definitely improve the appearance of the scar by disguising it, relocating it, or minimizing its prominence.

Skin colour and type, age, and the size of the scar, are important factors that go on to decide the outcome of a surgery to remove a scar.

Different types of scars respond to different plastic surgery techniques. Timing of the surgery is another important factor. The younger the scar, the more satisfactory is the result of the surgery. Therefore, if you want to have your scar removed, do not wait, until as advised by the doctor.

Types of scars –

1. Keloid scars:
Keloids are itchy clusters of scar tissue that grow beyond the edges of the wound or incision. They occur when the body continues to produce the tough, fibrous protein known as collagen after a wound has healed. They are more common in dark-skinned people.

Keloids are treated by injecting a steroid medication directly into the scar tissue to reduce redness and itching. However, the disheartening fact is that keloids have a tendency to recur, sometimes even larger than before, thus requiring repeated procedures.


2. Hypertrophic scars:
These scars, unlike keloids, remain within the limits of the original wound. They often improve on their own, though it may take a year or more. They may also require steroid applications or in some cases may have to be improved surgically.


3. Contractures:
Burns or other injuries that result in the loss of a large area of skin may form a scar that pulls the edges of the skin together, a process called contraction.

Improving a contracture usually involves cutting out the scar and replacing it with a skin graft or a flap. In some cases, a procedure known as Z-plasty may be used.


4. Facial scars:
Mostly, facial scars are cut out and closed with tiny stitches, leaving a less noticeable scar. Some facial scars can be softened using a technique called dermabrasion, that leaves a smoother surface to the skin, but does not completely erase the scar.

Author: Candy Willims

Acne - Things that help

General Tips

• Don't pop your pimples. 
• Try not to touch your face. 
• Drink enough water.
• Cut sweet, sugary drinks.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise.

Other than that, you may also ;

Try some benzoyl peroxide.

•  Benzoyl peroxide is used to kill the bacteria that contribute to acne.
•  Benzoyl peroxide comes in different concentrations, but benzoyl peroxide with a 2.5% concentration is just as effective as 5-10% solutions, and it's less irritating to the skin to boot. 
• Benzoyl peroxide also helps peel away layers of dead skin, leaving brighter, more rejuvenated skin in its place.

Use salicylic acid.

•  Like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid kills bacteria responsible for pimple growth. 
• It also causes skin cells to shed more rapidly, promoting the growth of new skin. 
• Put small amounts of salicylic acid onto affected areas before you go asleep, after you have washed your face

Use toothpaste. 

• Toothpaste contains silica, which is the drying agent you find in bags of beef jerky, among other things. Basically, toothpaste will dry out your pimple overnight, reducing it in size
• Make sure to use natural toothpaste when you dab it onto your skin. Some toothpastes containing sodium lauryl sulfate can irritate the skin. Watch out for it before applying.

Invest in some good quality , natural cleanser , toners and other skin products.

I personally recommend some of the products from Univera, a biotech company from Korea. They pride in their scientific capabilities , boasting $100 million invested in research , 177+ patents and patents pending , and full scare proton NMR capabilities , along with their practice of using natural ingredients . 

Another product that my family has been using , and going crazy about is NuCERITY`s Skincerity 

With Skincerity, you don’t have change your regimen or replace your favorites. Just roll on Skincerity last and the barrier technology will help your favorite products perform better, faster, more effective. 

The idea is that Skincerity`s patented Breathable Barrier technology seals in your own natural moisture to deeply hydrate your skin. While the Breathable Barrier holds in moisture, it both infuses antioxidants and allows oxygen molecules to penetrate the barrier to help restore and rejuvenate your skin. 

Here are some people who have had some success with skincerity

You can find benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid at any drug store. You can get univera products here and NuCERITY`s Skincerity over here

The items I have listed are just things that help . In the end, I believe it all comes down to the basics , hygiene , diet , rest and exercise . I hope this post helps.

Good day

Acne - Father of skin related self esteem issues

Are Pimples Acne?

"My son doesn't have acne!  He just has those regular teenage pimples, you know, that all kids get."

"I don't have acne.  I just have these hormonal breakouts that happen at that time of the month."

"I don't know why my daughters have those awful acne pimples.  I never had acne.  Plenty of blackheads and those bumps under the skin, but no acne, thank heavens!"

"I have never had acne.  I get congested pores, but who doesn't?"

When you call yourself "The Acne Treatment Center" you hear it all.  To many, "acne" really is the worst four letter word.  Better to say "pimples" because it sounds so innocent.  Occasional breakouts, complexion problems, blackheads, congested pores, whiteheads, bumps, pimples.  Hate to be the one to tell you, but they are all acne.  Unless they are something worse, but that's another article.

Acne is a hereditary condition in which the sebaceous follicles (that's "pores" for the rest of us) shed too many dead skin cells at a time.  The body can't keep up.  These dead skin cells mix with the oil, or sebum if you are keeping score, produced in our pores and make tiny little plugs that gradually – and I do mean gradually, it can take 90 days!—work their way to the surface.

Acne is of two types, inflamed and non-inflamed.  If you have the inflamed type, these plugs will cause your pores to form pimples and sometimes cysts.  If you have the non-inflamed type, they will form blackheads, whiteheads (don't confuse them with pustules or classic pimples) and bumps.  This type is less noticeable, but the skin feels bumpy and doesn't look healthy.

Without those extra dead skin cells, you won't get pimples, you won't get blackheads, you won't have complexion problems, or congested pores, or occasional bumps, or hormonal breakouts.  You can have really oily skin and you will be perfectly smooth if you don't have the extra dead skin cells.

A lot of people think acne is caused by bacteria.  Everyone's skin harbors a bacteria that is important to the well-being of our skin.  It eats dead skin cells and sebum.  It has the unfortunate name of propionibacterium acne, or p.acnes for short.  It was given the "acne" portion of its name by a scientist in the 1890s who first found it in the pus from a pimple and concluded it caused acne.

You can use all the methods of pimple treatments out there for killing that bacteria, but unless you get rid of the extra skin cells, you're still going to have acne.  It will generally be the non-inflamed kind, so the pimples will be mostly gone, until you stop taking the antibiotic to get rid of pimples and then the inflammation will come back and so will the pimples.

Kat Leverette, founder of Oakland's Urban Skin Solutions and one of the top Acne Specialists in the world, likes to say, "If Tetracycline can cure venereal disease in ten days, why , after taking it for three years, do you still have acne?"

And this doesn't even begin to address all the problems you are creating for your body and the world by being on antibiotics for that long.
So how do you get rid of the extra skin cells?

Exfoliation.

Wait!  Before you grab your wash cloth or your apricot kernels and start scrubbing, you need to know it is exfoliation inside the pores! Your washcloth can't reach there.  All the scrubbing in the world isn't going to help.  In fact, it is going to make it worse because irritating your skin prevents it from healing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/are-pimples-acne-5636675.html