Treatments for Dandruff

Pityriasis capitis is an excess of white scales or skin flakes on the scalp that itches. It is caused by a yeast that is normally present on the skin that combines with the secretions of the oil glands. When the yeast produces fatty acid, it causes irritation. Dandruff is common but can be embarrassing due to shedding on upper body clothing and the tendency to scratch.

Usually dandruff can be treated by antiyeast shampoos available without a prescription at your pharmacy. These shampoos contain different medicinal ingredients that contain salicylic acid, coal tar, or antifungal properties. Many dandruff shampoos are now more pleasant to use. Recent developments in zinc pyrithione shampoos have made them especially effective. Apply daily until the condition is controlled, and then one to three times a week as needed.

Effective dandruff shampoos include:

• Head & Shoulders (antifungal)
• Selsun (antifungal)
• Nizoral (antifungal)
• Sebcur (salicylic acid)
• T-Gel (coal tar)

Severe dandruff

You may find the rash:

• between the eyebrows
• on the sides of the nose
• in and around the ears
• on the center of the chest
• on the upperback
• on opposing skin surfaces such as under armpits or breasts

The risk factors for seborrheic dermatits are:

• neurological conditions such as Parkinsonism or after strokes
• HIV-AIDS (with AIDS the condition can be more extensive and inflamed)
• antipsychotic drugs

Seborrheic dermatitis can be confused with other skin conditions such as:

• scalp psoriasis (Read more on www.psoriasisguide.ca/basics/types/scalp_psoriasis.htm)
• tinea capitis (http://www.fungalguide.ca/types/fungal_hair_infections.html )
• facial rosacea
• atopic dermatitis
• intertrigo
• erythrasma

Treatment for seborrheic dermatitis

Antiyeast shampoos can treat seborrheic dermatitis by application in the shower to the scalp, rubbing the lather onto the face and chest for 30-60 seconds and then washing off. If the condition does not improve by trying several over-the-counter treatments, consult your doctor. Creams or pills may be prescribed.

Recommended treatments are:

• ketoconazole cream or pills
• hydrocortisone cream
• lithium succinate ointment with 15% propylene glycol in water
• zinc pyrithione shampoo

If seborrheic dermatitis persists, the following may be prescribed:

• betamethasone valerate solutions (Betnovate)
• flucinonide gels
• clobetasone shampoo (Clobex)
• pimecrolimus cream (Elidel)
• tacrolimus ointment (Protopic)

If your dandruff is severe or uncontrollable with other the counter shampoos, it is best to see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.
For more tips on healthy and beautiful skin, visit www.dermatologycare.ca/signup/signup.html.

What to Expect When Receiving a Facial

By: Van Le

Proper skincare goes beyond wearing sunscreen in the morning and taking off all your makeup at night. Your skin is constantly exposed to internal and external elements, and needs extra help in order maintain a healthy glow. Getting facials can be one way to revamp your skin while pampering yourself. Along with pure relaxation, facials provide not only beauty benefits but also health benefits. According to New Life Journal’s article, “A facial, it’s more than meets the eye” by Julie Pagano, “the major health benefits of regular facials are regulation of the immune system, detoxification, reduction in fluid build-up, exfoliation, and stress relief. These benefits are achieved in a facial that incorporates lymphatic drainage, exfoliation treatments, acupressure, and aromatherapy.”

The health benefits are just the icing on the cake. What really lures us in is the relaxation and pampering we receive when getting a facial. Never had a facial before? Consider this Facial 101. Plan to arrive at the location five to ten minutes before your appointment. Most places will ask you to fill out a short questionnaire about your skin type and skincare habits. This would also be the right time to let the aesthetician be aware of any allergies you may have. The spa will provide you with a terry top so that it is easier to massage your neck and shoulders. You will also be given a headband to keep your hair out of the way.

The aesthetician will clean your face of any leftover makeup and analyze your skin under a magnifying glass light. Some will use a steam mist to open your pores. Depending on the type of facial you are getting, he/she will massage a wide variety of different cleansers, exfoliating creams, and masks on your face. Some creams and masks will be left on your face for several minutes, which can be a very blissful and relaxing experience. Most places will also extract blackheads and pimples, which can be a bit painful but not overwhelming. (If you are afraid it will hurt, you should take a pain reliever before arriving at the spa). Afterwards, the aesthetician will continue to apply masks and creams, as well as massaging your neck and shoulders. At the end of the facial, he/she will give you a breakdown of the products used during the session, make recommendations for at-home practices, and answer any questions you may have.

Essentially, all facials are designed to cleanse the deep pockets in your pores, however, depending on your specific needs, there are several types of facials available, including anti-aging, aromatherapy, and acne facials. The cost and length of time can vary from $50-$250 and 30-90 minutes.

For the period in between visits, check the site archives for several at-home remedies available to help rejuvenate your skin and keep it looking healthy.

Facials are meant to help you relax and a great way to help relieve the stress created from between the time you put on sunscreen in the morning and the time you take your makeup off at night.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare, you can also link to ORGANICSKINCAREINFO.NET

Changing the Skin Surface’s pH Balance

Cleansers interact with the skin’s moisture barrier as well as the skin’s pH to emulsify dirt and oil for easy removal. As dirt or debris is usually embedded in the barrier’s outer layer of oil, removing this dirt can disrupt this naturally protective surface.

The health of the skin’s moisture barrier is important as this barrier preserves water and natural oils to moisturize and maintain the smoothness and flexibility of the skin. It also serves as your skin’s protection against injury from chemicals or bacteria. Harsher cleansers can disrupt this barrier, as well as irritate the skin and affect the skin surface pH, which scientists believe plays a role in regulating how this barrier functions and protects us from bacteria. Studies show that the barrier’s regeneration and repair happens more slowly at a neutral pH than at the skin’s natural acidic pH. Changing the skin surface’s pH balance can increase the skin’s sensitivity to potential irritants.

Cleansing with water, soap or a liquid cleanser will affect the skin’s moisture barrier, although soap will have the most impact and will make the skin’s pH more alkaline. Liquid facial cleansers clean more gently, with less disruption of the barrier and have a smaller effect on the skin pH. Some of the new synthetic detergents will remove dirt and disrupt the outer layer of oil, but then work to ensure the skin barrier is left intact by restoring the oil.

Lasers Used for Hair Removal

Laser energy, through the principle of selective photothermolysis (a process that involves selective absorption of an intense light pulse at wavelengths that are absorbed by the hair follicles, but not by the surrounding tissue), targets the pigment in the hair follicle. This causes destruction of hair follicles while sparing surrounding structures (i.e., the skin). Growing hair is more sensitive to destruction than resting hairs. Many of the lasers listed below utilize epidermal or skin cooling techniques. The effect of cooling the surface of the skin serves to minimize discomfort during treatment while increasing the effectiveness of the laser treatments.

1. Ruby Laser (694 nm, normal mode)
   - All patients will see a growth delay of their hair. Some patients will see a permanent reduction in hair growth.
   - This laser is more effective for dark hair. Blonde and gray hairs are more resistant.
   - White hairs do not respond to treatment
   - Epilaser® (Palomar) and Epitouch® (Sharplan) are examples of ruby lasers
2. Alexandrite Laser (755 nm, normal mode)
   - All patients will see a growth delay of their hair. Some will see a permanent reduction in hair growth.
   - It is effective for dark hair. Blonde and gray hairs are more resistant.
   - White hairs do not respond to treatment
   - It is potentially safer for darker skin than the ruby laser
   - Rapid repetition rates of the laser will reduce treatment time
   - Apogee® (Cynosure) uses a cooling gel on the skin
   - Gentlase® (Candela) uses dynamic cooling spray
3. Pulsed Diode Laser (800nm)
   - Patients with thick or coarse hair will see a delay in hair growth. Some patients will see a permanent reduction in hair growth.
   - It is effective for dark hair. It is not effective for fine hair.
   - Potentially, it is safer for darker skin types
   - LightSheer® (Coherent) uses contact cooling
4. Intense Pulsed Light Source (500-1200 nm)
   - It is effective for dark hair, both fine and coarse
   - It is potentially useful for darker skin types
   - Epilight® (ESC) uses cooling gel
5. Nd:YAG Laser (1064 nm, Q-switched)
   - Permanent hair removal has not been demonstrated
   - It can temporarily remove light hairs
   - It is potentially safe for all skin types, and causes the least epidermal damage of all treatments.
   - Carbon suspension is applied to skin in some treatments
   - There is a lower risk of epidermal damage
   - Short operative times are required
   - It causes the least discomfort of all laser hair removal treatments

An Introduction to Homeopathy

Basic facts of unitary homeopathy
The founder of homeopathy was Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Based on his observations, he formulated the so-called PRINCIPLE OF SIMILARITY, which states that a given substance can cure in a diseased person the symptoms that it produces or causes in a healthy person.

Homeopathy is a well-described, scientifically based system of approaching health and disease. “Scientific” because the insights are based on reproducible experiments. “Well-described” because from these observations a number of precise basic fundamental rules became evident, first among them the “similarity principle.”

Hahnemann published his ideas and experiences in a book called the Organon. The first edition appeared in 1810 and he wrote the last edition (which appeared posthumously) in 1842. As was the custom in those days, he gave numbers to each paragraph in which he explained his different concepts. What is so striking is that Hahnemann’s fundamental concepts still hold true today nearly 200 years later. This is not to say there has been no progress in homeopathic thought but rather to the fact that subsequent investigators have been able to confirm and reconfirm these basic principles. Every serious study of homeopathy even today begins with a study of the Organon.

What is unitary homeopathy?
Although homeopathy is only 200 years old, it is now practiced in a variety of ways, most of which bear little resemblance to what Hahnemann taught. In the public mind the word “homeopathy” has become so vague that for some it means only an “alternative medicine” and for others a combination of homeopathic medicines that you buy in the health food store, one mixture for allergies, another for headache, etc.

Unitary homeopathy (often called classical homeopathy) must be differentiated from all other so-called forms of homeopathy. The hallmarks of unitary homeopathy are:

• A thorough interview to discover the totality of signs and symptoms. This total picture is our most important guide to the medicine. By “signs” we mean that which can be objectively assessed by the physician. By “symptoms” we mean what the patient himself feels subjectively.
• How a homeopathic medicine acts is found out by administering it to healthy volunteers and recording the symptoms the volunteers report. By repeating these trials often, we get a complete profile of the medicine. Such trials are known as “provings.” All homeopathic medicines have been “proved” on healthy volunteers to learn how they act.
• The total picture of the patient should be as similar as possible to the drug picture of the selected remedy. This is known as similia similibus curentur (let similars be cured by similars). The medicine should match the so-called characteristic (striking, unusual, and uncommon) symptoms of the patient as closely as possible.
• Since a homeopathic remedy corresponds only superficially to a particular disease, it must be customized to match the individual with that disease, a process we call “individualization.” The very same illness in another patient will most often be cured with an entirely different remedy – thus we could have two different remedies that cure two different patients with the same disease.

According to the homeopathic way of thinking, a disease originates from a disturbance of the patient’s “vital force.” This is the life force energy that sustains life. As the origin of disease occurs on this energetic level, the homeopathic remedy has also to be on this level.

• Such an energetic medicine is made by diluting the remedy and succussing (shaking) it. All homeopathic medicines are “potentized”, i.e., diluted and succussed. This method of preparation imparts considerable energy to each substance.
• “Unitary” homeopathy means that only one remedy is given at a time because only one remedy can correspond perfectly to the total picture of the patient. A prescription that does not aim for this totality is not homeopathic.

Taking the homeopathic remedy
Homeopathic medicines can be administered in drops, grains (approx. 3mm in diameter) or globules (approx. 1mm in diameter). The medicine is taken once, meaning that a given number of drops, grains or globules are taken on a single occasion and only once. Sometimes the medicine is repeated, e.g., two times a day or every three hours, etc.

You must follow the instructions carefully. Usually the remedy is repeated until a reaction occurs. When a dose is taken can be important. Usually you will be instructed to take it before a certain meal, usually breakfast. It is best is to eat no food, alcohol, tea or coffee before taking the remedy. Also do not brush your teeth at that time. After a couple of minutes the remedy is absorbed and you can eat breakfast.

How to take the medicine
Follow the instructions of your physician. Drops can go directly into your mouth or be dissolved in water and then administered in teaspoonful doses. Grains and globules can be placed under the tongue. It is better not to touch the remedies, so use the cap of the vial or tube. Store your homeopathic remedy in a place where there is no sunlight or strong odors and where it is neither too hot nor cold. This way it will remain active for a long time.

Homeopathic remedies are sufficiently diluted so that no poisoning will occur if a child should accidentally ingest a tube of granules, though it is possible that he might prove the medicine so you might have to consult your homeopathic physician.

After you have taken your medication it is important to observe yourself. Be sure to keep the follow up appointment which will be two to eight weeks after the initial appointment. Typically in the treatment of a chronic illness the follow up will be one to two months later. The better the treatment goes the longer will be the intervals between appointments until you are eventually cured. Cure is not simply the disappearance of one or several complaints but an optimally stable equilibrium physically as well as well as psychologically.

Adapted from the forthcoming book
by Frederik Schroyens, M.D.:
Getting in Touch with Yourself,
Finding Your Homeopathic Remedy