nutrition and skin

Of all the news coming from the beauty community, the loudest buzz may be about the power of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to give skin a more radiant, healthy, and, yes, youthful glow.

"Your skin is the fingerprint of what is going on inside your body, and all skin conditions, from psoriasis to acne to aging, are the manifestations of your body's internal needs, including its nutritional needs .

Vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex can all help improve skin health. Here's how:

Vitamins C and E :

Topical Vitamin C can prevent the consequences of prolonged sun exposure which can lead to skin cancer ,people who take vitamins C and E in the long term reduced their sunburns from exposure to UVB radiation

Vitamin A:

Topical vitamin A is the form that makes a real difference in your skin. Medical studies show a reduction in lines and wrinkles, good acne control, and some psoriasis relief, all from using creams containing this nutrient

Vitamin B Complex:

Without adequate amounts, you may end up with dermatitis (an itchy, scaly skin reaction) or sometimes even hair loss. Even a mild deficiency causes symptoms. topical form of vitamin B was shown to dramatically improve aging in human skin

Vitamin K:

showed that topical vitamin K works well to reduce circles under the eye as well as bruises

Selenium:

A number of scientists believe this mineral plays a key role in skin cancer prevention , selenium could help reduce your chance of burning

Copper:

Still another important mineral is copper. Together with vitamin C and the mineral zinc, copper helps to develop elastin, the fibers that support skin structure from underneath . improvements in skin roughness, clarity, fine lines, wrinkling, and overall photodamage

Zinc:

 The third skin-friendly mineral is zinc, important if you have acne. In fact, sometimes acne itself is a symptom of a zinc deficiency

Sources : webmd , American Academy of Dermatology 2003 Annual Meeting

Mesotherapy

there is a big dilemma about the mesotherpay .. and if it's effective or not ..

here is an outlines about mesotherapy

originally mesotherapy was invented by French physician Dr. Michel Pistor in 1952. it is a minimally invasive procedure , it was used to treat vascular disease , sport injures , and rheumatism

but sooner the physicians start to use it in cosmetic therapy to treat many case such as : Antiageing ,cellulite, hair loss ,and wight loss .

multiple injections of pharmaceutical and homeopathic medications, plant extracts, vitamins, and other ingredients into mesoderm layer of the skin .. the mehanism of action not fully understood

However physicians have expressed concern over the efficacy of mesotherapy, arguing that the treatment hasn't been studied enough to make a determination. The primary issue is that mesotherapy for the treatment of cosmetic conditions hasn't been the subject of gold standard clinical trials; however the procedure has been studied for the pain relief of other ailments

here is some studies about mesotherapy .. they all agree on one point .. Further studies should be performed to clarify and determine the mechanisms of action.

Mesotherapy and phosphatidylcholine injections: historical clarification and review.

Injection of phosphatidylcholine in fat tissue: experimental study of local action in rabbits.

sources :wikipedia ,pubmed , mesotherapy

Baby Skin .. part 1

Wondering what that rash, welt, or bump on your child's skin is? Infection, allergies, and temperature extremes are often behind the skin conditions seen in babies and children -- and many are minor and easily treated.

let's strart :

1. Ringworm :

which is actually a tineal infection ( type of fungal infection ) , not by parasitic worms. Infections on the body may give rise to typical enlarging raised red , itchy rings of ringworm . Ringworm is passed on by skin-to-skin contact with a person or animal , to prevent this infection avoid sharing clothing, sports equipment, towels, or sheets , Washing clothes in hot water with fungicidal soap after suspected exposure to ringworm.

2. Fifth Disease ('Slapped Cheek') :

It commonly infects children and typically causes a mild rash that may resemble a “slapped-cheek”. Other symptoms that can occur include joint pain (arthralgia), fever and general flu-like symptoms. This disease does not have any lasting effects in healthy children and adults ( unless pregnant female ) , Treatment includes rest, fluids, and pain relievers (do not give aspirin to children), but watch for signs of more serious illness

3. Chickenpox:

 Very contagious, chickenpox spreads easily, leaving an itchy rash and red spots or blisters all over the body. Chickenpox can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain damage, or death. People who have had chickenpox are also at risk for developing shingles later in life. A chickenpox vaccine is recommended for all young children.

4. Impetigo :

A contagious infection usually caused by bacteria, impetigo causes red sores or blisters that can break open, ooze, and develop a yellow-brown crust. Sores can occur anywhere on the body but usually appear around the mouth and nose. can be spread to others through close contact or by sharing items like towels and toys.

Scratching can also spread it to other parts of the body. Antibiotic ointment usually cures it.

5. Warts:

warts can spread from person-to-person or via contact with an object used by a person with the virus. Common warts are most often found on fingers and hands. Prevent the spread of warts by not picking them, covering them with bandages, and not biting your nails or cuticles. In most cases warts are harmless, painless, and go away on their own. If they persist, treatments include freezing, surgery, lasers, and chemicals.

references :webmd, wikipedia , fifthdisease.org

Do You Have Athlete's Foot ?

The first reported case of tinea pedis in the United States was noted in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1920s. World War I troops returning from battle may have transported T rubrum to the United States

Athlete's foot called this way because it's occur mostly in athlete's people , not because it's only occur in athlete's !

It's cause by Tinea pedis .. a type of fungal infection , causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas.

Although the condition typically affects the feet, it can spread to other areas of the body, including the groin. Athlete's foot can be treated by a number of pharmaceutical and other treatments.

Athlete's foot can usually be diagnosed by visual inspection of the skin, but where the diagnosis is in doubt direct microscopy of a potassium hydroxide preparation may help rule out other possible causes, such as eczema or psoriasis. A KOH preparation is performed on skin scrapings from the affected area. The KOH preparation has an excellent positive predictive value, but occasionally false negative results may be obtained, especially if treatment with an antifungal medication has already begun

The fungi that cause athlete's foot can live on shower floors, wet towels, and footwear, and can spread from person to person from shared contact with showers, towels

Without medication athlete's foot resolves in 30–40% of cases and topical antifungal medication consistently produce much higher percentages of cure

Tinea pedis can be treated with topical or oral antifungals or a combination of both .

The need for follow-up care in tinea pedis should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Further outpatient visits may be indicated, depending on the extent and severity of the tinea pedis. Treatment regimens may need to be switched or augmented

Recourse : emedicine. wikipedia



History Of Tinea Infection

In the ancient world, many diseases caused by fungi were well known but were ascribed to different causes. The Romans, for example, recognized the disease that we call ringworm but attributed it to infestation with small insects. They called the infection “tinea”, which refers to small insect larvae. This attribution survives in the medical designations of the fungal diseases ringworm (tinea capitis), jock itch (tinea cruris),

and athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)—each of which is caused by one or more fungal species.

In 1791, M. Plaignaud first reported anecdotally a fungal infection of the sinuses, although it was not until 1885 that Schubert gave a complete clinical description of the

disease, showing it to be caused by an Aspergillus species.

In 1888, C. Pellizari described the first case of athlete’s foot, tinea pedis, which was not recognized in Europe until 1908. The

disease, caused by a fungus endemic to Southeast Asia—Trichophyton rubrum— was considered at the time to be rare. It

spread through Europe (one might postulate as a revenge for colonialism), and today it is considered the most common fungal

disease in the world, estimated to infect, at one time or another, 70% of the human population. The fungal lung disease histoplasmosis was first identified in 1905 in the Panama

Canal Zone, although it was not until 1934 that W. A. DeMonbreun of Vanderbilt University determined that it was of fungal origin. The disease was thought to be rare

until a massive X-ray program as part of the military draft in the United States in 1940 showed a high incidence of

healed-over pulmonary lesions. Modern estimates hold that approximately 20% of the U.S. population is infected by this fungus.

For more info. : http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/archive/mdd/v06/i08/pdf/803timeline.pdf