FUNGAL INFECTIONS (ONYCHOMYCOSIS)

When a nail infection develops, the most common cause is a fungus. More frequent on the toenails than on the fingernails, fungal nail infections affect about 12% of all Americans. Onychomycosis tends to run in families because of an inherited tendency, but not everyone is susceptible. It is rare in children unless one or both parents are infected.

The two most common types of fungi affecting the skin are dermatophytes and yeast (Candida). While both types infect nails, dermatophytes tend to be more common in toenails. Yeast infections are seen more frequently in fingernails. While some fungal nail infections may respond to topical antifungal creams, lotions, gels, and lacquers, most infections of the nail plate require oral medicines such as itraconazole, terbinafine, and fluconazole.

• BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

Redness, swelling, and pain of the skin folds around the nails often indicate an infection caused by bacteria. The most common cause of a bacterial infection is injury to the nail or surrounding skin. Frequent exposure to water and chemicals is a common cause of these bacterial infections. Sometimes a green discoloration of the nail occurs. A bacterium called pseudomonas causes this discoloration.

• TUMORS AND WARTS

These may be found in any portion of the nail and can cause the nail plate to change shape. When a growing tumor or wart interferes with nail growth, it can destroy the nail.
Warts are viral infections that affect the skin surrounding or underneath the nail. They can be painful and sometimes limit use of the affected finger or toe. Treatment usually involves destroying the wart with freezing or chemicals. If a wart or tumor extends into the nail folds or is located under the nail plate, surgery may be necessary to remove it.

Warts can be on the skin surrounding
the nail and underneath the nails.

• MUCINOUS CYSTS

Appearing as clear, jelly-filled papules at the base of the nail, these cysts can become painful and may damage or deform the nail. Treatment involves removing the cyst.

• DARK SPOTS OR STREAKS

If a dark spot or streak appears on any nail, and is not the result of an injury, it must be examined by a dermatologist. This could be melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer.

Psoriasis can also affect the nails

• PSORIATIC NAILS

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches. Approximately 10% to 50% of people with psoriasis, and 80% of people who suffer from psoriatic arthritis have nail problems, especially with their fingernails. The most common signs include pitting, rippling, and discoloration of the nail. With psoriatic nails, it is common
for the skin beneath the nail to develop a reddish-brown discoloration. Splinter hemorrhages can form. The nail may separate from the nail bed, crumble, and/or split. Swelling and redness of the skin surrounding the base of the nail also are common.

A WINDOW ON HEALTH

The nails can reveal much about a person's overall health. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. This is why doctors often check the nails carefully during a physical examination. The most common health conditions that the nails may be revealing are:

Condition	Nail Appearance
Liver Diseases	White nails
Kidney Diseases	Half of nail is pink, half is white
Heart Conditions	Nail bed is red
Lung Diseases	Yellowing and thickening of the nail, slowed growth rate
Anemia	Pale nail beds
Diabetes	Yellowish nails, with a slight blush at the base

A dermatologist is a physician who specializes in treating the medical, surgical and cosmetic conditions of the skin, hair and nails. To learn more about nail fungus and nail health, log onto www.aad.org or call toll free (888) 462-DERM (3376) to find a dermatologist in your area.

NAIL CARE TIPS

Many nail disorders result from poor nail care, so developing good nail habits can help. To keep your nails healthy, dermatologists recommend.

Nail Fungus

1. Keep nails clean and dry. This helps prevent bacteria and other infectious organisms from collecting under the nail.

2. Cut nails straight across, rounding them slightly at the tips for maximum strength. Be sure to use sharp nail scissors or clippers. Filing the nails into points weakens them.

3. Keep nails shaped and free of snags by filing with a "fine" textured file.

4. Avoid biting fingernails, and do not remove the cuticle.

5. Trim toenails regularly to keep them short. This minimizes trauma and injury.

6. Soak feet in warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt per pint of water) for five to 10 minutes when toenails are thick and difficult to cut, then apply urea or lactic acid cream. This softens the nails, making them easier to trim.

7. Avoid "digging-out" ingrown toenails, especially if they are already infected and sore. See a dermatologist for treatment.

8. Wear shoes that fit properly and alternate pairs.

9. Report any nail irregularities to your dermatologist. Nail changes, swelling, and pain could signal a serious problem.

10. Be especially vigilant of nail problems if you have diabetes or poor circulation. At the first sign of a problem, see a dermatologist.

Beautiful Hands & Nails.

Have Fabulous Nails Every girl wants to feel sexy and beautiful. Why not do so by getting fabulous nails? Learn how you can have fabulous nails and be the envy of all the girls simply by
following a series of easy steps!

Nails Jewelery.

Beautiful Nails.

Beautiful Hands & Nails.

Yeast infections of the skin are very common, and it can expand anywhere on your body. Still, some areas are just suitable environments for yeast and suffer the most from these infections. These areas contain anywhere your skin rubs on skin, and in moist areas. This information will help you to understand what the reasons for yeast infections are and how you can control and prevent them.

Nail fungal infection

Ringworm fungal infection on the hand and leg

Everybody of us has the fungi Candida albicans in our intestinal zone. Our skin is considered to resist off the negative effects this yeast can source, but the surface of the damaged skin is will develop and possibly start the yeast fungus infection. Affected areas that have excessive moisture or rub are the most susceptible when it comes to breaking down and permitting the fungus access.

Mainly all yeast infections happen in skin folds, under arms, under the breasts, the navel and in the groin area. These are the most sensitive zones that tend to rub, scratch, and have moisture, all of which tend to harm the skin down, leave it open and at risk to infections.

As soon as you have a skin yeast infection, the infected area will break out in a rash. The skin complaint will have a distinct frame around it making easy to mark against the rest of the clear skin. This part may be also occurrence redness and swelling. At times the rash will be very itchy and produce a translucent discharge. Jock itch, toenail fungus, dandruff, athlete's feet, and ringworm, are also very common skin yeast infections.

Dandruff and Hand rash

1. Atopic dermatitis
2. Bacterial meningitis
3. Broken hand
4. Chickenpox
5. Contact dermatitis
6. Dandruff
7. Darier Disease
8. Dermatomyositis
9. Dry skin
10. Eczema
11. Erythema nodosum
12. Fowler-Christmas-Chapple syndrome
13. HIV/AIDS
14. Hand conditions
15. Hand injury
16. Heat rash
17. Impetigo
18. Measles
19. Melanoma
20. Neurodermatitis
21. Nummular dermatitis
22. Pityriasis Rosea
23. Polycystic ovary syndrome
24. Psoriasis
25. Pyoderma Gangrenosum
26. Q fever
27. Scabies
28. Syphilis
29. Tinea capitis
30. Tinea versicolor
31. Venous Insufficiency

The nail plate is the hard keratin cover of the dorsal portion of the distal phalanx. The nail plate is generated by the nail matrix at the proximal portion of the nail bed (Figure 1). As the nail grows, the distal part of the matrix produces the deeper layers of the nail plate, while the proximal portion makes the superficial layers. This production is important, because a disruption of function in the proximal matrix (as may occur in patients with psoriasis) results in more superficial nail problems (e.g., pitting). A disruption of the distal matrix may cause problems with the deeper layers, resulting in ridging or splitting. A transient problem causing growth disturbance may lead to the formation of transverse lines across the nail plate, as in Mees', Muehrcke's, and Beau's lines . Changes in the configuration of the capillaries in the proximal nail bed are responsible for some of the alterations that occur in patients with connective tissue disorders, while abnormalities in the periosteal vessels contribute to clubbing.

The nail is bound proximally by the eponychium (the skin just proximal to the cuticle), laterally by the nail folds, and distally by the distal nail fold (defined by the separation created by the anterior ligament between the distal nail bed and the nail plate; Figure

Nails Clues to Systemic Disease

The visual appearance of the fingernails and toenails may suggest an underlying systemic disease. Clubbing of the nails often suggests pulmonary disease or inflammatory bowel disease. Koilonychia, or "spoon-shaped" nails, may stimulate a work-up for hemochromatosis or anemia. In the absence of trauma or psoriasis, onycholysis should prompt a search for symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The finding of Beau's lines may indicate previous severe illness, trauma, or exposure to cold temperatures in patients with Raynaud's disease. In patients with Muehrcke's lines, albumin levels should be checked, and a work-up done if the level is low. Splinter hemorrhage in patients with heart murmur and unexplained fever can herald endocarditis. Patients with telangiectasia, koilonychia, or pitting of the nails may have connective tissue disorders. (Am Fam Physician 2004;69:1417-24. Copyright© 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians.)

Careful examination of the fingernails and toenails can provide clues to underlying systemic diseases (Table 1). Clubbing, which is one example of a nail manifestation of systemic disease, was first described by Hippocrates in the fifth century B.C.¹ Since that time, many more nail abnormalities have been found to be clues to underlying systemic disorders.

Nail tools and implements

Cuticle Pusher: A metal implement used to push the invisible, translucent true cuticle from the nail plate. When using this implement, never apply heavy, downward force to push back the cuticle as too much pressure applied in this area can damage the matrix.

Curette: An instrument designed to 'scrape' excess cuticle from the nail plate. Many technicians prefer using a curette as it is designed to remove the true cuticle from the nail plate vs. simply pushing it back. Proper use of this instrument to remove true cuticle negates the need for nippers.

Nail Brush: Used wet, and with warm soapy water for scrubbing the surface and underside of the nail plate to aid in complete removal of pathogenic organisms, dirt and debris.

Manicure/Finger Bowl: Usually a plastic container shaped to hold the fingers and hand in a comfortable position while soaking in a warm, soapy water bath.

Hot Oil Machine: A heating unit designed to warm lotion or oil in a paper or plastic 'tub'. A hot oil manicure is always recommended for persons with extremely dry skin and nails.

Paraffin Machine: A machine that warms paraffin wax that is used during some manicure/pedicure procedures. Warm wax will benefit tired, sore, stressed hands while serving to deep condition and moisturize the skin. Some paraffin waxes contain additives of eucalyptus and other essential oils.

Pedicure Tub: A foot tub that holds and heats water for soaking the feet. Some pedicure tubs will massage the feet while they are soaking. It is not recommended that the feet of the elderly be immersed in very hot water or massaged using these machines. Seek the advise of the elderly persons physician before performing a pedicure procedure -- especially one that may have a severe or debilitating health issue.

Nail tools and implements

The following is a list of nail tools and implements required when performing a manicure or pedicure, and an explanation of the proper use:

Terry Towels: To protect the work surface from chemicals and water, and to dry our hands between procedures and before enamel application.

Orangewood Sticks: For gently pushing back the cuticle, for cleaning under the free edge or for removing excess enamel.

Cotton or Gauze Pads: For removing enamel and/or excess oil from the nail plate surface.

Polish Remover: For removing nail enamel or polish from the nail plate surface. Polish remover comes in acetone or non-acetone (ethyl acetate) formulas. The general consensus is that acetone based removers can be safely used on natural nails while some prefer to use non-acetone based removers on artificial surfaces.

Files or Abrasives: Files come in all sizes and in many grits. The higher the number the smaller the grit, and the lower the number, the coarser the grit. It is never recommended to use a grit smaller than 240 on the natural nail plate or for shaping the free edge. Many over the counter 'emery boards' have a grit of 80 which is too coarse for use on natural nails. Files made of metal are also too rough to safely use as the coarser the grit, the more easily the nail plate layers are shredded. Files that are called '3-way buffers' have a grit higher than 3600. They are used to smooth the surface of the nail plate without scratches, and to impart a high gloss shine. Use the black side first to refine, then the white side to semi-shine, then finish with the gray side to super shine. Padded abrasives are easier to hold, maintain their grit for longer periods, and many of them can be sanitized.

Cuticle Nippers: Cuticle nippers come with different sizes of cutting surfaces: 1/4 jaw, 1/2 jaw and full jaw. What this means is that the more cutting surface there is, the easier it is to cut the skin with a single 'nip'. It is better to use a nipper with a smaller cutting surface if one is not accustomed to using these implements. Remember, it is only the true cuticle that is removed during the manicuring process and not the live skin of the eponychium or lateral nail folds.

Nail or Toenail Nippers/Clippers/Scissors: Nail nippers are simply a larger size cuticle nipper which have been designed to remove excess nail length, and are usually used to cut the toenails. Nail scissors have a small, curved blade and are designed to remove length from the fingernails. Nail clippers come in small and large sizes with a curved cutting edge, and are designed to cut the fingernail and toenail. Always be sure you use the proper tool for the proper procedure.

Natural care of NAILS.

The skin and nails are constantly bathed by a tidal flow of oils and moisture.

Everything we see and touch except for light and electricity is a chemical.

Excessive hand washing or using household cleaning solutions without protection can rob our skin and nails of vital oil and moisture, resulting in split, peeling nails.

Water is a chemical, so are all nail related products.

Overexposure to any chemical can cause an allergic reaction.

The nail plate is comprised of many layers of cells that lose their inner material and become flat, hard and translucent.

Strength is a combination of hardness, and flexibility.

It is the clients responsibility to maintain her nails at home between salon visits.

It is the technicians responsibility to help the client maintain beautiful, healthy nails.

Nails that split and peel lack sufficient oil and moisture.

Nail diseases and disorders should be diagnosed by a physician and the prescribed medication taken or used as directed.

The nail technician is trained to recognize nail diseases and disorders, but not to treat them in the salon.

As nail technicians, our perfect dream would be to have a full book of clients that frequent our salon for all their nail needs. The reality is that there are a great many women (and men) that cannot afford, or have the time, to seek our services and must perform their own nail care at home. It is for these people that this page is written. I have always felt that educating the public on proper nail care is essential to our standing as an industry in the eyes of the consumer. Even though we feel that we spent a lot of money and time in school and in the salon perfecting our craft, and that we should be the only ones performing nail services, there are only so many clients we can see in a day, month or year. Even with a salon on every corner, there are a great many who have never frequented nail salons for professional nail care. The knowledge they have about nails has been gained from magazines, friends, neighbors and/or Infomercials. I would much rather see us take it upon ourselves to educate the public about the benefits of home nail care than to see them chance the possibility of nail damage because of not knowing the proper procedures of a manicure, pedicure, or the proper use of nail related tools and implements.

Taking care of Hands

Tips for taking care of hands:

• Apply olive oil on your hands.
  
• Apply the juice of cucumber juice and glycerine on your hands.
  
• Mix olive oil and lime juice and apply on your hands.
  
• Make a paste of tomato juice, glycerine and lime juice in equal proportion and apply on your hands.
  
• Massage with almond oil a night to glow your hands.
  
• Apply a paste of ground almonds, milk cream and few drops of glycerine and lemon juice for bleaching.
  
• Soak your hands in water in which potatoes have been boiled.
  
• One effective method is to rib warm boiled water and mashed potatoes on hands and finger
  
• Make a mixture of Vaseline and carbolic acid and rub in on your hands.
  
• Hands can be softened by taking a mixture of orange juice and honey.
  
• Mix rose water and glycerine and apply on your hands with cotton.

Home care Tips For Hands

You can give an instant refresh treatment to your hands at home by soaking your dry hands in warm olive oil. Fill a teacup with the warmed oil, dip in your fingers and let them soak for a few minutes. When you remove them rub the oil into your hands and allow as much of it as possible to be absorbed before rinsing away the excess. Also, you can smother your hands with rich cold creams.

The care should be taken about these useful hands. The condition of the hands depends on the care you give them. For many people especially housewives and manual workers, the hands are the most overworked and ill-used part of the body. They are exposed to all kinds of wear and tear due to the effects of temperature, climate, frequent wetting, onslaughts of harsh chemicals and due to the risk of minor injury and subsequent infection. Yet the care of the hands is often completely overlooked until, say, the skin becomes rough and cracked or a nail is broken.

Manicure - Get into the habit of giving yourself a weekly manicure , which will make your hands look good along with helping them to combat annoying problems like chipping, splitting, peeling and cracking. Manicure is the care of hands, nails and arms. It prevents nail damage like fragile tips, splits.

Pedicure - Pedicure is the care of feet, legs and toe nails. Its purpose is to make the skin soft and smooth.

Here are a few ways in which you can take care of your hands better!

Hand Massage
To stimulate circulation, rub your palm over the back of the hand and then repeat with the other hand. This movement is very similar to washing your hands and it does not only stimulate circulation but it also warms the hands.

Silky and Soft Hands
Before you go to bed, lavish on the Vaseline or moisturizing cream and then pop on a pair of cotton gloves. Your hands will be incredibly soft by morning.

Too much water and chemicals
Get into the habit of wearing rubber gloves when you do any cleaning around the house.
Why? Cleaning agents can be extremely harsh on both nails and hands. The nails when exposed to water swell and then shrink back as they dry. This contributes to brittle nails.

Water &Hands

Get into the habit of wearing rubber gloves when you do any cleaning around the house. Cleaning agents can be extremely harsh on both nails and hands. The nails when exposed to water, swell and then shrink back as they dry. This contributes to brittle nails.

beautiful nails tips

• Beautiful and Health Nails Tips
• 1. Eat protein rich food for white bands across the nails.
• 2. Deficiency of hydrochloric acid causes nails to split.
• 3. Deficiency of vitamin B 12 can lead to dryness, rounded and curved ends and darkening of nails.
• 4. Eat food rich in zinc to prevent white spots on the nails.
• 5. Poor metabolism of essential fatty acids causes red skin around the cuticles.
• 6. Eat food rich in sulfur and silicon like broccoli, fish, and onions.
• 7. Eat food rich in biotin such as soy, brewer’s yeast and whole grains.
• 8. Drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juices.
• 9. Drink fresh carrot juice as often as possible as it is rich in calcium and phosphorus and good for strengthening the nails.
• 10. For dry and brittle nails eat food that is rich in vitamin A and calcium.
• 11. For hangnails eat food rich in protein, vitamin C and folic acid.
• 12. Supplement your diet with spirulina and kelp to make your nails strong.
• 13. Use Blue Tinged Translucent Polish.

Neurofibromatosis

The dominant autosomal genetic disorder that causes the growth of tumours or neurofibromas on the nerve tissues is known as neurofibromatosis. These neurofibromas are soft in texture and are found throughout the body. These tumours are generally non-cancerous. The non-nerve tissues like that of the skin and the bones are also affected sometimes as a result of this neuraofibromatosis. This is a rare disease and both sexes are affected equally.

German pathologist Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen was the first to discover neurofibromatosis in the year 1882.
Types of Neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis is a rare disease that is generally seen in its common form. But in some cases, it can be seen in some rare forms too. They are:

Neurofibromatosis types I or the “Von Rec klinghausen disease”. The occurrence is one among 3500 cases.

Neurofibromatosis type II or the “MISME Syndrome”. This is as rare as one among 40,000 cases.

Schwannomatosis is genetically and clinically different from neurofibromatosis types I and II. This also occurs in one among 40,000 patients.

Apart from these also there are five more rare forms of neurofibromatosis.
What are the Symptoms of Neurofibromatosis
The symptoms differ more or less according to the type of neurofibromatosis. They are as follows:

Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Presence of birthmark that is coffee-colored, commonly termed as “cafe-au-lait” spot. These spots would be at least six in number from the time of birth or they tend to develop within five years of age.

Formation of lumps under the skin is seen after puberty. These lumps grow in size.

High blood pressure also is common among the victims.

Spinal curvature of the afflicted person is often abnormal.

Speech problem as well as auditory problem is common occurrence.

Learning disability

Epilepsy

Neurofibromatosis Type 2

Formation of benign tumours internally

Hearing disability is also a common occurrence.

Tumours down the spine as well as brain tumours are a common occurrence in this malaise.

Cataracts

Skin tumours

Facial paralysis .

What are the Symptoms of Neurofibromatosis
The symptoms differ more or less according to the type of neurofibromatosis. They are as follows:

Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Presence of birthmark that is coffee-colored, commonly termed as “cafe-au-lait” spot. These spots would be at least six in number from the time of birth or they tend to develop within five years of age.

Formation of lumps under the skin is seen after puberty. These lumps grow in size.

High blood pressure also is common among the victims.

Spinal curvature of the afflicted person is often abnormal.

Speech problem as well as auditory problem is common occurrence.

Learning disability

Epilepsy

Neurofibromatosis Type 2

Formation of benign tumours internally

Hearing disability is also a common occurrence.

Tumours down the spine as well as brain tumours are a common occurrence in this malaise.

Cataracts

Skin tumours

Facial paralysis
Causes of Neurofibromatosis

The factors leading to neurofibromatosis are as follows:

Genetic factors—Neurofibromatosis Type 1 is caused by disorder in chromosome 17, and that in Type 2 is caused by chromosome 22.

Heredity—Neurofibromatosis can be in the family.

Regardless of sex, age, or ethnicity, neurofibromatosis can occur to anyone. But this is a rare disease, having a rate of one among 2500 individuals.
Diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis

The form of diagnosis of neurofibromatosis is as follows:

Lab Studies of mutation analysis using better and more sophisticated machines.

Imaging Studies, like the MRI scan of the brain and the spinal chord

Wood lamp examination to examine the spots in patients with pale skin

Slit lamp examination for children to examine the Lisch nodules.
Treatment for Neurofibromatosis

In most of the cases on neurofibromatosis, the tumours are benign, and thus do not need any special treatment that are generally recommended for malignant or cancerous tumors. But surgery is sometimes needed to remove the tumours. Other general treatment procedures are as follows that can be rendered as and when needed in accordance with the symptoms and complications:

Surgery to remove tumours

Treatment for epilepsy, if it occurs

Regular testing of vision and auditory abilities

Speech therapy

Special education fro students with learning disability

Counseling and genetic screening for families that have a history of neurofibromatosis

Biopsy of the tumours to make sure that they are non-cancerous

Constant monitoring of the tumours to detect growth changes and pain

Due to the wide range of complications involved in neurofibromatosis, a wide range of medical consultants are also needed for proper treatment of this disease. They are

Orthopedic consultants

Surgeons

Oncologists, if the growth is found to be malignant after biopsy

Psychiatrists for genetic counselling.

Coughsymptoms & causes

what is cough ?

Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder.

Some coughs are dry, while others are considered productive. A productive cough is one that brings up mucus. Mucus is also called phlegm or sputum.

Coughs can be either acute or chronic:

• Acute coughs usually begin suddenly. They are often due to a cold, flu, or sinus infection. They usually go away after 2 to 3 weeks.
• Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.

Common symptoms.

Besides recent upper airways infections, such as the common cold and flu, other common causes of coughs include:

• Allergies and asthma
• Lung infections such as pneumonia or acute bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema or chronic bronchitis)
• Sinusitis leading to postnasal drip
• Lung disease such as bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, or tumors
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Cigarette smoking
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Exposure to air pollutants
• ACE inhibitors (medications used to control blood pressure)

If a child has a barking cough, see croup.

self Care

Although coughing can be a troubling symptom, it is usually your body's way of healing. Here are some tips to help ease your cough:

• If you have a dry, tickling cough, try cough drops or hard candy. NEVER give these to a child under age 3, because they can cause choking.
• Use a vaporizer or take a steamy shower. Both these things increase the moisture in the air and can help soothe a dry throat.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Liquids help thin the mucus in your throat and make it easier to cough it up.

NOTE: Medical experts have recommended against using cough and cold drugs in children under age 6. Talk to your doctor before your child takes any type of over-the-counter cough medicine, even if it is labeled for children. These medicines likely will not work for children, and they may have serious side effects.

Medications available without a prescription include:

• Guaifensin helps break up mucus. Drink lots of fluids if you take this medicine.
• Decongestants help clear a runny nose and relieve postnasal drip. Do NOT give children under age 6 an over-the-counter decongestant unless specifically told to do so by your doctor. You should not take decongestants if you have high blood pressure.

Do not expect a doctor to prescribe antibiotics for viral infections like colds or flu. Antibiotics do not work on viruses. Antibiotics also will not help coughs from allergies.

Hand Eczema

• What is it?

Irritant contact hand eczema is a frequent disorder of the skin. In lay terms this disorder is sometimes known as "housewives eczema". It can occur at any age. Typically it appears as small fissures and cracks on the tips of the fingers. In severe cases the may be redness, scaling, crusting, and the palms may be involved. If the skin around the edges of the nails is involved the nails may become irregular.

• What causes it?

Sensitive hands when in contact with irritants become inflamed, and it is repeated minor irritations that cause your hand eczema. This is very difficult to tell from allergic contact hand eczema and patch testing may be needed to tell the two conditions apart. Sometimes allergic and irritant reactions occur together.

• Is it dangerous?

For the typical healthy person hand eczema is a harmless disorder. It is not related to cancer and it does not involve internal organs. Severe cases may be temporarily disabling.

• Can it be cured?

The treatment program I put you on will help control or clear the disorder, but it is not a cure. Even if the hand eczema is totally cleared, you will still be predisposed to have repeat episodes if re-exposed to the inciting factors. Repeat treatments may be needed and some individuals may require continuous therapy.

• Will it spread?

It generally stays localized to the hands.

• Is it contagious?

It is not contagious and you can not "catch" it from anyone.

There are various types of eczema, which include allergic eczema, atopic eczema, hand eczema, discoid eczema, infantile eczema, nummular eczema, seborrheic eczema, stasis eczema, tropical eczema, xerotic eczema, dyshidriotic eczema, baby eczema, etc.

Although there are different types of eczema, all eczema types cause itch, except seborrheic eczema.

There are some common symptoms of eczema, which can help treating in early stages. Itching of the skin is the first symptom and this itching can vary from tingling sensation to painful itching. Redness with dry and flaky skin is another symptom of eczema, which later becomes itchy.

Adults usually have raised and thick brown patches of eczema, which slowly heals, but forms a scar on the affected area.

health tips for eczema

What is eczema?

Eczema is a common skin condition that can cause mild to extreme irritation. When eczema is mild, it often causes dry, hot and itching skin. In more severe forms, eczema causes raw, broken and cracked skin.

Treatment of eczema

Eczema cannot be cured; however it can generally be controlled. It is often useful, in the cases of atopic eczema and contact dermatitis, to determine what allergens are irritating the skin. While it can be difficult to isolate specific allergens, it can be helpful since the first course of treatment is to avoid the offending substances. In addition, the sufferer should avoid exposure to abrasives including dust and sand, perfumes and cosmetics, soaps and detergents, wool and synthetic fibers and cigarette smoke as these can all exacerbate the condition.

A doctor can prescribe medicine for treating eczema. In treatment the goal is to heal the skin and to prevent flare-ups from recurring. Over-the-counter creams and ointments such as corticosteroid cream can be used to treat mild eczema symptoms, but in some cases these medications can further irritate the sensitive skin. Over the counter and prescription antihistamines are also used to treat the itching. Extreme or long term cases should always be seen by a doctor. Newer medicines called immuno-modulators help control skin inflammation by reducing immune system reactions. If there is any sign of skin infection, it will be treated with antibiotics, which may be taken orally or may be topical.

Eczema can vary widely, so each person's treatment regimen must be custom-tailored to adapt to his or her personal condition and lifestyle.

health tips for eczema

What is eczema?

Eczema is a common skin condition that can cause mild to extreme irritation. When eczema is mild, it often causes dry, hot and itching skin. In more severe forms, eczema causes raw, broken and cracked skin.

Treatment of eczema

Eczema cannot be cured; however it can generally be controlled. It is often useful, in the cases of atopic eczema and contact dermatitis, to determine what allergens are irritating the skin. While it can be difficult to isolate specific allergens, it can be helpful since the first course of treatment is to avoid the offending substances. In addition, the sufferer should avoid exposure to abrasives including dust and sand, perfumes and cosmetics, soaps and detergents, wool and synthetic fibers and cigarette smoke as these can all exacerbate the condition.

A doctor can prescribe medicine for treating eczema. In treatment the goal is to heal the skin and to prevent flare-ups from recurring. Over-the-counter creams and ointments such as corticosteroid cream can be used to treat mild eczema symptoms, but in some cases these medications can further irritate the sensitive skin. Over the counter and prescription antihistamines are also used to treat the itching. Extreme or long term cases should always be seen by a doctor. Newer medicines called immuno-modulators help control skin inflammation by reducing immune system reactions. If there is any sign of skin infection, it will be treated with antibiotics, which may be taken orally or may be topical.

Eczema can vary widely, so each person's treatment regimen must be custom-tailored to adapt to his or her personal condition and lifestyle.

Myths about hair loss in women

1. It means you're not a proper women with two X chromosomes
2. It's caused by washing your hair too often
3. It's caused by too much brushing or combing
4. Hair dyes and perms can cause permanent loss
5. It may result from wearing hats and wigs
6. Shaving your hair will make it regrow thicker
7. Standing on your head will help it grow back
8. It's a sign of an overactive brain
9. There's a miracle cure out there waiting for you

Medical treatments

The drug minoxidil was first developed for treating high blood pressure, which was found to have the side effect of thickening hair growth in some people. It's now available as a lotion to apply directly to the scalp.

No one really knows how it works, however, and it's not effective for everyone. Studies show that only about 20 per cent of women between 18 and 45 have moderate regrowth using the drug, while another 40 per cent experience minimal regrowth.

It works best on younger people with early hair loss. A big disadvantage is that you have to carry on using minoxidil indefinitely or the new hair will fall out.

Another drug, finasteride, which was developed for treating prostate cancer, has also been found to be effective but is only available for men.

Surgery

Surgical techniques for restoring hair have improved greatly in the past couple of decades, but this is still an option that requires careful consideration.

There are two main options:

• Hair transplantation - tiny punch-holes of skin containing a few follicles of hair are taken from elsewhere in the body (such as the back of the head, if this is still well covered) and implanted into the thinning areas. Some surgeons use a needle to sew in just one or two hairs. However, as women are more likely to have diffuse loss of hair all over the scalp, this technique may not be possible. There has been little success with implanting artificial fibres.

• Scalp reduction - devices are inserted under the skin to stretch areas of scalp that still have hair, then the redundant bald areas are removed. Alternatively, flaps of hairy scalp can be moved around the head.

Main points

• Many causes of female hair loss are temporary - check your general health and be patient
• Take a look at your family for an idea of your risk of female pattern baldness
• Don't be taken in by claims for wonder products - there's no cure for female pattern hair loss
• Many women cope well by using cosmetic products, hats and wigs, so persevere until you find your own style

Women's pattern of hair loss is different to the typical receding hairline and crown loss in men. Instead, androgenetic alopecia causes a general thinning of women's hair, with loss predominantly over the top and sides of the head.

Another important cause of hair loss in women is a condition called alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two per cent of the population. In this, the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells. The follicles then become very small and hair production slows down dramatically, so there may be no visible hair growth for months and years.

After some time, hair may regrow as before, come back in patchy areas, or not regrow at all. The good news is that in every case the hair follicles remain alive and can be switched on again; the bad news is that we don't yet know how to do this.

HAIR LOSS PROBLEM

More than half of men and women in the United States experience hair loss. About 30% of people have hair loss by age 30 years, and about 50% have hair loss by age 50 years. Hair loss is so common that most of the time it is considered a normal variation and not a disease. Other animals closely related to humans, such as the chimpanzee, also lose their hair.

One of the commonest forms of hair loss in women (and men) is a condition called telogen effluvium, in which there is a diffuse (or widely spread out) shedding of hairs around the scalp and elsewhere on the body.

This is usually a reaction to intense stress on the body's physical or hormonal systems, or as a reaction to medication.

The condition, which can occur at any age, generally begins fairly suddenly and gets better on its own within about six months, although for a few people it can become a chronic problem.

Because telogen effluvium develops a while after its trigger, and causes generalised thinning of hair density rather than a bald patch, women with the condition can easily be diagnosed as overanxious or neurotic.

Fortunately, it often gets better with time. Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon related to the growth cycles of hair.

Hair growth cycles alternate between a growth phase (called anagen, it lasts about three years) and a resting phase (telogen, which lasts about three months). During telogen, the hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by the growth of a new hair in the anagen phase.

At any one time, up to about 15 per cent of hairs are in telogen. But a sudden stress on the body can trigger large numbers of hairs to enter the telogen phase at the same time. Then, about three months later, this large number of hairs will be shed. As the new hairs start to grow out, so the density of hair may thicken again.

Many adults have had an episode of telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, reflecting episodes of illness or stress.

Another common type of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia, which is related to hormone levels in the body. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother.

Androgenetic alopecia affects roughly 50 per cent of men (this is the main cause of the usual pattern of balding seen as men age) and perhaps as many women over the age of 40.

Research shows that up to 13 per cent of women have some degree of this sort of hair loss before the menopause, and afterwards it becomes far more common - one piece of research suggests that over the age of 65 as many as 75 per cent of women are affected.

The cause of hair loss in this condition is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair, until eventually they pack up completely.

10 hair myths exposed( HOW APPLY SHAMPOO OR OTHER PRODUCTS)

• If I shampoo my hair every day it will start falling out.

False. If your hair is susceptible to dirt and grime, do shampoo it every day for that squeaky-clean look. Use a mild shampoo and rinse it off completely.

• A hundred brush strokes are good for hair.

False. Excessive brushing can put such stress on your hair that it splits, breaks or gets uprooted more easily. Brushing also stimulates the sebaceous glands, which produce sebum or natural oil, and can make your hair lank and greasy.

• A shampoo should be changed every now & then.

Not necessarily. Many people feel that they must change their shampoo regularly because the hair 'gets used to it', but there's no evidence for this. It's more important to find a shampoo that suits your hair.

• Hair shouldn't be combed when it's wet.

False. When hair is wet, water penetrates its shaft, so it swells and starts tangling with other hair. If wet hair is not combed, it will dry out tangled, and will be unmanageable and difficult to style. To set the hair and give it a smooth look, you must comb it when it is wet. But do it gently and be sure to use a wide-toothed comb.

• Washing hair frequently is harmful.

False. You should wash your hair before it gets dirty. Otherwise, particles of grime could damage your hair when you comb it. Harsh products like soap can damage your hair, but a good shampoo with conditioner will not only clean your hair, but will actually improve its condition – however often you wash it.

• Shampoos must be diluted before being used.

You should never dilute any shampoo, least of all one with conditioner, because it will lose its effectiveness. On dilution, the conditioner separates from the shampoo and sticks to the sides of the bottle. So it never gets onto the hair.

• Cutting hair will make it grow faster.

No! Hair will grow at the same rate whether it is cut or not. However, trimming the tips of the hair every eight weeks will get rid of split ends and makes you hair growth smoother.

• Hair oil nourishes hair & makes it grow longer, thicker & blacker.

This is not true. Nothing that is applied externally can nourish hair, or make it grow longer than it can.

• Hair oil adds a shine & luster to hair.

Yes and no! The oil coats each shaft of hair, but it’s only the oil that is shining and not your hair. So it doesn’t mean that your hair is any healthier. In fact, oil tends to attract dust and dirt and becomes a breeding ground for infections. It is much better to use a shampoo and conditioner: this will not only keep the scalp clean but will also make your hair more manageable. Oil massages are good for your hair and they relax you. They also soothe the nerves, cool the brain and are good for the eyes. It's the massage that relaxes you and not the oil. It stimulates the circulation in the scalp and that’s what makes you feel relaxed. There’s no basis for any of the other claims.

How dry skin can fight back

QUE .....Very dry skin has a new way of fighting back. New Vaseline Intensive Rescue is a range of products that goes beyond instant relief and provides long-lasting moisture, promoting the proper environment for your skin to do something amazing: repair itself.

Intensive Rescue.

Over 130 years ago, Vaseline successfully launched the first branded skin care product in the market. Today, we’ve taken our expertise and passion for skin and developed a new range of products to help “very dry skin” consumers control their troublesome dry skin.

New Vaseline Intensive Rescue is a range of products specifically designed with all of your different dry skin needs in mind.

Moisture Locking Lotion:

Healthy skin naturally repairs itself, but many factors – from the environment to heredity – can negatively affect this ability and lead to severe dryness of your skin. Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Lotion triples moisture reserves in your skin instantly, then fills in the gaps found in dry, damaged skin to lock moisture in all day, promoting the proper environment dry skin needs to repair itself.

Heal & Repair Balm:

Healthy skin naturally repairs itself, but very dry skin flare-ups are skin’s way of signalling that its normal moisturization processes have severely broken down. Vaseline Intensive Rescue Heal & Repair Balm – with Vaseline brand’s powerful combination of moisturizing ingredients - works within seconds to help relieve severe dryness. It promotes the ideal long-term environment for even severely dry skin to repair itself within 5 days.

Healing Hand Cream:

Healthy skin naturally repairs itself, but the constant activity and exposure of hands may disrupt this natural process, leading to severely dry and rough skin. Vaseline Intensive Rescue Healing Hand Cream’s unique formula infuses dry skin with intense moisturizers and sinks in within seconds, yet lasts all day to promote the ideal environment that skin needs to repair itself.

Healing Foot Cream:

Healthy skin naturally repairs itself, but the constant pounding feet take puts intense pressure on this natural process, leading to severely dry and rough skin. Vaseline Intensive Rescue Healing Foot Cream softens dry skin on contact. It then deeply moisturizes to promote the environment for skin’s natural healing processes to occur, reducing roughness within five days.

Natural Health and Beauty

embodies a trend to go back to the basics. More women are realizing the harsh affects that chemical laden products can have on their skin. They want to see results, but the side effects often cause worse problems than what they are trying to cure. Why you could be using products that are harmful to your skin and the environment. Find out about which raw materials are good for you and how the natural skin care will benefit you.
Skin can certainly benefit from from natural products, but don't forget hair. Hair products cost a lot, and we are always tempted by new, laboratory-tested brands in new bottles. A lot of them are very good, but they are expensive and they often smell of chemicals. Try some of hair products and enjoy the fresh smells of fruit and other good things.
It is equally important to pay attention to what you put ON your body as well as what you put IN your body. Fortunately for us, nature has provided an abundance of plants, roots, flowers and herbs rich in vitamins, enzymes, proteins, minerals and other biologically active compounds that have been used in the care of the body, skin and hair for centuries. Knowledge of the healing power of herbs and their special effects on the skin is used in the formulation of natural cosmetics.

important of gud look

I thought gud looks are not important, that the important thing is inner beauty. But as I grow older, I am beginning to feel good looks are a very important factor for success.

For a few years, the Korean economy has been decreasing sharply. Many companies have closed, and many people have been fired. Big companies are not hiring new employees. In this serious situation, few young people can find jobs.

Maybe most people think they can get jobs because they are very smart or have special skills, but according to an article that was published in Korean newspapers, the common point for newly-hired employees is that they are good-looking. Since that article was published, cosmetic surgery has come to be a hit among graduating seniors in Korea.

Why do the big companies choose the good-looking man? When they were asked this question, one official at a large, well-known company said most people tended to relate the company's image to the employee's image, so to give a good image of their company, they had to choose a good-looking person.

I think this shows how important good looks are nowadays. If people are not good-looking, they don't find jobs as easily. If they don't find jobs, they can't marry, have a house, or have a car. So, in my opinion, good looks are very important in modern life.

my own thinkings

When I was young, I read many kinds of books, including fairy tales. Most of the books described heroes who were handsome and heroines who were beautiful. So, I believed I had to be beautiful if I wanted to become a great person. It was a hard time for me. Whenever I looked at someone who was more beautiful than me, I was stressed.

As I grew up, I began to realize outer beauty was not so important to make someone good. I remember a friend of mine who was so beautiful that every classmate wanted to talk with her, but she was very arrogant.

She believed that she could do everything she wanted because she was so beautiful, but she lost friends one by one. My poor friend! But she learned a good lesson: inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. After she learned that, she changed her attitude and made friends again.

In the Korean version of the story Cinderella, there are two stepsisters. One was very beautiful and very kind. Another was very stingy and bad. Because the prince wanted to find the girl with a missing shoe, the prince and the beautiful sister of the two stepsisters got married and lived happily ever after.

In many novels and fairy tales, as in Cinderella, the main characters are usually beautiful or handsome. Beauty is representative of good deeds and kindness.

In our society, beauty also gives us many advantages such as having a good social life, making friends, getting a job, and getting a promotion. Whenever, we look at good-looking guys and girls, we usually form stereotypes. We think he or she is a good and kind person. This is why cosmetic surgery is so popular in our society

Whenever I see TV advertisements, I feel that these things make us believe beauty is very important--especially physical attractiveness. Although we say that inner beauty is more valuable, we often look to plastic surgery to make us more beautiful. There seems to be a boom in plastic surgery. It is surprising to realize the number of people who try it is increasing day by day.

It is true that attractive people get a job easily. For example, we know good-looking guys usually get higher scores on job interviews. So, what is real beauty? I want to say that inner beauty is the real one because if someone has beauty in his soul, he looks like a really beautiful person.

The beauty looked at with eyes doesn't last forever. Instead of concentrating on outer beauty, we should concentrate on inner beauty. The point is that inner beauty is more important than outside beauty. So, if we make the effort to make our minds beautiful, we'll be happier.

when asked what is beauty, men would say that a beautiful woman boils down to two characteristics: 1. Happy. 2. Healthy. Notice in the characteristics’ description, there is no specific mention about bums and boobs; perhaps they fall somewhere in the healthy category! Is this answer to "What is beauty" too simplistic? Let’s take a close look. There is more to the definition of beauty than meets the eye.

Happy

Babies are naturally attracted to happy faces. This is why when you smile they would smile too. They are natural reflectors of how you feel, and they help define what is beauty. When we are happy, our brain let off adrenalin, there is light in our eyes, we walk with vigor, and we have hope for living. When we are down, our eyes are naturally downcast, our face tense up, we slouch and our mind is elsewhere. We tend to wear darker colors too, so as not to bring attention to ourselves. Happy people attract others, while sad people tend to pull people away.

Healthy

Being healthy doesn’t mean that we have to have the figure of Tomb Raider to meet the definition of beauty. Looking healthy means having good skin, being energetic and having no obvious disability or disfigurement. We all know the ways to achieve healthiness to various degrees--Eating right, sleeping well, exercising regularly and learning to manage stress in a appropriate manner.

Multiple studies done by researchers independent of one another show that an overwhelming amount of what is considered beautiful also correlates to how symmetric the face and body are. Humans seem to have a natural averaging selection when determining the definition of beauty.

Most of us are born more symmetric than we are right now. As we grow older, we pick up bad habits unknowingly, like tilting our head to our side, holding tension on one side of the shoulder, which causes imbalances with our bodies. However, the good news is that we can change our bodies by being more aware and through stretching and strengthening exercises.

What is important is that for these characteristics of beauty, we can make positive changes to them. True, all of us might wish that we have the eyes Milla Jovovich and the body of Madonna; however, there are a lot of things that we can do to be happy and healthy and to offer the answer to what is beauty for ourselves. The major deterrent to becoming beautiful is the poor self images that we have of ourselves and the fact that we look outward for the definition of beauty. When we think ourselves poorly, we wish to be somebody else and looking for a quick fix when really we have the capability within ourselves for better change. You are beautiful, you just need to get it out.

Definitions of real beauty

Dove recently set out across 10 countries and interviewed 3 000 women to find out. Our findings? Only 2% of these women describe themselves as 'beautiful'. Additionally, 3 minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 75% of women to feel depressed, guilty and shameful and 80% of women say these images of 'perfect' beauty lower their self-esteem and makes them feel insecure and depressed.

For too long, beauty has been defined by these narrow, stifling stereotypes. Women have told us it's time to change all that. Dove agrees. We believe real beauty comes in many shapes, sizes and ages. That is why Dove has launched the Campaign for Real Beauty.