Treatment of Fungal Infections of the Skin

Introduction

Fungal skin infections are caused by different types of fungi and can be a common culprit of itchy skin.Fungi invade and grow in dead keratin, a protein that makes up your skin, hair and nails. The different types of fungal infections are divided into groups based on what type of fungus is involved.

Fungal infections on, or near to the surface of the body

The most common fungi to cause skin infections are the tinea group of fungi. For example,athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is a common fungal infection of the toes and feet. Tinea infection also causes ringworm (tinea corporis) and ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis). It also causes many fungal nail infections. A common fungal infection of the mouth and of the vagina is called thrush. This is caused by an overgrowth of candida which is a yeast (a type of fungus).

Fungal infections within the body

Fungal infections of the skin, nails, vagina and mouth are quite common. If you are healthy and have a normal immune system, it is rare for fungi to affect internal organs. However, fungal infections of the heart, lung, brain and other organs sometimes do occur.

Causes of Fungal infection

You’re more likely to get a fungal skin infection if you:

·         don’t dry your skin fully after a bath or shower

·         come into contact with a person or animal with a fungal skin infection

·         touch contaminated items, such as clothes, towels and bedclothes

·         walk barefoot in shower and pool areas

·         wear tight clothing that doesn’t allow sweat to evaporate

·         have diabetes

·         are pregnant

·         have a weakened immune system, for example, if you have HIV/AIDS

Treatment of fungal infections

General measures

• Correct predisposing factors where possible.
• Keep the affected skin clean and dry. Wash daily. Take care to dry between the toes and in the skin folds; use a hair dryer if necessary. Use your own towel.
• Hot wash socks, towels, bathmats at a temperature of at least 60C.
• Antiseptics
• Dequalinium chloride lozenges for oral candidiasis (Dequacaine®, Dequadin®)
• Di-iodohydroxyquinoline for vulvovaginal candidiasis (Floraquin® vaginal tablets).

To reduce reinfection

• Avoid walking bare foot where others may tread - wear jandals, sandals or aquasocks at the public pools and sports changing rooms.
• Avoid long periods wearing the same clothing, or wearing occlusive clothing such as wet weather gear and nylon pantyhose.
• Wear open-toed sandals when possible. Avoid long periods in occlusive footwear such as gum boots or tramping boots.
• Use antifungal foot powder e.g. ciclopirox (Batrafen®), econazole (Pevaryl®), miconazole (Daktarin®, Fungo®), tolciclate (Tolmicen®), tolnaftate (Tinaderm®), undecylenic acid (Mycota®). Sprinkle it in your shoes.

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Your skin demands some attention

What’s the Best Skin Rejuvenation Treatment?

What’s the Best Skin Rejuvenation Treatment?

Our skin is the most important feature of our body. However, various factors such as unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits, ageing and polluted environment can cause numerous skin problems. Nowadays, skin irregularities like wrinkles, acne scars and blotchiness are the most common of all skin problems.

Dr. Krupa Shankar Skin Diagnostic Centre offers a variety of skin treatments for facial rejuvenation including surgical and non-surgical procedures.

1. CHEMICAL PEELS

Skin resurfacing through chemical peels is a non-surgical cure. Chemical peels are made using differing formulas to treat moderate to severe acne, scars, and pigmentations.

Peels are done on weekly or fortnightly basis. A pre peel preparation of about two weeks is completed before first peel. The chemical solution is applied to your whole face or just on some spots. The number of peels differs depending on the severity of skin problems.

Types of chemical peels

Glycolic (AHA) Peel: There is no need of anesthesia as it is a mild peel used to reduce effects of aging and sun damage such as wrinkles and brown spots.

TCA Peel: TCA peel is effective in the reduction of wrinkles, pigmentary changes and skin blemishes. It is also used on the other areas of body that have been exposed to the sun.

Phenol Peel: It is used to treat severe skin problems including rough and sun damaged facial skin. Unlike TCA, it cannot be used on other parts of body.

2. DERMABRASION

It’s a surgical treatment that uses a wire brush or a wheel to create injury. The injury heals as the new skin grows replacing the old wounded skin.

Dermabrasion requires anesthesia for it is painful. Sometimes ice pack or freezing spray is used to harden the skin. Post-surgery care is similar treating burns.

3. LASER RESURFACING

There are two forms of laser resurfacing. One involves less invasion and injury while the other is more invasive and needs drilling which is also called fractional resurfacing. Like other skin rejuvenation treatments, it is used to treat wrinkles, age spots, scars from acne and other causes.

Before choosing any skin rejuvenation treatment, it is of utmost importance to get the knowledge of any risk involved. Consult a doctor to get a more comprehensive knowledge of the treatment that would suit your skin.

Also see :Say GoodBye to Tattoo

Your skin demands some attention

According to Dr. Krupa Shankar not all skins are alike. Some dry, some are oily, some are sensitive, and others are a mix of dry and oily, delicate and oily, or dry and delicate. You may even have a skin type that is all of the three – dry, sensitive and oily. Knowing your skin type is a standout amongst the most principal issues in any skin care regime. This is on account of your skin can react contrastingly to various sorts of skin treatments.

Basically the individual with oily skin has excessive oil-secreting glands. All skins contain glands just underneath the surface of the skin which emit oil to continually nourish and moisten the skin.

The dry skin on the other hand is the inverse of the oily skin. The oil glands under the skin may not be as productive in secreting oil onto the skin surface for some reason, depriving the skin of its basic moisturizing need. Appropriate skin care is absolutely dependent upon the skin type you have.

Nowadays, the idea of beauty has achieved a whole new dimension. The principle substance of beauty, that is skin, is currently viewed as an imperative part of our social lives. There is lots of accentuation in the general public to have a smooth,clear and radiant skin. With this expanded accentuation, the number of skin treatments has likewise shot up. Innumerable treatment have likewise developed as an aftereffect of this hyper fixation on excellent skin. Few treatments guarantee spotless skin.But, despite the fact that the nature of treatment is sensibly great, it doesn’t yield craved results in light of unacceptability of skin. There are also certain different properties – which when not effectively compared, can decrease the effect of even the most trusted of treatments. Consider following points before going for any skin treatment–

1. The sort of dermis assumes a critical part in choosing the outcomes of any skin treatment on your body.

      2. If you are experiencing any skin deformity, it is vital to know the exact reason for its cause before hopping to any skin treatment.

Ways to Treat Uneven Skin Tone

Everyone wants a healthy and glowing skin but very few of us are actually blessed with it. These days a lot of people complain of various skin issues and uneven skin tone is one of them.  Uneven skin tone can be the outcome of numerous diverse things such as excessive exposure to the sun, hormonal disturbances, or scarring of the skin. If you also have an uneven skin tone then do not worry at all as Dr.Krupa Shankar says that this problem can be solved to a great extent. Read on to know more:

1.      Sugar Scrub

This is a good old-fashioned but effective way to balance out uneven skin tone. It is a fact that sugar is a natural scrub and it helps in making the skin smooth and supple. It would scrub away dead and chipped skin to reveal a skin tone that is beautiful, radiant and more even. The best part is that this scrub can be made at home also all you need is a quarter cup of raw granulated sugar and water. Mix it and add a few drops of coconut or olive oil.

2.      Sandalwood Mask

Sandalwood mask is a sure shot way to get rid of uneven skin tone. From past several years it has been used for diverse beauty therapies in India and is one of the keystone herbs in Ayurveda medicine. Sandalwood powder mixed with turmeric powder works like magic to treat uneven skin tone.

3.      Regular Use of Sunscreen

Though this might sound as a cliché but using a good sunscreen is extremely important. Even if you are indoors then also you must use sunscreen during the day. When you skip sunscreen then your skin is exposed to the harsh sunlight and it leads to an uneven skin tone.  

Mental Stress and Skin Disorder

It is extremely surprising to actually believe that stress can affect our skin as well. Imagine flaky patches, dry skin and rashes on skin because of tension and stress. Well hold your horses because it is true. 

It is crystal clear about the stress youngsters go through nowadays. Be the stress due to board exams or semesters, high competition in everything possible. Good clothes, academics, money, brands, travel destinations. Because of such unhealthy competitions children suffer from massive stress which further has worse consequences.  

It has just been deduced from a study that children (mostly undergraduates) were found out with more symptoms of stress. They suffered from oily, dry, waxy or had flaky patches on the scalp. The study also stated that these children had abnormal sweating habits and had troublesome day.

This study thus stated about the ratio that suffers from skin problems due to excessive mental stress. According to psychologists this stress can be channelized and all these issues can be resorted with some dedication. They say that today’s generation is low on peace and certainly short on self-satisfaction. They are not satisfied with what they have. Situations like these forcefully push children towards stress. Psychologists believe if the children could start following the simple strategy of working they might be able to lose the hells which they think keep breaking on them.

Dr. Krupa Shankar, Bangalore is an renowed dermatologist states that often I see youngsters with skin problems, they don’t have any genetic issue nor are they exposed to extreme conditions. They are certainly victims of stress. Nevertheless, try taking less stress, or try to channelize it somehow. But you must get your skin checked if you think you are stressed, let Dr. Krupa Shankar help you come out of your worst skin conditions. 

Derma Roller For younger looking skin

Everybody is born with lovely, shining skin, yet few individuals figure out how to keep it that way for longer. However, it is a fact that for most of us, protecting our skin's health is not a top need, we mindlessly avoid paying attention to the skin that it needs. Everyday our skin has to deal with harsh forces like dust, awful cosmetics, dry air, cruel UV rays, allergens, pollution, and other harming stuff that accelerate the occurrence of skin related issues.

The skin is the biggest organ of the body, making it most helpless against the cruel components. Skipping out on a decent healthy skin regimen can truly bring about your skin to look more aged than its actual age. These days a lot of people are relying on Derma Rollers to get back the glory of their skin.

The main thing you have to think about derma roller procedure is that it is 100% safe, maybe even more secure than the dermatological treatments you get at the salons and beauty parlors.

This technique involves pricking the skin with micro-needles. This pricking prompts the skin to speed up the healing process and in a way it gets renewed. These pinpricks open up your skin's pores, animating the lower layers and accelerating the collagen creation.  According to Dr. Krupa Skankar you should do nothing more than to offer your skin some assistance with healing itself and to kick off the regular skin revival process.

While the treatment may hurt a bit in the first sitting, you soon wouldn't worry about the pinpricks when you see the positive outcome that too in a short time. Do remember to get it done from a reputed skin care clinic that has skilled professionals.

Derma rolling is one of those do-it-without-anyone's-help systems that truly deliver visible changes to your skin directly after the first treatment. 

Get smoother skin by laser treatment

Are you tired of tweezing? Sick of shaving? Fed up with hair removal creams? That only burn your skin or waxing treatments that lead to ingrown hairs. An expert in laser hair removal can help you with all of your hair reduction needs. Getting rid of unwanted hair can be like getting rid of weeds. No matter how often you pull, cut, or rip, they come back.

Laser hairremoval is the process of removing unwanted hair by means of exposure to pulses of laser light that destroy the hair follicle. The laser targets the melanin in the hair, heats it up, and destroys it, greatly slowing regrowth. The entire process is relatively pain free, and patients generally enjoy great results after several treatments. Hair removals are commonly done for the following area:

·         Face

·         Neck

·         Bikini area

·         Back

·         Legs

·         Stomach

·         Upper lip

Older, more traditional methods of removing unwanted hair:

·         Depilatories – hair dissolvers

·         Epilators – mechanical devices that pull the hair from the skin

·         Shavers – tedious and makes the hair appear thicker because the cut ends are now flat

·         Waxing – potentially can cause scars or pigmentation

·         Electrolysis – extremely time consuming and slow process

The new way to solve unwanted hair problems is with laser and light therapies. Beyond the undesirable cosmetic issues, excess hair, especially excess facial hair, creates profound psychological effects.

How do Hair Lasers Work?

Lasers produce highly focused, intense beams of light that are absorbed by dark pigments in the hair follicles beneath the skin’s surface. This is conducted under the supervision of a specialized dermatologist or a surgeon as it causes a purposeful build-up of heat, destroying most of the follicles and preventing hair growth.

Laser hair treatments are:

·         Virtually pain-free

·         Long-lasting

·         Quick treatments are usually under one hour

·         Recovery free

·         Effective for all skin types

Dr. Krupa Shankar, a specialized dermatologist who conduct Laser Hair Removal has become popular with women today mainly because of its many advantages over waxing. Though you might feel a tinge of pain, its long list of benefits makes it worthwhile, some of them are briefly discussed:

·         It causes absolutely no damage to the dermis and even the most sensitive skin can also be treated. Research suggests that almost 5 in 10 people have sensitive skin which makes this is a great alternative for them.

·    It is definitely much quicker and more precise than all the other hair removal procedures as its technological advancement minimizes human error.

As the treatments progress, this procedure makes your skin progressively softer and smoother.

·        This highly minimises the risk of skin infections. Most clinics that offer the procedure do so under the strict supervision of a qualified and experienced dermatologist.