Friday, December 10, 2010

Pigmentation and Clear Complexion - Part 5

Mask

*Grate the skin of a Papaya and mix half cup of fuller's earth/besan. Take 2 Vitamin A capsules and mix into a paste. Apply on the face; keep for 20 minutes. When dry, pat with water or milk and rinse off. You can use these scrubs and masks at least once a week.


Do's and Don'ts:

*As soon as you find uneven skin tone in patches, include supplements of iron and calcium with the advise of a doctor. Include one green leafy vegetable at least once a day.


*Include curd and paneer generously.


*Have a Vitamin B complex capsule plus a livogen capsule - at least for a month. These are harmless and have proved quite effective in a number of cases.


*Do not use cosmetics that have colouring agents. Avoid make-up, or make it minimum. Use a sun block lotion before going out.


*Avoid using oral birth control drugs and sleeping pills.


*Avoid distress and anxiety as much as possible. Meditate for at least 15 minutes a day.



Source : LILY MADHOK

 
Warning : The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
The service is provided as general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute
for the medical advice of your own doctor.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Pigmentation and Clear Complexion - Part 4


2) Bleaching and skin peeling :

These are two effective methods followed by cosmetologists to clear up excessive pigmentation.  This can be done by


*Using cosmetic creams, lotions available in the market usually going by the name of fairness creams or whitening creams. Once again, there is a wide range to choose from - starting with the herbal, Indian and imported. They usually contain exfoliating agents, anti-melanin production agents and sometimes even a UV filter.


*Visiting a professional salon and in consultation with the cosmetologist there, undergo a treatment to clear the pigmentation. A few sittings may be required. The Shanaz Hussain's vegetable peel treatment is very effective and since it is herbal it has no side effects.


3. Home remedies :

Vitamin B3 and milk proteins are effective agents for melanin control. Follow the routine given below :

Take 2 tablespoons of milk powder (whole milk powder-WHP or skimmed milk powder- SMP), add  Hydrogen Peroxide enough to make a paste. Hydrogen Peroxide is usually available at the Chemist

Shop (use a 20 volume strength only). To this paste, add a few drops of glycerine and apply it on the dark spots. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and then rinse it off. After rinsing, if the skin feels dry, use a moisturising lotion.

Break a Vitamin E capsule and mix in a few drops of castor oil and apply on deeply pigmented areas. This is a very effective treatment.

Scrubs and masks for skin peeling :

*Crush 1 tsp. of almonds and add 1 tsp of oatmeal. Mix this with 2 tablespoons of honey or milk.

Gently rub this granular paste in a circular motion on your face for a few minutes. This removes all dead skin.
 
 
 
To Be Continued .....
 
 
Warning : The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
The service is provided as general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute
for the medical advice of your own doctor.

























Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Pigmentation and Clear Complexion - Part 3


*Menopause: During this period, there is a decline in hormonal level, which in turn affects the
secretion of the colouring pigment in our skin, and dark patches appear again more prominently on the face. The pigmentation is more when a person has undergone surgical removal of ovaries and uterus.


*Deficiency of iron, calcium, Vitamins A, E & B complex results in patchy and spotty discolouration of the skin.


*Lack of Vitamin A results in thickening and darkening of the skin.


External factors causing pigmentation:

*Excessive exposure to the sun over exposure to the sun without a shield, tans and darkens the skin tone. The ultraviolet rays (UVR) of the sun penetrate the skin and damage the skin cells also - resulting in pigmentation.


*Use of wrong cosmetics certain make up products have chemical colours, creams that have mercury. These react adversely on the skin surface causing pigmentation.


*Oral medication  - the drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, insomnia, birth control and acne have an unfavourable effect on the skin causing spot pigmentation.


Clearing up the pigmentation

1) Protection from the sun:

Always protect yourself from the sun especially when you are outdoors too much exposure results in pigmentation of the skin as well as early wrinkles and even skin cancer. Ultraviolet ays (UVR) are most harmful and they are present just a little above the visible light. The UVR are again split into 3 - from shortest to longest wavelengths and are known as UVA, UVB and UVC.

UVA rays are the farthest yet the ones with the greatest potential for harming the skin. They  penetrate deepest into the skin. Strong exposure to UVA leads to dry, wrinkled and leathery skin.

UVB rays cause sunburn since they are the rays that usually reach the earth and are the ones that are most likely to cause skin cancer.

To protect yourself from tanning and pigmentation, use what we call a sun screen or sun block lotion: A wide range of these are available in India now, right from herbal ones to Indian and  Imported brands. However, use the following guidelines to choose your sunscreen :

Check for the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) ratings -- these usually measure a product's ability to block UVB rays. 15 to 20 SPF is more than enough for dark wheatish colour skins. If you are very fair, then use upto 60 SPF. If you have to be in the sun too long, for assurance, frequent application i.e. every two hours is recommended.
 
 
To Be Continued .....
 
 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pigmentation and Clear Complexion - Part 2


In fair skins, melanin gets gradually destroyed as it moves upwards towards the outer layer of the epidermis. In dark skins, the destruction of melanin does not continue as far as the superficial layer. Therefore, the skin surface in dark, such skins contains much more melanin.


As melanin is a dark pigment, the skin surface acquires a dark colour. More the melanin darker the skin. In countries where the climate is hot and sunny, nature has given people dark skins to protect them from UVR. In countries where the climate is cold and very little sun, nature has given the people fair skins.


When there is an excessive secretion of melanin and if care is not taken, there is excessive keratinisation (hardening of skin) caused by the presence of the unexfoliated dead cells on the skin's surface causing more darkening of the skin in patches.


Factors causing skin pigmentation :

The internal disorders that cause pigmentation:

Internal pathological problems can sometimes interfere with the production or transfer of melanin. This may give rise to skin problems associated with colour, in the form of white or dark patches.

Some of these disorders are:

*Pregnancy: Due to hormonal changes, the production and transfer of melanin is affected and dark  brown spots appear predominantly on the face.
 
 
To Be Continued....
 
 

Monday, December 6, 2010

Pigmentation and Clear Complexion - Part 1

 
Pigmentation is a disorder of skin complexion and colour. It occurs mainly due to the malfunctioning of the endocrine glands and the liver, and exposure to the sun's rays. The pigmentation problem occurs as either an excessive colouration and darkening of the skin or a loss of colour and pigment in the skin, over the entire body or just in patches and spots.


Pigmentation is more widespread amongst the middle-aged women in particular. Very few women in the younger age suffer from pigmentation, and the extent of the problem is minimal, however younger people can suffer from suntan, freckles etc. The skin has wonderful protective responses.


In the deepest layers of the epidermis are cells that produce melanin - a pigment that gives the skin its colour. Melanin protects the skin from the harsh rays of the sun. When the skin is
exposed to the sun, the production of melanin increases. Once it is produced, melanin matures and moves into the upper layers of the epidermis. In some skins, this transfer of melanin gets blocked and there is no pigmentation. On the other hand, if the transfer is accelerated, it results in pigmentation and dark skins.
 
 
To Be Continued....