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Tackle your hair and skin problems with expert help from Dr Dinesh Jain.
Dear Dr Jain
I have dark-coloured armpits compared to the rest of my body, so I am not able to wear sleeveless.
Can this colour be changed?
Thank you,
Juhi
Dark coloured armpits or underarms can be due to many causes and one needs to evaluate as to why you see this dark pigmentation. The common causes may be:
1. Friction due to tight clothes
2. Shaving repeatedly, causing irritation of the skin
3. Smoking
4. Pigmentation caused by diabetes and insulin resistance
5. Accumulation of dead skin which gives a dark hue
6. Obesity
7. Acanthosis Nigricans (a skin condition that causes a dark discoloration in body folds and creases)
Home remedies for dark armpits
There are various home remedies like potato and cucumber juice application, curds and oats application, lemon juice… but I don’t see them giving you a significant result.
While you can consider it for mild cases, do consult an expert first. This is a sensitive area of your body and a wrong application can cause irritation and discomfort for at least 3-4 days.
Treatment for dark armpits include:
1. A visit to an expert and find out the root cause.
Armpits are always slightly darker than the rest of your skin but, when it is too dark, it reduces your choice about what you wear.
2. Creams containing Kojic acid, vitamin C and liquorice root extract
3. Peels like glycolic acid, performed by an expert dermatologist
4. Applying regular moisturiser and sunscreen
5. Low level Nd:YAG laser
6. A combination hyperpigmentation treatment by an expert.
In my practice, we use a combination of lasers and pigmentation control systems which generally gives a good result in 2-3 sessions.
I strongly recommend that you visit an expert near you and seek guidance.
Hello Dr Jain
As I am growing older, I am noticing that I am getting small warts, both red and black.
Is this dangerous to my heath?
Can one safely get them removed?
Manish Darshan
These small growths which you are noticing are often called warts by people.
Warts, however, are growths caused by a viral infection.
What you have is known as skin tags, lentigines, moles or keratosis and is caused by repetitive damage to the skin due to exposure to sunlight and radiation.
The red spots, commonly called liver spots, have nothing to do with liver damage as such. They too are caused generally because of repetitive damage to the skin by sun exposure. Sometimes, there are other causes as well.
Repetitive damage by ultraviolet rays causes the melanocytes or skin colouring cells to multiply, resulting in this kind of growth.
Skin tags also happen in the neck and underarm areas due to friction.
Treatment of skin growth:
You need not worry about skin tags because they do not cause any serious health problem.
They can be easily removed with advanced lasers that don’t leave a mark.
Cauterisation by electrocautery is one of the more common methods.
Another option is the use of chemical agents to destroy this kind of growth. These need to be applied by an expert so do seek advice from your dermatologist.
Dear Dr Jain
I love wearing nail polish, getting nail spa treatments and wearing false nails.
But now I am noticing that my nails have turned yellow. They have ridges and they break easily.
Please advise.
Kshitija
You are suffering from brittle nails after nail spa treatments and the use of nail extensions.
A regular manicure and pedicure at a professional and hygienic nail setup, and using good quality nail polishes, are not a problem.
However, there are various problems associated with damage that can happen due to a reaction to the chemicals used in the nail spa and also if proper disinfection, sanitisation and hygiene protocols are not followed.
The chemicals used to attach or remove artificial nails can irritate your skin. You may see redness, pus, pain or swelling around your fingernails.
If your artificial nail hits a surface or there is repetitive pressure on it, you may dislodge your real nail from the nail bed, causing yellow to black discolouration of the nail.
In such cases, it is ideal to cut it until the damaged nail grows out.
Keep your nails moisturised.
Tips to repair damaged nails post extensions
Remove the extensions immediately and wait for a while until you do your next round of nail extensions.
Do this after a thorough check-up of your nails and nail bed by an expert dermatologist.
Use normal nail polishes for a while. Also use a nail strengthener.
Get treated any allergies or infections.
Deficiencies in vitamins like D3, B12 and calcium can make your nails brittle. Seek medical advice for the same.
Hi Dr Jain.
I am a fitness freak and gym every day.
I get regular fungal infection on my skin and a doctor I consulted told me this is caused because I sweat regularly at the gym.
Her medicine works and the infection goes but it comes back again.
Is there any permanent treatment?
Thanks,
Rahul
There are various fungal infections that can occur on the skin for various reasons, including sweating in the gym.
Generally, the symptoms and irritation caused by a post-workout infection is due to the sweat and friction caused by gym exercises.
This fungal infection -- which goes after application of the prescribed cream and other treatments -- may be from the Tinea group. If not treated effectively, it can cause itching off and on and be bothersome in the long run.
Apart from consulting a dermatologist -- not a regular doctor -- you need to follow the prescribed routine till you get rid of the infection completely.
The dermatologist will give you topical creams and/or oral anti-fungal medicines.
Other than this, add a disinfectant to the water while washing your clothes.
Using anti-fungal dusting powder before your gym session will help.
Maintain hygiene while using gym equipment so that you don’t get infection from others.
Hello doctor,
My wife, aged 43, has very long, fizzy and curly hair.
She wants to make them straight permanently without damaging it.
Kindly advise if the keratin straightening process is good.
What checks should be done when shortlisting a particular saloon or company products for this?
Regards,
Sanmati Jain
Apart from seeking beauty treatment for frizzy hair, you need to ascertain that its causes are cured first so that the treatment will be much more effective.
What causes hair to frizz?
1. Humidity. This is why your hair gets frizzy during a hot, humid summer day (or when you're on vacation somewhere warm).
2. Washing your hair in very hot water.
3. Harsh hair products
4. Overusing the hair dryer for heat-based styling.
5. Over-washing your hair with harsh shampoos.
6. Finally, over a period of time, the quality of your hair can change due to hormonal influences, including pregnancy. Your hair can start thinning, causing a frizz.
Why one needs top up with keratin and what checks need to be done
Hair becomes frizzy and dry when the outermost layer of the hair, called the cuticle or covering, lifts.
This allows moisture to seep in, swelling the hair shaft and making it thick and frizzy.
Keratin treatment smooths down and seals the cuticle, preventing frizz and breakage of hair.
Before you opt for such treatment, check to see if it is formaldehyde-free as far as the ingredients used are concerned. To be on the safe side, crosscheck the names of the products that will be used with your dermatologist.
This will help you because we have seen, many times, that routine keratin treatments cause more harm than good and it then takes months to repair the damage.
Dr Dinesh Jain is based in Mumbai and practises at Sparsh -- the Aesthetic Clinic. He is a well known cosmetologist and specialises in anti-ageing regenerative medicine, hair regrowth and stem cell-based treatment.
His qualifications include an MBBS, DV&D, MD and an MSc.
In his two decades of practice, he has treated thousands of patients including many Bollywood stars.
Please mail your skin care queries to Dr Jain at getahead@rediff.co.in (SUBJECT: Ask Dr Jain)
Do note: This column is an advisory. Please consult your doctor before beginning any treatment.
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