Dr. Aanchal Skin & Hair Clinic

Hi,

I am Dr. Anchal Sehrawat, consultant dermatologist. I will be talking about acne vulgaris. Acne vulgaris which is commonly known as pimples is basically a skin disorder which is characterized by blackheads and whiteheads which eventually progress to classic pimples. In severe cases, it may present itself as cyst or nodules. It basically occurs during puberty when oil glands are active although it can occur at any age. It is not a dangerous disease but it can cause scars and dark spots. So the management of acne depends upon how severe the diseases are? If acne is mild then it can be managed with creams, gels with controls oil production apart from your general skin regiment. In severe cases, we need to give oral antibiotics and if the acne is persistent then we have to evaluate the patient for hormonal imbalance like in case of polycystic ovarian disease.

Apart from medication, we need to go for chemical peeling which is the procedure which we can undertake in every three weeks for 5-6 sittings. It gives better and faster results. For acne scars we have to go for microneedling, microderma abrasion, platelet-rich plasma therapy or fractional CO2 laser. So I would like to advise my patient to avoid stress or any oil based cosmetic or hair products and to take special care during hot humid climate. Avoid breaking your pimple. Also, avoid any food items which is having a high glycemic index. Proper skin care regiment should be followed like right sunscreen lotion, right face wash and moisturizer. You should also follow the advice of your doctor on how to apply creams in order to avoid side-effects otherwise that could lead to discontinuity of your treatment. If you want to know more about acne you can contact me through Lybrate.

Thanks!

Hi! I m Dr. Anchal Sehrawat, consultant dermatologist at Dr. Anchal Skin and Hair Clinic.

I will be discussing about melasma. Melasma is quite a common skin condition which causes tan to dark brown discoloration of face, especially seen over upper cheeks, nose, upper lips, and forehead. In extreme cases, it can be seen over the forearm and neck. It is more common in women as compared to men between the age group of 20 to 50 years, especially with darker skin tone. Although the discoloration is totally harmless and does not cause any physical discomfort.

Managing the psychological stress associated with appearance can be a challenge. So the right management can significantly improve the quality of life of the patient and restore self-confidence. So what causes melasma? It is not totally clear what causes melasma but still, it is believed that there are multiple triggering factors like birth control pills, pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, thyroid disease and the epileptic medications. Certain medications can make skin more prone to darker upon sun exposure.

Uncontrolled sun exposure can cause melasma in adequately predisposing individuals. And certain household remedies and over the counter products can further aggravate melasma and make the condition worst. So how to diagnose melasma? Melasma is usually easily diagnosed by the characteristics of its pigmentation and distribution over the face. Assessment by skin specialist will help to assess the depth of pigmentation with the help of wood lamp.

So how to treat melasma? There are certain medications your doctor will prescribe you for lightening the skin like hydroquinone, tretinoin, azelaic acid and kojic acid. The chemical peel can be advised in case the melasma is not responding to tropical management. How to maintain melasma result? In any treatment effects are gradual, don’t guarantee that melasma won’t come back and certain cases of melasma do not completely latten. So you have to stick to certain skin treatment practices to reduce the risk of melasma from returning.

Just applying sunscreen is fairly not enough, a thick layer of sunscreen should be applied so as to fulfill the purpose of sunscreen. So give yourself one minute of time for properly applying sunscreen, apply a liberal amount of sunscreen get outside after 15 to 20 minutes of proper application and may apply sunscreen after 2 hours and do not shy away from apply sunscreen if it is not suiting you. Consult a dermatologist to see which sunscreen best suits you and avoid going outside during sunny duration like mid-morning to late afternoon. And preferred to be in shady areas if it is unavoidable to avoid sun.

Hi,

I am Dr Anchal Sehrawat, a consultant at Dr Anchala Skin and Hair Clinic, Gurgaon and I will be discussing Hirsutism. Hirsutism is defined as a male pattern of hair growth seen in females, male pattern of hair growth means that there is excessive hair growth over the upper lip, chin, side, chest, lower abdomen and thighs, which is normally seen in case of males and not in females. It is becoming quite a common condition in today's world and basically, there is excessive production of androgens which are the main hormones, which leads to the growth of the dark coarse hair over the body. In case there is rapid growth of hair and it is also associated with other features like acne, deepening of voice, oil hair follicle and increase muscle mass over the shoulder and there is loss of female contour and she should be properly investigated for other rare causes of hirsutism like congenital adrenal hyperplasia or tumors or Cushing syndrome. The treatment modality mainly includes the lifestyle modification and medication. Lifestyle modification is very important wherein healthy eating habits should we maintain, weight loss should be the main aim of the patient and moderate exercises are quite helpful. Most women resort to different plucking methods like shaving, breaking and waxing which though they are inexpensive and easy, but they are temporary and they lead to several side effects like folliculitis, irritant dermatitis and scarrying also. Laser hair removal has as such gain popularity in past two decades. It basically uses light generated heat to destroy the follicle to destroy the hair in the follicle, it basically targets the pigment which is present in the hair follicle, so it is more effective in destroying the dark here as compared to light hair. Laser hair removal has such gain much popularity in past two decades for mechanical removal of hair. It uses light generated heat to destroy the ability of hair to grow in the follicle since it targets the pigment present in hair so it is more effective in destroying the dark hair as compared to the light hairs. The laser helps in reducing the thickness of hair, it decreases the density of hair follicles as well as it decreases the rate of growth of hair. So that's why the procedure is known as Laser hair reduction. Various lasers available are the diode, IPL and ND: YAG and Alexandrite. Medications which are used mainly oral contraceptive pills and insulin, sensitizers, androgen suppressing agents. So Hirsutism management includes index clinical evaluation thorough investigation, modification, medications as well as laser hair removal.

Thank you very much, if you want to know more about hirsutism and want to contact me. You can contact me through Lybrate or you can come directly to my Clinic Dr Anchal Skin and Hair Clinic.