Acne (Pimples)

What advice would you give to those suffering from frequent outbursts of acne or pimples?

What advice would you give to those suffering from frequent outbursts of acne or pimples?

 

Dr Dolly Gupta: Acne is the most commonly encountered skin condition, which significantly diminishes self-confidence. This needs to be treated early, to prevent post-acne sequelae, like scarring and pigmentation. This is often associated with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or hormonal imbalance. Only a consultant skin specialist can advise the patient on proper care and on the usage of correct cleansing and cosmetic products. The patient should always use gel-based products, or those labelled as “non-comedogenic”.
Can acne scars be corrected? What would be the best method?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Such scars can be corrected to a great extent, depending on the grade of scarring for each patient. Chemical peelings, subscision, dermaroller with mesotherapy, and ablative or non-ablative lasers for skin resurfacing are some of the options to remove acne scars. We often need to combine two to three techniques to get the best result.
Pigmentation
What are the common causes of dark spots on the skin?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Melasma (dark spots on face) is the most common pigmentation disorder. The dark patches could be triggered by several factors, including use of cosmetic products, sun damage or tanning, nutritional and vitamin deficiency, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to previous skin lesion, certain pigmentation skin disorders like lichen planus, amyloidosis, naevus or birth marks, and drug use.
What treatment strategy do you follow to manage dark spots?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Proper counselling is the first and most important strategy. Adoption of sun-avoidance and sun-protection measures is important. Patients should use medicated sunscreen lotions, in accordance with their skin types, as instructed by the physician. Also, skin-lightening creams are prescribed for specific durations. I follow “Special fairness and skin rejuvenation treatment”, which is quite successful, as it gives instant fairness and glow to the skin. It’s a very good option to be tried before marriage, or any party, to get a healthy and flawless skin.
Are there surgeries for vitiligo or leucoderma? How successful are such procedures?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Vitiligo or leucoderma (more commonly referred to as white patches) is an acquired idiopathic skin ailment with profound social stigma. This condition can be corrected by using a combination of medical therapies. We use NbUVB or UVA Radiation and surgeries in selected cases. Surgical techniques like Minigrafting, Blister grafting, Split Skin grafting, Smash technique, and the latest and most advanced, Autologous Keratinocyte or Melanocyte Cultures, are quite successful in treating the skin ailment. We’ve started a special Vitiligo Clinic at our hospital, with a team of dermatologists and plastic surgeons.
Hair Loss/Bladness
What are the common causes of hair fall?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Most people are unaware that there are several types of baldness. In men, it is mostly genetic or hereditary problem, while, in women, it can be attributed to iron deficiency, anaemia, thyroid problems, hormonal abnormalities and post-pregnancy symptoms. Severe dandruff, any acute or chronic illness, autoimmune diseases and certain medications are some other causes. Hair loss is a common problem for both men and women. It may result in dwindling self-esteem.
What is the remedy of this problem?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Only a dermatologist can evaluate the exact type of baldness and the exact cause of hair loss, after detailed examinations and lab tests. There are many products available in the market claiming to restore hair loss. Patients often try them and approach us only after they fail to show any result. At times, it gets too late to be able to cure the problem. I would advise everyone to consult a dermatologist during the primary stages of hair loss, instead of wasting time and money on such products.
What is the permanent solution for baldness?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Hair transplant is the only permanent solution. There are two techniques—STRIP and FUE. We do both the techniques. Of these, STRIP is the gold standard for hair transplant. About 78 per cent surgeons follow it all over the globe. It is done under local anaesthesia. It does not require hospital stay and the patient can resume work from the same day. The new hair looks shiny. It grows naturally and can be trimmed, shampooed, oiled and dyed as well.
Permanent Hair Removal
What are the causes of excessive hair growth in women?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Excessive hairiness in women, particularly in those parts of the body, where terminal hair does not normally occur or is minimal, such as, upper lip, chin or chest, is known as hirsutism. It’s primarily a cosmetic, as well as psychological concern.
What are the conditions associated with hirsutism?
Dr Dolly Gupta: The most common causes are heredity and PCOS. In some cases, ovarian or adrenal tumours, Cushing’s Syndrome, insulin resistance, growth hormone excess and obesity may cause hirsutism. Certain medications can also result in excessive hair growth.
How safe and effective is laser hair reduction?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Laser hair removal is the best way to get rid of unwanted hair permanently. It has no side-effects, if done by experts. Many people go for full body hair removal sessions.
How safe is it to go for laser procedure done at parlours and other cosmetic centres run by non-medicos?
Dr Dolly Gupta: We often get patients who come to us after wasting lots of money on several sessions of laser hair removal, at parlours or cosmetic centres run by non-medicos. The quality of the machine is very important, for best result. One should always go to trained medical professionals for such treatment.
Anti-aging
What are the factors responsible for early aging?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Aging can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Intrinsic aging refers to the natural process of chronologic aging, which is predominantly genetically mediated. Other contributing factors may be the natural effects of gravity, expression lines, sleep lines, and hormonal changes. Intrinsic aging affects both sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed skin. Extrinsic aging refers to those mediated by environmental factors, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, smoking, wind and chemical exposure, among others.
What are the signs of aging?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Appearance of fine and coarse wrinkling, roughness, dryness, skin atrophy, laxity of skin, pigmentation changes or dark spots could be cited as the signs of aging. It can start as early as in the 20s, depending on sun exposure and other lifestyle factors.
How do actors and other celebrities manage to look so young for years? Do all of them opt for cosmetic surgeries?
Dr Dolly Gupta: Skin treatments and rejuvenation procedure to reverse the age clock are easier than you think! Thanks to the tremendous development in cosmetology, anyone can look five to 10 years younger in just a few minutes. People rarely opt for surgical techniques these days. There are a handful of non-surgical anti-aging options, such as, chemical peeling, botulinum toxin, fillers, non-surgical thread lift, lasers, microneedling and meso, among others, all of which are free from side-effects, if done by experts.  (Reprint)

 

Acne (Pimples)

What advice would you give to those suffering from frequent outbursts of acne or pimples?

What advice would you give to those suffering from frequent outbursts of acne or pimples? Dr Dolly Gupta: Acne is the most commonly encountered skin condition, which significantly diminishes self-confidence. This needs to be treated early, to prevent post-acne sequelae, like scarring and pigmentation. This is often associated with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or hormonal imbalance. Only a consultant skin specialist can advise the patient on proper care and on the usage of correct cleansing and cosmetic products. The patient should always use gel-based products, or those labelled as non-comedogenic. Can acne scars be corrected? What would be the best method? Dr Dolly Gupta: Such scars can be corrected to a great extent, depending on the grade of scarring for each patient. Chemical peelings, subscision, dermaroller with mesotherapy, and ablative or non-ablative lasers for skin resurfacing are some of the options to remove acne scars. We often need to combine two to three techniques to get the best result. Pigmentation What are the common causes of dark spots on the skin? Dr Dolly Gupta: Melasma (dark spots on face) is the most common pigmentation disorder. The dark patches could be triggered by several factors, including use of cosmetic products, sun damage or tanning, nutritional and vitamin deficiency, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to previous skin lesion, certain pigmentation skin disorders like lichen planus, amyloidosis, naevus or birth marks, and drug use. What treatment strategy do you follow to manage dark spots? Dr Dolly Gupta: Proper counselling is the first and most important strategy. Adoption of sun-avoidance and sun-protection measures is important. Patients should use medicated sunscreen lotions, in accordance with their skin types, as instructed by the physician. Also, skin-lightening creams are prescribed for specific durations. I follow Special fairness and skin rejuvenation treatment, which is quite successful, as it gives instant fairness and glow to the skin. Its a very good option to be tried before marriage, or any party, to get a healthy and flawless skin. Are there surgeries for vitiligo or leucoderma? How successful are such procedures? Dr Dolly Gupta: Vitiligo or leucoderma (more commonly referred to as white patches) is an acquired idiopathic skin ailment with profound social stigma. This condition can be corrected by using a combination of medical therapies. We use NbUVB or UVA Radiation and surgeries in selected cases. Surgical techniques like Minigrafting, Blister grafting, Split Skin grafting, Smash technique, and the latest and most advanced, Autologous Keratinocyte or Melanocyte Cultures, are quite successful in treating the skin ailment. Weve started a special Vitiligo Clinic at our hospital, with a team of dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Hair Loss/Bladness What are the common causes of hair fall? Dr Dolly Gupta: Most people are unaware that there are several types of baldness. In men, it is mostly genetic or hereditary problem, while, in women, it can be attributed to iron deficiency, anaemia, thyroid problems, hormonal abnormalities and post-pregnancy symptoms. Severe dandruff, any acute or chronic illness, autoimmune diseases and certain medications are some other causes. Hair loss is a common problem for both men and women. It may result in dwindling self-esteem. What is the remedy of this problem? Dr Dolly Gupta: Only a dermatologist can evaluate the exact type of baldness and the exact cause of hair loss, after detailed examinations and lab tests. There are many products available in the market claiming to restore hair loss. Patients often try them and approach us only after they fail to show any result. At times, it gets too late to be able to cure the problem. I would advise everyone to consult a dermatologist during the primary stages of hair loss, instead of wasting time and money on such products. What is the permanent solution for baldness? Dr Dolly Gupta: Hair transplant is the only permanent solution. There are two techniquesSTRIP and FUE. We do both the techniques. Of these, STRIP is the gold standard for hair transplant. About 78 per cent surgeons follow it all over the globe. It is done under local anaesthesia. It does not require hospital stay and the patient can resume work from the same day. The new hair looks shiny. It grows naturally and can be trimmed, shampooed, oiled and dyed as well. Permanent Hair Removal What are the causes of excessive hair growth in women? Dr Dolly Gupta: Excessive hairiness in women, particularly in those parts of the body, where terminal hair does not normally occur or is minimal, such as, upper lip, chin or chest, is known as hirsutism. Its primarily a cosmetic, as well as psychological concern. What are the conditions associated with hirsutism? Dr Dolly Gupta: The most common causes are heredity and PCOS. In some cases, ovarian or adrenal tumours, Cushings Syndrome, insulin resistance, growth hormone excess and obesity may cause hirsutism. Certain medications can also result in excessive hair growth. How safe and effective is laser hair reduction? Dr Dolly Gupta: Laser hair removal is the best way to get rid of unwanted hair permanently. It has no side-effects, if done by experts. Many people go for full body hair removal sessions. How safe is it to go for laser procedure done at parlours and other cosmetic centres run by non-medicos? Dr Dolly Gupta: We often get patients who come to us after wasting lots of money on several sessions of laser hair removal, at parlours or cosmetic centres run by non-medicos. The quality of the machine is very important, for best result. One should always go to trained medical professionals for such treatment. Anti-aging What are the factors responsible for early aging? Dr Dolly Gupta: Aging can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Intrinsic aging refers to the natural process of chronologic aging, which is predominantly genetically mediated. Other contributing factors may be the natural effects of gravity, expression lines, sleep lines, and hormonal changes. Intrinsic aging affects both sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed skin. Extrinsic aging refers to those mediated by environmental factors, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, smoking, wind and chemical exposure, among others. What are the signs of aging? Dr Dolly Gupta: Appearance of fine and coarse wrinkling, roughness, dryness, skin atrophy, laxity of skin, pigmentation changes or dark spots could be cited as the signs of aging. It can start as early as in the 20s, depending on sun exposure and other lifestyle factors. How do actors and other celebrities manage to look so young for years? Do all of them opt for cosmetic surgeries? Dr Dolly Gupta: Skin treatments and rejuvenation procedure to reverse the age clock are easier than you think! Thanks to the tremendous development in cosmetology, anyone can look five to 10 years younger in just a few minutes. People rarely opt for surgical techniques these days. There are a handful of non-surgical anti-aging options, such as, chemical peeling, botulinum toxin, fillers, non-surgical thread lift, lasers, microneedling and meso, among others, all of which are free from side-effects, if done by experts. (Reprint)