Articles

Be kind to your hands

When SLS comes in contact with skin (especially your hands), it will remove more than surface grime. This is because the skin’s precious horny layer is mostly composed of a mixture of proteins and fats. This fatty-protein glue cements the skin cells together. After every hand wash with soap, some of these natural skin fats are removed. Repeat this five to 10 times each day and you can see what happens to your skin.

Hand eczema, therefore, becomes an occupational hazard for people like nurses, hairdressers and housewives.

Acne Anguish

Also called pimples or zits, acne affects 90 per cent of adolescents and starts as early as eight to 10 years of age. It begins with little yellowish bumps on the nose, forehead and even chest, progressing to red, painful swellings with pus. Acne begins when the oil glands fire up at puberty. The oil (or sebum), which is supposed to lubricate and protect our skin, wreaks havoc instead.

Scarred By Nickel

An infection shows up as pain, swelling or foul-smelling discharge oozing from the puncture site. In some patients, a scar forms at the site of piercing. These keloid scars can grow to significant and disfiguring proportions. Those who are prone to such scars should not even contemplate ear piercing.

Infection and poor healing of the skin after piercing also increase the chance of scar formation. The scars can be treated with injections, laser or surgery but there is no guarantee that keloids will not form again.