DR. ANNIE FLORA, Aesthetic Dermatologist, Laser & Hair Transplant Surgeon

                  Many of us these days feel we look tired, older for our age, look stressed, look gloomy or even grumpy, when actually we are not. What happens to our skin, as we age? Skin slows down in recovery. Number of cells being formed and shed do not tally, resulting in a thinning skin. Sunlight exposure further speeds up the ageing process by stimulating the collagen dissolving enzymes. Loss of collagen tends to cause loss of support from underneath the skin.               So, when skin ages, what are the changes that we can see visibly? Forehead lines Frown lines Crow's feet Sagging cheek Flat Cheek Droopy Smile Pursed lip Marrionette line Jawline sag - Jowls Neck Bands Under eye - sunken and tired looking eyes Muscles can cause some of the ageing lines to form, eg. the upper third of the face showing forehead line, frown lines and crow's feet. Loss of fat a...

When one wants a tattoo done, but later feels that it was a hasty decision, what does one do? Is tattoo removal possible? Is it permanent? Are there side effects? To know more, continue reading....      Tattoos are a permanent mark on the skin as they are inserted into the dermal layer of the skin. Tattoos are done either by professional tattooist or amateurs.. As the ink gets impregnated into the deeper layers of the skin, it cannot be shed off and sticks forever. Slow fading of tattoo ink may happen as our WBCs engulf some of the pigments, making the tattoo get a different hue. What works best to remove an unwanted tattoo the safe way?  Laser tattoo removal is the safest and effective method of taking the tattoo off the skin. Q switched Nd: YAG is one of the best lasers to get the tattoo ink erased permanently. How Laser Tattoo Removal Work? Laser beams hit the tattoo ink and disperse the pigments. part of the ink is expelled, while the remaining ink ge...

Acne  or pimples as they are commonly called, is nothing but a block in the outlet of the oil secreting glands a.k.a sebaceous glands, going in for bulging of the glands, causing irritation to the surrounding skin, resulting in acne. Acne presents at different stages: When the oil gland is blocked, it first starts as a comedone, either a white head or black head stage. Some of them then progress to the papule stage. Later when it gets infected, the pustule forms.      Comedone stage: Papular Stage Pustular Stage:   Nodulocystic  Stage: Acne can occur due to    PCOS,    Cushing’s syndrome    Lithium, Cortecosteroid tablets, etc    Cosmetic usage    Steroid cream MISUSE on the  face ( for skin lightening)    Seborrheic Dermatitis    Pre-menstrual flare of acne When the acne heals, it can normally disappear or leave behind a brown spot, o...

PRP, or platelet rich plasma has been viewed with awe as the new magic wand in the field of aesthetic dermatology . Why has it gained so much importance, I will just review. Platelet rich plasma is nothing but our own body's defence mechanism in restoring balance at any sight of disturbance in the body. Platelets can be taken as tiny packs full of growth factors. They can be called as photons of restoration. Pre PRP Scalp Preparation:   Patient has to wash his/her scalp with antibacterial shampoo on the day of the procedure. Once in the clinic, a numbing cream is applied to the scalp to make the procedure comfortable for them. This stays for an hour. After this, the procedd of preparation of PRP starts. Procedure:  In PRP, a person's whole blood is drawn, mixed with anticoagulant and subject to centrifugation (spinning), to separate the blood components into RBCs below, PRP in the middle and Platelet poor plasma above. This central zone is then removed and rece...

           Lost hair and bald look is not meant to be with you all your life. All medicines aimed at promoting hair growth works on the thinning areas, but not in the complete bald patch. To restore hair in those balding areas, hair transplant is the only permanent solution.  Here I will brief you on how a transplant is helpful.        To take hairs, the source is the donor area, commonly, the back of the scalp, whatever be the technique of hair extraction. The traditional Strip method of hair transplant (FUT),  involves removing a slice of scalp with intact follicles, slicing each follicular unit seperately and reimplanting them on the front or the crown area, based on the patient's requirement. The advantage of this technique is that a large number of donor follicles can be harvested with ease. The major disadvantage is a full length scar at the back of the scalp, giving a tight feel, and stays prominently visible i...

Wishing all my fellow bloggers & friends a very happy Diwali.. May all of us enjoy peace & prosperity and may all our lives be enlightened as we light these lamps & dispell the darkness around us. Stay safe today... Keep environment clean today, so we can stay safe tomorrow.... Let us spend time today with our loved ones & friends. Our elders spent hours preparing all these yummy snacks to share it with friends & relatives. We have moved ahead to readymade sweets & savouries. Instead, we spend that time on TV & gadgets. So lets wave off our present trend & go back to the olden days & spend time making these healthy at home & spend time sharing it with others. Wishing for those golden olden days when we used to run around, eating all these snacks as they were made - hot & healthy.  Today,  lets get offline & have quality family time...  Wishing you all a happy & safe diwali.. Let's give pollution a solution.. ...