Skin-lightening practices in India

Skin lightening involves various practices to bleach the skin or to reduce the normal skin tone. The practice of skin-lightening spans several continents throughout the centuries and cultures primarily aimed at improving the quality of life. The main aim of skin lightening in medieval times was to increase the sign of femininity and thereby its benefits. In India, skin lightening is preferred as a mark of class, caste, and richness. Dermatologists are faced with many problems dealing with requests to make skin fairer, while in the west, there is a problem dealing with skin conditions in skin of color. Many skin-lightening agents are sold as over-the-counter products and are popularized or advertised through magazines, social media, and celebrity influences. These products are self-prescribed and used rampantly despite the side effects. There is a strong equation between caste, social class, marital prospects, and occupational status based on skin color. Multinational skin-lightening cosmetic brands have a lucrative market. The most widely used topical agent in skin lightening is hydroquinone, while other non-hydroquinone agents are also frequently used. In general, combining skin-lightening agents have increased efficacy. Systemic agents such as glutathione, tranexamic acid, Vitamin C, and other miscellaneous agents are also popular. Several procedures ranging from chemical peels to lights and lasers are increasingly practiced for more effective skin lightening. In India, all skin-whitening creams can be bought without a prescription as OTC products. These products are not considered pharmaceutical products and are not subject to testing and regulations. In addition, the injudicious use of intravenous glutathione by unqualified personnel poses a threat to the lay public. In our role as dermatologists, we should develop a holistic approach in counseling and treating those patients on a quest for skin lightening.

An introduction to chemical peels for the body

This article has been written for medical practitioners who wish to incorporate chemical peels for the body within their daily practice. It will provide the reader with a sound knowledge of what a chemical peel is and why they are useful, and their key ingredients will be identified. Their clinical indications and contraindications will be discussed, as well as what the patient can expect post-procedure. The author concludes that a chemical peel on the body is ideal for combatting moderate problematic acne, reducing hyperpigmentation and treating keratosis. Used appropriately, skin peels can effectively treat these conditions. During the consultation process, the clinician can offer a broader range of treatments, rather than focusing exclusively on the face. In the long term, this will increase profit margins and build good practitioner/patient relationships.

Esthetic dermatology set up in a hill station in North East India

Esthetic dermatology till recently was considered a domain of only the metro cities and for those of the celluloid world. Setting up an esthetic dermatology practice is a difficult task in Northeast India. Our set up is located in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya, also known as “Scotland of the East,” just adjacent to Malki Forest in neighborhood, next to Lady Hydari Park, Barik, Shillong. Since patients had to travel long distances, we tried to provide all facilities under one roof which included an in-house cafeteria, laboratory, pharmacy, counseling, minor OT and laser rooms, recovery room, and reception totaling up to approximately 12 rooms. We are two dermatologists handling an average of fifty patients daily along with procedures. Over the years, we have found the following lasers and lights to be helpful to our patients QS pigment laser, diode hair removal laser, excimer lamp, CO2 laser, intense pulse light, iclearxl and NBUVB also procedures as microdermabrasion, microneedling, microblading, micro needling radiofrequency, monopolar radiofrequency, regenera active, platelet rich plasma, chemical peels, cryotherapy, injectables as neurotoxins, dermal fillers, skin boosters, lipolytics and thread lift in no particular order. Esthetic dermatology makes up about 35% of my practice.

Fillers and dermabrasive therapies

Facial ageing involves several key processes: loss of volume; laxity of tissues; and surface skin changes of wrinkles, pigmentation, vascular lesions, and textural changes. Surgery remains the mainstay of treating laxity or sagging of tissues. Fillers are an increasingly popular and effective method of replacing lost volume, or preventing it, and there are a myriad of options for dealing with the surface skin changes. This chapter deals with the principles of the appropriate use of fillers by looking at the patient suitability, the products available, and the proficiency of the injector. Steps to avoid complications are outlined and the management of these rare complications are discussed. A brief discussion is given of the place of chemical peels, dermabrasion, topical agents, and lasers in the improvement of the appearance of ageing skin.

Tips for managing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of acne

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a reactive hypermelanosis, profoundly common in the Asian skin. The post-acne sequelae may have profound effects on the patients’ mental status, sometimes even more than the acne itself, as they are long lasting and sometimes treatment refractory. PIH occurs secondary to release of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and interleukins in acne which stimulate melanogenesis. There are a multitude of therapeutic modalities available for the treatment of PIH associated with acne. Treating acne and PIH simultaneously would be a logical approach. Epidermal PIH usually responds to topical skin lightening agents which are the first line in these cases. Patients refractory to topical and oral treatment modalities usually have dermal PIH and may be offered interventional therapies. These therapies can be utilized simultaneously along with conventional therapies to hasten up the results, as combination treatment works synergistically by multipronged action at different pathways of etiopathogenesis. The patients with dermal PIH refractory to standard treatment may require other adjunctive therapies such as chemical peels, PRP, and lasers. This review provides an insight into rational and holistic approach to the management of the underlying acne, early customized treatment along with correction of underlying nutritional deficiencies, and lifestyle modifications in effective treatment of PIH.

Evaluation of glycolic acid and trichloroacetic acid peels in the treatment of melasma

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Melasma is a chronic acquired hypermelanosis of the skin mainly affecting women. The etiopathogenesis of melasma is not fully understood but multiple factors like genetic influences, sunlight exposure, pregnancy, estrogen ingestion and family history are implicated. The present study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic, efficacy of glycolic acid (GA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) superficial chemical peels in melasma patients.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> Fifty patients with clinically diagnosed melasma of either sex attending the outpatient clinic of department of dermatology of Mamata medical college and hospital, Khammam during the period of April 2007 to March 2008 constituted the subject material.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Distribution of melasma patients by duration of lesions showed the duration varied from 6 months to 6 years in both the groups, the difference in the duration of disease in two groups was statistically non-significant. Whereas site involvement showed malar region (96%) was the most commonly affected site followed by forehead (80%) and chin (20%). Study also showed sunlight was the main precipitating factor and the most frequent Fitzpatrick skin phototype was type V. The majority of cases in both the groups pigmentation was homogenous. In both the groups, at the end of three peels, it was observed that maximum cases had moderate improvement. Burning sensation was significantly high in group B compared to group A, erythema was seen in more in group B.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study proposes to combine both their modalities of chemical peels for better results TCA peels are used initially to get prompt response and then followed by GA peels to further reduce the pigmentation and maintain the effect.</p>

Data Mining Rekomendasi Pemakaian Skincare

Facial treatments or skincare treatments contained in beauty care are divided into two categories, namely home treatment (such as giving face soap, morning cream, night cream, etc.) and direct care (such as facials, chemical peels, and so on). Home treatment facials consist of a variety of care products. Each home treatment product has a specific function both for treating the face or fixing the skin on consumers' faces such as acne, black spots, blackheads, oily skin, and others. Therefore, in order to determine the right home treatment product for consumers, knowledge of the usefulness of a home treatment product is needed. One of the factors of trade problems that exist in Batam City, there are still many products that enter without knowing whether the product is safe or not to be used, especially for cosmetic or skincare products where many cosmetic products are not licensed by BPOM but can still be traded to the people of Batam City. Finding skincare cosmetics that are good for the community is very difficult, because too many skincare products are sold in the market that do not have a BPOM permit and it will be dangerous for people who use these products. It is also due to the absence of a recommendation from a doctor or a beautician, which causes the wrong or bad skincare selection and will have a bad impact on one's face. The purpose of this study was to make recommendations for the use of skincare products in Batam City. For this reason, through this research, the researcher intends to apply one of the data mining techniques with the naïve Bayes algorithm with software implementation using the Tanagra 4.1 software, where the results of this study can be used to see consumer buying patterns that have been neglected to increase product sales, and also see the decisions made to help recommendations for skincare use in Batam City.