What are Acrylic Nails?

Acrylic nails are a clear heat sensitive plastic often referred to as false nails. They cover the most of the nail plate and are fairly hardy and resistant to different environmental conditions. The term acrylic nails is now widely used to describe all manner of false nails including fiber, silk and gel nails. It may be applied as a pre-molded film or more commonly as a liquid mixture that can be shaped once it dries. Primarily used as a beauty accessory, acrylic nails also provide additional nail length and mask brittle and discolored nails. Once fitted, the false nail provides a new surface for buffing and painting. 

continue reading Acrylic Nails Health Problems – Nail Fungi

Staph Skin Infection Pictures

Staph (pronounced staff) skin infection may appear as:

• a red bump or pus-filled blister (folliculitis)
• a boil (furuncle)
• infected cystic acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, pilonidal cyst
• a vesicle which may burst and crust over (impetigo)
• an erythema (cellulitis)
• a skin scalding (staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome)
• an infected wound or burn

Drainage of pus from lesions is common.

What Causes Staph Skin Infections?

Staph infections are mainly caused by bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and rarely by S. epidermidis, or S. saprophyticus. In staph carriers, S. aureus lives in the nose and on the skin, less commonly in the mouth, mammary glands, urinary, intestinal and upper respiratory tract (1). Staphylococcal infections usually remain localized at the site of entry. What is Staphylococcus aureus?

continue reading Staph Skin Infections Pictures

Folliculitis Pictures

Pictures in this article show staphylococcal folliculitis. Links to pictures of other types of folliculitis.

Picture 1: Staphylococcal folliculitis with red bumps and pus-filled white centers.
(source: Samuel Freire da Silva, M.D., Atlasdermatologico)

Picture 2: Staphylococcal folliculitis on the woman’s chest
Click to enlarge >> © Dermnet

Picture 3:Staphylococcal folliculitis on thighs
Click to enlarge >> © Dermnet

continue reading Folliculitis Pictures

Some of the common problems or complications that may occur during pregnancy are as under.

Abdominal Pain

During pregnancy, abdominal pain can occur because of several causes. More often pregnant women have twinges and tightening feelings in the abdomen   as the area begins to expand to hold the growing baby. However, it must not be very painful and a woman can also feel little bit uncomfortable when the baby moves around or kicks.

Back pain

Almost every pregnant woman has to experience back pain during the second or third trimester. Usually, backaches or back pains occur because of the poor posture. This pain can be worse in the women who gain more than the recommended amount of weight. The baby presses your spine and besides weight it’s another cause of the back pain.

Constipation

Most of the women have to experience constipation during pregnancy. Actually, during pregnancy the body begins to absorb more fluids that make stools harder. Similarly, different pregnancy hormones relax the intestinal walls and the stool doesn’t move quickly. In the third trimester, the baby can be the cause to press the intestinal tract and thus, intestinal movement becomes difficult. Constipation can also be a side effect of iron pills that women usually take during pregnancy.

continue reading Complications During Pregnancy

Hair Dye Allergies – Introduction

About 5% of permanent hair dyes users develop allergy, mostly in the form of an allergic contact dermatitis with redness and itching in the head area, but systemic reaction with involvement of the whole body skin and other organs is possible in severe cases (1). Hand dermatitis affects considerable percent of hair-dressers (2). The main cause is substance PPD.

PPD (4-ParaPhenyleneDiamine, C6H8N2)

PPD is widely present on the market since 1909, and it is still used in over 2/3 of permanent hair dyes. Commercial hair dye product typically comes in two bottles: the one with PPD based dye (non-oxidized and thus colorless) and the other with oxidizer or developer, usually hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In the hair dying process initially the peroxide is used to break down the natural hair pigment melanin, and then the PPD is used to replace melanin. When PPD reacts with peroxide it becomes partly oxidized and colored — it is this form which may cause allergy. Fully oxidized PPD does not cause allergy, so PPD sensitive persons can wear fur coats dyed with PPD safely (3). PPD can be also found in some dark colored cosmetics and temporary tattoos. In France, Germany and Sweden, PPD was banned as a hair dye because it was thought to be too dangerous for health (4).

Alternative names for PPD: PPDA, Orsin, Rodol, Ursol.

continue reading Hair Dye Allergies