Medical App & Medical Advice with Hello Doctor

Category: Skin

How to fix ingrown hairs

March 18th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

You shave regularly to keep those pesky hairs at bay, but now your skin has little dark bumps. Could it be ingrown hairs?

Ingrown bugbears are hairs that have curled around and grown back into your skin, instead of rising above it. Sometimes, your dead skin can clog up your hair follicles. When this happens, it forces the hair inside to grow sideways under your skin, rather than upward and outward like it should.

An ingrown hair irritates your skin and may produce a raised bump (or a group of bumps) that looks like a pimple. Sometimes an ingrown hair can form a boil-like sore, which can be prickly and painful.

Your skin may look red and swollen around an ingrown hair, just like your skin reacts when any other foreign substance or object enters your skin. In men, ingrown hairs often pop up as little bumps on the chin, cheeks and armpits. In women, ingrown hairs are common on legs, the pubic area and armpits.

Causes

  • If you have curly or coarse hair, your hair is more likely to bend back into your skin after it’s been shaved or cut.
  • High levels of certain sex hormones could cause excessive hair growth.
  • If hair grows back with a sharper edge, it could cause ingrown hairs as it can easily poke back into your skin.
  • Pulling your skin taut when shaving could cause your hair to go back into your skin and re-enter without growing out.
  • Tweezing leaves parts of your hair under your skin’s surface and this could cause ingrown hairs.

Nix the hairs

  • Always use a sharp, single-bladed razor for shaving.
  • Shave in the direction of the growing hair.
  • Don’t shave too closely to your skin.
  • Rinse your blade with every stroke when you shave.
  • If you use an electric shaver, hold it slightly above the surface of your skin.
  • Dab a cool washcloth to your skin after you shave to reduce irritation.
  • Exfoliate your skin regularly to bring any ingrown hairs to the surface.
  • Use a shaving cream or lather your skin with soap before shaving for a smooth shave.
  • Try to free ingrown hairs with sterilised tweezers. Pull very gently!

Good to know

  • Occasional ingrown hairs are nothing to be worried about.
  • Try other hair removal methods like hair removal creams for your legs and armpits.
  • Moisturise regularly to speed up the process of getting rid of ingrown hairs.
  • Don’t pick or scratch at ingrown hairs, as it could cause an infection.
  • If your ingrown hairs have become infected, occur frequently, or cause extreme discomfort, talk to Hello Doctor and get advice on how to treat them.

References:

Ditch the itch of fungal skin infections

February 12th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Cracked feet? Red? Burning? Itchy? It could be a fungal infection. A fungal infection can form on different parts of your body. Fungi are reproduced by spreading microscopic spores. These spores are present in soil, air and wherever it can be inhaled or come into contact with your body, and specifically your skin or lungs.

Strange marks on your feet? Talk to one of our Doctors about it – it’s completely confidential.

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that usually causes cracked, red and itchy skin between your toes. You may also develop red, dry and cracked skin and bumps on the bottom and sides of your feet. You could also develop thick and discoloured toenails.

Candida is yeast which is similar to fungus. This fungal infection usually affects the skin around your nails or soft moist areas and body openings.  Common kinds of candidal infections would be diaper rash in babies, or thrush (white patches around the mouth). Females may develop candida infections in and around the vagina called a yeast infection.

Jock itch is a fungal infection on the groin and upper thighs which affects both men and women. Jock itch is common in people who play sports, who sweat a lot. It usually appears as a rash and feels itchy with a burning sensation.

Tinea (ringworm) affects your skin, hair and/or nails. When it’s on your skin it usually starts as a small red area and as it grows, spreads into a circle or ring. It’s often called ringworm because it may look like tiny worms under your skin.

Pityriasis versicolor is also caused by yeast. It makes lots of round and oval-shaped flat, pale patches on your skin, especially the chest, upper arms, and sometimes the face and neck.

Say farewell to fungus

Walk away from athlete’s foot

  • Dry your feet properly, especially between your toes.
  • Always wear clean socks and change damp socks as soon as possible.
  • Use foot powder to reduce sweating.
  • Always wear sandals or shower shoes when using public pools, toilets or showers.

Ditch the jock itch

  • Dry your body properly (including your groin area) after washing yourself.
  • Wear loose-fitting pants.
  • Keep your groin area clean and dry.

Prevent yeast infections

  • Wear cotton underwear as it helps to keep your groin area dry.
  • Clean your vagina and groin area often.
  • Change out of wet swimming costumes as soon as possible.
  • Avoid using scented hygiene products.

Avoid ringworms

  • Don’t share personal items like towels and brushes.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Stay cool and dry.

Keep pityriasis away

  • Keep your skin dry and clean.
  • Use anti-dandruff shampoo at least once a month.

Good to know

  • If you suspect you may have a fungal infection speak to your doctor immediately.
  • Fungal infections are usually easy to treat with special antifungal creams, shampoos and medicine.
  • Make sure you take the medicine for as long as your doctor tells you as your fungal infection might come back if it isn’t treatment properly.

References

Did you wear sunblock today?

November 30th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

What is SPF?

SPF stands for “sun protection factor”. It is a marker of how well a product will protect your skin from the sun. This factor, which can range anywhere from 10 to 50, measures the sunscreen’s ability to protect against UVB rays only. UVB rays are the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn, skin damage and contribute to skin cancer. The SPF number does not indicate the amount of UVA protection a sunscreen offers. UVA rays are the ultraviolet rays that penetrate deep into the dermis. However, there are broad-spectrum sunscreens that contain ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide known to block and protect against both UVB and UVA rays.

How SPF works

The SPF is a multiplying factor. It is calculated by comparing the amount of time that it takes to produce the first sign of redness on unprotected skin, versus the time it takes to produce redness on skin that has been protected.

If your skin, when unprotected normally, starts to burn after 10 minutes of sun exposure, a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 would increase that time by a factor of 30, allowing you to stay in the sun 30 times longer than you could without protection. This means you could stay in the sun safely for about 300 minutes. The higher the SPF of the sunscreen, the more UV rays it blocks out.

This is a basic explanation. It’s dependent on lots of factors that affect how well you are protected from the sun. These include your skin type, the amount of sunscreen you’ve used and how active you are. So, relying on the SPF to determine how much time you can spend in the sun is not a good idea.

No sunscreen, regardless of the SPF, should be expected to stay effective for longer than two hours without being reapplied.

Which SPF for your skin?

  1. Fair complexion: choose a sunscreen with a high SPF. Anything with an SPF of 30 or higher is good.
  2. Oily or acne-prone skin: go for an oil-free sunscreen.
  3. Sensitive or allergy-prone skin: opt for a sunscreen containing barrier ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, rather than other chemicals.
  4. Dry skin: look for chemical and mineral sunscreens that are infused with a hydrating lotion or cream.

Good to know

  • When swimming or doing water sports, use a water-resistant sunscreen. Make sure you reapply the sunscreen after swimming and towelling as these activities can reduce the amount of sunscreen on your skin, which can leave parts of your skin vulnerable to harmful UV rays.
  • Choose a brand you like. If you don’t like your sunscreen, chances are you won’t use it.
  • Pick a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. If in doubt, check for the CANSA seal of recognition on the container.

Safe sunny days

  • Avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm when the sun’s rays are most dangerous. If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at its strongest.
  • Stay in the shade as much as possible.
  • Know the strength of your sunscreen and make sure you use the correct product for your skin type.
  • Apply your sunscreen generously. Don’t skimp as this will make the sunscreen less effective. Use at least 30ml (two tablespoons) for your whole body.
  • Apply your sunscreen evenly, and make sure you apply it on all exposed skin, including your ears, feet and hands.
  • Apply your sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun to give it time to bind to your skin.
  • Reapply your sunscreen regularly (at least every two hours), especially after sweating, swimming or any kind of physical activity.
  • Always combine your source of protection with protective clothing. Wear tightly woven fabrics that are cool, and cannot be seen through when held up to the light. Slap on a hat, preferably one that’s thickly woven, and wide-brimmed. Put on a pair of shades that offer 99-100% UV protection.

If you want to make sure the sunscreen has been tested and approved by the CANSA foundation, look for the CANSA stamp of approval. For a list of products, see here.

If you’re still unsure about what to use for your skin, why not ask one of our doctors? Just log into the app and type your question, and a doctor will get back to you shortly.

References:

Skin deep

October 31st, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your latest pimple or blemish may have you running to the closest pharmacy for a facial scrub, but common skin conditions like moles could instead be a mirror into your health and immune system.

Continue reading “Skin deep”

Adult acne – what could be causing your skin woes?

August 5th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

When we’re in our teens, we almost expect to get pimples or suffer from acne, and most of us did at some stage. Once we reach our twenties and thirties however, we also expect our skin woes to be over. For an increasing number of men and women though, acne remains a problem well into adulthood, and can even become an issue for people who never suffered from it in their teenage years.

Continue reading “Adult acne – what could be causing your skin woes?”

10 things to know about Eczema

July 22nd, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

Here’s an inside scoop into the doctor’s office: If you go to your GP complaining of a red, itchy rash, your doctor’s first thought is “It’s probably eczema.” Why? Because – statistically – it probably is.

That doesn’t mean you don’t need to be examined. However, after just a quick look and a few questions, your doctor may very likely dispense a small tube of lotion to clear up your eczema in a few days.

Eczema is one of the most common skin conditions. If you’ve ever had a rash, it may very well have been it. So here are 10 facts for that day when you have the itch that you just can’t… stop…scratching:

  1. Eczema is also called “Atopic Dermatitis”, and due to this allergic component, eczema sufferers often develop hay fever and, or asthma.
  2. Eczema is an inherited, chronic inflammatory skin condition that usually appears in early childhood. Up to 20% of children suffer from eczema before the age of 5 years.
  3. The name eczema is derived from the Greek word meaning “to boil over” and describes the red, scaly and itchy patches of skin. Sometimes, tiny blisters containing clear fluid can form and the affected areas of skin can leak fluid. This is a sign that the inflammation has become infected. See your doctor immediately if the rash looks infected and you have a fever.
  4. The rash is usually seen on hands, feet, wrists, ankles, neck, upper chest, eyelids, the inside bend of elbows and knees. Babies often have a rash on the face and scalp.
  5. Eczema is caused by a person’s inability to repair damage to the skin barrier. Once the skin barrier is disrupted, moisture leaves the skin and the skin will become dry and scaly. Most people with eczema find that their symptoms are made worse by common aspects of daily life, such as hot weather, frequent showering, soap, and overheating in bed at night, tobacco smoke and some foods.
  6. Eczema is diagnosed from your history and examination, and cannot be cured. Eczema is not contagious.
  7. Topical and oral medication can treat the itch and cortisone based creams and medicines lessen the inflammation. Antibiotics are used to treat infections.
  8. Additional therapies include wet dressings, light therapy and stress management.
  9. Take 15 minutes long lukewarm baths to rehydrate the skin, use mild soaps without dyes and perfumes and follow by using moisturisers twice daily can help ease the symptoms.
  10. Wear cool, smooth textured cotton clothing and always wear protective gloves when using washing dishes, and wear cotton gloves inside rubber gloves.

Dr Ingrid de Beer for HelloDoctor.com

3 Top tips for glowing skin

July 16th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

There are very few people who have naturally flawless skin. If that wasn’t the case, there’d be a lot more beauty models, and a lot less money spent on lotions and potions that promise to keep us looking our youthful best. Alas, most of us deal with skin complaints at each stage of our lives; from acne and breakouts to wrinkles, pigmentation and more. There’s light at the end of your skin-woe tunnel though; and you’ll be glad to know these fixes don’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Continue reading “3 Top tips for glowing skin”

What do your nails say about you?

July 3rd, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

No, we’re not talking about the latest manicure trends – your nails (without any cutex) actually give us many clues about your health-status. Just by looking at them, a well trained eye can pick up potential problems! Before you panic when you see this list, it’s important to note that we don’t only use the nails to diagnose, but your nails can give doctors a good sense of what to expect. Continue reading “What do your nails say about you?”

10 fast facts about Psoriasis

June 18th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

Psoriasis is a common skin condition affecting about 2 in every 100 people. The condition is caused by changes in the life cycle of the skin cell, causing the cells to grow 10 times faster than normal! Because of this, the surface of the skin becomes thickened. Here are 10 fast facts about psoriasis.

Continue reading “10 fast facts about Psoriasis”

Hello Doctor Services Terms & Conditions

Hello Doctor is part of Momentum Health Solutions (Pty) Limited, a subsidiary of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Limited.

Legal and Compliance Security and Fraud Terms and Conditions Access to information Privacy Policy