I am put up in Orissa. I am aged 42 years. I have been affected with Psoriasis since the past three-four months.  Can you kindly suggest a remedy for the same ?

Currently there is no cure for Psoriasis. However, many types of treatment are available, including products applied to the skin, phototherapy and oral medications that can keep psoriasis under control. Most cases are mild and can be treated with skin products. In some cases, psoriasis can be hard to treat if it is severe and widespread. Most psoriasis returns, even mild forms.

Treatment is based on the type of psoriasis you have, its location, its severity and your age and overall health. It also depends on how much you are affected by the condition, either physically (because of factors such as joint pain) or emotionally (because of embarrassment or frustration from a skin rash that may cover a large or visible area of the body). It is also important to eliminate factors that can trigger a flare-up of psoriasis or make the condition worse. Please consult a dermatologist.

I'm a 16-year-old girl and I weigh 70 kg and my height is 5' 3". I want to lose weight as well as grow taller so I decided to go for swimming. My complexion is fair and I heard that because of swimming, the complexion gets darker. Is this true?

Swimming can tan your skin, but you will regain your natural colour. Always apply sunscreen before swimming, make sure you wear a water-resistant sunscreen. If you swim for more than half an hour, you should reapply the sunscreen. Give it 15 minutes to be absorbed by the skin and then swim again. Wash the skin thoroughly with plain water after swimming. Basically, chlorine has a drying effect on the skin and so does sun-exposure. Once daily, apply curd on the face and wash it off after 20 minutes. It helps to remove tan and also protects sun-damaged skin. Wipe it off with moist cotton wool. On the body, apply body lotion after bathing, while the skin is still damp.

My name is Shanti. I am 20 years old height 5’2’’ and weight 44.5 kg. Until 17, I had thick, bouncy hair but now I have lost a lot of hair and  my hair has become limp and lifeless. Help me

The severe hair loss is temporary. You will definitely regain the hair you have lost. Normal hair loss per day is 50-120 strands per day. Whatever hair you have lost will grow over a period of time. For effective hair growth here are few natural remedies: Soak ½ cup fenugreek seeds for 4 hours and then grind. For ¼ cup neem juice, take neem leaves, a little water and grind in a mixer, then strain. Mix the ingredients to a paste and apply to the hair and scalp and leave for sometime and wash the hair. This improves hair texture. What we eat reflects on our hair. Hair needs proteins, vitamins and minerals, so incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables and milk in your diet. Drink atleast eight glasses of water. Stress causes the hair cells to slow reproduction. You can take a course of multivitamin tablets with Zinc after consultation.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Every week, Living will feature an interactive column, ‘Well-being’, where your questions on health, fitness, diet and nutrition will be answered by experts. Send your questions to Living, c/o Deccan Herald, # 75, M G Road, Bangalore-560001 or mail us at living@deccanherald.co.in