How can we reduce the production of melanin?

by Dr.. Rishi Parashar

Q. I have heard that by increasing cell metabolism, one can reduce the melanin production in the body, is it true? If so, How can we increase cell metabolism?

A. The pigment-derived component of skin colour is determined by the production of melanin in special skin cells called melanocytes. Melanin is then distributed to the other predominant skin cell, the keratinocyte, where it is both stored and broken down. An important hormonal influence on melanin production is called melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH). This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland (and other cells) and acts on the melanocytes to stimulate melanin production.

You might imagine that two things could affect the overall level of melanin in skin - the rate of production and the rate of breakdown. Interestingly, the difference between fair and dark skin is mostly a manifestation of a lower rate of breakdown in darker skin. However, when any given person is exposed to the sun, the darkening of the skin (i.e. tanning) is a result of increased production of melanin by the melanocytes. This is really a protective response, i.e. an attempt to increase the UV-resistance of the skin when exposed to damaging sunlight.

I don't know about any agent/drug/substance that can increase the cell metabolism which in turn reduces melanin production.

Answered by
Dr. Rishi Parashar
Consultant Dermatologist,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,
New Delhi

Certain melanin makes skin more vulnerable to sunburn (2 of 2)

Study confirms what we know: Sun protection is critical
We've always known that people with fair skin and light hair have a greater chance of getting skin cancer from the sun than people with darker features. We simply assumed that people who did not tan lacked the protection that natural pigment provides in response to sun exposure.
Dr. Brash's study is very important because it explains in more detail how people with fair skin and light hair are at greater risk for skin cancer.
Type of melanin is a co-conspirator in causing skin cancer
Now we understand that it's
the type of melanin that
blondes and red-heads
have—pheomelanin—that seems to be important in skin cancer risk. This type of melanin acts as a co-conspirator in causing a person to be more at-risk for developing skin cancer. People with the other type of melanin—eumelanin—have darker hair. Interestingly, while dark-haired people with eumelanin can be fair-skinned, they don't burn as readily as a blonde or a red-head.
People fall into skin types. People with Type I skin burn in the sun and never tan. Type II individuals burn first then tan. Type III people always tan. At the far end of the spectrum are people who are very darkly pigmented. People with Type I skin, those at greatest risk for skin cancer, have pheomelanin.
Vigilance about sun protection
This study gives us more reason then ever to be vigilant about taking care of our skin and using good sun protection. If you didn't believe it before, the results of this study speak for themselves.
“There no such thing as a healthy suntan.”
For sun protection, I recommend using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 and reapplying it every couple of hours while active outdoors. Be sure the product you use has protection for both UVA and UVB rays:
• Look for sunscreens with parsol 1789 (avobenzone), the only FDA-approved UVA blocker.
• Products with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Coppertone has just introduced a new sunscreen in a continuous spray which allows reaching difficult locations and provides even coverage of the whole body.
• Look for other innovative products that will make it easier to apply sunscreen regularly.
Protect yourself from the sun
Other sun protection measures to take include:
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat
• Stay out of the sun during the peak hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Wear sunglasses that provide UVA protection. UVA exposure can cause cataracts.
• Wear sun-protective clothing if you are particularly fair.
There's no such thing as a healthy suntan. A tan is the body's reaction to sun exposure. We already know that just one blistering sunburn as a child can increase a person's lifetime chances of getting melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer.
“The rays that come from the artificial bulbs [in tanning parlors] are just as likely to cause skin cancer as natural rays from the sun.”
Tanning salons
No discussion on sun protection would be complete without discussing the bad effects of tanning salons. We have seen a high increase of young people coming in with skin cancer, which we attribute to the popularity of tanning parlors. The rays that come from the artificial bulbs are just as likely to cause skin cancer as natural rays from the sun.
Have an annual body screening
As a last word of advice, see your doctor once a year for a full body skin cancer screening, especially as you age. Your doctor can find lesions of concern that you might not be able to see yourself.



Dr. Leffell is an attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital, professor of dermatology and surgery and chief of the section of dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology at the Yale School of Medicine. He is also author of Total Skin: The Definitive Guide To Whole Skin Care For Life (Hyperion, 2000).

NuBra Nipple Cream

Proper Skin Care For Man

By Mitch Endick

Would John Wayne have used a moisturizer? Do real men care about their skin or worry that age is creeping up on them? From the amount of money men are spending on skin care products the answer would appear to be yes. Contrary to the stereotype that only women worry and primp about how they look, men are becoming more self-aware about their appearance and trying to fend off the affects of aging. You can call it submitting to ones vanity but the simple fact is that by some accounts, men are spending over close to ten billion a year on personal skin care products. The notion that men want to look their best and forestall the aging process is not a new concept. After all, Ponce De Leon, a man, was best known for traveling the seas in search of the fabled fountain of youth. Does anyone think that he was doing it for women? Hardly the case it would seem since most wealthy men of that era were known for primping like peacocks as a way of showing off their social status. The search for the youthful fountain did not start with De Leon and stories of other quests for eternal youth can be found in the ancient Koran. So the growing demand by men for personal skin care products has not been lost on the cosmetics and salon business. In the late nineteen sixties and early nineteen seventies, salons that catered to men began to spring up offering many of the same services once reserved for a womens beauty salon. In addition to haircuts and styling, many salons started offering facials, manicures and lines of skin and hair care products designed and marketed to men. Now the packaging and fragrances may have been different but chances were that the same skin cream designed for women was the same skin cream sold to men. The battle against skin aging in men is being waged on the marketing front. More and more advertising is showing up on television and various print media targeting a decidedly male demographic. Like the proverbial fountain of youth, the baby boom generation has discovered all manner of products designed to give the skin a more youthful appearance. Creams, moisturizers and skin toners, once thought of as only appealing to women, can now be found right along side the shaving cream, razors and aftershave. Not satisfied with just buying a good anti wrinkle cream, some men are even going the extra mile by submitting themselves to injections of botox and collagen in an attempt to hide wrinkles and other facial features once thought to give men a look of maturity. So what can be driving men to seek the potions and treatments once thought of as the exclusive purview of women? Many theories have been advanced to explain this behavior and it may actually be a far more complex phenomenon than the explanations for why women seek to enhance their natural beauty. One possible explanation may lie in how the employment market has changed over the last several decades. Occupations once dominated by men have increasingly been rendered gender neutral as more women have entered the work force. The result has been an increased competition for available jobs and men have found it necessary to gain an edge in the hiring process. Some experts contend that men also face more competition from younger workers. So it would seem that the skin care industry is responding to an increased demand for anti-aging products rather than creating that demand. Whatever the reason, men have jumped on the beauty band wagon and do not appear to be getting off any time soon.

Author Resource:- Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular skin care web site SkinCareSystem.com. He provides informative advice on skin care, acne prevention and cure, cosmetic, tanning and sun effects on the skin. His website, http://www.SkinCareSystem.com is full of skin care remedies and techniques.

Skin Whitening

By Mitch Endick

Throughout history fair, white skin has been a desirable physical attribute for a variety of societal and cultural reasons. In many Asian cultures, the look of porcelain white skin was considered a sign of good breeding or association with royalty or other elite cultural sects, particularly in women. Those members of the working classes often bore the look of laborers with skin tone that were darkened by exposure to the sun and soiled from daily work. Even in Renaissance Europe many classical paintings depict women who, aside from looking well fed and well clothed, had very fair complexions. Kabuki Theater in Japan features all male casts and the actors whose faces where adorned with white makeup, especially when portraying womens characters. The desire to conform to this standard has driven many people on a search to whiten darker skin pigments, even in some African cultures where dark skin pigmentation was thought to be an adaptation to environmental conditions especially the heat of the equatorial sun. The modern practice of skin whitening has been the cause of some controversy as dark skin pigmented individuals seek to shed their dark skin color in an attempt to gain cultural acceptance in predominantly white European societies. Differences in opinion on the perceived benefits of skin whitening have even arisen in India where women have been encouraged to lighten their skin in order to look more Western and possibly more attractive to potential romantic suitors. It is somewhat ironic that in the United States and Europe, many people light skinned people seek to darken their skin color by tanning, either in the sun, using a tanning bed or employing spray-on tanning products. Not all skin lightening is done to create a particular look for the sake of fashion. Many people suffer from medical conditions that cause uneven skin pigmentations that can have a very negative impact on ones self image and skin lightening products can have help to even out the skin tone and greatly enhance self image and self confidence. Skin pigment disorders can occur when too little or too much of a compound known as melanin. The more melanin that is present in the skins cells the darker skin pigment tend to be. For as long as there has been a desire to lighten the skin there have been potions and treatments used to achieve the goal of lighter skin. Homemade solutions and potions with roots in folklore have existed for many, many years. Some of these solutions were benign and fairly harmless, while some could very hazardous. In response to the need for reliable products, the cosmetics market has seen an increase in the number, quality and price of such products. Some products have been criticized for containing levels of mercury that are potentially hazardous. Sunscreen has been used to prevent the darkening of the skin that occurs through exposure to the sun. On the other extreme is the use of products that actually lighten or even whiten skin pigmentations. A common goal of most skin whitening products is to block or greatly reduce the amount of melanin produced in the skin. Many topically applied creams and lotions contain concentrations of hydroquinone sometimes in combination with other ingredients that may enhance the lightening effects. Cortizone is often the secondary ingrediant since contrizone acts as an anti-inflammatory. There are numerous compounds that are used as alternatives to hydroquinone with varying results. Medical lasers have been used to treat medically recognized skin pigmentation disorders thought there is debate about the overall effectiveness of this treatment depending on the degree of pigmentation.

Author Resource:- Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular skin care web site SkinCareSystem.com. He provides informative advice on skin care, acne prevention and cure, cosmetic, tanning and sun effects on the skin. His website, http://www.SkinCareSystem.com is full of skin care remedies and techniques.

Breast Care For Firmer Shape To Your Breast

By Dr John Anne

It is correct to say that the female breast has captivated the attention of the human race like no other human organ. Since time immemorial, there has been a conscious reference to this part of the anatomy, and tips and suggestions on how to take their effective care has become an important part of all health-related paraphernalia. But it can be also said that despite the voluminous bulk of material on breast care, it still remains a somewhat ambiguous issue with women.

Proper breast care begins with the cleanliness of the breast. Women should devote a few minutes of their bathing schedule in pampering the breasts. Since breasts are a spongy mass of tissue enclosed by a skin, they can be washed with the same soap you use for the rest of the body. It is easier to wash the breasts because of their shape, but be sure to also wash the area under the armpits.

Infections in that region could affect the breasts too. When you are done with the major part of the breasts, wash the areolas and the nipples properly. Areolas are the dark circles that are present around the nipples. They have high nerve endings and are quite sensitive to touch. Also if you are a lactating mother, this area needs to be cleaned after every time the baby feeds. Otherwise residue of the milk could dry out on the areola and cause infections for both you and the baby. Follow these techniques of breast cleanliness on a regular basis; four times a week is the minimum requirement.

It is needless to say how important the skin of the breast is in maintaining the overall breast beauty. In order to keep this skin supple and lustrous, moisturizing creams must be used, especially in the winter season. Applying some herbal oils available in the market will also help to replenish the skin over the breasts. Oils are used before massaging the breasts also. Professionals advise different kinds of massages for the breasts.

The most popular one is the circular massage, in which slight finger pressure is applied in a circular motion over the breasts. The pressure should not be so hard as to cause pain in the breasts; and at the same time it should not be so light that it doesn’t produce any change at all.
If you take shower baths, then a hot water bath is good for your breasts. Breasts tend to lose their shape over time, and this is due to the excess buildup of the adipose tissue. However, a repeated hot water shower melts away the adipose and gives a better firmer shape to the breast. But excessive hot water can melt away too much of the necessary adipose and make the breasts sag. Therefore, hot water is good for the breasts, but in moderation.

Nipples are extremely important regions of the breasts. Apart from adding beauty to the breasts, these are also the only functional areas of the breasts. Also they are the most erogenous regions. For all these reasons, nipple beauty is a very important part of overall breast beauty. Keep the nipples clean by the methods described above. Also, massaging the nipples help. In order to massage the nipples, they must be pulled with the fingers outwards from the body. While doing this, the fingers must not pinch the nipples, but they must work with a slight grasping kind of pressure. When you feel the nipples are stretched to their maximum, then stop and repeat. This procedure must be continued about ten times per day.

Apart from the regular massage techniques, there are several yogasanas that can be used for the enhancement of the breasts. All asanas that are good for the chest can be used for women who want a better bust line. These include the Surya Namaskara, Vrikshasana, Stabdhasana, etc. which put a better pressure on the pectoral and thoracic muscles, which are very important for breast enhancement.

Women could make breast care a part of their foreplay during sexual intercourse. A method employed by several couples is to focus on the breasts before beginning the actual penetration. Men are already fascinated by breasts, so it would not be much of an effort for them to massage their partner’s breasts. During foreplay, the man can perform the stretching and circular massages of the breasts. This would have a dual purpose: to arouse the couple for penetration and also to enhance the shape of the breasts. But the man must remember to treat both the breasts equally, or there may be a risk of asymmetric breasts.

Finally, it must be remembered that breasts are very sensitive organs. Any discrepancy with them must be immediately brought to the notice of the doctor. Women must look out for any mass or lump that develops within the breast, as it could be a symptom of breast cancer. Similarly, any undue secretions from the breasts must be urgently brought to medical attention. After menopause, women should visit their gynecologists for regular breast checkups.


Read more about Breast Care and other Secret Sexual Issues at http://www.mysecrethealth.com Also read more about How to get Natural Breast Enlargement.

Cellulite And Skin Care

By Mitch Endick

The term cellulite is literally a made up word that has somehow made it into the modern lexicon by virtue of some very clever marketing. The medical community has yet to recognize the term cellulite as referring to any known medical condition. Walking into a doctors office and complaining about the patches of this stuff called cellulite on your thighs should be met with a wry smile and an explanation of what you are really seeing in the mirror, fat. That is right, so called cellulite is nothing more than naturally occurring fat deposits that develop for a whole host of reasons and any physician worth their salt would be quick to debunk the cellulite myth. Despite the dubious origins of the term cellulite, a plethora of myths have sprung up about what causes it and how to get rid of it. The popular mythology of cellulite defines it as an unsightly fat deposit that gives the surface of the skin a sort of orange peel look. The mere mention of the word cellulite is often a cause of dread and self-loathing for many folks who may be overly concerned about their body image. Preying on the overly self-conscious who think that any thing less than a perfect bikini profile will doom them to be forever cast down from the social heavens, the marketplace has been flooded with cures and treatments that are said to help us deal with this terrible affliction. Some of the ways to eliminate so called cellulite range from the mundane and ridiculous, to the patently absurd. There is the usual assortment of creams and gels that claim to almost magically breakdown these miserable little fats cells. And let us not forget those specially designed skin scrubbers, sponges and loofahs that will make those unsightly fat deposits simply disappear. The simple truth is that these products, just like the snake oil cures of earlier times, have no purpose other than to separate the gullible from their hard earned cash. The only good news about these creams, scrubbers, lotions and other contraptions is that they are not usually dangerous. Advocates of cellulite removal products often claim that scrubbing the offending area with their gizmo may help to break down these fat deposits and improve the look of the skin. Local circulation may in fact improve but the fat will probably still be there. Topical creams and lotions may hydrate, soften and improve the look of your skin but these products are applied to the surface of the skin and will not penetrate to the anywhere near the fat layer under the skin. In other words, creams and lotions will not rid you of so called cellulite. Marketed as anti-cellulite pantyhose, anti-embolic stockings may actually help by increasing and improving blood circulation in the legs. Never use any type of compression hosiery without first consulting your doctor. But seriously, the causes of fat deposits may still boil down to the natural aging process, poor skin tone, poor circulation, extra weight and poor dietary choices. Always consult a physician if you notice changes in your skin in order to rule out disease or illness. The simple truth is that there is no such thing as cellulite and fat by any other name is fat. Experts agree that the best way to maintain a healthy look is to eat right, exercise, loose those extra pounds, do not smoke and get enough sleep. The money you save by not falling for the cellulite myth will bring a smile to your face and a smile will always improve your appearance.

Author Resource:- Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular skin care web site SkinCareSystem.com. He provides informative advice on skin care, acne prevention and cure, cosmetic, tanning and sun effects on the skin. His website, http://www.SkinCareSystem.com is full of skin care remedies and techniques.

Skin Rejuvenation: For A Younger Looking Skin

If a patient wants to get a youthful appearance, skin rejuvenation or resurfacing should be considered. It can be achieved in a number of ways, such as with facials micro dermabrasion, and chemical peels, all achieve results in basically the same way. Ultimately, a healthier-look emerges. Skin rejuvenation is a treatment to resurface or to improve the texture, clarity and the overall appearance of the skin. Conditions that can be treated include visible wrinkles, dynamic wrinkles, pigmentation problems, scars, vascular conditions, or loss of skin tone. While, it is not as involved as surgical cosmetic procedures, such as a face lift, skin rejuvenation is a medical procedure. If you are physically healthy and do not smoke, you may consider this procedure to get a juvenile look. Your plastic surgeon should explain in detail, the risks associated with the procedure, and brief you about pre and post surgery complications, if any. Also you will be asked to sign consent forms, to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications such as infection, pigmentation irregularities, textural changes or irregularities, burns and scarring,. Laser skin resurfacing treatments provide relief to the patients, from fine lines and wrinkles by removing damaged outer layers, to reveal those that are, softer, smoother, and younger looking. Your physician will analyze your face to determine, if the procedure is right for you or not. Patients with darker skin tones may be at risk of unwanted pigmentation changes. Furthermore, patients who have active skin infections or who are prone to scarring may not be considered as a good candidate for this procedure. An experienced physician can help you determine, if you are a good candidate for it or if other laser treatments are better suited for your needs. Laser treatments are typically performed with a laser, which can vary in their strength and treatment usages. Some lasers are stronger than others and can provide a more powerful treatment, that can be used to treat frown lines and wrinkles that are deeper and more pronounced. With a guidelines of a qualified and moreover board certified cosmetic surgeon, these treatments can be a safe and effective to correct fine lines, wrinkles, and other skin imperfections. The procedure has the possibility of resulting in heat injury, activating cold sores, lightening, darkening or scarring the facial surface. Your cosmetic surgeon should fully discuss the risks associated with the procedure with you, before performing it. Recovery time varies between few days to a few weeks. After laser skin resurfacing, patients typically experience redness for several weeks. Other temporary side effects depend largely on the extent of treatment. It can sometimes result in temporary swelling and discomfort. It is advisable to avoid straining, bending and lifting post treatment. However, your cosmetic surgeon can help you move through this phase of treatment as comfortably as possible, by prescribing the proper pain medication. As the temporary side-effects subside, patients begin to see the procedure's amazing results, and a juvenile look with wonderful wrinkle-free, smoother face.

Author Resource:- Cosmetic surgeons Baltimore offers various skin resurfacing treatments, to help erase wrinkles and other skin imperfections. At Cosmetic Surgery Center of Maryland, the board certified surgeons guide you to achieve desired results. To know more, visit http://www.drcohenplasticsurgery.com/