11 super vegan foods for a healthy and glowing skin

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Dec 15, 2020 | Skin care

Though there are many cosmetics and creams out there for clear and healthy skin, the food you consume also plays a vital role in your facial appearance, i.e. your skin.

The following are the 11 tasty and healthy vegan food for fantastic skin!

Berries

In addition to its sweetness, berries may help reduce skin wrinkling. Their antioxidants help control free radicals, which is one of the leading causes of skin damage contributing to ageing! Though research is limited, ellagic acid appears responsible for some of the skin-related benefits of berries.

Avocado

Besides tasting delicious, avocados boast an impressive list of skin-boosting benefits!. It is due to the healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals packed inside this nutritious, tasty fruit!.

Green tea

Green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce skin irritation, skin redness, and swelling. Some people do not like its taste; it gives excellent results for your skin. Trust me!. Applying green tea to your skin can soothe minor cuts and sunburn, too.

Soy

Soy contains compounds known as isoflavones, which may play an essential role in reducing the appearance of skin ageing. So, adding soy-heavy foods like tofu and soy milk to your diet can help diminish signs of dullness and wrinkles, creating a smoother, younger look!

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C. Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C can help stimulate collagen production. Applied topically, Vitamin C may help improve skin elasticity, which can make your skin firmer and more smooth!

Broccoli

Broccoli is full of many vitamins and minerals essential for skin health, including zinc, vitamin A, and Vitamin C. It also contains lutein, a substance that works like beta carotene. Lutein helps protect your skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled, giving you an older look.

Lettuce

The Vitamin A level in lettuce is very high. It is one nutrient that helps in repair the skin cells. Which, in turn, helps the skin feel revitalized in more than a perfect manner. Adding about 5-6 leaves of lettuce to the daily diet is all you need to do for your flawless skin.

Dark chocolate

Okay, so now, I don’t know about you guys, but personally, my favourite is dark chocolate! The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be significant for your skin. The flavonols can protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration.

Bonus: It also gives me some energy.

Sweet potatoes

These are self-explanatory; these look like potatoes but are so tasty. Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin C and Vitamin E, which are crucial to keeping skin healthy, glowing, and supple. Vitamin C helps boost collagen, which tightens your skin, giving you a younger look.

Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds can show a lot of improvement to your skin. Sunflower seeds might be your go-to food for clear and glowing skin. The seeds are replete with essential fatty acids like linoleic, oleic and palmitic acid, which help develop collagen and elastin, rendering smoothness to the skin tissues.

Walnuts

Personally, walnuts look like brains to me, but no offence. These healthy, fatty nuts have unique skin-beautifying properties. They are packed with skin health benefits – one of them being reducing skin inflammation. Walnuts are suitable for the skin as they retain nutrients they keep nourishing and moisturizing the skin.

But remember your lifestyle matters in how you look.

Overexposure to the sunlight, excessive smoking, alcoholic drinks, especially in the sun, stressful life, lack of sleep, blue light from the mobile, computers etc., can damage your skin. Superfoods can counter all the damages caused healthily.

Activated Carbon for Your Skin

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Feb 05, 2018 | Skin care

Previously used for the treatment of drug poisoning in emergency rooms, Activated carbon – nowadays, has turned out to be an integral and inevitable component in beauty therapy.

Now, what is activated carbon? Its charcoal has been heated to a certain level, increasing its porosity, adsorption, and absorption properties.

Present in face masks, face washes, face scrubs, bars, exfoliators, shampoos, nose strips (for blackheads removal), toothpaste, toothbrush, and why not, even in juices obviously with flavour; activated carbon does unbelievable changes by cleansing out the micro pores formed via pollution through the air, water and smoke; namely pollutants formed in the form of dust, dirt and oils.

Magnificient role on the skin!

Activated carbon attracts oils snd dirt from the clogged pores of the skin, making it deeply cleansed, leaving you with an instant glow and appearing fairer than before.

Thanks to its non-oil property, facial masks with activated carbon stays the first choice for people suffering from the oily face; not to apply facial masks more than once a week. People with dry face are suggested to stay away from beauty products with activated carbon, as they tend to make the skin even drier whilst applied frequently.

Activated carbon can cure ZITS (A kind of comedo formed due to excess oil getting trapped in the pores), making it one of the perfect reasons to treat Acne. It can be incorporated into your face wash or as a spot mask, as gentle exfoliation can also be done with this.

How activated carbon helps your hair

A shampoo wash with an activated carbon component helps you get rid of unhealthy scalp trends & hair issues by pulling the residues left on the scalp, making the hair look more voluminous and bouncy.

If your hair is of a light colour, be cautious enough not to get it stained while using high content carbon products. But, be cautious when you have light coloured hair as it might stain your pretty looks! So, it’s always recommended to do a patch test before you cleanse immensely.

Shampoos with activated carbon content are available in the market. However, if you couldn’t find it, you may add a teaspoon or a capsule of it into your regular shampoo and use it as usual.

More uses of activated carbon

Activated carbon can also be used for treating insect bites on the affected area (where stung), and you may repeat it if necessary. However, you’re recommended to consult a dermatologist if the irritation persists.

When mixed with toothpaste, activated carbon helps teeth whitening (recommended usage: thrice a week).

Keep in mind; this may stain any veneers or crowns you’ve applied earlier.

What happens to your Pimples (Acne) under direct Sunlight?

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Jun 15, 2016 | Skin care

UV rays in the sunlight have beneficial and harmful effects on our skin.

It is true that 20-30 minutes a day in sunlight would give you adequate daily dose of vitamin D, however sun’s harmful UV rays can worsen certain skin conditions including Pimples (Acne), at times. Although it varies depending on skin type, you can experience sunburn in a matter of minutes if the UV Index scale in your area is too high.

Hence, it is advisable to use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing to safeguard your skin from the UV rays.

What happens to your skin during summer?

Sun’s harmful UV rays damage the skin, they weaken the natural barrier and causes your skin to lose moisture. While at it, your skin tries to produce more and more of its oils by sebaceous glands (oil producing glands). As a result, it can make blackheads more likely to occur, which is when oil and dead skin gets trapped in pores.

Since the sebaceous glands will be more active during summer, you skin may become very oily. Moreover, the medication used to treat acne may make the skin sensitive to sunlight (photosensitivity). So it’s paramount to use a sunscreen throughout your acne treatment as per your dermatologist’s recommendation. The right sunscreen helps to enhance the treatment and therefore prevents relapse.

How to select the right sunscreen for Acne?

The right sunscreen for acne patients should have the following essential qualities:

It should be oil free. The commonly available sunscreens are in cream or lotion formulations with an oil base. These can clog the pores and worsen acne. So it is ideal to use a water based sunscreen ( gel type) which are non-comedogenic.

It should protect from both UVA & UVB rays, which we call it as broad spectrum sunscreen.

It should have minimum 15 SPF.

Get the facts about sunscreen to use it judiciously. Don’t be mislead by the advertisements and damage your skin.

Phototherapy ( treating skin diseases with the power of sun)

Dr. Thajudheen MD

May 15, 2016 | Skin care

Natural sunlight has therapeutic properties and was made use of in treatment thousands of years.” Photo” means light and “therapy” means to treat . So phototherapy involves usage of sunlight (Ultraviolet light ) in the management of certain diseases. Ultraviolet rays belongs to 3 categories viz; UVA , UVB &UVC . UVA & UVB wavelengths are used in phototherapy as they have the ability to affect our immune system cells.

Types of phototherapy

3 main types of phototherapy are

Broad band UVB
Narrow band UVB
PUVA (psoralen + UVA)

The type of phototherapy is selected depending on the nature of skin condition , the area to be treated , age of the patient and previous response to treatment . When large area of skin is to be treated whole body phototherapy is suggested and for smaller areas targeted phototherapy (TPT) is preferred..TPT has the advantage of higher concentration of UV rays and sparing of normal skin from Uv exposure.

What skin problems benefit from phototherapy ?

UVB is used to treat

Psoriasis

Atopic eczema and other dermatitis

Generalised itching

Vitiligo

Lichen planus

PUVA is indicated for

Psoriasis

Atopic eczema (when UVB is not effective)

Hand & foot eczema

Pustular psoriasis

In PUVA , a drug (psoralen), is given before exposing the skin to UVA rays ,to sensitise the skin.

Any side effects ?

Short term side effects are

Dryness & itching of skin

Sunlight induced rash

Folliculitis

Reactivation of herpes labialis(cold sores)

Blistering (on psoriasis lesions)

Long term effects include

Premature skin ageing

Skin cancer (Related to total lifetime exposure to UV light )

Who should not undergo phototherapy

1. Photosensitivity ( which means your skin disease is aggravated by sunlight)
2. Severe liver or kidney disease (for PUVA)
3. Photosensitising medicine intake
4. Pregnancy (only for PUVA)
5. Immunosuppressant intake

Embarrassed due to Birthmarks? They can be treated now !!

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Feb 20, 2014 | Skin care

Birthmarks on the skin can appear as black, brown, red or white bluish black patches /growths on the skin. These can sometimes be found right at the time of birth or develop at some later time in life; mostly visible when on face. And the size of these can vary from a wee tiny dot to large disfiguring patches, that’s right what you are thinking, would be real embarrassing at times.

Though birthmarks are usually harmless, the effects of having one is low self esteem, social withdrawal due to self awareness, finding it hard to find a life partner etc. And it could be harmful to your health too, if it’s somewhere nearby your vital organs.

Birthmarks can arise from skin cells or from skin appendages like blood vessels, nerves ,hair, sweat glands, oil glands etc. Say for example,
Skin cells- epidermal verrucous naevus, melanocytic naevus
Appendages- port wine stain, haemangiomas, neurofibroma
Majority of the birthmarks are amenable to treatment as the technological advances have led to the development of new equipments. A laser skin care specialist would find it real easy to fade these unsightly spots with the help of advanced laser methods.

Birthmarks arising from blood vessels (portwine stain, haemangioma, cherry angioma) are treated with Pulsed dye laser. This targets the Haemoglobin in the red blood cells which in turn leads to shrinkage of blood vessels.Those related to melanin (pigment) and melanin producing cells (naevus of Ota, melanocytic naevus, naevus spilus) are treated with Q switched Nd yag laser.Diode laser, Carbon dioxide laser are other laser machines which helps to improve birth marks on the skin.

Most of the birthmarks require multiple sessions and the treatment is done at monthly intervals. It doesn’t involve surgery, general anesthesia, hospital stay or blood loss . Most of the changes occurring following the treatment will settle within 5-7 days and won’t affect the daily activities. So stop worrying now, approach a dermatologist fade away those birthmarks and live the life fully as you have always wished.

7 most important things you should know about SPF

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Feb 13, 2014 | Skin care

The sun is a blessing, but it can also be a curse inflicting sunburns, tanning and premature ageing. Sunlight consists of 3 types of harmful rays viz., Ultra violet A(UVA),Ultra Violet B(UVB) and Ultraviolet C rays. UVC rays will not reach the earth’s surface as the ozone layer will protect the earth. But UVA & UVB rays will reach the earth and produce several harmful effects on our skin by damaging the DNA.M

UVA rays(400-315nm) penetrate deeper in to the skin and can cause:

Wrinkling

Age spots

Premature ageing

Suppression of immune system

Skin cancer

UVB rays(315-280nm) are the burning rays which produce sunburn on prolonged exposure during summer and it can also produce skin cancer. It produces more DNA damage than UVA rays.

What is SPF value?

Sun protection factor (SPF) value of a sunscreen is defined as the ratio of energy required to produce skin reddening or burning through the sunscreen, compared to the energy required to produce the same reaction in the absence of the sunscreen. But this is applicable only for UVB rays. Protection from UVA rays is determined by other methods like Critical Wavelength, the persistent pigment darkening (PPD) test and the Boots Star Rating.

Sunscreen with SPF 15 may absorb more than 92.6 of UVB radiation while SPF 30 sunscreen may absorb only 96.7% of UVB rays and SPF 40 sunscreen may absorb more than 97.5% of UVB rays.So doubling the SPF sunscreen doesn’t give double protection. So don’t be fooled by the higher SPF products.

What’s important is :

Whether the sunscreen is broad spectrum i.e. offering protection from both UVA & UVB rays.

Whether it is suitable for your skin.

Whether its water and sweat resistant.

Whether you apply it as a thick layer 20-30 mts before sun exposure.

Whether you reapply the sunscreen after 2-3 hrs.

No sunscreen can give you 100% protection from UV rays.

Doubling SPF doesn’t give double protection.

So don’t assume that since you applied sunscreen, you can be in the sun whenever you want. Avoid sun exposure as far as possible and use additional protective measures like umbrella, hats, sun glasses, thick clothing etc.

Do not let a scar bring down your confidence !!

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Jan 29, 2014 | Skin care

Injury or wounds in any part of the body leads to scar, once they heal. It can appear as a mild discolouration or a very big thick ugly looking scar. Keloids or hypertrophic scars result from exaggerated wound healing response and appear as very thick, large growths. They usually appear over earlobes, chest, upperarms etc. On top of giving you an unsightly look, scars also result in itching, pain, anxiety, depression and on top of all, disruption of daily activities. Facial scars in particular affects your self esteem by a large scale, bringing your confidence down enough, making it hard for you to engage in social activities that you always loved to be a part of. Scars can be dark, red, itchy and painful.Scars are usually the after-effects of trauma, burns, surgery, pimples, chicken pox and various other diseases.

Treating scars.

Treatment of a scar depends on its size, shape, thickness and age. Fresh thin scars resulting from trauma or surgery can be treated with topical medicines like silicon/polysiloxane creams.It takes around 3-6 months to improve the appearance of the scar with regular applications.Post-pimple scars can be treated with various procedures like chemical peeling, microdermabrasion, micro needling,laser treatments using pulsed dye laser, fractional laser and co2 laser. Usually done at monthly intervals for at least 4-5 times, they stimulate collagen production in the deeper part of the skin making scars less visible.

Depending on scar’s shape minor procedures like subcision,punch elevation & punch grafting can also be done,mostly for post pimples & chicken pox scars- Dermal fillers produce immediate results and are used to correct depressed scars, but the results are not permanent, so injections need to be repeated once in an year. Keloids can be managed with intra lesional injections, silicon gel sheets, Pulsed dye laser ,fractional lasers etc. The outcome is always better when we combine different modalities depending on the nature of the scar.

No scar can ever be completely removed; always leaves a trace, but their visibility can be lessened by the above mentioned means.

Know the facts about lasers before hair removal treatment.

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Jan 20, 2014 | Skin care

Lasers used for hair removal specifically target melanin(pigment) in the hair root and hair shaft.

Lasers produce permanent hair reduction that means 70% – 80% of hairs will stop growing if the procedure is done repeatedly over a period of time.

The most commonly used lasers for hair reduction are Diode(800-810 nm) long pulsed Nd-Yag (1064 nm) Alexandrite and Diode with Radio frequency(ELOS) machine.

Grey hairs cannot be treated with lasers as they lack melanin.

Lasers are very safe and can be used on any skin type and on any part of the body. There is no risk of cancer or any other health hazard.

Treatment sessions are usually spaced at 4-6 weeks.

The duration of the procedure depends on the area to be treated. May take 15-20 mts for the face and 2-3 hrs for hands and legs.

The treated skin may appear red and little swollen after the treatment, clears within few hours.

Inform the doctors about your regular medications if there are any.

Majority of the patients tolerate the treatment and do not require any anaesthesia.

Adequate eye protection is must during the procedure.

Do not undergo threading, waxing or plucking of hairs at the treated site till you finish the laser sessions, when the hair grows back between the sessions, use a hair remover or do shaving.

Make sure to apply a sunscreen 20-30 mts before you go out in the sun.

Results are better for thick ,dark hairs than thin, brown hairs.

Birthmarks, Dark patches, Skin de-colouration? No longer a big deal!!

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Oct 30, 2013 | Skin care

Wondering about the uneven dark patches you see here and there on your body?

With approximately 5 million mealnocytes producing melanin, your skin colour varies from darkest brown to lightest pinkish hues. Melanin, being the single most significant substance that determines the skin colour; the higher concentration of melanin substance in your body, the darker your skin appears.

Melanin is usually distributed evenly on your skin, but sometimes it may get deposited unevenly that it causes black, brown or grey patches on your skin. Now this may not cause any serious health issues, but you definitely do not want ugly patches on your smooth skin while you present yourself to the world.

What causes skin darkening?

Exposure to Sun (tanning)-You stay more in the sun; your chances of skin getting dark are higher. Tanning occurs when melanin reacts to UV light and as it gets oxidized, it darkens. In worst cases, exposure to UV rays can even result in skin cancer, which is why you are always advised to stay out of sun .

Trauma to the skin– Hyper-pigmentation (over production of melanin) occurs following an injury to the skin (wounds/burns), acne, chemical peels, laser treatments and certain skin diseases like eczema, lichen planus, psoriasis, or following allergic reactions.

Hormonal– You are most likely to experience dark skin or patches during pregnancy, menopause or while taking contraceptive pills. Melasma/chloasma is an example and usually appears as patches on the cheeks, forehead and chin.

Medications-Intake of certain drugs like psoralens, chloroquine, phenytoin, analgesics, tetracycline etc can also result in skin darkening.

Birth marks– Patches may appear on your skin as birthmarks, right from birth or developed later on.

How these can be treated?

Treatment depends upon certain factors like:

cause of pigmentation

depth of pigmentation(superficial,mixed or deep)

type of the skin

treatment modalities available

patient preference

One of the first things to do is prevention or worsening of pigmentation by daily application of sunscreens. Apply sunscreens regularly 20-30 minutes before you step out and don’t forget to reapply every 3-4 hours. Skin lightening treatments will work only if you religiously follow doctor’s advice about sunscreen usage.

The usual treatment modalities include skin lightening creams, chemical peels, micro dermabrasion, masks, laser treatments, camouflage etc depending on the nature of pigmentation. The results vary depending on the cause of pigmentation and usually different modalities need to be combined to achieve favourable outcome.

Birth marks and other naevoid problems are usually managed by lasers like Q switched Nd Yag laser(QSYL) or Diode laser. Treatments are usually spaced 4-6 weeks and need to be done several times. Freckles and lentigenes are treated successfully with QSYL, PDL or FRACTIONAL LASERS. Other causes of pigmentation respond to various peels, masks and medical management.

Ageing of Skin

Dr. Thajudheen MD

Oct 12, 2011 | Skin care

Human skin, like the other organs, undergoes chronological ageing. Skin ageing is influenced by the environment eg: sun exposure and life style factors like cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, low body mass index and menopausal status. Atmospheric pollution and psychological stress are among other factors.
Ageing of the skin can be intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic ageing is a naturally occurring process due to slow, but progressive and irreversible tissue degeneration. Genetic mutations and decreased levels of several hormones and cellular ageing contribute to this. Extrinsic ageing (photoageing) occurs due to UV and infrared radiation and physical factors(cold/ wind) Chronic UV exposure is the most potent environmental factor for ageing. Extrinsic ageing amplifies the changes associated with intrinsic skin ageing. Ageing affects the skin function and appearance. This leads to a low self esteem and poor social well being.
When does our skin start to age?
Ageing of the skin is different in each individual case. However, in our mid 20’s the skin’s ability to retain water starts to decrease. Most serious signs of ageing starts in 30’s and worsens gradually over the decades.
What are the signs of ageing?
Dryness of the skin, fine lines and wrinkles, sagging, prominent blood vesssels(telangiectasia)
blotchy pigmentation, freckles, lentigenes, harmless growths like skin tags, seborrhoeic keratoses
Care of ageing skin

Protection of the face from the sun is always important, and particularly in summer. Avoid outdoor activities during the middle of the day.
Do not smoke. Smoking increases facial lines and wrinkles, delays skin healing and is also bad for you. Exercise is good for the skin as well as for your general health.
Sunscreens should be applied daily on the face, more often when outdoors. Cover up when outside – sunscreens may protect against UVB but they are not effective against longer wavelengths.
Moisturisers can be used to smoothen the skin if it is dry and flaky.
Take plenty of exercise – active people appear younger. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables to provide natural antioxidants.
Consider treatments that rejuvenate aged skin. Consult a dermatologist for expert advice.
Alpha-hydroxy acids, vitamin-C, lipoic acid or retinoid creams applied regularly in the long term may reduce the number of fine wrinkles and fade blotchy pigmentation. In postmenopausal women a cream containing progesterone may improve skin elasticity and firmness.
Collagen, hyaluronic acid, polytetrafluoroethylene implants (dermal fillers) and fat grafts can disguise facial expression lines.They are given as injections.
Botulinum toxin injections are used to reduce frowning/look and lessen deep furrows near the eyes ,on the forehead and neck lines.
Resurfacing procedures such as dermabrasion, chemical peels, fractional laser treatment and laser resurfacing remove the top layer of damaged skin, which is replaced by new healthy cells.Pulsed dye laser helps to reduce the wrinkles around the eyes .
Vascular laser treatment can reduce unsightly facial veins and angiomas.
Thread veins on the legs can be treated by injections (sclerotherapy).
Radio frequency device(Thermage) is another useful tool to tighten, smoothen and contour the aged skin.This is a noninvasive method to turn back the clock.