Category: featured

This is Zits! A simple guide to Pimple Treatment

Girl before and after having pimple on her face illustration

Since teenage years acne is a part of growing up in almost everyone’s life. Given the poor surrounding conditions, the pollution, the dust, humidity, and the unbearable heat of our country it is difficult to maintain pimple free skin. Here we present a simple guide to pimple treatment for you.

Types of acne on the skin or pimples illustration (Designed by brgfx / Freepik)

Pimples occur due to 4 main reasons:

  • Increased skin turnover.
  • Increased Oil production.
  • Infection.
  • Inflammation.

Here are some basic tips to prevent and treat acne.

1. Cleansing: Pimples are a result of excess sebum production. Sebum is an oily substance produced by some glands present in the skin. Washing away sebum with a mild cleanser 2-3 times a day will help prevent acne and control present condition. Do not use tough soaps, these may damage the protective barrier and cause more harm than good. Salicylic acid containing cleansers work very well against acne.

2. Keep your hands away: Not touching your face not only reduces your risk of deadly corona virus, it also helps prevent acne. Surprized!!!! Our hands carry dust and germs which accidentally gets deposited on our face in the pores. This increases the chances of inflammation resulting in pimples.

3. Choose your cosmetics wisely: Select your makeup according to your skin type and surroundings you stay in all day. Do not buy on celebrity advertisements only. Take professional help if you have trouble finding the right products.

4. Basic self-treatment: Mild acne usually settles with a good salicylic acid / benzoyl peroxide face wash. Local clindamycin application also lessens pimples. However, do not make a habit of popping pimples it may increase the inflammation and make the condition worse leaving scars.

5. When to see the doctor: Frequent multiple episodes of acne needs specialized treatment. You may need to be assessed for certain other hormonal conditions such as PCOS, hyperandrogenism etc. In case these conditions are present they need to be treated along with acne.

Colored skin acne anatomy composition with types of acne pimples before and after vector illustration (Designed by brgfx / Freepik)

A word of Advise

A word on acne marks…. Pimples seem to pose a problem even after they have gone. Acne marks ruin the most beautiful of faces. Fortunately, now we have state of the art LASER therapies and top-notch skin treatments to say goodbye to them.

It is best not to indulge in certain local ointments such as those containing retinoids, and over the counter antibiotics, without the guidance of a specialist. We believe these simple steps can guide pimple prevention and treatment at home in most cases.

Also read our blog on skin care by Dr Vaishali Srivastava

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay beautiful!

Girl before and after having pimple on her face illustration(Designed by brgfx / Freepik)

Dr Vaishali Srivastava (MBBS, MS, Mch Plastic surgery)

email us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9968539463/9711707831

First Aid burn injuries -Simple Do’s and Dont’s

Introduction

Burn injuries are one of the most debilitating and life threatening injuries seen. Most of us (99% of us including health professionals) are not aware of first aid when burn happens. The reason I am writing this blog is because of my patient Ram (name changed). Ram visited my clinic sometime back with burn injury to his hand with hot oil. Ram had deep burns on his hand which led to huge blisters. He tried home treatment for sometime before the blisters increased significantly in size. This is when he decided to visit my clinic. Though his burn injury is deep and he is recovering quite fast, He told me all the strange first aids told by the neighbours for first aid of his hand burns. This prompted me to write about what to do and what not to do in burn injuries.

I am Dr Deepak Rathore. I am a Plastic surgeon trained specially in dealing with burn injuries (both acute and chronic). This blog will give you a broad overview of burn injuries and what to do when you encounter one.

Classifying Burn Injuries

  • Burn injuries can be divided broadly into 5 major types.
    1. Thermal burns: due to flame burns like gas leakages cylinder blasts and bonfires.
    2. Scald burns: due to hot water, liquids, oils etc. (Like our patient Ram)
    3. Electrical burns: due to high voltage transmission electrical lines, lightening etc.
    4. Chemical burns: Acid or alkali burns and various industrial burns.
    5. Radiation burns: after nuclear accidents or nuclear bomb explosions.
  • high tension wire
    Electrical burn
  • Flame burn
    Thermal Burn
  • Scald burns with blisters
    Scald burn
Different types of burns

Of the above list type 1 and 2 (thermal and scald burns) lead to most of the injuries. Burns may be extensive or minor depending on the areas involved. Irrespective of the amount of area involved we can provide some assistance/first aid for burns at the spot of injury to the patient that might be life saving.

Onsite management (What to do)

  • First rule of First aid is that rescuer should be safe while attempting a rescue.
  • Get yourself and patient away from smoke.
  • If the individual is in flames try to douse it with water/sand or ask patient to stop-drop-roll.
  • Stop-drop-roll is classically taught to douse fires. But unless someone is previously known to the idea it is difficult to do when needed. So do read Stop-drop-roll and learn it.
  • In case of electrical burn switch off the mains, Do not try to remove the patient with your bare hands directly.
  • Cool the burn with running water or bucket of water till burn sensation/pain disappears.
  • Cover the burn area if possible with a clean cloth/dressing to reduce pain.
  • If patient is conscious give ORS solution to drink till patient reaches hospital.
  • Remove acids or chemicals by washing it with large amounts of water to prevent further burn. (Note: Do not wash certain chemicals like dry lime, phenols, concentrated sulfuric acid, sodium metal )
  • Remove clothes and jewellery in case of chemical burns.
  • In case eyes are involved with chemicals wash them thoroughly with water and rush to nearest hospital.
  • Wash with water
    wash with water
  • Eye wash for chemical burns
    Wash eyes in case of chemicals
  • Dressing for burn wounds
    Do bandage if possible
  • Technique to douse fires
    Stop drop roll to douse fire.
Right things to do in Burns…….

Most important what not to do?

People tend to advice all sorts of Dadi and Nani k nuskhe as First aid for burns. Some of these suggestions can be very harmful to you. Inspite of being the burn capital of the world the general knowledge of first aid for burn injuries is very low in our country. Let me list some very common things which should NEVER be done. I see these very frequently being done in my clinical practice but I always discourage my patients from doing these.

  • Never apply toothpaste or colgate on the wounds. This advice is so common that even some hospitals ask people to do this. This is the worst thing that you can do to the burn injury. Don’t ever apply toothpastes on burn injuries.
  • Do not apply potato juice or other vegetable juices on wounds.
  • Never apply cow dung on wounds.
  • Avoid applying Ratanjot and Kapoor on wounds.
  • Never apply Ink/turmeric on wounds. This hampers depth assessment by plastic surgeons later.
  • Do not use blankets as they trap heat and cause further burns.
  • Avoid use of ice for cooling burn area. This may lead to further injury to skin.
  • Do not try to remove clothes adherent to wounds in case of thermal burns.
  • Blister management: Let a trained doctor break blisters to prevent infections.
  • No toothpaste on burns
    No toothpaste
  • No ink on burn wounds
    No Ink
  • No ice on burn wounds
    No Direct Ice application
Wrong things to do in Burns

When to seek help

Any burn involving more than 10-15% body surface area in adults and more than 5 % in children can cause serious repercussions. Once first aid for burns has been given, patients should be immediately transferred to a centre equipped to handle such injuries. A Plastic surgeons trained in burn surgeries should evaluate these injuries.

We at essence follow very strict guidelines for burns treatments. We use latest available special dressings (like collagen, nano silver dressings and skin substitutes) in large surface area burns. With a dedicated team of four plastic surgeons you will have the best care anyone can offer.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch Burns, plastic, maxillofacial and microvascular surgeon)

for more info you can leave comments, email us or call us directly.

5 simple DIY tricks for great hair

5 DIY tricks for healthy hair
  • Healthy hair
  • Great Hair
    5 DIY tricks for healthy hair

let’s start…

We bring to you the second edition of hair care from our team. This is continuation of our earlier article “ Hair Loss treatment: A Start up guide”. In this edition we bring to you 5 Simple DIY tricks for great hair.

Everyone loves to have nice looking, thick and shiny hair. Having great hair is a very simple and known secret. Ample amount of information can be found on the internet and articles. I will tell you 5 simple ways which I feel are best and you can do at home yourself for hair care. I tell these to all my patients in OPD during Hair Transplant consultations.

The trick is to have regularity and dedication towards hair care. Hair care is an art. Hair like other body parts need constant care. Here are my 5 Best ways for hair care.

Eat healthy

This may seem very ordinary at first but nutrition has major bearings on your hair health. Hair needs nutrition like any other body organ. A good diet will ensure good, lustre and strong hair. Dry, lustreless and easily breakable hair generally indicate poor nutrition.

Hair needs a balanced mix of proteins (amino acids), Vitamins (A,D,C, E and B complex) and Minerals (Iron, Folic Acid, selenium, manganese and many more). You can easily get it from vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meat.

In Case your diet is not able to supplement these raw materials you can get them from commonly available OTC vitamin and mineral supplements.

  • Healthy food with micronutrients
Step 1: Eat healthy for Great hair

Sleep Better

Another important step for good hair care is adequate sleep. Your body works according to a highly specialized biological clock. This clock is also called circadian rhythm. We are supposed to sleep 6-8 hours continuously every 24 hours. Timing of sleep is as important as the duration. Deep sleep from 2 Am to 4 Am resets our clock. This key step makes sure we are fresh when we wake up in the morning.

One may ask what this biological clock has to do with our hair??? 

Irregular sleep patterns lead to hormonal imbalances in the body. Ultimately steroid levels are increased leading to increased DHT levels in the blood. DHT levels are related to male pattern baldness in men. Irregular sleep fast forwards the male pattern baldness in men.

Sleep resets your day
Step 2: Sleep 6-8 hours uninterrupted

Stress Reduction

It is a well known fact that stress leads to hair loss. We all know this for a fact. But how does stress cause hair loss??

There are two ways stress leads to poor hair. One is short term and reversible in cases of major stress events like accidents and diseases. This pathway leads to good hair roots becoming dormant or inactive leading to less number of hair which are dry and break easily. As soon as stress events go away hair regrows.

Second pathway is related to regular stress events in day to day life leading to repeated adrenaline surges throughout the body. These changes lead to abnormal hormonal state leading to increased DHT levels in our  body leading to male pattern baldness. This hair loss is more profound and difficult to treat by medicines alone.

In short we need to reduce constant stress events in our lives to have nice hair.

  • Stress causes hairfall
  • Reduce stress reduce hairfall
Step 3: Reduce Stress

Soft water for hair wash

Fourth in our list is to use soft water for hair wash. Hard Water leads to hair which is dry, lack lustre and damaged. Hard water tends to damage the scalp and hair roots leading to poor hair quality. Thickness of hair goes down along with its strength.

Therefore it is important that we use soft water for hair wash if possible. This is a simple and easily doable trick at home. This can improve your hair quality in a big way.

Step 4: Soft water for hair wash

Consistency with hair products

Markets are filled with hair care products and we tend to try a lot of them in a very short span of time. It is imperative that we choose good quality hair products ( Shampoos, Gels, Creams etc) and use them consistently. Frequent change of hair products can lead to poor quality of hair. 

Good quality hair products maintain your hair health, keep them shiny and thick. It is important that you choose the best and continue products if they suit you well.

Changing things frequently like coloring, straightening and heat based treatments from average salons can lead to poor hair quality. Always get your hair and keratin treatments done from good salons.

  • Hair products
    step 5: Good hair products
  • Good salons for Good hair
    Good salons

That completes our list of 5 simple DIY tricks for great hair care. If you follow these regularly you can have good shining hair with minimal costs. Though these methods will show effects in a couple of weeks you can save plenty of money which you can use elsewhere. We will bring you our next edition of hair loss treatments soon.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

Skin care Overview: A simple guide to gorgeous face

Face Skin care : the elusive “perfect skin”

Beautiful Skin Needs regular care

I am a Plastic surgeon practicing in Delhi NCR. Often in my Opd, as I begin to wrap up at day’s end young staff girls at the hospital come for quick face skin care queries. They are no different from the patients I have just finished seeing. Women and men alike today are misled by bombardment of advertisements on Television and internet.

Yet after spending so much money on small bottles with big brands , the fair and lovely look of face is still trapped inside the television. To add to it the lucky few who are blessed with good skin have also joined the acne prone or cracked skin group because of hours in the sun, traveling in dust and harsh climate in Delhi NCR, and living on diet sodas.

The skin specially your face skin is an essential part of one’s personality, it’s how the world knows you and relates to you.

Healthy glowing skin adds to your charisma ,improves your confidence , it’s not something limited to the starlit world, it’s the right and need of every human being.

So , what can one do to get it right.

Plastic surgeons or Skin care doctors like me in Delhi NCR will tell you that the correct choice of products depends wholly and solely on your skin type of face.Whether it’s oily, dry , mixed, acne prone, dandruff prone , scaly , itchy, sensitive.

If there are episodes of rashes and allergy after using common products, do not indulge in over the counter creams, get a proper consultation and use specific products only.

It surprised me to see people using steroid based creams for months,just because it’s easily available over the counter and claims are sky high.

Steroids results in thinning and worsening of skin,often observed a little too late by the user. DO NOT USE STEROID CREAMS BLINDLY. Refrain from such lucrative but harmful ideas.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen protects your Skin

The use of sunscreen in this country cannot be overemphasised , SPF 30 is what you should be looking for on the label. Sunscreens are available depending on skin type.

Spf 50 suits Indian climate

In Case you are unable to use screen cause it looks like you are melting , it’s time to change not stop the sunscreen.

Diet and creams among other things

A good Face care regimen that the skin care doctors especially in Delhi NCR will prescribe you involves taking care of yourself throughout the day. Skin Care is not just in terms of putting stuff on your face but also your diet, your stress levels, your hormonal profile .

Staying hydrated, and consuming fruits and natural vegetables will keep the skin healthy. Often people are unable to chalk out a proper diet.

Taking expert help will go a long way and is an easier way rather than struggling with Calorie and protein contents.

We now have products available like never before, they give appreciable results. We have UV cameras that can detect skin damage at an early stage.

Creams like Retinoids in acne, Hydroxy acids and Vitamin C in skin whitening and anti-ageing are available. When used in right manner skin lightening agents can do wonders.

Vitamin C does wonders for your Skin

When to use , how to use and when to stop are the questions whose answers are different for every individual.

The point to understand is that Your face is not an experimental playground. Choosing the right products and following in a proper manner will give you much better cost effective results. It’s time to get that image out of the TV set into real life!

Dr Vaishali Srivastava (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

Breast Reduction: A great guide to do I Need one?

Breast Lift
Breast Lift in Delhi NCR

Introduction

In our part of the world, women of Asian ethnicity are often burdened with heavy breasts. Bearing not only embarrassment but also clinical problems such as back pain, cervical pain. Even the best breast surgeons in Delhi/NCR will agree that sometimes women don’t know heavy breasts can cause pain. Psychological complaints also occasionally expressed. Women often feel uncomfortable when a man is too often focused with attention on the outlook of their chest. Also it is difficult to find a large bra size sometimes.

As the taboo surrounding breast and aesthetic surgeries slowly lifts, unveiled is the new Indian woman who identifies with her own body. She is free to look and be the lady she wants to be.

Quick facts

Breast reduction is now a safe surgical procedure, that decreases the breast volume. It also lifts the drooping nipple up (with the simultaneous mastopexy). Extreme weight loss may cause reduction in breast size due to loss of fat, but it leads to sagging of breasts. Shortest way to breast reduction is surgery but it needs motivation and physical readiness.

BEAUTIFUL BREAST BOOST CONFIDENCE
Breast Reduction
Beautiful Breasts boost confidence

As a female plastic surgeon , I found many women struggling to hide their problems and discomfort,only because they were too shy. Or were concerned that their families would not be supportive. After counselling and surgery ,when they experienced the results most of them wondered why didn’t they get it done earlie. Proud to be the best breast surgeons in Delhi Ncr we always tell our patients if you are content with yourself ,only then can u make others happy.

Few misconceptions also surround breast reduction such as risk of cancer following surgery or reduced sexual satisfaction, breast feeding issues. Breast reduction only removes the excess breast from the body. There is no increased risk of cancer developing in the remaining breast, it’s the same tissue that was there before.

Loss of nipple sensation is a temporary phenomenon and recovers soon after surgery. Patient can continue to enjoy personal life as before once the healing is complete.

In the present techniques most of the ducts supplying milk are preserved during surgery and some of them grow back too, enabling patients to breast feed. There is still a chance though that the milk secreted would be lesser in amount than a normal breast.

Current operative procedures in breast reduction offer keeping the breast in position and prevent drooping for years to come.There are two common techniques of breast reduction. The two techniques are Inverted T technique and Vertical reduction technique . Both techniques give good results when chosen correctly. Scars are barely visible and hidden in natural creases.

Does Exercise help?

Breast is like any other part in the body. If one reduces her weight she will definitely loose fat from breasts also. However, breasts droop with nipples facing down when one looses too much fat leading to distorted shape. If you are planning breast reduction with exercise do it slowly so that skin re-drapes well.

Oils or Creams???

Oils and creams are not proven to help with enlarged breasts. There is no proven benefit of Oils or creams. Be careful with these agents. You may find lot of companies claiming good results. Be wary of such claims.

Feel free to ask us…

The internet provides a myriad of information, scattered and unsorted , aesthetic surgeries are individual based . A proper clinical consultation can guard from misbeliefs and irrelevant information. Your body is your top priority..choose wisely!

We are Team Essence (Best breast surgeons in Delhi Ncr)

Dr Vaishali Srivastava (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

FAQ on Breast Reduction

Reducing hospital bills: Simple steps to Ease your Pockets

Reducing medical expenses

Reducing hospital bills = Removing Agents in practice

Magnitude of problem

Hospitals bills can ruin your financial planning. Did u know that 20% of your medical bills can be reduced by simply removing the agents who take you to hospitals ?????
We seldom realise the web of agents surrounding us in healthcare sector. People pay lakhs of rupees for their treatments. They never realise that upto 30% of bills are inflated because of agents. Agents charge 20 -30% of total bill costs just for introducing patients to hospitals. This cost is then transferred to patients in their bills.

Possible Reason for the problem

The most important reason of this happening in healthcare sector is because of lack of regulations of quacks. Quacks run clinics everywhere in our country and when they refer patients to hospitals they expect kickbacks which is accepted by hospitals at times. People turn to agents thinking they will reduce their bills end getting inflated hefty bills. Sending patients and earning commissions is so common now that most people don’t find anything wrong in it. In fact to get new patients this is the easiest way.

A World of irony

One one hand central and state governments are trying to reduce burden of health costs on people by bringing schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Delhi arogya kosh. On the other side we have these tours working without any regulations charging such exorbitant commissions. Middle class population is mostly hit by this type of malpractice.

Scary and sad at the same time

Imagine yourself paying 1 lakh rupees hospital bill for treatment or surgery. Now imagine that 20-30 thousand of this bill went to the agent who brought you to the hospital. This could have been avoided if you went directly to the hospital/ doctor probably.

My experience

Very early in my private practice I was regularly approached by such agents with lucarative offers. Agents try to lure you with prospects of getting huge number of patients. Though tempting as a newcomer I have always resisted these offers. As a result I get less number of patients but genuine patients. I am able to reduce their hospital bills because I don’t have to pay any agents. It is my privilege that Max group of hospitals where I am currently employed shuns this practice totally. I don’t allow such agents in my clinic based practice also.

A ray of hope

Thankfully many of the corporate hospitals have stopped giving commissions for domestic patients. Though The practice still runs for international patients in most hospitals. Situation is more deplorable in smaller centres where patients go with a hope of cheaper treatment. They end up paying much much more than what was needed.
I can only hope such kickbacks stop in medical treatments. Have you ever heard of lawyers giving 30% of his professional fees for bringing in clients? Have you heard of chartered accountants or architects giving 30% as commissions??

You can save yourself from agents

1) Try to get in touch with your doctor/ hospital directly most of them are readily approachable.
2) Stay away from unrelated people who tend to talk on your behalf with hospitals saying they will get your bills reduced. Talk to the hospitals directly.
3) It is better to go to your family physician( certified) or hospitals for referrals directly. They tend to give you genuine advice usually.
4) Never go to a hospital where you are being forced by someone to get treated.

International patients should be vary of their interpreters who can sometimes act as agents themselves. This way patients can save 20% on their hospital bills.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

Hair Loss treatment: A Simple Start up guide

Hair loss guide

Hi I am Dr Deepak Rathore. I am a certified plastic surgeon practicing in Delhi NCR. We are doing cosmetic surgeries along with other plastic and reconstruction procedures in Delhi NCR Today we are talking about hair loss and role of plastic surgeons in finding solutions to hair fall and hair loss. 

As plastic surgeons we mostly come across patients in various stages of male pattern baldness according to Norwood scale ranging from grade 1 to grade 7 

Hair restoration surgery or hair transplant as commonly called is one of the most common cosmetic procedures done for men in India and worldwide. 

Male pattern baldness affects almost all ageing men ( some more than others) . Androgens levels affect male pattern baldness. Most of the  pharmacological treatment is directed towards androgens only. 

However the spectrum of causes leading to hair fall and hair loss in present day population is so much more.   

We have environment affecting our hair quality. We have stress related issues leading to hair fall. We have nutritional issues ( due to poor intake or bariatric surgery these days) leading to poor quality hair which fall easily. 

All these factors compound hair fall problems demanding a more comprehensive approach to tackle hair fall or hair loss. 

Hair fall is increasingly being reported in females also so much so that 40-50% patients approaching us for hair fall are females. 

Hair restoration technology is advancing very rapidly. We are now able to see scalp skin and hair roots in much better magnified details than we could see before. It is helping us understand the factors causing hairfall better. Today we can measure thickness of every hair or count number of follicular units in a given area with sophisticated imaging softwares. It helps us in better follow ups and documentation of results after various therapies. 

Markets are filled with various treatment being done by plastic surgeons, dermatologist and also by numerous unqualified persons like Autologous blood treatments, pharmacological treatments, oils and hair restoration surgery. 

Patients often get confused about what to do? 

Patients often call us asking if Autologous blood treatments will help them or they need hair transplant. We always tell them to visit and have a proper examination because it is almost impossible to advice patients which procedure or medication might help them without a proper examination. 

Patients with same Norwood scale baldness may benefit from different strategies ranging from Autologous blood treatments, Nutritional supplements, pharmacological drugs , hair restoration surgery.

With so many factors playing role in hairfall it is important that your plastic surgeon is able to pinpoint the exact cause of hairfall and direct his treatment to mitigate the cause.  

Hairfall is preventable, reversible and curable provided proper evaluation is done for you. 

We usually apply a mutipronged strategy with our patients to evaluate all these parameters. We see hairfall not as an isolated problem. In doing so we are able to improve overall well being of our patients along with hair improvement. 

For example one might be suffering from micronutrient and mineral deficiency leading to poor hair quality and hair loss. If we do not improve upon nutrition and start Autologous blood treatments or minoxidil or hair transplant for the patient it may not give expected good results. 

Similarly patients dealing with stress and having hair fall may have suboptimal results if stress is not dealt with and rest of the treatment is started. 

Markets are flooded with people  offering 100% results ( mostly quacks and unqualified people with no formal training whatsoever) 

Patient should be aware and smart enough to choose best plastic surgeon for his evaluation and treatment. Hair treatment does not always mean Autologous blood treatments and hair transplants. There is so much more to it. An able plastic surgeon can help you choose the best treatment strategies. 

Hope this article helps you understand the basics of hair fall problems and select best suited plan for your hair loss.

Our next article brings to you 5 easy DIY ways at home to keep your hair healthy.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

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