Mom’s Blog

Flat warts are benign tumors and they usually occur in children. Flat warts are only about the size of a pinhead and end in a point off the skin. They are smoother than other kinds of warts and have flat tops.

Flat warts can affect any area of the body but usually appear on the face, fingers, hands, arms and knees and sometimes in clusters with as many as a hundred together. Even though flat warts are so small, they may have a negative effect on the child’s self image and occasionally they itch or hurt.

There are many other names given to flat warts such as juvenile warts, periungual warts, plantar warts, verrucas and subungual warts. Flat warts are similar to the color of the skin and can therefore be pink, light brown or yellow. They are never blue and you can safely ignore the - old wives tale - that frogs and toads can give you warts.

What Causes Flat Warts?

Flat Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. There are at least sixty types of HPV viruses. Scratching or picking flat warts can spread them through the blood stream so it is important to prevent children from doing this.

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Posted on December 23rd, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Child Health, Skin Health, Ailments | No Comments »

Article courtesy of Mountain Rose Herbs

Much as we love nature, outdoor encounters sometimes put us face to face with burns, itches and ouches. Herbal remedies can help.

With the joy of gardening comes the challenge of fending off biting bugs, harmful sunrays and irritating plant oils, as well as healing the damage to our skin. To be well and at ease outdoors, we humans just have to be smarter than the natural forces that surround us.

With a little planning and discipline — plus the tips and recipes we offer here — you can make it through this summer with minimal impact to the skin you’re in.

Defend Your Skin

Our first line of defense is internal. Drinking lots of water will keep you hydrated in hot weather. During the gardening season, eat garlic and increase your intake of vitamin C for energy and a healthy immune system. If you notice the beginning of a poison ivy rash, or get some bug bites, use Echinacea tincture for several days to boost your immune system.

Your level of protection may depend on the type of gardening you do, and the length of time you spend in the garden.

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Posted on July 28th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: First Aid, Injuries, Bites, Skin Health, Ailments | No Comments »

Out of the nearly 100 symptoms that Candida is capable of causing, the most common are skin ailments like eczema, psoriasis and acne. Candida infection must necessarily be considered as one of the causes on eruption of any skin problem.

Understanding how Candida makes deep roots in our bodies is not difficult. The two main causes of Candida are the intake of foods that help Candida to grow and a weak immune system.

Candida is controlled by good bacteria and as long as the good bacteria are able to control adequately, Candida remains in the body in its benign form. Too much of sugar, carbohydrates, commercial foods that contain additives, and acidic foods tend to provide a healthy environment for Candida to proliferate, permeate through the intestinal walls and colonize in the rest of the body.

The immune system is capable of protecting the body from most of the infections. It uses its defensive weapon first. Although painful, inflammation is the first defense that it uses. Along with that the offensive weapon of killing the foreign invader is launched and the infection cleared.

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Posted on June 15th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Candida, Yeast Infection, Skin Health, Ailments | No Comments »

In nearly every beauty magazine, every TV program, or every radio hour you are sure to hear or see some sort of advertisement for an acne removal product. Each one promises to get rid of your acne and keep it away, leaving you with the smooth, clear skin of the models who are advertising the product (and probably never had acne a day in their lives).

Every year, the acne medication industry makes millions of dollars selling one expensive acne treatment after another. And acne sufferers continue to buy the products, hoping that eventually one will work and help them have the clearer skin that they are longing for. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the “cures” will not do more than offer temporary relief, since they do not deal with the underlying cause of the acne. So if you have acne, you might want to take a second look at all the creams, washes, and pills unless you know that they are going to take care of the reason why you have acne.

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Posted on March 16th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Beauty - Skin, Face Care, Skin Health, Ailments | No Comments »

In persistent cases of acne that do not respond to topical treatment, an antibiotic alternative is usually exercised by doctors. An antibiotic is a drug, synthetic or natural, that kills bacterial proteins while inhibiting bacterial growth alongside.

If it was limited to this action, antibiotics would be the most preferred treatment for numerous bacterial disorders including acne. However, antibiotics cannot differentiate between bacterial proteins and cellular proteins that are part of the body cells. And this is what causes the negative effects of antibiotics, commonly known as side effects.

Tetracycline is the most common and the first-use antibiotic for acne. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic and also the least expensive. Tetracycline and its derivative, Doxycycline, are taken on an empty stomach or at least two to three hours after meals as food restricts absorption of the drug. Minocycline, another tetracycline derivative, on the other hand is easily absorbed and can be taken with food.

Tetracycline has the least side effects. But over time, there has been an increased antibiotic resistance towards the drug and it does not seem to work as well these days. This necessitated the development of its derivatives. Doxycycline makes the skin sensitive to sun requiring sun protection every time you go out. Both the derivatives also tend to cause gastrointestinal problems.

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Posted on February 16th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Beauty - Skin, Face Care, Detox, Immunity, Infection, Skin Health, Ailments | No Comments »