Month: June 2017

Cartilage Piercing Bump: Back of Ear, Keloid, Swollen, Treatment

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Does cartilage piercing bump go away? Piercing of the earlobe has been there since before, but many people have started showing interest in cartilage piercing nowadays. Cartilage is the upper part of your ear.it is one of those areas on the body where piercings can be quite dangerous and lead to infections. Bumps that form here are never easy to be dealt with, as they do not respond to antibiotics treatment that fast. The infection rate for cartilage piercings is 34%, as compared to the rest of the body’s 22%.

Cartilage Piercing Bump

When you get a bump on your cartilage it usually indicate that you have developed an infection, but there are several other symptoms that will follow few days later. Some of them will include the following:

  • You will experience severe pain upon touching the pierced area.
  • redness of the skin around your piercing with tenderness
  • Pain on the cartilage.

When the condition is worse, some of the signs you are likely to see include:

  • Discharge of yellow or green pus from the affected area
  • Hotness on the area around your piercing
  • Fever in serious cases, especially if Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for your infection
  • Prolonged bleeding followed by a crush formed on your piercing

Apart from the bump, these are some of the most common signs of an infected cartilage, and then you have to make plans to schedule for your doctor’s appointment.

Cartilage Piercing Bump Causes

For a bump to arise on your cartilage piercing, there are a number of things that you may have done to it. If not, there are some conditions you allowed to take advantage of your ear. Let us look at some of the reasons why you developed the lump.

  1. Unsterilized piercing equipment

Consider this as one of the biggest suspect. Some piercers do not put hygiene as a priority as they use unsterilized equipment, such as gun and needle. Allowing your piercings done with unsterilized equipment is a sure bet that you will get infected because bacteria can transfer from person to person.

  1. Poor quality or Inappropriate Jewelry

This will also lead to infections and development of cartilage piercing bump. Wearing an earring made from material that you are allergic to can result to an infection. Nickel is one of the elements that are known to cause allergic reactions. The jewel that can do better will involve those that are made from gold, stainless steel, or titanium.

  1. Poor Personal Hygiene

This can as well causes you do develop cartilage piercing bump. Always be on the watch to keep your pierced area clean and dry while it is still healing. Also, ensure that your hair doesn’t touch your piercing as it transfers germs to the delicate area.

  1. Trauma or injury

Also know that, you may end up getting a cartilage piercing as a result of some physical injuries, over cleaning of the piercing, and the use of a piercing gun. Regularly touching your jewelry may also cause an infection.

Cartilage Piercing Bump on Back of Ear

A lump that appears on the cartilage piercing can be in front or at the back of the ear. In most cases, the bump usually forms at the back maybe because there is a bit much flesh there the inner side. Often, cartilage piercing lump is caused majorly by the pathogens known as the Staphylococcus Aureus as well as the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Following is a brief study of the symptoms that could be brought about by bumps that are at the back of the ear and also the infection.
Redness
Among the many symptoms of infected cartilage piercing is indicated by the skin that is around the piercings is turning red or even to a color which is different from that of a skin.
Pain
When your piercing is very painful to touch, this is a clear sign that your ear is under an infection especially when the signs of reddening or even aching are present.
Oozing
If it is in normal condition oozing after the piercing is a common thing. To some persons, however, it might even be normal to have the white or even the very pale yellow discharges. In my opinion I would not agree with that. But, if you observe a green or even brown pus-like discharge or even leaking from the ear cartilage piercing bump then there is something that is not right. This shows that the infection is at the higher levels.
Bad smell
If the bump at the back of the cartilage is producing a bad smell, it is also a sign of a serious problem that should not be ignored. A bad smell can come from the piercing without having to take the jewelry out necessarily.

Cartilage Piercing Keloid

A keloid is described as the scar tissue that grows and rises in or around a cartilage piercing. These growths are commonly confused with hypertrophic scarring in ear cartilage piercings. However, Hypertrophic scarring is a temporary condition and is treated by changing the jewelry and subjecting the ear piercing to sea salt soaks remedy. Prescriptions and surgeries from your health care provider are the only treatments for a permanent keloid condition.
Causes of keloids

  • Hereditary

In some cartilage piercing bumps, keloids are inherited down along the family members. Those with close family members, such as parents or siblings, with keloids are most likely to keloid in connection with ear cartilage piercing. Piercing the ear cartilage, no matter the method, results in keloids around, inside or outside of the piercing location. Receiving a piercing with a sterilized needle from a professional body piercer that provides thorough aftercare guidelines decreases the possibility of keloid formation.

  • Melanin and Sex

The amount of melanin in the skin and the sex of the person receiving a piercing are also factors in the possibility of keloids from an ear cartilage piercing bump. African Americans and women are more prone to keloids from piercing, according to a research finding by Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine. Potential piercing candidates are likely to be aware of keloid condition before having the ears pierced.
If you have ever experienced chicken pox, acne or surgery in the past, keloids will most likely form at the site of the skin trauma and indicate a predisposition to keloids from ear cartilage piercing. Avoid body piercings completely if you have past or current keloids.

Swollen Cartilage Piercing

Swelling of the cartilage is a bit different from the formation of a bump at the cartilage piercing site. Swelling may be due to trauma performed on the skin while a cartilage piercing bump is a clear sign of things gone wrong especially if it is associated with the symptoms we have talked about.
Meanwhile, you can avoid having tight necklines that can be able to pull on the ear. Keep away from swimming with an ear cartilage piercing that has not healed as it can also cause swelling. Also, avoid submerging the piercing in the bath as it is able to harbor bacteria. Don’t sleep on top of the piercing. Protect the new piercing from being bumped against as it hurts resulting to swelling.

Hypertrophic Scar Cartilage Piercing

A hypertrophic scar is a cutaneous condition characterized by deposits of excessive amounts of collagen which gives rise to a raised scar, but not to the degree observed with keloids as we stated above. Like keloids, they form most often at the sites of pimples, body piercings, cuts and burns. They are said to contain nerves and blood vessels.
Hypertrophic scar on ear cartilage piercing is seen in red or pink in color, however can fade to a lighter tone. They are fleshy bumps that stay within the boundary of the piercing, often forming in a ring shape, or as a dome off to one side. Other characters may include being itchy, with dry skin which flake from them without any pus or drainage.
These scars should not be confused with keloids, which are darker in color, spread far beyond the bounds of the piercing site with no real specific form, often tender, painful and itchy. They are red or much darker than the normal skin tone, they carry a lot of collagen, and they can often develop months or years after the piercing.

Cartilage Piercing Bump Treatment

If you have developed a cartilage piercing bump, it is important to identify the best treatment option to correct the issue. You need to understand that your cartilage piercing will heal in three stages:

  • The first stage is the inflammatory stage in which your wound is still open.
  • The second stage is growth stage in which your body produces collagen.
  • The final stage is remodeling or maturation stage in which disorganized collagen fibers repair and realign. You can experience issues in any of these healing stages, but you can look for treatments that are suitable for your condition.

Treating Inflammation
A reddened bump doesn’t imply infection. In some other cases, inflammation is able to develop at the area from the irritation from the piercing rather than an infection. With an inflammation, the redness is normally localized, improving with time, don’t spread and don’t have a foul smell.
Draining an inflamed cartilage piercing bump fluid won’t help at all, because it doesn’t have the infected material. Injecting of the bump with cortisone normally assists to reduce the inflammation, although you may require more than a single treatment, depending on the size of the inflamed skin area.
Potential Complications
Trying to pop an infected skin area yourself might make an infection to be worse, more especially if you make use of a contaminated object and introduce even much more bacteria into the wound. A serious infection that usually enters the blood stream might be much fatal.
Let the doctor determine whether a bump that usually develops at the skin area of the body piercing requires any draining. Only a medical professional should perform the procedure.

  1. Tea Tree Oil

Pure tea tree oil is a naturally potent anti-bacterial treatment. It is normally applied in treatment of the acne and all other forms of mild infection.
If you have an intention of using this method of treatment, then you should make sure that you use about 100% of the pure tea tree oil. Any other type of ingredients might worsen the problem and can then irritate the skin even more.
All you are required to do is use the oil directly to the affected skin area by use of a cotton swab. If the skin is much sensitive, then you should dilute the oil using water for it to be essential for your cartilage piercing bump.

  1. Salt Water Soak

This is one of the most versatile solutions that is used to any piercing related problems. Saline solution is a very powerful stuff. It’s easy to make. All you are required to do is stir a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt or even the rock salt into a glass that has warm water.

  • You then take a clean cotton pad and then soak it in the salty liquid.
  • Use the salty liquid to the piercing and let the salt work as required.
  • Not much else is needed to be done.
  1. Chamomile Salt Soak

Most of the people have applied the use of chamomile so as to soothe and also relax the body and also the mind before sleeping.
Chamomile is a very versatile herb. The soothing properties that it has are not limited to the mind and also the muscles. It is also much soothing and very much calming to the skin. Simply brew a cup of chamomile. Except that you will not add a sweetener as you normally would. Instead you will add a quarter of the teaspoon of the sea salt to sooth the skin and also fight infection as the same time. Apply the brew to the cartilage piercing bump by use of a cotton swab about three times a day. You will begin to observe the results within a number of weeks.

  1. Aspirin

Aspirin is indicated for its health benefits. It is equally said that it can be applied to treat keloids. It is a simple yet much effective treatment that you should try.  All you are required to do is crush up the aspirin tablet. Mix it in with a very small amount of water so as to form a thick paste.
Use the paste to the cartilage piercing bump on the piercing. Then just wash it off by use of a sea salt soak. The anti-inflammatory properties that are in the aspirin should have the keloid reduce in size in no time.

  1. Honey

Honey is a very powerful antiseptic. Infections don’t normally stand any chance once you add some honey to it. It is also perfect for use on the sensitive skin because of the fact that it is natural and also gentle.
All you are required to do here is use a dab of honey to the bump about 3 times a day. You might even try to add some amount of honey to the chamomile and also sea salt brew.

  1. Lemon Juice

This is nature’s way of keeping everything very fresh. Not every other person has success with use of the method, but some other people swear by it. Squeeze the juice of one half of a lemon into a cup. Dilute it using 50% water. Use it to the piercing by use of a q-tip.
Monitor the results over a period of two or three weeks. If you see any difference, then keep it up. If not, then you should try something else.

  1. Hydrogen Peroxide

Application of the solution on your cartilage piercing bump is indicated to dissolve the dead cells that are present and assist so as to reduce the infection.
Dip an ear bud in the hydrogen peroxide and also slightly move the jewelry so that it is able to be applied to the base part of the skin. Also, depending on the given skin sensitivity, apply the method in one week.

Coughing at Night Causes: in Adults, Toddler, Can’t Stop, Severe, Dry Home Remedies

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Coughing at night can cause you a sleepless night yet sleeping is very essential to every human being. Research reveals that a healthy person should sleep at least 6-7 hours every day. When you are suffering from a viral infection, getting plenty of rest and relaxation is very important. This can be difficult if you are continuously coughing during the night, effectively ruining the whole sleeping pattern. Researches reveals that the underlying conditions that make people cough more at night are crucial and you should consult your doctor.

Coughing at Night Causes

Any health problem that causes you to cough during the day will most likely lead to coughing at night. For example, the common cold can give rise to a variety of symptoms, including coughs, which stay with you day and night until the infection resolves.
The following conditions causes severe coughing at night:

  1. Asthma

This is a chronic disease of the bronchioles and more commonly encountered in young people. These small tubes transport air into the depths of the lungs and can become inflamed and narrowed as a result of a variety of factors, including an allergic tendency. Some of the early signs of asthma include coughing at night, coughing whilst exercising and a mild wheeze

  1. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)

This is also referred to simply as ‘acid reflux’. It is associated with indigestion and reflux occurs when acid in the stomach escapes up into the oesophagus. If severe, this irritates the pharynx (back of the throat) and the upper parts of the respiratory system, triggering the cough reflex. Lying down encourages reflux as the stomach and mouth are at approximately the same level which is why people with acid reflux may cough more at night

  1. Sinusitis

The sinuses are small cavities lying within the cheekbone and forehead. Sinusitis is the condition which comes about when the lining of these cavities become infected and inflamed, giving rise to the main symptom of the feeling of a blocked nose. Mucus in the sinuses drains into the back of the nose and pharynx. When you lie down, excess mucus drips down into the back of your throat, irritates the tissues, triggering the cough reflex

  1. Heartburn

Symptoms: A ‘throat’ coughs following a meal, or waking you at night, often with a nasty acid taste in your mouth.
Causes: Heartburn, or acid reflux, occurs when stomach acid flows back up the oesophagus, irritating the throat and triggering coughing at night. Large or rich meals late at night are triggers.
Treat it: Sleeping with an extra pillow can help reduce the backflow of acid. If it’s occasional, a simple over-the-counter anti-reflux treatment, such as Zantac, will reduce the production of stomach acid. If it’s frequent, talk to your GP who may want to investigate.

  1. Chest infection

Symptoms: A hacking cough with greenish phlegm, plus a fever that follows after a cold.
Causes: A chest infection, or acute bronchitis, affects the lower airways. It’s generally caused by the same viruses that cause colds, but inflammation spreads lower into the lungs, leaving the area open to attack by bacteria hence coughing at night.
Treat it: Drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol to reduce a fever. Because most bronchitis is caused by a virus, your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics if he suspects a secondary bacterial infection has occurred.

  1. Whooping cough

Symptoms: Uncontrollable coughing fits, which may produce a ‘whoop’ sound.
Causes: This highly contagious disease has been on the rise again in recent years, and spreads when an infected person coughs and another person inhales the bacteria. A vaccine is given to babies and since last year, pregnant women, but protection fades so you can still get it as an adult.
Treat it: Babies are at the highest risk of severe complications and death and need close monitoring. In older children and adults it’s generally unpleasant, but not serious, lasting up to six weeks. Drink plenty of fluids and take ibuprofen to ease a sore throat.

  1. Medication cough

Symptoms: A dry, niggling cough, often worse at night.
Causes: ACE inhibitors, a drug used to control high blood pressure, can cause a chronic cough in 20% of patients.
Treat it: If your coughing at night coincided with starting medication, talk to your doctor who can supply alternative blood pressure drugs.

  1. Tuberculosis

Symptoms: A persistent cough, often with extreme tiredness, weight loss, night sweats and coughing up blood.
Causes: Another highly infectious illness, once thought to be wiped out, current TB rates are the highest for 40 years.
Treat it: Because TB awareness is low these days; it’s worth mentioning the condition to your GP if your symptoms fit those described above. If they suspect TB you’ll have a skin test to check for antibodies and be sent for a lung X-ray. Treatment involves six months of strong antibiotics that cures 99% of cases.

  1. Smokers’ cough

Symptoms: It’s easy to get used to a ‘smokers’ cough’ but if it changes in any way, for example, becomes more frequent or you cough up blood, it needs checking out immediately.
Causes: Smoking irritates the airways causing a cough, which in the long-term can be a sign of COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis – meaning there’s irreversible damage to your airways, worsening if you continue puffing away.
Treat it: If you’re a smoker or ex-smoker with a persistent coughing at night, your GP should send you for X-ray. It’s never too late to quit – giving up will lessen or abolish a smokers’ cough in 94% of people within four weeks, and will stop the rate of deterioration in COPD cases.

  1. Lung cancer

Symptoms: A new cough lasting longer than three weeks, a long-standing cough that gets worse, coughing up blood, unexplained breathlessness, weight loss, tiredness or chest pain.
Causes: Lung cancer is now the second most common cancer in the UK and smoking accounts for 90% of cases. Treat it: If an X-ray confirms it, treatment combining surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy depends on the stage of the cancer.

  1. Heart problems

Symptoms: Persistent coughing or wheezing, plus extreme tiredness, breathlessness on exertion and fluid retention.
Causes: When you suffer heart failure, fluid can build up in the lungs and cause a lingering coughing at night.
Treat it: See your GP immediately. If they suspect heart failure you’ll be referred to a specialist hospital clinic for an ECG and blood tests. Treatments include ACE inhibitors to prevent fluid build-up and beta-blockers to slow the heart rate.

Can’t Stop Coughing at Night

The annoying sensation in your throat starts as a tickle and then escalates to a hacking cough just as you’re trying to fall asleep, or it wakes you up in the middle of the night. Coughing is your body’s way of ridding your lungs and airways of irritants such as mucus, microbes, and pollutants. Read on to learn how to stop coughing at night and why it happens in the first place.
Depending on what’s causing it, there are different remedies and lifestyle changes you can try to relieve or prevent nighttime coughing in both adults and children. Dry, warm air can irritate your throat and airways. Some people also cough when they turn their heater on in the winter. This is due to the release of pollutants that built up in the heating ducts. A humidifier that produces a cool mist can help keep the air in your bedroom moist. This can keep your throat feeling better.
If nighttime coughing is caused by a medical condition such as a sinus infection, it’s important to get treatment. You may need a prescription from your doctor for antibiotics. You can also use a neti pot to help clear sinuses.

Dry Cough at Night

A dry cough at night often occurs alongside a tickly cough and can be caused by viral infections or allergies. Unlike a chesty cough, a dry cough does not produce any mucus and is therefore termed as non-productive. It is closely related to tickly coughs and often, these terms are used interchangeably.
A dry coughing at night is most often the result of infection by cold and flu viruses. It can also be triggered by atmospheric pollutants irritating your throat. In most of these situations, dry coughs occur because the back of your throat becomes irritated or inflamed, but may also arise from deeper in the chest.
Any cough can be a nuisance and this is particularly so if sleep is disturbed. A vicious cycle can develop – if one is tired, recovery from any infection or illness can take longer.
Common causes of dry coughs

  1. Viral infections we know as the common cold and flu. These coughs may occur at the start of the illness or more likely, appear towards the middle or the end of the infection, and may linger long after other symptoms have disappeared
  2. Allergies can also lead to a dry cough. Hay fever, an allergy to grass and tree pollen, causes irritation to the eyes and nose and when the throat is affected, a cough results. Sensitivity to other particles such as animal fur, known as allergic rhinitis, can also lead to the same symptom
  3. Air pollutants can irritate the back of the throat causing a cough. This is the situation seen when non-smokers enter a smoky room
  4. Acid reflux is now accepted as a cause of dry coughs. What happens is that the acidic contents of the stomach travel upwards to the back of the throat. Minute amounts of acid may then enter the upper respiratory tract, causing inflammation and coughing. This is more likely when one is lying down flat.

Coughing at Night only in Adults

Physiologically, coughing is a rapid expulsion of air from the lungs that happens reflexively to keep the airways clear. Night cough in adult may be a symptom of conditions specifically affecting the lungs and throat or a more generalized condition, such as a cold or the flu as well.
Adult people get Inflammation of the lungs or throat, due to smoking, colds, or flu. Smokers produce excess mucus in their airways and the lung struggles constantly to clear these passages. Remarkably, this symptom is one of the first to improve, even completely disappear, with smoking cessation.
In rare cases, night coughing in grown up people can be a symptom of a serious infection of the lungs, bronchial tubes, or throat. Night cough can also be a symptom of congestive heart failure if it occurs together with pink frothy mucus in the mouth, severe shortness of breath, wheezing, and rapid heartbeat.
Depending on the cause, coughing at night may occur only while you are lying down or also while you are sitting up, and it may be accompanied by sputum production, sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing, or gastric contents moving upward into the mouth.
In some cases, when you cough while in the bed, it can be a sign of a life-threatening condition, such as congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, or a severe respiratory infection. If you, or someone you are with a cough accompanied by serious symptoms, such as chest pain, a high fever, or severe breathing problems, seek immediate medical care.

Severe Coughing at Night

Most coughs may disappear without treatment, but severe nighttime coughing may be a sign of a serious condition. For example, heart failure can cause a chronic cough that worsens at night. Respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD also cause severe, chronic cough. Lung cancer and blood clots in the lungs are less common causes of severe coughs.
You have to watch out for the following symptoms in case you are in the bed and you cough severely with them:

  • a fever of 100˚F (38˚C) or above
  • trouble breathing
  • choking
  • swelling in your legs or abdomen
  • wheezing
  • green, yellow, or bloody phlegm
  • it lasts more than three weeks

Dry Cough at Night Home Remedies

If want to know how to get rid of your coughing at night, try these home remedies with simple ingredients that you can find right in your kitchen. These natural cough remedies easy to follow but are really effective in boosting your immune system.  The fact that they call for all-natural ingredients means that they are safe to use as home remedies for cough for kids.

  1. The Classic Golden Milk

This dry cough treatment has been used successfully for centuries. Add a pinch of turmeric to a glass of warm milk before bedtime. The warm milk will calm your throat and help you sleep. Turmeric – the golden spice – is a panacea for many problems because it is a natural antibiotic. When you awaken the next day, you will be all rise-and-shine-y for sure!

  1. Spice Up that That Drink

Many of us crave a cuppa when we have been coughing all day. Warming spices are natural cough remedies that we can easily incorporate into our tea. When boiling water, add a spoonful of aniseeds or a stick of cinnamon to your pot. A few slices of ginger boiled with the water will work well too.

  1. Basil is the Best

Tulsi or holy basil is a powerful antibacterial and antioxidant that can cure a cough in a jiffy. Chew on some fresh basil leaves or steep them in boiling water and drink up. Add a few drops of basil essential oil to a pot and inhale the steam to get rid of that tickly throat.

  1. Honey

Honey has cough-curing compounds that will give you instant relief from a dry cough. Mix 5 tablespoons of honey in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is an immune-boosting homemade cough syrup that also works great for children with coughs.

  1. Aloe vera

Aloe has anti-inflammatory properties which makes it the perfect choice for scratchy coughing at night. Add some honey into a glass of aloe juice. Bon santé!

  1. Onion Remedy

Onions contain healing sulfur which makes them a staple in chronic cough remedies. Combine 1 teaspoonful of raw onion juice with 1 teaspoonful of honey; let stand for 3-4 hours. Take this syrup thrice a day. Drinking warm onion broth is also a magic potion for dry cough.

  1. Stay hydrated

Through all of this, the best advice is to keep hydrated if you have a cold or flu – it will help with catarrh and mucus. Keep your throat lubricated and drink plenty of fluid. Honey is a natural antiseptic so try some warm water with honey and lemon, which can be very soothing.

  1. Take a hot tea

Some say hot teas are the best way to soothe a sore throat, moisten the upper respiratory tract and calm a cough. Avoid any tea with caffeine in them, and drink those with chamomile and honey. If that does not work consider having a teaspoon of honey before bed.

  1. Menthol and Eucalyptus oil

This is a natural cough remedy. With a few drops of eucalyptus oil in your bath water, placing a small warmer by your bed or even using an ointment on your chest, inhaling the vapor helps in freer/easier breathing which can soothe coughing at night.

  1. Sit in a warm bath or take a warm shower

The steam from either will help loosen the mucus and phlegm that are sitting in the upper airways. While this might make you cough and have mucus run from your nose a lot, it is clearing the system out so it can help shorten the duration of your sickness.

  1. Shift the way you’re sleeping at night

Lying on your back can cause nasal drip to be much worse than laying on your side or your stomach. Elevated sleeping can do wonders. Prop a few pillows up behind you to open the airways and move the mucus. Sleeping on a recliner can have the same effect when trying this night cough treatment.

  1. Use a humidifier

Use it to provide moisture into the air where there might not be much. When trying to breathe dry air, the passages will become dry, causing the cough. With moisture in the air, the cough is less likely to happen. Some humidifiers have places to place vapor rub on them. This emits a peppermint like smell throughout the room that helps open airways.

How to Stop Coughing at Night without Medicine

Cough medications are typically not recommended for children under 4 and can cause side effects, such as dizziness, drowsiness and stomach upset. You can use natural remedies to get rid of your cough at home. However, if your cough does not clear up within a few weeks; contact a medical professional for advice.
Your GP won’t give you antibiotics for it
Although flu can be debilitating, it cannot be treated by antibiotics from your GP as it is a virus and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria. It is urged that patients consider having one to protect themselves and others against the illness. Again, your Boots pharmacist or GP can advise whether you are eligible to have the free vaccination this year
Germs circulate easily via sneezed and coughed-out droplets. Always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs or sneezes to stop germs spreading. Viruses can also transfer to your hands from surfaces such as taps and door handles then can enter the body through the nose.
More references

  1. Com: 7 kinds of cough and what they might mean: http://www.health.com/cold-flu-sinus/whats-causing-your-cough
  2. Benadryl: treatments for night cough: https://www.benadryl.com.au/cough-remedies/treatment-for-night-coughs
  3. Health line: how to stop coughing at night: http://www.healthline.com/health/coughing-at-night#overview1

Infected Ear Piercing: Bump, Cartilage, Lobe, Symptoms, How to Treat

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Infected ear piercing? Ear-piercing is a practice that has been carried out since very long time ago.it is a way of adding beauty as some people easily describes. If you have plans have piercings on your ears, you need to ensure it is done carefully and you carry out best after care activities to ensure the area is not infected. Pierced ear infection is a common problem that affects people who pierce their ears and assume that is the end of the story.
Knowing that you have infected ear piercing is very simple. The symptoms for the condition can range from a mild to moderate or even severe.it is important for you to know the reason why your ear is infected, and this can be easy if you know the symptoms that accompany each condition. Treatment and care for the ear piercing is a key factor after knowing the disease causing agent.
Apart from all the efforts and safety procedures that are followed to not to get infected, some people, still are caught up in a mess of getting infected. If by good or bad lack you get infected, instead of worry get to know what caused the condition. You should keep the infected area always clean and follow the remedies as prescribed, and it won’t take long before you see your infections getting improved.

Infected Ear Piercing Causes

Infection can take place into a new ear piercing or on the piercing that has been there since. There are different things that will affect an old ear piercing and a new one as well. The discussion will cover sections like, how infection would occur during piercing or healing and after healing. However, have it in mind that, the main cause of infection is due to germs which include bacteria, fungi or certain viruses.

  1. Causes of new piercing ear infections

Regardless of the place your ear piercing was done; infected piercing can get anybody who gets a new piercing.

  1. Use of unsterilized equipment

You can get an infection on your new piercing if your piercer uses piercing equipment either contaminated with dirt or has already been used on somebody else.

  1. Touching

When your ear piercer keeps own touching your ear pierce, chances are that you may transfer disease causing germs from the piercer’s hands to tools or directly to your ears. This may also happen while inserting the posts because the whole procedure must have a contact between the source of contamination and the ears.

  1. Bad or poor quality earrings

Your new ear piercing may get infected on condition that the first pair of earrings results in an irritation which causes itching hence a disease. Through a continuous itching, your skin may be perforated exposing it to micro-organisms that result to diseases. Some researches reveal that, microorganisms act as antigens, which triggers the body’s immune system, leading to formation of pus after inflammation.
Apart from cheap and poor quality, tight earrings can as well lead to infected ear piercing. Heavy metal bars from earlobes can leave earring hole stretched with pain.

  1. Old infected ear piercing

A number of people don’t believe that already healed and long lived ear piercing can get infected.  Do not be surprised to get your completely healed or old ear piercing infected months, or years after. Some of the common reasons through which they get infected include:

  1. Contaminated touches

Touching with dirty hands or allowing your friends to touch or hold the earrings may result into a disease. Also, exchanging or swapping your earrings with friends may lead to your ear piercing infection.

  1. Removing or changing the earrings

If you are a person who likes changing and removing earing occasionally, you may cause an irritation to them. Maybe the ones you changed to are bigger or with strong metals which can result to irritation.

  1. Injury on earring hole

Some people force through big earrings to their piercings hence causing them to overstretch. However if your piercing has closed, make arrangements to visit your piercer again rather than doing it yourself in a bad way, as it may result to trauma.

  1. Bacterial infections of the ear cartilage e.g. perichondritis,

Bacteria are well known as the common cause of diseases. You should at all time not give a chance to any condition that will allow bacteria to infest on your ear piercing.
Other causes may include:

  • Swimming in contaminated water pools, etc.
  • Inserting your earrings to a new piercing without a mirror might make it get hurt as it is still recovering.
  • Allergic reactions to the materials of the posts especially nickel which is known to cause allergic reactions as well as an itchy feeling.
  • Injuries causes by earrings especially if inserted at a wrong angle by kids.

Infected Ear Piercing Bump

If it happens that you developed a bump at the site of the pierce, draining the infected ear piecing bump should at any cost never be done by yourself. This may lead to it turning red, swollen or painful, or drains pus, could indicate a staphylococcus infection or other bacteria. Instead, just visit your medical provider as they may choose to drain the bump and send the fluid for testing to observe the type of bacteria in it. In the meantime, the doctor put you on an oral antibiotic.
At any case a wound develops on the skin like a body piercing, and then you run the risk of developing an infection. The problem can get worse if the equipment that is used to create the opening is not scrupulously cleaned and sterilized between uses.
Some of the symptoms you should observe on an infected ear piercing bump are tenderness, a yellow discharge, redness, and some swelling. As we have said above, the major cause of infection is piercing the ears with unsterile equipment, inserting unsterile posts, or frequently touching the earlobes with dirty hands.

Infected Cartilage Ear Piercing

Ear cartilage piercing is also trending these days. However, I read somewhere that is one of those piercings that are very painful. Some researches done in America have revealed that people can lose their ears cartilages if the ear piercing practice is not done in good condition or by a rightful person. For me, think this should be enough to help you know the need to treat an infected cartilage piercing immediately as well as the need to go to a professional piercer.
In short, piercings on the upper part of the ear, the cartilage, are much more dangerous than earlobe piercings and they are prone to infections that are much harder to treat since they hardly respond to antibiotics. Moreover, there is a higher prevalence of infection on cartilage than earlobe as research reveals. It is said that there is a 22 percent infection rate for body piercing overall and a 34 percent infection rate for cartilage piercing, according to ABC News.

Ear Piercing Infection Symptoms

Symptoms will help you to know if you have an infected ear piercing. Some of these symptoms may show up during the process of piercing. You need to know how old the piercing became compromised with infection for you strike the cause. The following are some common signs and symptoms you should be aware of your ear piercings.

  1. Redness around the piercing

This is one of the signs of an infection is marked by a noticeable change in color especially around the earring hole. Redness involved with persistent pain should be taken seriously. Sometimes there may be inflamed streaks or thread-like marks or lines that radiate from round the infected ear piercing.

  1. Swelling and discharges

Secondly, it is expected that slight swelling should occur after you have pierced your ear. It could be pierced earlobes or cartilage. However, if the swelling does not subside after the second day, that could be dangerous. In some cases the swelling may extend to the glands in the neck region and you should have a sore feeling in your neck or jaw.
Swelling may be worsened by drainage from the piercing holes. A discharge with brown, grey, yellow-greenish color marked by a bad, foul smell will indicate there being an infection. Piercing experts have argued that a clear discharge is normal while your piercing is healing. This discharge would actually be lymph fluid.

  1. Bumps

Going on with signs to look for in an infected ear pierce, are formation of bumps especially when they appear reddened. This is less unlikely and not always the case as inflammation can develop at the site from irritation from the piercing rather than infection, according to some research findings

  1. Bleeding

Another sign to observe is blood oozing from your pierced ear site or earring hole bleeding. This sign/symptom can point out the fact that you may have a problem with earring material or complication or you injured it. Besides being an infected ear piercing on the earlobe symptom, bleeding excessively must not be taken lightly when it occurs frequently.

  1. Tenderness

Tenderness to touch in skin around the earlobe, conch or cartilage is another probable symptom of infections. Children will complain more because they have tendency to touch whenever they feel an increased sensitivity or irritation.

  1. Fever

This is a well-known common symptom of infection. Unless you have a cold or flu infection or other-related infections, fever should be a cause of worry when you are fine.
For you to know that you have an infected ear piercing is by checking out on the symptoms i.e. you are certainly going to know you have such an infection by looking at some of the pierced ear infection symptoms that can never miss. Some the common signs and symptoms to check for include:

  • Tenderness on the pierced site, kids might complain of this tenderness.
  • Swelling around the piercing site that persists 48 hours after a new piercing.
  • Infected ear piercing bleeding in extreme cases, especially for new piercings.
  • Discharges from the piercing that include pus that might be yellow or your piercing might “secrete thick, green, smelly pus” [livestrong.com].
  • A bump on earlobes that could be white or red.
  • Fever especially in children
  • Stuck earrings i.e. you will be unable to rotate them.

These are not the only infected ear lobe piercing signs or symptoms you might have. There are many others to check out for. By the way, your ears are very important. The moment you notice anything abnormal with your piercings, do not ignore them. Do not be like most people who tend to waiting until “infected ear piercing pus” starts oozing out before they begin looking for pierced ears infection treatment options.

Ear Piercing Infection Treatment

Treatment will rely on the information based on ear piercing symptoms. We shall focus on treatments provided by health centers and then how to treat pierced ear infections with home remedies.

  1. Antibiotics

There are two broad categories of these medications which include the non-prescription and strength prescription antibiotics.
Most of the topical drugs available at your locale or over the counter medications are non-prescribed. They are widely used on speculation that they cure minor infection symptoms like swelling. They include oral drugs, ointments and creams for instance, Neosporin. Before taking them to cure symptoms after piercing, patients are advised to ask relevant health practitioner for safety usage.
Considering it on the other way, prescription medicines will treat persistent infected ear piercing symptoms such

as fever, severe swelling, discharges, etc. These drugs must be taken under a doctor’s instruction only to control or cure severe signs and symptoms after ear piercing.

  1. Pain relievers

It involves use of drugs such as Aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to kill pain that may accompany other symptoms. Note that pain killers do not guarantee cure for infections.
If you experience severe symptoms such as frequent pain, high fever and excessive bleeding you should see your doctor who will determine what the problem is and which best treatments that you need in case of an infection.
Treatment process
Recognizing the infection is the very first step for treating any infection. Before telling you how to treat an infected ear piercing, let me tell you how to recognize the infection and the factors that triggers the infection. Read on.
Infected ear piercing home remedies
When the signs of infections are minor home remedies should clear them in a few hours or days. Not all home remedies will help cure an infected pierced ear. Some are only take away symptoms.

  1. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is safe and easy to use at home. It contains an antiseptic property to fight germs and bacteria. You can apply tea tree oil as an alternative best of aspirin or chamomile tea as natural treatment.

  1. Sea salt solution (home-made saline)

After receiving medication, you can soak your infected earlobe piercing in a warm solution of non-iodized salt. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to shot glass of warm water.

  1. Rubbing alcohol

Apart from using alcohol to clean a piercing while enhancing healing, this product can help to clear symptoms by keeping infection causing germs at bay. Apply rubbing alcohol in front and at the back of infected earlobes.
NOTE: avoid using rubbing alcohol to clean newly pierced ear in order to quicken healing.

  1. Warm/cold compress

A warm compress is ideal to bring down swelling and infected ear piercing bumps especially if the pierced ear is aching. On the other hand, apply a cold compress when you feel mild pain but not on a piercing wound symptomatic of bleeding.
Ear piercing care
Learning how to take care of a piercing is important whether it is an infected pierced ear or free of infection signs and symptoms. Practicing proper ear piercing care will not only be prevention against occurrence of an infection but will also promote quicker healing and greatly help an infected pierced ear. You should observe piercing care for good health more so your baby and children.

  1. Cleaning

This is something you should do routinely (daily) regardless of a newly pierced, healing or old piercing. The best cleaning solutions should have been given by your piercer and it is expected that you follow the recommended procedures. However, you need to use saline, alcohol or an antibiotic solution. Before you touch your ears ensure your hands are clean and dry.
Using small cotton swabs, apply saline or alcohol in front and behind the piecing sites. Ensure you do not cause mush disturbance to the studs, bar or earring while cleaning fresh piercing wounds.
Do not use alcohol or solutions containing alcohol if you have increased sensitivity in skin. This may lead to further irritation make skin around new piercing become more inflamed. Another caution you must take is never use alcohol or allows children with piercing use alcohol.

  1. Anti-bacterial solutions (soaps)

This solution is what every kind of body piercing requires to keep infection causing microorganisms away from the wounds. Besides being a common cleaning agent for hands as well as the pierced sites.

  1. Do not remove the ear jewelry

Removing can easily contaminate or cause germs being transferred to the earring bars leading to infection in earring hole after placement. Besides, it may cause unnecessary injury and lead to bleeding. Unless it is an old piercing or you are instructed to remove ear jewelry in order to clean properly, leave them alone.

  1. Avoid causing injury

Be careful while removing your tops and avoid clothes with loose strips (strings). Otherwise get used to wearing shirts, open (zipped) tops or with buttons.

  1. Keep tidy

Wash your hair regularly and protect it from coming into contact with your new piercing. Moms should also keep your daughter’s hair clean or short.
Keep off swimming pools for at least 2 to 3 weeks to allow for efficient healing especially if you have any kind of ear cartilage piercing.

How to Treat an Infected Ear Piercing without it closing

While treating your ear piercing or when taking care of it, you may realize that yes it healed but the hoe closed. No one would want to undergo piercing process over and over. Therefore, there are steps you can follow to avoid closing the hole in the name of treatment. You can treat minor infections at home by keeping the infected area clean and using sea salt soaks to draw out irritants. However you can follow the steps below while caring for your infected piercing:
Step 1
While the first earrings are intact, use antibacterial or antimicrobial soap to wash your hands to avoid introducing new bacteria to the infected area. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds with the soap.
Step 2
Make a solution of 1 tbsp. of non-iodized sea salt in 8 ounces of warm distilled water
Step 3
Soak the infected ear piercing in the salt solution for three to five minutes. If possible, fill a small cup with the solution and submerge the infected lobe. If this is uncomfortable or you have an attached earlobe that makes this difficult, soak sterile gauze or cotton swabs in the solution and apply generous amounts of the solution to the infected area.
Step 4
Rinse your ear piercing with clean, warm water and dry with a clean paper towel. Do not use a hand towel or washcloth because they can transfer germs to the wound.
Step 5
You can repeat this method at least once a day in conjunction with your regular cleaning regimen until the infection clears.
More references

  1. How to heal cartilage piercing bumps: http://www.wikihow.com/Heal-Cartilage-Piercing-Bumps
  2. How to drain infected earlobe piercing: http://woundcaresociety.org/drain-infected-ear-piercing
  3. How to treat an infected piercing: http://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-to-treat-an-infected-ear-piercing#overview1

How to Get Rid of Oily Skin Forever, Permanently

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When your entire skin is covered with numerous layers of oil especially your face, you are probably suffering from an oily skin. Get insights on how to get rid of oily skin on face, nose, permanently, naturally and by use of oily skin products.

Oily Skin Causes

The overproduction of oil is caused by hyperactive sebaceous glands. Someone who has an oily skin, more often than not, has large pores, obvious blackheads, and pimples. In worse conditions, the person also suffers from acne. The symptoms are all causing drastic humiliation to the sufferer.
Here are some of the main causes:

  1. Heredity

When your mother or father has an oily skin type, chances are you and your siblings will have sebaceous glands that are overactive, too. Skin types can be inherited; hence some people are genetically wired to have breakouts and clogged, large pores.

  1. Diet

A diet made up of processed food, excessive caffeine, high in fats, salt, and sugar will likely lead you to have an oily skin. An unhealthy diet leaves the skin dehydrated and poorly nourished, causing the sebaceous glands to go wild and jumpy.

  1. Pregnancy

There is a drastic fluctuation of the hormone estrogen when you are pregnant. This leads to sebaceous glands being out of control. A lot of pregnant women are complaining of oilier than normal skin. Do not worry as the skin goes back to the previous skin type after delivery.

  1. Puberty

Blame it to the spurt of hormones, adolescent girls and boys experience their first gush of extra oil during this period. This problematic phase stretches until they are about 18-21 years old, although others remain to have an oily skin in their adulthood.

  1. Cosmetics

There are make-up products that encourage your sebaceous glands to be active. These cosmetic items are usual oil-based, hence feel heavier and greasier on the skin. Most of the time, cosmetics in liquid forms cause your skin to be oily.

  1. Seasonal Changes

During the summer season, the heat and humidity drastically increase leading to your skin producing oil than normal. However, during the winter season where the air becomes arid, the skin gets dehydrated causing the sebaceous gland to overcompensate for the dryness, leading to an increased level of oil.

  1. Overuse of Skin Care Products

Sometimes in achieving the goal of younger, cleaner and smoother skin, people tend to over cleanse and over exfoliate. Whenever you use too much cleaning and exfoliating products (especially with scrubs), the skin is stripped of its natural oils, which results to the sebaceous glands compensating for the loss.

  1. Stress

Stress can cause your hormone to go crazy and produce lots of oil.
How to Know If you have Oily Skin

  • If you have the following signs below, then your skin type is oily.
  • Greasy skin all the time. Not just in the T-zone area (forehead, nose and chin) but the entire face.
  • Plenty of blackheads. They usually camp in the opening of the pores.
  • Plenty of breakout battles.
  • Make up does not last long.
  • Experiences oxidation with foundation use. This is when your foundation color changes a few hours after application.
  • Larger pores than the usual. This is most evident in the nose and cheeks are.

Problems Associated with Oily Skin
Common problems associated with having an oily skin is acne. This is an inflammatory skin disease involving the sebaceous glands and is characterized by papules, comedones or pustules.

How to Get Rid of Oily Skin Permanently

If you’re going through a major problem with zits that won’t go away, you are probably wondering what about you or your skin care regimen is amiss. Latinas are more susceptible to hyper-pigmentation, which can mean unwanted brown spots, especially when you spend time in the sun.
Here are six ways to take your skin from slick and greasy to luminous.

  1. Find a great cleanser.

When it comes to oily skin, think of cleaning a cast-iron skillet: You clean oil with oil. Steering clear of anything with alcohol and going for as gentle of a formula as your skin will take, since harsh formulas may remove more oil than you need. You don’t want excess oil on your skin because that can feed bacteria, but you also don’t want to strip your skin of all its fatty acids.

  1. Properly clean your face, back, and chest.

Choose a gentle cleanser and use it at least twice a day to normalize oil levels. Instead of reaching for toner every day, use it once or twice a week at most and make a leave-on cream your go-to for controlling oil production. Overusing toner can lead to overly sensitive skin — skin so sensitive it may not be able to tolerate an acne regime — so opt for a cream low in benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

  1. wary of home remedies

The popular sugar-lemon scrub some women make at home is a good exfoliant and mildly improves pigmentation, but too much lemon juice can lead to hyperpigmentation. Yogurt masks, which contain lactic acid, can help exfoliate and make skin glow, but they, too, can be overdone. Ataman believes that exfoliating once a week to allow dead skin to slough off is the sweet spot.

  1. Consult a dermatologist early

Certain brands and websites for perpetuating unhealthy fads and myths about the number of products and regimen steps required to maintain glowing skin. Rather than play a guessing game, defer to your dermatologist. And if you’re struggling with comedonal, or mild, acne at any age, see your dermatologist before it worsens and becomes harder to treat.

  1. Choose your makeup wisely

When it comes to your skin, avoid pore-clogging products like liquid foundations or other products that feel heavy. Prefer mousse-based foundations for their silky layers, but says aerosolized foundations work well too. If there’s only a little you wish to cover up, choose powder over foundation.

How to Get Rid of Oily Skin on Face

One best way to get rid of oily skin on face fast is by following a proper skin care routine. To remove oils permanently from face buy good skin cleansing products and oil free moisturizers. Naturally made home remedies using lemon, baking soda, gram flour are also effective to get rid of greasy face. These tips are helpful for both men and women to make skin problem-free in a week.

How to get rid of oily skin on face

  1. Steaming is considered to be a very effective technique for cleaning the oils and dirt from skin pores on face.
  • The first step for steaming is to boil hot water and take it in a bowl.
  • Now take a towel and cover your head with it and allow the steam to pass to your face.
  • Prevent contact of skin with hot water as it can burn your skin.
  • As the steam makes a contact with skin, it makes it softer and easier for you to get rid of oily skin.
  1. Exfoliate your skin once a week to get rid of excess sebum from the skin. Steam your face before you exfoliate for deep facial cleansing and getting better results. This is a very helpful technique used to unclog pores that are full of impurities. Since more dirt sticks to your oily skin, hence buy a good exfoliating product that can easily remove the oils present on your skin.
  2. Moisture is an important step when dealing with such skin problem. Lack of moisture makes skin dry. This makes our body to produce more moisture on the skin. Also, after you exfoliate remember to moisturize to prevent skin from becoming dry. When dealing with oily skin, it is advised to buy oil free moisturizer. Such moisturizers have the ability to moisturize skin without making the skin greasy.
  3. Exercise daily for about 30 minutes for making skin free from oils. While we exercise our sweat glands become active. This sweat comes to skin via pores washing away the dirt and oils from pores and making your face look beautiful. Also try some facial exercise for improving circulation of blood to the skin. In the morning, take your hands and gently rub it around your face. Another method is to take an ice and move it over your face. These methods will quickly fix your many skin problems.
  4. Stress is a common reason for making skin oily. Lack of sleep, office tensions, family tensions are some of the common causes of stress. This condition causes increase in the oil producing hormones in body and also makes skin look old. Hence try medication, yoga, exercises or watch some comedy movie to stay happy and have a fresh looking skin.
  5. Remove makeup before going to sleep to prevent your skin from pimples. Makeup can prevent oils from coming to skin and hence these oils get locked into the pores which can cause pimples. Hence, properly remove makeup, wash your face with cold water and apply a moisturizer to skin before going to sleep.

How to Get Rid of Oily Skin Naturally

Here we are proving natural remedies that will help make your skin oil free and shining.
Get rid of oily face naturally

  1. Lemon

This is the most widely used natural product for removing greasy oils from skin. This natural skin cleanser contains citric acid plus vitamin C that makes skin oil free and fairer looking. Cut one lemon and extract its juice. Now dilute it with water and apply this diluted juice to your skin. With your fingers, rub it gently all over face and then wash face with cold water.
If it causes burning of the skin, then wash it immediately, add more water to the solution and then repeat the above method. This home remedy will remove oils and moisture from skin making it dry. Hence remember to provide adequate moisture to prevent buildup of more oils.

  1. Gram Flour

This is also a helpful remedy in getting rid of excess oils on the face. Add little rose water to gram flour and make a paste of it. First step is to apply this paste to your face and rub in circular motion for five minutes. Now take some rest and allow the paste to dry. After drying wash your face with cold water. Gram flour soaks the oils from our skin, making your skin fresh and less greasy.

  1. Aloe vera gel

It is very effective in reducing the grease from the skin. This gel is rich in antioxidants, moisture, and skin cleansing extracts that makes it a good natural face cleanser. This method is very simple and gives better results quickly. Extract the gel of aloe vera and apply it to your face. Keep it for 20 minutes and then wash it with water. You can also buy aloe vera skin cleansing products for getting rid of the sticky oils on skin.

  1. Baking soda

This is also a good item for cleaning the dirt on face. This method is same as we used the gram flour, but instead of adding rose water simply add normal water and use it for your skin.

  1. Apple

Apples are considered to work well for cleaning dirt from skin. Add a few drops of lemon juice to apple paste and apply it to your face. Keep it for 15 minutes and then rinse it using cold water.
Cucumbers remove excess oils from face without making skin dry. Cucumbers should be used for oily and sensitive skin type. Since cucumbers have the property of cooling it can be a better option against lemon for sensitive skin.

  1. Orange peels

Grind some orange peels and add orange juice to it. Apply this paste on face and keep cucumbers on eyes. Let this scrub dry and then use warm water to clean it from the skin. This will remove the excess oils and impurities from skin, making face glowing and oil free. Now you need to apply a non comedogenic moisturizer to prevent buildup of more oils on skin.

  1. Vinegar for oily skin

Vinegar either apple cider or white is a good way to exfoliate your skin and make it healthy. It is also effective in controlling oily facial skin. It is one of the best face wash for oily skin that balances hormones that are responsible for its oiliness. Dip a cotton ball into the vinegar solution and apply it gently on your face before going to bed. Allow it to stay there for 8-10 minutes and wash it off with cool water.

  1. Clay Mask for Oily Skin On Face

Masks especially the clay masques when applied on face can help reduce oiliness. It tightens the pores and refines them by cleaning them from stale makeup, dead cells, dirt, etc., to control the oiliness. Apply this paste on your face and leave it there for 20 minutes. Now rinse it thoroughly with water and repeat it once a week to get rid of oily skin on face.

  1. Salt for Oily Skin On Face

Salt is a natural gift from sea. It acts as a strong desiccant and removes oiliness and makes your skin dry.
Fill an empty spray bottle with some tepid water. Now add a spoon of salt and stir it well. Now close eyes and gently spay this salt solution on your face. Do this regularly once a day for a month to get rid of oily skin on face.

How to Get Rid of Oily Skin on Nose

The most common area for greasy skin is in the center of the face on the nose. Part of the oily T-zone, the nose has larger, more active oil glands and bigger pores compared to other areas of the face. There are countless products created specifically for getting rid of oily spots. If used correctly, these products aid in the battle against greasy faces in general and greasy noses in particular.
Step 1
Gently wash your face with lukewarm water. Use a mild facial cleanser specifically formulated for oily skin. Check the cleanser label for oil absorbing, skin-balancing ingredients such as tea tree oil or benzoyl peroxide. Rinse the cleanser from your face with cool water to close the pores. Gently pat your skin dry with a clean, soft towel.
Step 2
Apply an alcohol-free toner to your nose using a cotton ball or cotton swab. Toners absorb oil and kill pore-clogging bacteria. Use a toner created for oily skin. Allow the toner to dry.
Step 3
Apply an oil-free facial moisturizer to your face that includes an SPF of at least 25. Check the label for oil-absorbing ingredients such as oatmeal. These types of moisturizers keep moisture levels balanced and help prevent excess oil from forming on your nose.
Step 4
Apply an oil-free matte foundation to your face, if you wear makeup. Foundations created for oily skin are readily available in almost every makeup brand. Lightly cover the foundation with matte loose face powder. The powder absorbs oil and offers extra protection to your face’s oily T-zone, which includes the forehead, nose and chin. Apply matte pressed face powder to your nose if it gets oily throughout the day.
Step 5
Soak up excess sebum from your nose with oil blotting papers. These are small, portable sheets of oil-absorbing paper, sometimes coated with powder. Press one sheet of paper to your nose and hold it there for a few seconds. Repeat with additional papers until all of the oil is absorbed.
Step 6
Wash your face in the evening before bed, following the procedure used in Step 1. Remove all traces of makeup. Apply a nighttime facial moisturizer created for oily skin.

Best Skin Care Products for Oily Skin and Large Pores

From moisturizers, cleansers and toners to quick-fix blotters and wipes, we tried out hardworking, pore-minimizers.
Bright sun and humid temperatures might spell the start of summer but for those with oily skin it can mean an on-going battle to keep skin looking clear. Luckily there’s a myriad of lotions and potions on the market to assist; from quick fix solution to long-term problem solvers. Here’s our edit of the best products to help take control of oily skin.

  1. Clear Difference Aqua Gel

For those prone to shiny skin, the holy grail of skincare is a moisturizer that won’t make things worse. This, from Estee Lauder, is that rare thing. It’s an oil-free and lightweight gel, with ingredients that hydrate and soothe – and keep everything matte.

  1. Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner

Toner may seem like an unnecessary extra step but, given its pore-refining abilities, it’s one of the most important products. Elemis’s lavender one is designed to balance out combination skin while being gentle enough not to strip your face of moisture.

  1. Bobbi Brown Blotting Papers

They may seem old-fashioned, but if you’re looking for a quick fix solution to shine that doesn’t clog up pores, try these fuss-free blotting papers. Unlike many on the market, they’re unscented so won’t irritate. Plus, you get 100 in a pack so they’re better value than they seem.

  1. Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

This face mask by premium beauty brand Kiehl’s uses a combination of white clay, oatmeal and aloe vera to soak up excess oil without drying. It leaves pores cleaner and more refined. Use it once a week all on the face more often as a treatment.

  1. Skyn Iceland Nordic Skin Peel Pads

Anything with “peel” in the title may sound scary, but these pads are anything but. They contain lactic acid, a gentle, natural exfoliator to rejuvenate skin, while willow bark soothes and protects. Use no more than twice a month, and wear a high SPF for the week following to protect new skin from UV damage.

Sunburn Blisters on Lip Nose, Face: How long they last, Heal

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Sunburn blisters is often not a serious condition and is short-lived, but it is important to try to avoid it because it can increase your risk of developing skin problems thereafter, such as wrinkling and skin cancer. Some people usually under estimate the strength of the sun while they are outside there on the beaches. The wind and getting wet, such as going in and out of the sea, may cool your skin, making you not to be able to realize you’re getting burnt. Therefore, always be aware of the risk of sunburn if you are out in the strong sunshine, and look out for your skin getting hot.

Sunburn Blisters  – Overview

The sunburn blisters often develop as a result of long exposure to radiation from the sun. They are a result of severe sunburn. Usually, a blister is a bubble that appears under the skin and it is filled with fluid. These bubbles on the skin are unsightly and are uncomfortable. In some cases they are accompanied by swelling in the area they form. These blisters actually protect the underlying tissue hence, it is necessary to keep them intact.  The intensity of sunburn and the development of blisters consider the following:

  • The skin type of the particular person
  • The intensity of the sun’s rays
  • The time of exposure
  • How long the exposure had occurred

The blisters can form on any exposed part of the body including the lips and the nose.  It takes some time for the body to show the symptoms of sun poisoning blisters. The skin usually becomes red, warm, sore and tender. It may start to flake and peel few days after the sunburn, and will usually fully heal within 7 days.

Symptoms of Sunburn Blisters

The symptoms may not last longer but, the damages caused to the tissues due to sunburn are sometimes permanent.  This can produce serious health effect. Sun burns are a major cause of skin cancer in a number of people. The pain and discomfort will be more due to sunburn blisters between 6 and 48 hours after exposure. The symptoms include the following:

  • Reddish skin which is tender and warm to touch
  • Blisters that develop hours or days after exposure and cause itching
  • Fever, chills, pain, rash swelling and nausea
  • Peeling of the skin in the burned areas after some days

Overall symptoms
They include the following:

  1. Rashes

It is normal to see a rash that is developing after the sun poisoning. Rashes because of sun poisoning may prolong for about 4 days. It normally appears like the tiny pimples in the starting and then turns into a rash that is associated with the redness and swelling.
Calamine lotion as well as the anti-inflammatory medicines might assist to reduce pain as well as the swelling. The rash may disappear within a couple of few hours after using specific treatment. The better idea indicated is to use sunscreen with SPF above 30 so as to protect the skin from getting a rash.

  1. Swelling

Swelling, as one of the usual signs of sun poisoning, can be able to persist for up to 48 hours. Proper treatment may assist to clear it in about 12 hours. Corticosteroids as well as ibuprofen might assist to alleviate pain and also the swelling. Never use any greasy oils such as the petroleum jelly on the affected area as it blocks the pores and then aggravate the whole situation. Avoid wearing of very tight clothing as it will aggravate the swelling.

  1. Pain

You have pain normally within the first few hours of getting the sunburn. The pain is normally the outcome of a damage that is done to the tissues. For the very mild cases of sun poisoning, the pain normally disappears within a day. Severe sunburn can lead to more pain that lasts up to 3 days. Using of the cold compresses and also taking the painkillers assist to reduce the pain

Sunburn Blisters Causes

It is not that much important to stay on the sun for long hours, but there comes a point in everyone’s life where they may experience sunburn. Those with fair skin are far more likely to develop sun blisters that those with darker pigmentation. These blisters can show up anywhere on the exposed body, and it may take a couple days for them to surface.
Causes of Sunburn Blisters
Our body is protected by a certain pigment in the skin called melanin. When the amount of exposure to the ultraviolet rays exceeds the ability of melanin to fight the radiant sun burn occurs. A light skinned person has more chances to get sunburn and blisters than a dark skinned person when exposed to the mid – day sun for 15 minutes. The major causes for sun burn are as follows:
UVA rays
These dangerous rays penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and damage the production of new skin cells. Exposure to this kind of radiation for long hours causes dryness, roughening and wrinkling of someone’s skin. High UVA doses cause the skin to develop sunburn and blisters.
UVB rays
These harmful rays cause more damage to the skin as compared to UVA. They cause skin damage and skin cancer as well on the worse side. The effect is mainly on the surface layers of the skin. When exposed to UVB skin releases chemicals that will dilate the blood vessels. This will cause loss of fluids and inflammation of the skin.

Sun Blisters on Lips

Strong rays during summer can affect not only the skin but also your lips. Your lips are at more risk when exposed to the sun than the rest of the skin, since it has a very thin skin layer.  Prolonged and constant exposure to the sun – whether by choice or as occupational hazard – can result to sunburn blisters on the lips as well.
Many people are likely to apply sunscreen on the skin before going out, without taking the lips into consideration. If the skin is sensitive to the sun, in the same way it means that the lips are just as sensitive. When it comes to lips protection, one will need to use a lip balm with a high sun protection factor (SPF), in order to avoid getting sun blisters on the lips.
The damage done by the UV rays can range from mild to severe, depending on the amount of time of exposure to the sun and the type of skin one has. As we said above, fair skinned people present a higher risk for such problems. Sun blisters appear often after severe sunburns.

Sunburn Blisters on Nose

Someone may not like to see one or more sun blisters on nose, which is a prominent feature of the face. The skin around the blisters also turns red, and it does not look that good either. Sun blisters erupt on the nose, when you are exposed to the sun for a prolonged period of time. They appear as fluid-filled bumps on the skin surface.
The blisters are formed as the nose skin tries to protect the damaged sunburned skin from infection so as to heal it fast. You may see these blisters on your nose within one hour after you exposed yourself to the sun, or they may appear after a day. They are not just painful, but are itchy as well. These symptoms cause so much of discomfort that you feel like breaking the blisters. However, you should avoid that, as it can damage the skin tissues.

Sunburn Blisters on Face

While minor sunburn symptoms are skin redness and pain, however, severe sunburn skin symptoms include sun blisters, skin burns, sunburn rush, infection and dehydration. Untreated sunburn with prolonged exposure, can sometimes lead to more serious conditions, from poor circulation of fluid to the vital organs.
Sun blisters on your face can range from being fine blistering, seen during sunburn peeling condition to being large water filled blisters with raw and tender skin beneath. When you develop sun blisters on your face, you may consider some of the following treatments:

  • Applying cool compresses and taking cool baths. Both help with the pain and irritation.
  • Taking pain medication. According to eMedicineHealth, ibuprofen and aspirin can be taken to reduce pain and inflammation, especially during the early stages.
  • Applying moisturizers. Doctors will advise you not to apply heavy oils on the blisters. Light, water-based and fragrance-free sunscreen moisturizer should be applied after taking cool baths.
  • Aloe gels. Herbal remedies, aloe based serums and gels in particular can sooth the irritation on the skin and aid in healing.
  • This is perhaps the most important treatment of the five. Drink a lot of water and fluids rich in anti-oxidants like green tea, to keep you hydrated for faster skin healing.

Never burst the blisters as it can lead to infections and other severe skin conditions. Many sun damaged skin treatment creams are available on the market for different types of sunburns. Consider looking into buying a product made with natural ingredients and designed for your sunburn blister.
Avoid exposure to the sun as this can aggravate the symptoms or already sensitive skin. Apart from staying cool and providing hydration, consume alkaline diets, consisting of vegetables and fruits that provide vitamins and minerals, which will help in your speedy recovery. Seek medical help if the blistering is severe as Doctors can prescribe medical treatments appropriate for your symptoms.

How long do Sunburn Blisters Last

As we mentioned earlier in this post, sun blisters will heal after around seven days or one week to be realistic. The indications of sun poisoning is normally similar to sunburn, so people may not pay a lot of attention to it, but, things might become more serious as time passes by.
You will have immediate negative effects of the sun poisoning for up to one week, but the long-term effects might continue for more than one week. For much severe cases, sun poisoning can be able to take even up to 10 days or even longer to resolve, and mild cases of the sun poisoning can take up to 4 days to do away with the symptoms together with skin peeling.
Normally, you will begin to experience symptoms of the sun poisoning within half an hour after exposure to the sunlight. And the pain feeling might begin within 7 hours after first, which might prolong for about 3 days.

How Long do Sunburn Blister take to Heal

Sunburn healing will depend with the immune of the affected person and the after effect activities you carry out to heal the blisters. Normally at least after a week when you avoid further injury from the sun you will have healed. For instance, a cool compress and application of Aloe Vera gel helps to relieve pain while soothing the skin. According to doctor Grinsted, this skin condition can not affect individuals who are in 40s or 50s of their age. During this age, the skin is tough enough to resist the sunburn rash
Avoiding further exposure to the sun will increase the chances of healing fast. Apply sunscreens of 50 Sun protection factor provides maximum protection of the skin from the ultraviolet rays. Protective clothing such as a hat, goggles and long-sleeved dressing are also important while going outdoors for a long time on a sunny day.

Sunburn Blisters Pictures

Sun blisters can appear on the skin after severe sunburns, and they can be extremely painful. These blisters will typically appear several hours to a day after the initial sun exposure. The blisters can appear on any part of the skin that was exposed to harmful rays from the sun. We have included some of the best pictures in this post to enable you get a clear image on how sun blisters looks like at different areas of the face.

Sunburn Blisters Treatment

It can take several hours for the full damage of the sunburn to show itself. So at the first sign, get out of the sun and follow this expert advice from dermatologist Jeffrey Brackeen, MD, a member of The Skin Cancer Foundation.

  1. Act Fast to Cool It Down

If you’re near a cold pool, lake or ocean, take a quick dip to cool your skin, but only for a few seconds so you don’t prolong your exposure. Then cover up and get out of the sun immediately. Continue to cool the burn with cold compresses. You can use ice to make ice water for a cold compress, but don’t apply ice directly to the sunburn. Or take a cool shower or bath, but not for too long, which can be drying, and avoid harsh soap, which might irritate the skin even more.

  1. Moisturize While Skin Is Damp

While skin is still damp, use a gentle moisturizing lotion (but not petroleum or oil-based ointments, which may trap the heat and make the burn worse). Repeat to keep burned or peeling skin moist over the next few days.

  1. Decrease the Inflammation

At the first sign of sunburn, taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, can help with discomfort and inflammation, says Dr. Brackeen, who practices at the Skin Cancer Institute in Lubbock, Texas. You can continue with the NSAIDs as directed till the burn feels better. You can also use a 1 percent over-the-counter cortisone cream as directed for a few days to help calm redness and swelling.

  1. Replenish Your Fluids

Burns draw fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body, so you may become dehydrated, explains Dr. Brackeen. It’s important to rehydrate by drinking extra liquids, including water and sports drinks that help to replenish electrolytes, immediately and while your skin heals.

  1. See a Doctor If

You should seek medical help if you or a child has severe blistering over a large portion of the body, has a fever and chills, or is woozy or confused. Don’t scratch or pop blisters, which can lead to infection. Signs of infection include red streaks or oozing pus.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Sunburn Blisters

Sun blisters can be treated at home with the following remedies. Getting rid of sunburn at home provides an easy and quick way to provide relief and risk the spread of infection.

  1. Vinegar

Dilute either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in water and applying it directly to the sunburn blisters will provide relief. This can be done with a soft cotton cloth, and will help to absorb the heat of the blisters, as well as heal them faster.

  1. Cold Compress

Sunburn blisters hurt, are hot, and cause a lot of discomfort. Putting a cold compress on the blisters will help to reduce inflammation and pain. Soaking a towel in cold water, squeezing the extra water out, and applying the towel directly to the affected area will help ease discomfort.

  1. Honey

Honey is one of nature’s finest healers and will work great to prevent infection. Honey can be applied directly to the blister or can be mixed with vinegar and applied to the blister.

  1. Dry Bandages

Sunburn blisters have a tendency to pop and ooze out the fluid that lays trapped inside. This can cause infection and should be avoided at all costs. Putting dry cotton bandages over the blisters will help prevent them from popping and allow for faster healing.

  1. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has been used for centuries to treat skin problems, and is known around the globe for its ability to help treat sunburn. Aloe Vera gel can be bought in the store, but taking the gel directly from the plant is the best method. Simply cut the aloe Vera leaf and extract the gel that is inside. Apply this directly to the sunburn blisters and let it dry. There is no need to rinse this off, and will provide quick healing to painful blisters. It is also great for moisturizing the skin.

  1. Lettuce Leaves

Lettuce leaves help to greatly provide relief from pain and swelling associated with the blisters. A few fresh lettuce leaves should be boiled in water for ten minutes. This water should then be cooled completely and put in the refrigerator to become cold. This water can be applied to the blisters several times throughout each day. Cold lettuce leaves may also be applied directly to the blisters.

  1. Buttermilk

Buttermilk has an amazing cooling property to it and is great to put on blisters. It will help take away the heat and soothe the skin that is inflamed and uncomfortable. If you don’t have actual buttermilk, you can mix one cup of yogurt and one cup of water and get a mixture that will offer the same results.

  1. Chamomile

Chamomile is super soothing to sunburn blisters and adding a few drops of extract to some water is a great home remedy for getting rid of sunburn. A towel or washcloth dipped and wrung out and applied directly to the affected skin will greatly cool it down and provide extended relief. You can also do this with chamomile tea if you don’t have any chamomile extract.

  1. Cucumber

Cucumber is another great home remedy for getting rid of sunburn. It is extremely cooling to the body, and applying a cucumber paste to sunburn is great for drawing out heat and keeping skin feeling cool. Eating fresh cucumbers will also help cool the body from the inside and speed along healing.

  1. Oat Meal

A paste made from oatmeal powder and water is a popular way to get rid of painful sunburn blisters. Oatmeal provides great relief to irritated skin and has been used for years to treat skin conditions. The paste can be applied to the blisters and rinsed off after about 20 minutes. Soaking in a bath with oatmeal powder added to the bathwater will also provide relief.
More references

  1. Sunburn: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Sunburn/Pages/Introduction.aspx
  2. Getting rid of sunburn: https://www.nlda.org/how-to-get-rid-of-sunburn-blisters-treatment-and-best-home-remedies/
  3. What o know blisters from the sun: http://www.healthline.com/health/sunburn-blisters#overview1
  4. Ways to treat sunburn: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sunburn/five-ways-to-treat-a-sunburn

Sunburned Eyes Treatment: How to Get Rid, Swollen, Symptoms, Pictures, How long Last

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Get insights on how to get rid of sunburned eyes fast, treatment and best home remedies. Symptoms and how long does it last.

Sunburned Eyes

Eyes usually get sunburned as a result of prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet rays from the sun. As a result, you may experience burning sensation and blurred vision. The ultraviolet rays that cause this kind of damage does not only come directly from the sun, but also from the reflection of sun rays from water and sand.  This condition of severely sunburned eyes is commonly known as photo – keratitis.
Dr. Michelle Calder-Cardwell, the owner and the lead optometrist at Urban Optiques Vision and Eyewear in Northville, MI. advises that it is very important to cover your eyes with sunglasses especially in summer heat. Most people will strive to protect the skin from sun rays and glare by applying sunscreen. What most people don’t realize is that, just like the skin, the eyes are also vulnerable to becoming sunburned
The sun can damage to the unprotected skin and am sure you are aware of this. Ultraviolet rays from the sun are known to cause sunburn that actually changes DNA and puts you at risk for skin cancer. Sunburned eyes medically referred to as photo-keratitis is a result of exposure to strong UV rays.
Jeff Pettey M.D, director of the John A. Moran eye center residency and Training program and chief of ophthalmology at the salt Lake VA medical center says that the exposure has to be for an hour without wearing protection.

Can eyes get sunburned?

The sclera, most often referred to as the white of eyes, is more vulnerable to sunburn most often in summer. Long hour exposure to the sun exposes the unprotected eyes, most specifically the whites of eyes to the dangerous Ultraviolet rays.
You can burn your eyeballs, more accurately your corneas if you spent long hours in the sun without eye protection. Anderson Cooper, the CNN host of the Anderson Cooper 360, say he had spent two hours on a boat in Portugal without sunglasses and ended up blind for 36 hours.
Photo-keratitis is, therefore, a burn of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye by ultraviolet B rays. The condition is also referred to as radiation keratitis. This condition will often occur at high altitudes on highly reflective snow fields. Sunburn can also occur with artificial sources of light, this will include the following:

  • Sun-tanning beds
  • A welder’s arc
  • Flash burn
  • Carbon arcs
  • Photographic flood lamps
  • Lightening
  • Electric sparks
  • Hydrogen desk lamps

Symptoms of sunburned eyes

The symptoms to this problem are temporary and most resolve on their own within very few days. The duration of the symptoms often differ from person to person depending on how long one was exposed to the sun rays. If the symptoms last for more than 3 days take it a priority to go and see your doctor for treatment. It is common that this problem usually occur with the following symptoms.

  1. Glared and halos around lights

Light is very paramount when it comes to someone’s sight. Light has to bounce off the objects to let the image to be formed in the eye. However, light can be the source of a visual problem sometimes. Halos are bright circles that surround a light source like headlight whereas glare is the light that enters your eyes and interferes with vision. This can be very uncomfortable especially when trying to capture an object in too much bright light. Glares can affect the vision, as the scattered light inside the eye often make it hard for you to see a sharp image.

  1. Eye pain 

Direct exposure to ultraviolet rays can also signal a serious eye condition such as eye pain. Other condition that could cause the pain includes ocular rosacea, dry eyes, and blepharitis, which some of them has an origin from sunburned eyes.

  1. Burning sensation 

This is a common symptom of inflammation inside the eye. Just as the skin, long time exposure to sunlight could cause such symptom on the eye. When your eyes are severely burned by sunrays, you may experience a burning feeling in them.

  1. Severe headaches or head pain

Sometimes when your eyes have been burned by the sun, you may experience head pain that can’t be explained. Some common symptoms will include throbbing, squeezing, constant, unrelenting or intermittent. The location may be in one part of the face or skull or generally involving the whole head.
A headache caused by the sunburn may arise spontaneously or sometimes associated with exercise or activity. A headache may also be acute onset or chronic in nature with episodes of increasing severity.

  1. Sensitivity to light 

Also known as photophobia, this is an intolerance of light. With this kind of symptom, you are more likely to feel discomfort to a different source of light such as sunlight, fluorescent light, and incandescent light. Apart from the discomfort, you also need to squint or close your eyes. These problems are usually accompanied by severe headaches.

  1. Temporary loss of vision

This is considered sudden if it develops within a few minutes to a couple of days. A temporary vision loss from sunburned eyes may affect one or both eyes and it can also affect all or part of the field of vision. When the loss is of only a small field of vision it usually appear like blurred vision. For temporary loss, you are also most likely to develop eye pain, in this case of the sunburn.

  1. Blurred vision 

It refers to the lack of sharpness of vision. It results from the inability of your eyes to see finer objects. Apart from sunburn, a blurred vision may be an early sign of the presence of eye disease. It may also result from abnormalities such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia or astigmatism.
Other symptoms include:

  • A gritty feeling
  • Red eyes
  • Swollen eyes
  • Eyelid twitching
  • Constricted pupils
  • Temporary color changes in vision

It will take some time before your eyes recover completely from the above mentioned symptoms. If the symptoms last longer, see your eye doctor immediately.

Sunburned Eyes Treatment

When left untreated for long, an infected eye could result to permanent sight damage. An infection after sunburn could cause the cornea to scar over and become opaque. A scar on the line of vision could affect your sight forever. If you can avoid or treat the infection in time, the good news is that the sunburned eyes go away on its own within a day or two. The bad news is that excessive exposure to the sun can lead to cataracts and eye or eyelid cancer.
To treat sunburned eyes, you will need to first have a doctor diagnose the problem by asking about your recent activities, examining your eyes or by using an eye drop with fluorescein dye to look for UV damage. The treatment option is often recommended by your Ophthalmologist depending on the severity of the symptoms.  The following can be used to treat sunburned eyes.

  1. Keep eyes moisten with artificial tears

Artificial tears are one of the best treatments for dry eyes. Depending on its cause and severity, it may not be completely curable. Keep your eyes moisten with artificial tears to manage some of the symptoms of sunburned eyes. Artificial tears may thus result in noticeably greater comfort, fewer dry eyes symptoms, and sometimes sharper vision as well.

  1. Using antibiotic eye drops

Mild cases of this condition can be managed with numbing and antibiotic eye-drops. It takes only a couple of days to control it with this eye drop. Our bodies are very regenerative, with regenerative powers in both the top layer of the skin and the cornea. With time your body is able to replace the skin and cornea cells.

  1. Pain relievers

Pain killer drugs acquired over the counter may also offer relief for the pain caused by sunburn to the eyes. If the pain, however, becomes more severe or persist for more than 2 days, have a doctor to check the condition to find out what could be the issue.

  1. Cold compress

Using ice cubes to apply a cold compress around the eye will also help relieve the pain, swelling, pain and irritation. In itself, a cold compress is a combination of cryotherapy and static compression, the remedy is mostly used for treating pain and inflammation after an acute injury or surgical procedures. It can as well be used to relieve the symptoms of sunburned eyes.

  1. Lubricating eye drops

There are many brands of ocular lubricant available in drug stores. An ocular lubricant is a solution specially formulated to moisten the eyes. The solution can be used to relieve symptoms such as burning sensation and other discomfort caused by dry eyes.

  1. Anti-inflammatory eye drop

With sunburned eyes, you could seek relief of symptoms such as inflammation and swelling by using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drop. Have the eye drop prescribed to you by a professional health care provider.

  1. Boost your balanced diet

A recent Research from the National Institutes of Health and National Eye Institute has shown the power of certain nutrients in protecting eyes age-related and other causes of eye damage including sunburn. Natural antioxidants found in dark, leafy greens vegetables like kales, and spinach and those from eggs are most recommended.

  1. Try some recommended nutritional supplements

If you are unable to access the nutrients in their natural form, you can use supplements.

How to Get Rid of Sunburned Eyes

You could avoid all this pain by simply protecting your eyes from direct and long-term exposure to Ultraviolet rays. To do this, you will need to:

  • Avoid long hour exposure to direct sun rays, you could do this by wearing hat
  • During long exposure to the sun, make sure you wear UV light blocking sunglasses. Eye experts at the University of Huston greatly stress the importance of wearing protective eyewear even on cloudy days. A good lesson is that off Anderson Copper which clearly shows that eyes can be damaged even when the sun hides behind the cloud.
  • When having a sunburned eye and you wear contact lenses, you should remove them immediately, refrain from wearing them again until your eyes return to normal.
  • Not all sunglasses protect against UV light. Be sure to wear the right sunglasses. Dr. Natasha Hertz, an ophthalmologist at Washington Adventist Hospital recommends wearing sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.
  • You also need to avoid regular exposure to direct sun rays. Regularly exposing your eyes to sun rays will have long-term effects including cataracts, skin and eye cancer, macular degeneration, benign eye growth and others.
  • For maximum protection, you need to look for sunglasses, snow goggles or sports goggle that have side shields or a soft rubber flange that completely block sunlight from striking the front of your eyes from the sides, below or above the eye.
  • When going out skiing, snowboarding, water sporting or anytime you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time, make sure to not only wear quality sunglasses but also that feature a wrap-style frame to protect your eyes from indirect as well as direct sunlight.
  • To prevent photo-keratitis from artificial light such as welding light, make sure to use quality welding helmets.
  • When unsure of how safe your sunglasses are in terms of blocking the UV rays, have them checked out by a professional eye care practitioner.

Have healthy diet
Recent research from the National Institutes of Health and National Eye Institute has shown the power of certain nutrients to protect eyes from age-related and other damage. Nutritionist Keri Gans, MS, RD, CDN recommends two antioxidants in particular, lutein and zeaxanthin, found in dark, leafy greens like kale and spinach as well as in eggs. Other vitamins to focus on include vitamin C (found in citrus, berries, tomatoes and broccoli), vitamin E (nuts, wheat germ and legumes), zinc (beef, shellfish, nuts, seeds and legumes), omega 3 fatty acids and beta carotene.
Try a supplement
If, like most people, you have trouble reaching your recommended nutrient levels just by eating, there are also a handful of eye-specific supplements on the market, such as Bausch & Lomb’s Ocuvite, that include lutein and zeaxanthin. It’s a good idea to get your doctor or nutritionist’s advice when adding a regular supplement to your diet, Gans says.
Get regular eye exams
Sunburned eyes can easily be spotted during a routine exam, but most people only go every four to five years instead of the recommended one to two, Pier says. If caught in time, future eye damage can be prevented. “A yearly eye exam that checks the inside of the eye for abnormalities, checks vision and checks binocularity — both eyes working well together — is probably well worth your while every year,” he said.
Just like with your skin, the UV rays do have a long-term effect on your eyes.  Sunlight can cause a slow deterioration of the cells in your eyes that could lead to eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Therefore it is best to limit you exposure to both direct and reflected UV rays.

How long do Sunburned Eyes Last

As compared to the skin, ultraviolet rays do not have a long-term effect on your eyes. Sunburned eyes do not last for long. Although sunlight can cause a slow deterioration of the cells in your eyes, this can as well result to eye infection and diseases. Some of the well-known conditions include age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. This is way most doctors and professional health care provider advice on reducing the amount of time you stay to both direct and reflected ultraviolet rays.
To prevent from such condition, you will need to protect your eyes against rays. The best way to do so is by:

  • Wearing sunglass that protects a higher percentage of UV rays.
  • Some people prefer to wear a hat when out in direct sunlight.
  • Since you skin is also at risk of sunburn, you could protect it by applying a sunscreen.

Note: Not all sunglass protect against UV rays, have a specialist to find you the ones that do. Always make sure to wear them anytime you are outdoors. Wear the glass even on the cloudy day, this is because the rays can easily penetrate the clouds and cause damage to your skin and eyes.
How long does the effect last?
The effects caused by sunburned eyes are temporary. As mentioned, though the condition is accompanied by severe pain, it does not result in blindness. Much like the sunburn on your skin, the cornea of the eyes is very similar to the top skin layer this is according to a New York dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff.
How fast can healing take place?
For healthy people, the cornea takes a very short time to get back into its normal condition. A big number of people will recover from the symptoms in two to three days. Protecting your eyes from UV light by use of blocking sunglasses is the best way to avoid this kind of pains and also lower your long-term risk of developing cataracts and skin cancer on your eyelids.

Sunburned Eyes Swollen

To some people, sunburn to eyes can even result to swelling of the eyelids. To be on the safe side, have blue eyes and red hair. The person may experience excruciating pain when he develops eyes burned by the sunrays. It may hurt the eyes, lips, chin and the cheeks as well. The face becomes swollen and red. Numerously, sunburn on face is first degree burns, meaning superficial burns. But in some cases they can be second degree with tiny blister formation.
Although very painful, sunburn on face eventually heals as the skin renews itself within 2 to 4 days. This is true when it is first degree burn. For second degree burns the time interval is more depending on its severity. Some remedies can help to reduce a swollen face as a result of sunburn. However, in any case do not expose your face to sunlight once the area has become damaged.
More references

  1. Damage of sun on eyes: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/ask-a-health-expert/how-much-damage-does-sunburn-on-the-eyes-cause/article13241831/
  2. Sunburned eyes: http://discoveryeye.org/sunburned-eyes/

Sunburnt Lips: Swollen, Healing Time, How to Get Rid, Pictures, vs Cold Sore

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Cold sore or sunburnt lips? Get insights on sunburn lips, swollen, healing time, how to get rid and treatment.

Sunburnt Lips Meaning

Lips can also be damaged by the ultraviolet rays from the sun just like the rest of the face. Many people forget protecting their lips while going outdoors for a long time; hence they end up having burnt lips. You need to protect your lips by applying a sunscreen that has enough SPF. Sunscreen does not only protect you from the damage of UVA and UVB rays, but also protect your skin from premature aging signs such as wrinkles caused by sun damage.
When going outdoors for a long time, carry some to re-apply on your lips and other exposed parts of the body after every two hours. Children are the most affected by the symptoms of sunburn on lips as their skin are not fully developed to protect itself from the sun. Fare skin is at higher risk than dark skin since it produces low melanin.

Sunburnt Lips Symptoms

You should never underestimate the power of the sun’s rays. In just a few hours the UV rays can leave you with second or even third-degree burns on exposed lips and skin. Sun burnt lips are visible and can easily be noticed. You will experience some of the symptoms below a short time after basking on the sun:

  • Inflammation or a burning sensation of the lips.
  • The lips may turn to a pink or red shade.
  • Extreme sensitive to touch-feel warm when touched.
  • Dryness due to excessive dehydration and too much heat.
  • Cracking or splitting
  • Bleeding from the splits.
  • It may form scabs as a result of bleeding
  • Itchy feeling.
  • Peeling occurs later as a repairmen process.
  • Swollen lips
  • Severely sunburned lips will also blister and could become infected if germs get into the wound.
  • Sunburn on your body can activate the herpes virus and cause cold sores on your to appear. This can make the discomfort of having sunburnt lips even greater.

Sunburned Lips Swollen

Swelling is one of the common symptoms lips that have been burned by the sun. These kinds of swollen lips often can be relieved by use of cold compresses, moisturizing, and hydrocortisone 1% creams.
If your lips that are swollen from sunburn do not improve 7-10 days after exposure to excessive sun – you should seek medical advice from your dermatologist. This is because you may be handling a more complicated issue.
If you realize that in addition to swollen lips you have swollen tongue that makes the situation even more badly hence running to the doctor will be the best option. Sunburn can affect any exposed part of your body and just like the face; your lips are part of the main targets. However, just as with regular sunburn, the symptoms of sunburned lips may not show up until a few hours after sun exposure.
Because we need our lips for speaking, eating, and drinking, swollen sunburnt lips can cause a lot of discomfort and even make day-to-day activities difficult. Therefore, seeking medical treatment for sunburned lips is very paramount.

Sunburned Lips Healing Time

The length of time sunburned lips take to heal depends on the damage the sun has done to your lips. According to the National Health Service, and I quote, “mild to moderate sunburn on lips should fully heal within a week. However, if your lips are severely sunburned with blisters, they may take longer time to heal.”
After your lips have been burned by the sun, you may get sun blisters. The sun blisters on the lips are caused by the exposure of the sun and not by infectious agents. If for your case no infectious agent is involved in the appearance of the blisters, they are not considered contagious hence healing time won’t take more than one week under treatment.
However, if the blisters break for any reason and a secondary infection occurs be it bacterial or viral, then they might become contagious when touched and they won’t go away fast. It is for the best that you avoid breaking them or, if it happens that they break, that you protect the area from dirt. Treat secondary infections with antibiotics or antiviral medication, to be sure that no infection would take advantage.

How long does it take for sunburnt lips to heal

As we have discussed above, the healing period depends on how severe the sunburn has been in the first place. In this case, the skin starts to regenerate and heal in a couple of days. If the sunburn was more severe, then the blisters will subside and the skin will heal in a couple of weeks. During the healing period, it is recommended that you maintain best of the hygiene and avoid touching the lips.
If this is not taken into consideration, then you will only manage to prolong the healing period. To add on that, be sure to refrain from applying lipstick or heavy lip balms, as these will prolong the healing period and make the condition worse. Try to keep your lips free of any products until they are all better. After you are sure that your lips have been healed from the sunburns, you can go back to your normal lipstick or lip balm.

Sunburned Lips Pictures

As many people usually say, a picture speaks a thousand words about something. We are true believers in it in as far as the value of pictures is concerned by a lot of people. On that note, we have included a couple photos and images to inspire your imagination when it comes to lips that have been burned by sun rays.

How to Get Rid of Sunburnt Lips

The lip skin is very thin without the protection of hair or the lubrication of oil glands. As a result, it is particularly prone to damage from sun exposure, as the American Academy of Dermatologists advises. They further go ahead to recommend using lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher during sun exposure. Meanwhile, if you have sunburned lips, you can find comfort in readily available materials at your home or if the situation is much worse, your doctor may advise on the best way to get rid of the problem.
Sunburned Lips Treatment
Once you start feeling the inflammation or a burning sensation on your lips, you are supposed get out of the sun and move to a shade or place away from the sun. This will helps to prevent further damage to your lips. While indoors, you may perform some of the following treatments.

  • The dry lips are a result of excessive dehydration of your body. Drink plenty of water for the first three days after the burn as this will helps to hydrate the body as well as getting rid of excessive heat.
  • Do not expose yourself to the sun until the burn heals or you may prevent further damage by applying lip gloss or balm containing sunscreen of at least 15 to 30 SPF.
  • A petroleum jelly that has vitamin E also gives maximum moisture to the drying lips.
  • Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. They relieve the itching and inflammations of the burn. Take the medication as directed by the doctor or pharmacist.
  • Do not peel the dried parts. It may cause bleeding or delay the healing process.
  • Avoid licking the lips; it causes excessive dryness by drawing out all the moisture.
  • You may also visit your dermatologist if the damage is severe or if the symptoms persevere for a long time.

Home Remedies for Sunburnt Lips

When going out in the sun, even if it is just on your daily activities, you should remember to always protect your lips from UVA and UVB rays. If, however you forget and your lips get sunburned, here are natural ways to heal them.

  1. Cold compress

When you apply a cold compress o your burned lips, it will instantly take the heat out of them and help prevent swelling. Even just cold tap water running over your lips is enough to reduce inflammation and help ease the pain of burned lips. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic recommend putting something that is cool on the burned area to treat the minor burns.
Note that, you should never put ice directly onto sunburned lips because it can damage the burn wound even more and hinder the healing process.

  1. Aloe vera

This is one of the best natural ingredients for getting rid of sunburn on your lips. Even many doctors recommend aloe vera to treat sunburned skin. Aloe vera is a great natural healing treatment for sunburn because it contains beneficial enzymes and vitamins to boost skin health. It also has a cooling effect on the skin, especially if you keep the aloe vera gel in the refrigerator.
In clinical studies, the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera have proven to be just as beneficial as hydrocortisone creams in treating burns and skin wounds. Hydrocortisone creams are sometimes recommended to reduce swelling and sunburn pain. Just apply pure aloe vera gel directly to your sunburned lips to ease the sunburn pain. Repeat the process 2-3 times a day to promote healing.

  1. Honey

Raw honey can help to heal sunburned lips quicker and prevent blisters from getting infections. Honey is anti-inflammatory and has a soothing effect when used on damaged or irritated skin. One of the best types of honey to use for sunburn is Manuka honey which is known to have medicinal properties.
As per the study published in the journal Foods found that Manuka honey helps to soothe open wounds. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which make it a great natural healer. Also, the study also mentioned the effectiveness of Manuka honey on sunburn.
Take a small amount of Manuka honey and dab on your sunburned lips. Leave on for 10 minutes and reapply frequently throughout the day. Continue using Manuka honey for sunburned lips until your lips are completely healed.

  1. Coconut oil

One of the many uses of virgin coconut oil home remedy is to help sunburned lips heal quicker. Coconut oil is a great general moisturizer for sunburned lips. The anti-inflammatory properties and antimicrobial properties in virgin coconut oil cause wounds to heal quicker.
A study into the burn wound healing properties of coconut oil reported that it is an effective natural treatment. Coconut oil helps accelerate wound healing and has an antibacterial activity which prevents infection.

  • Apply some virgin coconut oil onto your lips that have symptoms of burning.
  • Use 2-3 times a day to keep your lips moisturized and help speed up the healing process.
  • Continue using until your sunburn is healed.
  • You can also try my coconut oil and aloe Vera gel remedy for treating burns.
  1. Lavender essential oil

Lavender oil has many beneficial properties for sunburned lips and can help treat burn wounds. Many studies into the healing effect of using lavender oil topically have found that its antimicrobial properties have the ability to reduce inflammation as well as having an overall positive effect on burns.
How to use:
To help sunburned lips heal quicker with lavender oil, it should be mixed with carry oil like coconut oil. This is what you should do:

  • Make a healing salve by mixing 2-3 drops of food grade lavender oil with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
  • Apply the lavender remedy to your sunburned lips.
  • Use 2-3 times a day to promote wound healing and get rid of the effects of sunburn on your lips for good.
  1. Chamomile

Another soothing essential oil with healing properties is chamomile. Extracts from chamomile have been used for centuries to help calm the mind. However, applying chamomile to sunburned lips can help to reduce inflammation, pain, and help the sunburn to heal quicker.
Various studies into the medicinal use of chamomile have shown that it is an effective anti-inflammatory agent with pain-relief properties. The journal Natural Product Research reported that the antioxidant and inflammation-reducing properties of chamomile make it an effective treatment for burns. In fact, the researchers concluded that “chamomile oil had a good potential for acceleration of burn wound healing.
How to use:
To help speed up the healing process of sunburned lips, this is how you can make a chamomile extract salve.

  • Mix 2-3 drops of chamomile oil with either a tablespoon of coconut oil or aloe vera.
  • Apply the chamomile remedy 2-3 times a day to your sore lips.
  • Repeat every day to help speed up healing time and get relief from your sunburn.
  • Alternatively, you can make a cool, soothing chamomile compress to heal sunburned lips. This method involves using your old tea bags for healing.
  • Put a chamomile tea bag in a cup of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the tea bag and leave to cool (best place is in the refrigerator).
  • Place the cool chamomile tea bag onto your sunburned lips and leave for 10-15 minutes.
  • Repeat 2-3 times a day until you no longer have signs of sunburn on your lips.
  1. Oatmeal compress

An oatmeal compress is a very quick and cheap way to get rid of the effects of sunburn. Oatmeal is also used in many skin preparations for its anti-inflammatory activity and to help to quickly soothe itchiness on the skin.
The Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in 2015 reported on the clinical properties of oatmeal. Among the benefits of oatmeal for your skin are; it act as a cleanser, moisturizer, skin protector, and soothing agent. The study revealed that oatmeal is used to heal burns, eczema, skin rashes and reduce swelling.
How to use:
You can quickly make an oatmeal healing compress at home for its dermatological benefits and speed up the healing process of your sunburned lips.

  • In a blender, grind 1/2 cup of plain oats
  • Mix the ground oats with a few tablespoons of raw honey and a little milk. The paste should have a thick consistency.
  • Spread the mixture over your lips, lie back and let the oatmeal remedy soothe your burned lips for 10-15 minutes.
  • Rinse off with cool water and repeat 2-3 times a day.
  1. Potatoes

Potatoes are a surprising home remedy for healing sunburned lips and burn wounds. Raw potatoes contain many medicinal properties that help to take the heat out of burns.
The benefits of using potatoes on minor burns were reported in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies. Researchers reported that raw potato is an effective natural remedy for first-degree burns. The potato helps to reduce pain and inflammation from areas of the skin exposed to excessive heat.

  • Thoroughly wash a potato and cut into thin slices (you don’t need to peel the potato).
  • Apply the slices to the sore areas of your lips that have sunburn.
  • Leave on for 15 minutes, remove for 5 minutes, then replace with a fresh slice of raw potato for 15 more minutes.
  • Do this daily until you no longer feel the effects of sunburn on your lips.
  1. Cucumber

Cucumber is another food that has medicinal and soothing properties to accelerate wound healing. Just as with using potatoes to heal wounds, cucumber slices are a quick and effective home remedy for sunburned lips. Because cucumbers have high moisture content, they can also help to soothe and moisturize sore lips.
Although taking a slice of cucumber from the refrigerator and placing on sunburn has an instant cooling effect, cucumber also has healing properties. A study from 2013 found that the flesh from cucumber has a soothing effect on skin irritations and reduces swelling. Cucumber also alleviates sunburn pain.
How to use:
To use a few slices of cucumber to quickly get rid of pain from sunburned lips, this is what you should do:

  • Take a cucumber from the refrigerator and cut into thin slices.
  • Lay the slices on your sunburned lips until they become warm.
  • Replace with fresh cucumber slices to help take the heat out of the burned lips.
  • Repeat 2-3 times a day or use whenever you need instant relief from discomfort caused by sunburned lips.
  1. Turmeric

Turmeric is a very versatile herb that has many medicinal properties to reduce inflammation and swelling. A turmeric paste can also help to alleviate sunburn pain and speed up the healing process.
Clinical trials have shown that turmeric has great potential in burn wound healing. The Journal of Molecular Histology reported that a turmeric paste on burn wounds helps to heal damaged and burned skin quicker. Curcumin, which is the main component of turmeric, quickly reduced inflammation, boosted collagen production, and caused accelerated wound healing.
How to use:
Make a simple and easy paste with turmeric and aloe vera or coconut oil to apply to your sunburned lips by doing the following:

  • Mix together equal amounts of turmeric powder and aloe vera gel (or coconut oil).
  • Apply to the blisters and sunburned areas of your lips and leave for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse off with cool water.
  • Apply the turmeric remedy 2 times a day to your lips to get rid of itchiness, swelling, and other symptoms of sunburn.

Alternatively, you can use honey instead of the aloe vera/coconut oil to improve the taste of the turmeric sunburn remedy.

How to Prevent Sunburned Lips

You can save yourself a lot of pain and discomfort by preventing sunburn on your lips. This also helps you avoid premature aging in your lips and the area around your mouth. The principles of avoiding sunburned skin also apply to sunburned lips. To prevent sunburned lips, please do the following:

  • Use a high SPF lip balm on your lips and apply frequently throughout the day.
  • Keep your face in the shade by wearing a wide-brim hat.
  • If possible, avoid exposing your lips to direct sunlight during 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are at their strongest.

More references

  1. Sunburned lips: http://heydoctor.org/sunburned-lips.html
  2. Amazing tips for curing sunburn: https://www.livin3.com/cure-sunburned-lips
  3. Sun blisters on lips: http://mddk.com/sun-blisters-on-lips.html
  4. Home remedies for sun blisters on the lips: http://www.livestrong.com/article/115309-home-remedies-sunburnt-lips/
  5. Health and natural world: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/home-remedies-for-sunburned-lips/

How to Get Rid of Fordyce Spots on Lips: with Toothpaste, Coconut Oil

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Get Insights on how to get rid of Fordyce spots on lips, balls, vagina, penis shaft and other areas. Fordyce spots can be described as pale yellow to white or skin colored spots raised on superficial layer of skin. They are small size harmless spots originate from sebaceous glands present in the layer and mostly appear around mouth, lips, scrotum penile area and labia. They are 1-2mm in diameter and can be seen through naked eye.
They are named after John Addison Fordyce. He was a dermatologist who discovered these spots first time and explained them in a medical journal. Thereafter, these spots are also recognized as fordyce granules, fordyce lesions, fordyce disease and ectopic sebaceous glands.

Fordyce Spots Sites

These spots may appear on different body surfaces but most commonly affected areas are lips and genital parts.

  1. Fordyce spots on lips 

Lips are the most prominent place among all sites where fordyce spots appear and cause embarrassment because they are difficult to hide. It is so sad that most of the people who get these spots get the on their lips.

  1. Upper lips 

Both upper and lower lips can be affected but tendency to develop fordyce spots is slightly lower in case of upper lips. It is proposed that upper lips have less number of sebaceous glands as compared to lower lips so it might be the reason to its low affinity to get fordyce spots.

  1. Lower lips

Borders of Lower lips are more susceptible to get these spots because they have more number of sebaceous glands. First, hyperplasia of sebaceous glands present around the border of lower lips occurs and then turns into fordyce spots. They become more prominent when mucosal lining of lips is in stretched position.

  1. Fordyce spots in male
    Gender difference is not that much in this case. Proportionality constant is same in males and females because it is not gender specific problem.
  2. Fordyce spots on penis

Penile area is second most common site after lips in males where fordyce spots occur. Penile area is divided into 2 parts as far as fordyce spots are concerned. One is penis head and second is penis shaft. Penis head is less likely to get fordyce spots due to low number of sebaceous glands.

  1. Penile shaft
    Lower end of the penile shaft has high preference to get fordyce spots as compared to all other genital parts in males. In most cases, it is seen that sebaceous glands present around the lower end of shaft are very sensitive and mild to moderate form of hyperplasia may turn them into fordyce spots.
  2. Scrotum

Although in rare cases, superficial layer of scrotum may get involved in fordyce spots. Moreover, upper layer of scrotum is not plain surface so that’s why many people do not notice these small size spots and they remain unidentified.

  1. Fordyce spots in female

In females, vaginal area is most sensitive area where these spots occur commonly and frequently as compared to other body surfaces. In females, sebaceous glands present around the nipples may undergo hyperplasia and turned into fordyce spots as well. This is 3rd most common site where fordyce spots occur after lips and vaginal area.

  1. On vagina

Vaginal area is the second most common site where fordyce spots appear. However, this area is divided into two portions according to fordyce spots affinity. These portions are out outside of the vagina and mucosal membrane lies inside the vagina. Outer portion of vagina is more susceptible to get the spots due to higher risk of hyperplasia and increased sensitivity.

10. On labia

The outer portion of vagina is divided into two major sites where they occur. One is labia majora and other is labia minora. If we compare both sites labia minora is more likely to get fordyce spots as compared to labia majora. The exact reason is unknown but many dermatologists proposed that this hyperplasia is triggered by excessive release of hormones like estrogens and androgens.

Symptoms of Fordyce Spots

The spots remain asymptomatic throughout life that is why a number of people do not notice them and they remain unidentified. However, it may be embarrassing or irritating when it is cosmetically concerned.

  • On lips fordyce spots become more visible when they are in stretched position.
  • On genital parts like penile shaft fordyce spots become more prominent when it is in erected position.
  • Small bumps measuring 0.2mm-3mm.
  • Yellow, pinkish, or skin colored.
  • They are easier to spot when the skin is stretched, and can resemble small grains of rice.
  • Sometimes found as single spots, but more commonly found in clusters of 50 or more.
  • Usually are located on the lips, penis, scrotum and vagina.
  • They are not painful, but can occasionally be itchy, especially after sexual intercourse.

Fordyce Spots Causes

Fordyce spots are also called Fordyce granules or sebaceous prominence. They can range in size from 1 mm to 3 mm and they can be just a single spot or be in large groups or clusters of spots. There are numerous things that make cause appearance of these spots on your skin.
The following are the main causes

  1. Enlarged Ectopic sebaceous glands

As we discussed earlier, the exact mechanism is still unknown but many skin specialist suggest that occurrence of fordyce spots are strongly associated with hyperplasia of sebaceous glands. Preliminary clinical data shows that this hyperplasia is triggered by certain kind of hormonal imbalances and metabolic changes in the body during puberty. These small size spots are benign in nature and do not cause any life threatening effect.
Fordyce spots are enlarged sebaceous glands. The function of Sebaceous glands is to produce and release natural oil known as Sebum into the hair follicle to lubricate the skin. In the case of Fordyce spots, there is no hair follicle, and the Sebum is blocked resulting in raised bumps.

  1. Natural occurrence at birth

Regular sebaceous glands produce sebum and are found within hair follicles, whereas Fordyce spots are found without hair follicles abnormally positioned visibly protruding from the skin. The spots or bumps occur naturally at birth, but usually appear for the first time around puberty. Evidence suggests the incidence tends to increase with age. The more you stay with the condition, the more you should know how to get rid of Fordyce spots as you learn more from other people who have the condition.
The condition occurs naturally and is not associated with any illness, HIV or any Sexually Transmitted Disease. They are not caused by a virus, and are not contagious.  In fact the spots are completely harmless, and considered a cosmetic concern only.

Are Fordyce Spots Contagious

Fordyce spots are sebaceous glands that are visible to the naked eye. They are not associated with any infectious medical condition and they are not infectious themselves, as there is no bacterial or fungal agent associated to them. When a disease is not caused by an infectious agent, then that means it cannot be transmitted to other people. Fordyce spots on lips are not infectious and thus they are not contagious either.
However, note that proper hygiene is a must, as secondary infections can appear and these are often times caused by bacterial agents. The moment a person has Fordyce spots and a bacterial infection in that area, he/she becomes contagious. And be sure to keep in mind that bacterial infections can be transmitted through the usage of personal objects as well, not just direct interaction.
It is important to remember that the next time you want to use another person’s towel or even toothbrush; it is not for nothing that these are objects of personal hygiene. Sharing them make you vulnerable to get infected.

How to Get Rid of Fordyce Spots

Examining your body on your own does not substitute a proper medical examination. Some Sexually Transmitted Diseases may appear as Fordyce’s spots in their early stages, therefore it is important to get a professional diagnosis from your doctor. Unfortunately Fordyce spots are often missed or misdiagnosed by doctors, therefore it may also be worth getting a second opinion.
There are a variety of treatments available. Some are more invasive than others, and the success rates vary. It is important to avoid squeezing or picking the spots, which can worsen the condition and cause scarring.
Surgical Procedures

  1. Punch Excision

Can be carried out under local anesthetic by a Dermatologist or trained medical professional. A machine is used to make 1-2mm wide holes in the skin, targeting the spots. The individual Fordyce granules are then removed manually and each hole is stitched. This is an effective method, with an unlikely chance of reoccurrence, although there is a significant chance of scarring.

  1. Cauterization

Also known as Electrodessication or Diathermy, this procedure is performed by a Dermatologist, and requires a local anesthetic or numbing cream as it is also important when it comes to on how to get rid of Fordyce spots. A fine probe or Hyfrecator instrument is heated electrically then applied to the spots, which are then burnt away. This treatment is quick and less expensive than some other surgical options as usually only one session is needed; however there is a risk of scarring with this method. Healing may take two weeks.

  1. Laser Vaporization

Several practitioners offer to cure Fordyce condition through the use of lasers. The focused light from the laser reacts with skin tissue burning away abnormal skin lesions at an extremely high temperature. The heat seals the skin around the wound minimizing scarring and pain. The best results however have been achieved using CO2 laser vaporization. This is because a CO2 laser is very precise, to a degree of 0.1mm.

  1. Photodynamic therapy

A common treatment for various forms of cancer, it has had some reported success curing the condition. This method uses a photosensitizing agent which is taken orally as a drug. Once in the body the agent concentrates in abnormal skin cells, then when a laser is applied to the spots it reacts with the oxygen and the agent to burn away the targeted cells. This is a relatively new method for curing Fordyce spots.

Less Invasive Fordyce Treatments

  1. Cryotherapy

It is commonly used to treat warts; this method utilizes liquid nitrogen to freeze the spots. It also is somewhat less accurate than the other methods, and must be undertaken by a professional. The process is uncomfortable and multiple sessions are usually required on how to get rid of Fordyce spots.

  1. Bichloraticacid

This is professionally applied to the skin by a Dermatologist. It is quick and relatively painless, however the spots can recur and ongoing treatment may be required. A lasting burning sensation is also a common complaint.

  1. Isotretinoin

It is usually taken orally as a prescribed drug. Isotretinoin referrers to its brand name Accutane, which was developed to remedy severe acne. It has proven very successful at treating both acne and Fordyce spots. There are a number of side effects including increased sensitivity to sunlight, and the most publicized being that Isotretinoin can lead to psychological problems including depression. Isotretinoin is prescribed typically for a course of 12-16 weeks after which results can be very successful. However once medication stops there is a strong chance of spots recurring.
Other Methods
There are number of methods available for Fordyce spots removal. These methods are as follows

  1. Co2 laser therapy

Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy is also known as laser vaporization or laser peel. In these modern days this process is successfully used to remove fordyce spots. In this method a highly concentrated short beam is directed over affected area very precisely that removes skin layer by layer. Though this method is little expensive but it removes fordyce spots permanently. Another kind of laser technique called Erbium laser resurfacing is can also be used for fordyce spots removal.

  1. Electro desiccation

Many skin surgeons and dermatologist use this technique to remove cancerous skin surface e.g. in case of squamous cell carcinoma. However, this method can also be utilized to remove fordyce spots. In this method an instrument termed as curette is used to remove skin layers by scraping. In this technique success rate mostly depends upon the surgeon experience to perform it efficiently and precisely.

How to get rid of Fordyce spots with Home Remedies

Some of the home remedies are very efficacious on how to get rid of Fordyce spots. These remedies are easy to use and require minimum cost.
Oatmeal bath
Oatmeal bath is very famous for scrub like action. Regular usage of oatmeal bath causes peeling of epidermis (removal of upper layer of skin). A new layer of skin rapidly grows out in a short period of time to replace previous one in case of peeling off effect. This phenomenon works like a magic for the removal of fordyce spots.
Aloe vera gel
Peeling off effect may cause sometimes irritation on skin so aloe vera gel provides soothing effect to skin and works like emollient. Apply aloe vera gel regularly after oatmeal bath to provide comfort and minimize skin irritation.
Neem leaves extract
Neem leaves contains high amount of volatile oils are antiseptic and have bactericidal activity. Add neem leaves extract in oatmeal bath and mix it thoroughly to make water antiseptic and anti-infective. If it is not possible then apply neem leaves extract topically but it may cause irritation and burning sensation.
Coconut oil
when looking on how to get rid Fordyce spots Coconut oil is widely used in cosmetic products for its anti-dandruff and anti-psoriatic activity. Many dermatologist recommend coconut oil for number skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and fordyce spots. Coconut oil does not cause excessive production of sebum and penetrates rapidly from upper skin layer into deep tissues.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is well known for its skin glowing effect. It provides both indispensable and dispensable nutrients to the skin that play very important role in normal complexion process of skin. Tea tree oil is very beneficial when it comes on how to get rid of Fordyce spots because it protects upper layer of skin from various hormonal changes in the body that main triggering factor in development of Fordyce spots.

How to get rid of Fordyce Spots on Lips through Diet

As it was already mentioned above, there are two main opportunities when it comes to the actual removal of Fordyce spots on lips. Change your diet to include more vitamins.

  • Vitamin A is really good for the skin and it can be found in any of the following: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, cantaloupe, lettuce, squash, carrots, chili, red and cayenne pepper.
  • Vitamin B is also good, being found in any of the following: avocado, broccoli, beans, potatoes, cereals, lentils, yogurt and wheat.
  • Keep in mind that dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach, contain a lot of B vitamins and folic acid.
  • You will also need to include foods that contain vitamin C, D, E and K into your diet and, if your diet is not enough, then you might want to consider dietary vitamin supplements, as these will help you with Fordyce spots on lips.

How long do Fordyce Spots Last

These spots when they appear on your skin they may remain life time in many cases due to irreversible hyperplasia of sebaceous glands. For patients with severe Fordyce spots on the vermilion border of the lips of the face, there is a risk of anxiety and depression, because the eyes and lips are the first things people look at. The spots can affect people emotionally. So it is important for one to learn on how to get rid of Fordyce spots on his/ her skin at home.
Those with severe symptoms in their genitalia may be embarrassed or concerned about what their sexual partners might think. In some cases, the spots may bleed if injured or during intercourse.

Coconut Oil for Fordyce Spots

Learning how to get rid of Fordyce spots can be a scary situation, but with the proper knowledge and tools, you can remove and prevent any future spots. One of the best types of treating Fordyce spots is utilizing coconut oil which is a characteristic cream.
The spotting which likewise happens because of drying out gets noticeably diminished after utilization of coconut blended with crucial oil such as lavender oil for diminishing Fordyce spots on the skin. Coconut oil can be purchased at any local superstore, or online at a fairly inexpensive price, which makes this a great cure.

How to Get Rid of Fordyce Spots Toothpaste

Using toothpaste on your fordyce spots every night before going to bed for 3 months, and washing your penis every day with soap then resume through the day may somehow reduce the severity. Loads and loads of people have Fordyce’s and they notice it far more than anyone else. Guys especially have it on their penises. Although it is not scientifically been proven that toothpaste is effective for these spots, some of these home remedies work for sure.
Toothpaste is also a good remedy when it comes to skin problems like small burns, cuts and even Fordyce spots. You just have to take the paste and apply a little on the affected area by rubbing it gently for few minutes and leave it there then wash it later. Be careful while doing this to make sure you does not harm yourself.
More references

  1. How to get rid of Fordyce spots: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fordyce-Spots
  2. What are Fordyce spots: http://www.fordycespots.com/fordyce-spots
  3. Fordyce spots causes: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/fordyce-spots/
  4. Symptoms for Fordyce spots: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256918.php?page=2
  5. How to get rid of Fordyce spots on lips: http://mddk.com/fordyce-spots-on-lips.html