Treatment For Dandruff

It is difficult to treat dandruff satisfactorily because it is one of those things that fall within a larger group of conditions that we all have to learn to manage and live with. Ordinarily, regularly shampooing, conditioning and moisturizing (SCM test) your hair and scalp should keep you flake-free. If you are keeping to the SCM formula but you are not getting a result, then you need a shampoo formulated to fight dandruff. Dandruff caused by fungus is a chronic condition and therefore not likely to go away by itself. You WILL need to treat it constantly for relief.

People who have dandruff should first try over-the-counter products. If there is no improvement, then you will need to see a dermatologist to confirm that what you have is indeed dandruff. You may require prescription-strength treatment which may contain steroids, rather than over-the-counter preparations.

The scales/flakes can be kept under control with frequent use of certain ingredients. If flakes are severe, topical applications of corticosteroid solutions may be helpful. BUT let your doctor do the prescribing for you.

The trick is to keep your flakes and itching under control. Look for a product that is gentle enough for black hair that has been straightened with relaxing cream or colour with peroxide formula.

The most important thing to know is that the treatment of dandruff may need to be continued INDEFINITELY. Frequent shampooing is therefore normal: do not except that after shampooing even with the right products a few times, you will never see the dandruff again. You WILL ALWAYS have to use these special shampoos intermittently, even though you will still need to use your neutralizing or other type shampoos when necessary. I suggest you use….

What exactly is body fat? How much fat is ‘too much’?

Body image: reality check – it is all okay to desire to lose body fat, but ensure that you are doing it for the right reasons. For lots of people, losing 5 kilos will make them completely happy with themselves. It is time to stop hiding all those excess fat under  big, black, baggy clothes and pretending that is well or wearing tight-fitted dresses with all the excess flabs and folds falling off and carry on with an “I don’t care” attitude. You had better care, if not for the terrible look you see in front of your mirror or that clownish for survival purposes. For sure, your internal organs are not comfortable with those excess bags. Wake up before they collapse!

Appearance might mean very little compared to what is on the inside. Being thin will not solve problems surrounding low-self esteem but being FIT and HEALTHY helps. This does not mean that HEALTHY and FAT is also not a way to measure good health; that is why we need to know  what exactly is body fat and when fat is too fat. Being obsessed with body image makes it only natural that we all focus on how we look and feel, not in our clothes but naked in front of a mirror.

First, love your body and respect it. To do this, you need to take time to choose what you put in that body, which will reflect on the outside, and not just to cover up with designer outfits. Your body tone and skin should be worth a million dollars and not the clothes!

Concluding Part - Grading Of Cancer Cells

SURGERY
 

A number of cases of ovarian cancer may require an operation. In case where the cancer is at a very early stage, that is just confined to the ovary and has not spread, then an operation to remove the affected ovary and associated fallopian tube may be all the treatment required. However, in many cases the cancer has already grown into other nearby structures or has spread. Therefore, a more extensive operation is often needed.
 

For example, the operation may involve removing the affected ovary, plus the uterus, the other ovary and also other affected areas in the lower abdomen.
 

CHEMOTHERAPY
 

Chemotherapy is a treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells or stop them from multiply. Chemotherapy is commonly given after having an operation. The aim is to kill any cancer that has been left behind after the operation. Sometimes chemotherapy is given before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer. This may make surgery easier and more likely to be successful.
 

RADIOTHERAPY
 

Radiotherapy is a treatment that uses high energy beams of radiation which are focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops cancer cells from multiplying. Radiotherapy is not often used for ovarian cancer. It is sometimes used following surgery to kill cancer cells which may have been left behind after the operation. Radiotherapy may also be used to shrink secondary tumour that have developed in other parts of the body and are causing pain or other symptoms.
 

GENERAL LOOKOUT
 

Prognostic - wise, the later the stage and the higher the grade of the cancer, the poorer the outlook. On the other hand, there is a good chance of a cure if ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated when the disease is at an early stage; that is when it is still confined to the ovary and has not spread.
 

Unfortunately, most ovarian cancers are not diagnosed at the early stage. This is because symptoms often do not occur until after the cancer has grown quite large or has spread. In this situation, a ‘cure’ is less likely but still possible. Even if a cure is not possible, treatment can often slow down the progression of the cancer.
 

SCREENING
 

Currently, there is no screening test for ovarian cancer that is offered to all women in Nigeria as is the case, to some extent, with cervical cancer. However, researches are underway in advanced medical setting to see if a screening tests being studied are the CA-125 blood test and regular ultrasound scan of the ovaries.

Grading Of Cancer Cells

After a biopsy of the cancer is taken, or cancer cells are found in aspirated fluid, the cells can be assessed, and the cancer graded, by looking at certain features of the cells under the microscope.

•    Grade 1 (low grade) – the cells look reasonably similar to normal ovarian cells. The cancer cells are said to be ‘well differentiated’. The cancer cell tends to grow and multiply quite slowly and is not so ‘aggressive’.

•    Grade 2 – is a middle grade.

•    Grade 3 – the cells look very abnormal and are said to be ‘poorly differentiated’. The cancer cells tend to grow and multiply quite quickly and are more ‘aggressive’.

The import of the above is that finding out the stage and grade of the cancer helps doctors to advice on the best treatment options. It also gives a reasonable indication of the outlook.

Treatment Options

Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy. The treatment advised for each case depends on various factors such as the stage and grade of the cancer, and the general health of the patient. A specialist gynecologist or an experienced doctor in this area of care will be able to give the pros and cons, likely success rate, possible side-effects and other details about the various possible treatment options for a particular type and stage of cancer.
Aims of treatment

•    In a number of cases, treatment aims to cure the cancer; although doctors tend to use the word ‘remission’ rather than the word ‘cured’. Remission means there is no sign of cancer following treatment. If one is ‘in remission’, one may be cured. However, in some cases a cancer returns months or years later. This is why physicians are sometimes reluctant to use the word cured.

•    In some cases, treatment aims to control the cancer. If a cure is not realistic, with treatment it is often possible to limit the growth or spread of the cancer so that it progresses less rapidly. This may keep one free of symptoms for some time.

•    In some, however, treatment aims to ease symptoms. For example, if a cancer is advanced the patient may require treatments such as painkillers or other symptoms. Some treatments may be used to reduce the size of a cancer which may ease symptoms such as pain.