The Nation Newspaper

Category: Family Health

  • Caring for skin types

    Skin types is not a straight forward topic.  In this article, we will consider the extremes of dry skin and oily skin as well as sensitive skin.

    The skin is a homeostatic organ that helps to control the heat, fluid balance, and immune status of the body.  As the cover of the body, exposed to the environment and rubbing against the environment, it is itself an adaptive organ. In particular, the skin of the face and the neck, so frequently exposed to sunlight, heat or cold, and wind, becomes adapted for such exposure.

    Black people would sometimes be surprised by the difference in colour between the skin of the abdomen and upper thighs compared to the much darker tone of the face, neck, and arms.  The skin adjusts the quantity of melanin in the epidermis according to its sensitivity to the elements, especially sunlight and heat. Another adaptive process is the thickening of the skin in response to frequent touch, abrasion, or assault. The soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, the elbows, the knees, and the buttocks are parts of the body where adaptive changes reinforce the skin’s protective properties.  The longer or greater the contact with the environment, the thicker the skin becomes.  Muslims and other people who pray by touching their foreheads on the ground develop a thick spot on the fore head.  Many monks develop thick skin on their knees for praying kneeling.

    One can observe oneself sweating instantly and profusely on entering a very hot room.  The skin is in this case performing a homeostatic role – to maintain the body temperature and prevent it from rising because body enzymes and functions need normal temperature to work well.

    The skin demonstrates various other adaptive and homeostatic processes which may be structural or functional, molecular or overt.

    Thus for any person, there may be differences between the appearance of the skin in various parts of the body, some parts looking soft and smooth and some parts looking dry and callous.

    The oil glands (sebaceous glands) in the skin produce a protective fatty substance, sebum.  People with dry skin do not produce enough sebum and people with oily skin produce excess sebum.  The sweat glands too can produce little or no sweat or excess sweat. Some people have sensitive skin which is easily challenged by environmental factors. They may keep developing, itch, rash, or redness.  We tend to use the skin of the face to determine our skin type as oily, dry, or sensitive.

    We should care for our skin according to the skin type and skin area of the body.  For young people, the concern may be to avoid build-up of callous.  For mid-lifers, the concern may be to reduce the lines and wrinkles and to slow aging.  We should know that our genetic makeup, age, geographical environment, as well as what we eat and how much we drink all affect the look of our skin.  Whatever the skin type, it is important to exfoliate and moisturize regularly.

    Bathing with soap alone is not enough. Soap should be applied with a bath sponge to exfoliate dead skin. Natural bath sponges are commercially produced from harvested Spongia officinalis, an animal that lives in the Mediterranean Sea. Synthetic mesh bath poufs for better scrub or wash cloths for milder scrub may be used in place of the sponge, depending on how sensitive one’s skin is. In West Africa raffia sponge derived from palm trees has been used from time immemorial.  Newer commercial versions prevent clogging of drainages with sponge fibres.  The loofah (luffa) is another good scrubber derived from a cucumber-like plant.  The fruit is left to dry leaving the fibrous skeleton that is used as a bathing sponge.  Some of these materials are attached to a handle or stick for effective scrubbing of the back or hard to reach areas.  These materials used to bath help to exfoliate and also dislodge bacteria and dirt in the pores of the skin.  How often we use a sponge or exfoliator depends on our exposure to environmental factors and sensitivity of our skin.  Many Africans routinely (daily) use a scrub while Caucasians may occasionally use a scrub and routinely use a wash cloth.  The sponge or scrubbing material should be properly rinsed out after use because retained minute debris can promote microbial growth of bacteria, fungi, or viruses.  In fact, synthetic bath poufs, because they are durable, should be rinsed with mild disinfectant frequently to keep them sterile.  To be continued

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

     

  • Healthy skin

    The skin is an organ. It covers the body from the head to the toes.   It is the largest organ of our body.  The main function of the skin is to act as a barrier between the outside and the inside of the body.  It keeps the elements out.  The sun – heat, light; the wind; pressure – all the elements and the weather are kept from harming the delicate balance of the inside of our bodies.  The skin controls entrance of exogenous substances into the body and exit of endogenous substances out of the body. Air, water, other gases and liquids, and solid chemicals are limited in contacting the body from the environment or leaving the body.  The skin acts as a barrier to microbes. Many of them bounce off the skin; many try to penetrate and are stopped by various features of the skin; many are destroyed by the skin and some manage to assault or damage the skin but cannot penetrate the body. Once in a while a bullet or other powerful structure may overcome the skin barrier and damage the body.

    The skin is made up of three layers.  The outer layer is the epidermis and gives the skin its colour.  Colour cells called melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin which is abundant in black people.  When white people first reached remote places in Africa, the natives thought the white men were skinless.  In some African languages, the retained native word for Caucasian is translated to “skinless one” or “peeled one” in English.  All races however do have an epidermis but different levels of pigmentation.

    Under the epidermis is the dermis layer which contains connective tissue, some sweat glands and hair follicles which may be sparse or abundant depending on the part of the body.

    The innermost layer of the skin is the hypodermis which contains fatty and connective tissue. When we get fat, we have a lot of fat stored here.

    The skin is not a passive barrier.  It is an active one with numerous activities. The continual replacement and scaling off of surface epithelial cells which are not visible to the eye help to remove dirt and microbes that settle on the skin.  The oil secreted by the skin traps dirt and microbes and keeps the texture of the surface.  The surface blood vessels in the skin are reactive to stimuli and constrict or dilate to reduce or increase blood supply to the body surface. Natural soldier cells and chemical armoury are present and are part of the defence mechanisms of the skin.

    Apart from the skin being a protective organ, it is also a social tool of attraction or repulsion.  A man can fall in love with a woman just from attraction to the woman’s skin.  A person can suffer discrimination and be ostracized because of ugly skin or simply because of different skin.  Within civilizations, skin is a definer of relationships, especially within races and between races.

    The skin is a major sensory organ and can detect touch, temperature, differentiate textures and elicit emotional responses.  It is a major player in love making.  In the olden days, religious people punished themselves or tried to cleanse themselves from carnality by wearing sack cloth and hair shirts.  Some religious communities still retain such traditions.  This is derived from the biblical records of repentant people dressing in sackcloth and sitting in ashes. Many “holy” people possibly died young from assaults to their bodies with severe and risky habits.

    Thus skin is surprisingly connected with our physical health, our mental health, our emotional health, and our spiritual health. We shall discuss skin from these various aspects.

    There are many common skin conditions.  Some are inherited and some are environmentally induced  can be avoided.

    Skin products make big business.  There are medications and cosmetics that we need or play with. Herbal products for skin care abound.  We shall examine various products and discuss some that are really worth our attention.

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

     

  • Healthy skin

    The skin is an organ.  It covers the body from the head to the toes.  It is the largest organ of our body.  The main function of the skin is to act as a barrier between the outside and the inside of the body.  It keeps the elements out.  The sun – heat, light; the wind; pressure – all the elements and the weather are kept from harming the delicate balance of the inside of our bodies.  The skin controls entrance of exogenous substances into the body and exit of endogenous substances out of the body. Air, water, other gases and liquids, and solid chemicals are limited in contacting the body from the environment or leaving the body.  The skin acts as a barrier to microbes. Many of them bounce off the skin; many try to penetrate and are stopped by various features of the skin; many are destroyed by the skin and some manage to assault or damage the skin but cannot penetrate the body. Once in a while a bullet or other powerful structure may overcome the skin barrier and damage the body.

    The skin is made up of three layers.  The outer layer is the epidermis and gives the skin its colour.  Colour cells called melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin which is abundant in black people.  When white people first reached remote places in Africa, the natives thought the white men were skinless.  In some African languages, the retained native word for Caucasian is translated to “skinless one” or “peeled one” in English.  All races however do have an epidermis but different levels of pigmentation.

    Under the epidermis is the dermis layer which contains connective tissue, some sweat glands and hair follicles which may be sparse or abundant depending on the part of the body.

    The innermost layer of the skin is the hypodermis which contains fatty and connective tissue. When we get fat, we have a lot of fat stored here.

    The skin is not a passive barrier.  It is an active one with numerous activities. The continual replacement and scaling off of surface epithelial cells which are not visible to the eye help to remove dirt and microbes that settle on the skin.  The oil secreted by the skin traps dirt and microbes and keeps the texture of the surface.  The surface blood vessels in the skin are reactive to stimuli and constrict or dilate to reduce or increase blood supply to the body surface. Natural soldier cells and chemical armoury are present and are part of the defence mechanisms of the skin.

    Apart from the skin being a protective organ, it is also a social tool of attraction or repulsion.  A man can fall in love with a woman just from attraction to the woman’s skin.  A person can suffer discrimination and be ostracized because of ugly skin or simply because of different skin.  Within civilizations, skin is a definer of relationships, especially within races and between races.

    The skin is a major sensory organ and can detect touch, temperature, differentiate textures and elicit emotional responses.  It is a major player in love making.  In the olden days, religious people punished themselves or tried to cleanse themselves from carnality by wearing sack cloth and hair shirts.  Some religious communities still retain such traditions.  This is derived from the biblical records of repentant people dressing in sackcloth and sitting in ashes. Many “holy” people possibly died young from assaults to their bodies with severe and risky habits.

    Thus skin is surprisingly connected with our physical health, our mental health, our emotional health, and our spiritual health. We shall discuss skin from these various aspects.

    There are many common skin conditions.  Some are inherited and some are environmentally induced  can be avoided.

    Skin products make big business.  There are medications and cosmetics that we need or play with. Herbal products for skin care abound.  We shall examine various products and discuss some that are really worth our attention.

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

     

  • Health of the armpit: Arm pit rash

    Monkeys are two legged creatures like humans. They are sometimes seen scratching their armpits. I recently read that this armpit scratching is a sign of happiness for monkeys. For humans, scratching the armpit is not acceptable body language.  It is an indication of the presence of a microbiome in the arm pit. When humans scratch the arm pit like a monkey, it is called a monkey scratch.  Urban dictionary defines monkey scratch as: “when an itch occurs just below the arm pit and you scratch it with the arm on the same side of the body as the itch”.

    A microbiome is a community of microbial creatures.  Two scientists, Sarah Council and Julie Horvath of the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s Genomics and Microbiology Research Lab, have shown that in the human arm pit, the members of the microbiome are mainly of the Staphylococcaceae family and the Corynebacterium genus.

    In hot and humid climates, intertrigo is a common superficial inflammatory lesion found in areas of the body where there are skin folds and skins rubbing together. It appears as a dark patch. It is caused by continual friction, moisture, and lack of ventilation. The frictional break down of the skin surface gives room for bacterial (such as Corynebacterium minutissimum) or fungal (such as candida and ringworm).  Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus is another common secondary infection.  It can be prevented or alleviated by keeping skin folds clean, dry, and cool. Aluminum sulfate or calcium acetate solution, zinc oxide ointment, petroleum jelly, and talcum powder are some of the means used to limit skin frictions and microbial entry. Calamine lotion is a well-known medication that is used.

    Erythrasma is a red-brown skin folds infection under the arms, in the groin or between the toes caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum. Corynebacterium infections can be treated with orally adminstered erythromycin.

    Fungal skin conditions can be treated with ointments and other formulas containing antifungal agents suchs as clotrimazole, ketoconazole, econazole, nystatin, and oxiconazole. Over-the-counter antifungal sprays, creams,or gels, are usually used on Candida or ringworm infections daily for 2 weeks.

    Streptococcal infections can be treated with ointments and other formulas containing specific antibiotics such as mupirocin or orally administered penicillin.

    Doctors sometimes prescribe short term steroid for sever inflammation.  Over the counter hydrocortisone creams (0.5-1.0 percent) may be used.

    Apart from microbiome establishing in the arm pit, there are various causes of arm pit rash.  They include: chaffin when skin continually rubs skin during exercise or rubs rough clothing, contact dermatitis which is produced when an irritant or allergen on the skin triggers allergic reaction, eczema which is a non-contagious chronic skin inflammation, heat mixing with sweat to generate rash, and shaving and razor burns.

    Arm pit rash is can be avoided by cleanliness, freshness (fresh confortable clothes, airy clothes, and fresh, cool air), and safe non-allergic cosmetics.

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Health of the armpit: Arm pit lumps

    I know a lady who many years ago presented with armpit lumps and was advised to have her breasts removed because the lumps were a sign of breast cancer. She loved her breasts so much that she opted to keep the breasts and pray away the cancer. (Possibly her husband influenced this decision).  Many years later, the arm pit lumps remained but she did not have breast cancer and her husband was a happy man.

    Now arm pit lumps can be a sign of breast cancer therefore if a woman has such lumps she should have a thorough medical examination by a doctor and seek the advice of her health care providers.  Both men and women may have arm pit lumps but breast cancer is very rare in men.

    Some arm pit lumps may not be disturbing because they do not cause pain even when pressed but this does not mean a person is safe with them.  Some arm pit lumps may become permanent and if painless, easy to forget.  It may be important to try to determine the cause of the lumps before one starts to ignore them.  If they are not associated with any serious or life threatening health condition, then one may safely ignore them and live.  However, one should occasionally check to see if they are growing, becoming painful, or manifesting any changes.

    Arm pit lumps may be caused by various factors such as: allergy, microbial infection (caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), swollen lymph nodes, swollen glands, fluid filled sacs (cysts), various types of cancers (such as breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma), or non-cancerous abnormal tissue growth (e.g. lipoma from growth of fatty tissue or fibroadenoma from growth of fibrous tissue).

    Lymph node enlargement in the arm pit (axillary lymphadenopathy) can be in response to infection or stressors which includes chemicals in cosmetics.  It is a sign that the immune system is working and is dealing with agents that are foreign to the body.  Hair follicles may become infected and inflamed and painful.  This is armpit folliculitis. Cysts may be caused by infection or by clogging of fat glands.  Cysts may contain fluid, pus or gas.  These various forms of arm pit lumps generally feel soft.  Arm pit lumps that are cancerous generally feel hard and immovable.

    Before one determines that the lumps are no cause for alarm, a doctor may indicate one or more tests such as an allergy test, a mammogram to detect breast cancer, collection of a biopsy for laboratory examination, or collection of a blood sample for laboratory blood cells count to rule out blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma.

    Lumps caused by allergy usually disappear when one is no longer exposed to the allergen.  Lumps caused by bacterial infection will disappear with use of an appropriate antibiotic, prescribed by the doctor.  A warm compress (or cloth put in hot water and squeezed) can be applied to a cyst.  A cyst may be drained by a nurse.  If the armpit lump is painful, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic may alleviate the discomfort.  Lumps caused by non-cancerous abnormal tissue growth may persist for years, keeping in the same size and texture.  These can be left alone or removed by minor surgery.

    If the doctor determines that the lump is cancerous, i.e. due to unlimited pathologic growth, then cancer treatment should be used.  Local cancers such as arm pit cancers can be removed by irradiation or surgery or local application of anticancer drugs.  This treatment should be early enough before the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

    Armpit lumps that are not painful and have been examined by a doctor and considered non-cancerous can simply be left alone.  However, if they are unsightly, cosmetic removal may be necessary.

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

     

  • Health of the armpit: Pit odour

    The armpit is one of the parts of the body that notoriously tends to become smelly.  The smell may be simply un-offensive biologic human smell or a pungent bacterial statement.

    The baby that is always in its mothers arm may become accustomed to and accepting of his mother’s odour and the odour may even be associated with safe hands.  The baby may not be secured in another person’s hands without that smell.  Evolutionary importance of armpit odour is not clear but it may not just be a chance occurrence.

    As far as health of the armpit is concerned, we will discuss armpit odour, armpit rash, and armpit lumps.

    We generally will accumulate armpit odour if we do not wash regularly.  For some persons, armpit odour is so strong that frequent and regular washing is not enough to remove it.  They may need some extra treatment depending on the cause of the odour.

    The skin of the armpits has sweat glands (eccrine glands).  Such glands are all over the body and are concentrated in some areas such as the palms and soles. They produce sweat that has a high amount of salt.  Other gland types called apocrine glands are associated with hair follicles of the armpit.  These produce a sweat that contains protein that bacteria can feed on.   Salty sweat is generally not smelly.  Apocrine sweat is smelly when bacteria converts the proteins to smelly waste products.

    The armpit is a homely environment for bacteria because it is warm, dark, and moist and bacteria, if allowed to, can easily thrive there.

    Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating.  People with focal hyperhidrosis sweat excessively in the palms, soles or arm pits. This may happen even when the weather is not too hot. Hyperhidrosis may be no cause for alarm. However, in some cases, hyperhidrosis may be associated with some disease conditions such as infection, thyroid malfunction, diabetes, or obesity. Excessive sweating may not be associated with odor if one practices good hygiene.

    Arm pit odor may be associated with people who hardly sweat and with people who sweat.  Odor may be due to bad hygiene in which case bacterial action is culprit. Body odor seems to be switch on with puberty when an adolescent grows hair in the armpit and has not yet developed hygienic habits.   However, odor may be due to substances secreted from glands in the arm pit at any age. People who have trimethylaminuria produce a foul odor because of metabolic products secreted in their body fluids. This may be mild or strong. Onset of disease conditions such as diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and hyperthyroidism may cause a sudden increase in body odor. Peri-menopausal change in body odor may also occur.

    For effective control or elimination of arm pit odor one needs to understand why one has the arm pit odor.

    Clinical assistance can be sought.  Botox given in the arm pits has been used to stop excessive sweating and associated body odor.  Detoxifying clinics can do an arm pit detoxification which deals with the various factors affecting the health and hygiene of the arm pit.

    One may make personal efforts through the following means.

    Antiperspirants may be used to control sweating.

    Deodorants may be used to control bacteria presence and action in the arm pit.

    Shave off the hair if odor is excessive.

    Wear clothing that let air into the armpit and that allow sweat to dry.

    Use air conditioners in hot weather.

    Examine if your diet, drug habits, or substances you consume could be a source of metabolic products with foul odor.

    Shower often.

    Dry your arm pits routinely if you sweat excessively.

    Do not re-use clothes without washing after first use in tropical weather because bacteria thrive in the environment in the tropics.  There are always bacteria lurking within used clothes.

    If you tend to be exposed to bacteria extraordinarily, cleanse your armpits often, for example with cotton wool and methylated spirit, rubbing over the hair follicles and sweat glands.  Hydrogen peroxide or mild bleach or mild disinfectant solution, may also be used to cleanse the arm pit.  If you are unable to buy these extra care products, some food items such as lime juice, vinegar, strong alcoholic drinks such as gin, or strong salt solution, may be used to cleanse the arm pit.  First wash with soap and rinse and then cleanse. Rub the cleanser on the arm pit vigorously for a few second and repeat a few times. Rinse off the cleanser with clean water.

    Exfoliate the arm pit using products available at your pharmacy for exfoliation.  Removing dead skin and bacteria and fungi that sticks to dead skin can help to limit arm pit skin odor.

    The hand sanitizer that you carry in your handbag can also be used to sanitize your arm pit.

    Use a nice scent on your clean arm pits so that when you are around your loved ones or on a date, somebody wants to cling to you.

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Care of the nails

    One day a male member posted something on our WhatsApp platform commenting on the lack of wives who, these days, would do everything: cooking, shopping, cleaning, taking care of kids, etc.  He and his friends were  fed up with house maids; disappointing, troublesome housemaids.  Indeed, wives are no longer like Eve.  Many of them have impeccable finger nails – manicured, polished and designed, as well as baby-soft palms.  Finger nails and fine palms make the hands attractive.  People do their nails and hands for dates, you see the hands a lot at the table; we gesticulate with the hands, we hold hands.  The hands certainly have romantic powers.

    Now the health of the hands and finger nails is not the same thing as the look of the hands and finger nails.  In fact, the most useful hands may have rough palms and chipped finger nails and the most useless hands may have soft palms and beautiful nails. My platform friend, like most traditional men, would be tossed between the choice of their wives having worked hands that do chores or worked on hands that beauticians have conditioned to function only as instruments of handshakes and romance.

    Many women of our times are possibly having it both ways. They know how to use their hands to do house chores and office work as well as how to keep the nails and hands looking good enough, if not beautiful. Many use fake nails (acrylic nails) for occasions.

    There are a few nail conditions that we can guard against.  Sometimes nails break without significant trauma on them; nails split, soften and chip off easily looking rough and unkempt; nails have lines and ridges, etc.  Nutritional deficiency is certainly a cause of weak and defective nails.  If your diet is low in protein, iron, biotin (vitamin H) calcium, zinc, vitamin A, or vitamin C, such a deficiency can reflect in the look of the nails.  The term onychoschizia includes weakening, thinning, softening, and splitting of nails. It may be work related for those who clean and have their nails constantly wet or it may be due to nutritional deficiency.  Onycholysis is painless detachment of the nail from the nail.  It is caused by fungus, trauma, and other factors. Some disease conditions such as anemia and kidney and thyroid disorders affect the health of the nails.

    The nail plates are generated by cells in the nail matrix at the origin or root of the nail plates (the region under the cuticle). The matrix and the nail plate it forms sit on the nail bed, which like normal tissues, has blood vessels and nerves and tissue fluid called lymph. If the matrix cells are not healthy, they turn out defective looking nails, such as nails that have ridges. Skin conditions such as dry skin and eczema have been blamed for nails formed with ridges.  Fungus species invade the nail and can stubbornly colonize the matrix and nail bed.  They cause deformation and discoloration of the nail.  The affected nail plate must be removed clinically before applying topical antifungal medication. The antifungal creams and ointments you can obtain from your pharmacy work well if they are applied after scraping off the nail. The medication can be barred from effectively killing fungus in the living cells by the hardened dead nail that covers the cells, if the nail is not first removed.  If you do this yourself, you must be careful not to spread the infection with the scrapings and not to wound the nail bed. For example, try scraping off the dead nail in water with 10% bleach in a bowl. Dry with a sterile wipe and then spread the antifungal agent on the nail bed and continue to keep the nail bed in contact with antifungal agent. You can cover the nail for a few weeks with a protectively finger splint sold at your pharmacy.  Any damaged nail bed can heal within a few weeks but nails take a few months to fully regenerate. The ability of nails to regenerate depends on a functional matrix.  If the matrix is destroyed by chronic fungal infection, the nail cannot regenerate.

    For people who do wet jobs frequently, a coating of nail hardener and wearing of powdered (dry) gloves can help to preserve the nails.

    Using coloured nail polish chronically and other factors can cause yellowing or discoloured nails.  To whiten the nails, a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide (bleach) and baking soda in a paste may be spread on the nails for a few minutes and then rinsed off. This may be done repeatedly after a few months interval.

    The nails are a reflection of how well we take care of ourselves, a social signal, therefore we should take good care of our nails.

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Caring for the face

    Have you ever slept with a slice of cucumber over each eye or rubbed toothpaste on pimples on your face or covered your face with a mask of herbal paste overnight? For the face, we do wonders.

    If you search the Internet you will see numerous tips on how to make your face fresh and healthy looking.  There are many solutions to choose from.  They may not all work well for everyone.

    If you want to improve your facial look, you first of all need to study what type of skin you have. Then you can choose well from amongst the plethora of remedies being provided for facial skin care according to your skin type: dry skin or oily skin.

    Dry skin types may appear rough or peeling and may be improved with moisturizers.  Oily skin types appear oily and shiny and may be improved with astringents which tighten the pores that release oil.

    Skin care of the face works toward regulating routine events on the skin of the face which are: accumulation of natural oil released from facial pores, accumulation of atmospheric dirt on the face which fixes into the oily layer on the face, exfoliation of dead skin of the face.

    We should note that the oil produced by oil glands within the skin spreads over the surface of the skin to protect it and over-cleansing the skin or too frequent removal of the oily layer may jeopardize the skins health.  Therefore, if we need to remove oil from skins that produce excessive oil, frequent wiping may be preferred to frequent washing with soap.  Some of the tips we gather are here discussed.

    Cleanse your face routinely.  Most people shower or bath every morning, therefore most of our faces are washed at least once a day.  How often in a day one needs a face wash depends on one’s type of skin and one’s life style. Germs can be transferred unto the face from the hands, from cell phones, from kisses, etc., and these may be welcomed as part of life.  If you go shopping in an open market in Lagos on a hot dusty day, perhaps the first thing you want to do when you get home is to wash your hands and wash your face. Routine cleansing prevents dirt including bacteria, fungi, and viruses from dwelling too long on the face.  Microorganisms colonizing the face may stimulate changes in skin cells and contribute to roughening of the face and eliminating the fresh look. At the end of each day before going to sleep, the face deserves a wash to cleanse it of the day’s microbial visitors and to remove make-up. Make up removal should be done with cotton wool and petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) before washing the face.

    Exfoliate the facial skin every few days.  This removes the recently formed layer of dead skin and gives a fresh look.

    Keep your body metabolism in good working order by eating a good diet including fresh fruit or vegetable daily, exercising enough, and sleeping well.  This will reflect on your face.

    Don’t consume toxins.  Watch your social habits. Amongst other functions, the skin is an excretory organ, though not for all drugs.  Any toxin that is passed out through the skin, even though in minute amounts may affect the skin’s radiance.

    Keep the face moisturized. We should drink enough water routinely to keep the whole body well moisturized, including the skin of the face which faces the weather, perhaps more than the skin on other parts of the body. Moisturizers, sun block or sun screen creams, and toners are commonly available products that some people may find helpful. The use of a humidifier may be helpful for special treatment of damaged dry skin. The lips need their own attention and lip moisturizes give them a glow and an appealing texture.

    Facial hair, wanted or unwanted, needs our regular attention for shaving or trimming.

    Take care of pimples. I must confess that when I was a teenager, I picked my pimples.  Some pimples are irresistible. To avoid gaining black spots and scars, one must restrain from picking pimples.  Pimples treatment products and kits are available in pharmacies. Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in such products.  Low economy anecdotal solutions include spotting toothpaste on the pimples.  Perhaps the soda, peroxide, and alcohol components in toothpastes really work to dry up pimples.

    Most women of substance have a plethora of products in their bedroom for that glowing look and these include: cleanser, face oil, moisturizer, eye cream, sun screen, exfoliator, toner, face mask, hydrating mist, skin serum, and make up remover.

    Some people use natural products and may go to sleep with something spread on the face such as: coco nut oil, green tea, honey, potato juice, milk, aloe vera, rose water, oat meal, black soap, Vaseline.  What do all these substances do? OGK (only God knows).

    The art and science of facecare is an interesting and worthwhile hobby for one’s own good.

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

     

  • Treachery, like all falsehood, will inevitably collapse

    We live on a planet where air, water and food are poisoned and where the ethereal environment is despoiled by treachery in human relationships. The inauguration, of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President of the Buhari Presidency era smells of nothing but treachery. And if treachery is a wrong or false principle of life and, therefore, stands in opposition to the Creator in whom we all claim to believe, what profit will treachery bring if, in the end of all things, whatever is false or opposed to the Will of God must collapse? I do not think the election of Bukola Saraki as Senate President would be rancorous and divisive and diversionary as it has become if the organisers had followed due process. By the way, due process is not about the constitutionalism or legalism of the Senate forming a quorum for the election. It is about imbuing the process with trust. The process is trust deficient when, for the purpose of the election, a large section of the Senate is led away to hold a meeting that never was with the President of the Federal Republic and another large section is retained in the Senate Chambers to elect a Senate President. What has aggravated ill feelings towards the election of Bukola Saraki as Senate President is the fact that, as a member of President Buhari’s party, the APC, he, too, should have been in the group of Senators which went to attend a meeting with the Vice President who was said to have called the meeting. Senator Saraki was said to have ignored him because the Vice President was a “mere commissioner’’ indeed the Vice President was a commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Lagos State, where, with due respect, a commissioner’s job may bear more value than the Governor’s in some states. Because he was not at that meeting, and because it should have been obvious to him that his fellow APC Senators were not in the Senate chambers, Senator Saraki exposed himself to suspicions that a plot was hatched of which he knew, or was a part to exclude some Senators from the voting. As many commentators have observed, such a process was not only at variance with the Change the APC promised to bring to Nigerian political life and social order, it was inimical to it. For if the foundation is false, the structure on it would wobble.

    I am not a politician, and I carry no party card. I love good behaviour and adore upright character, a quality of which is TRUST. In a political party, the general will or the party’s will is supreme. That is why I cannot belong to a political party for I cannot bow my will and spirit to it if it decides to do wrong. In the political party, all members conform to the general will once it has been formed. The APC ran a mock Senate President election in which Senator Saraki lost. As a faithful party member, he should have accepted the general will. In refusing to accept and calling on the defeated PDP to keep him, defeated his party’s general will on the floor of the Senate, exposed himself not only as a disloyal of unfaithful party man, but also as a person who cannot be trusted to honour any agreement. Nigeria has had such untreatable leaders and would appear, with President Buhari’s election, to be searching for trustworthy leaders. Many commentators have suggested there is nothing wrong with what Senator Saraki has done, that it is all politics, the games politicians play. On a more serious note, however, I wonder if they have ever tried to wonder if politics is meant to be a deity affair. My own brand of Christianity teaches me to keep my thoughts, words and actions pure. We know the Creator is all about Purity, Love and Justice and no man goes before Him who does not evince the human variants of their attributes, the equivalent human of Purity is being Chaste or Faithful. Senator Saraki presents himself as a devout muslim. And the Prophet (may the Peace of Allah be upon him) taught the need for us all to lead righteous lives. Treachery is the opposite of righteousness by any standard.

    It is still unclear if the Saraki Senate thunderbolt is the “major” event President Buhari said last month would happen in early June, or if this is yet to come. Meanwhile, he has promised to work with whichever Senate leadership emerges. In my view, that is throwing caution to the wind or, since the statement came after saraki’s inauguration, a way of validating it. Again in my humble view, it should have been better if the president remained neutral, allowing the senate to resolve its differences, especially as he has promised not to meddle, like his predecessors, in National Assembly affairs. By not doing so, the President is saying he is ready to dance to music, any music, even if the fingers of Lucifer are on the strings of the harp. Yet the President was brought to office by the prayers, steadfastness and faith of people who saw him as a man who does not dine with the devil and who would relax Lucifer’s hold on Nigeria.

    The PDP, routed in the last elections, has suddenly found its feet and voice in the Senate, with a Senate President who is APC in body but PDP in spirit, and Deputy Senate President who is PDP in body and spirit. We should not forget that the Deputy Senate President is from a region of the country which over whelmingly rejected the President at the polls. What may happen next is that the PDP would bare it fangs, and President Buhari may resort to EFCC in self defence. In that case, will anything have changed.  In the second series of Buhari articles, this column warned that APC presidential election victory lifted the lair of the snake and that a snake half smitten is a dangerous snake which would seek to avenge the intrusion on its life for as long as it had any breath to fight back. Now, APC would appear chained in the Senate for PDP to begin to work towards recovering the presidency under a Bukola Saraki who would have returned to the PDP after pulverising the APC.

    All the die-hard PDP people I met last week had suddenly come alive from hibernation. One of them, a so-called pastor, was most irritating. I call him so-called pastor because, as people who claim to be serving the creator, whether he called them to his service or they are trying to force themselves on him, which is impossible, are supposed to live and act on the basis of certain ethical and spiritual standards which should separate them from Dick and Harry men or the run-of the-mill men, otherwise they may not qualify to lead rustic, emotional and slumbering human spirits out of the morals in which they sink. This pastor was jubilating hilariously. I asked if he had thought of the implications of what had happened to Nigeria, and to the prospects of change.

    He said there was nothing like change, that the word was an empty electioneering slogan. I asked if, as a pastor, he did not see treachery at play or know that treachery is a grave betrayal of trust or if, as a Pastor, he had not learned that betrayal of trust, prevalent on earth today, is a sign of an approaching Final Judgement. This Pastor, to my dismay, said all of that didn’t matter, that “this is politics”. To him, life on the pulpit could be separated from life in politics or even business. I did not give up, leading him back to his Bible.

    • Cain killed his brother Abel. Treachery.
    • Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus. Treachery.
    • King David took the wife of Uriah, a soldier fighting in the war front to protect the land over which David was king. To cover his shame, David recalled Uriah home only to give him a letter for the commander. Uriah in trust, did not read this letter. David asked that Uriah be posted to the hottest sector of the war where he would be killed and Uriah was killed. Treachery.
    • David’s son, Amon, loved his sister, Tamar, a virgin, so much he wished to sleep with her. His friend Jehonaidab, the son of David’s brother, advised him to pretend he was ill and would get well only if Tamar brought him a meal in the privacy of his bedroom. Tamar, ususpecting, took a meal to her brother. When they were both alone Amnon seized Tamar. Tamar tried to struggle free, pleading. Amnon did not listen, and raped her. This was a classical case of treachery.
    • Rebecca deceived Isaac, her blind husband by making him give his last blessing to Jacob one of his two sons, instead of Esau, his beloved. Esau was hairy. Jacob had a smooth skin. Esau went hunting for a game to feed his father, after which he would receive the blessing. Rebecca made Jacob slaughter a goat, wear the skin, present the smoked food to his father and pretend to be Esau.

    The blind Isaac felt the goat skin and thought the young man before him was Esau but when Jacob spoke, Isaac became confused. He made the classical remark. This is the body of Esau but the voice of Jacob. Nevertheless, he gave the blessing. At about the same time, Esau returned home with his game. Jacob was afraid. Rebecca thought him to flee from home and handled the ensuing crisis in Jacob’s favour. This was another act of treachery in his story.

    • Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers simply because he was destined to be greater than they would. Treachery.
    • We hear of the war in heavens from where treacherous Lucifer was cast “to the earth” we know his activities among men, for which we all despise him, is TREACHEROUS.

    President Buhari, as military head of state was a victim of treachery which led to his overthrow and his succession by General Ibrahim Babangida. Before then, General Buhari had been involved in treachery which led to the overthrow of Shehu Shagari. President Buhari hates treachery so much that he divorced his first wife on allegation of treachery against him. What was her treacherous act? When he was in detention ordered by General Banbagida, she took upkeep allowance every month from Babaginda’s government. General Buhari considered this treacherous. He is probably not conceptual about what has happened in the Senate, otherwise he would have seen it embalmed with treachery. If he did, would he wish to “work” with treachery? Already, many commentators are painting possible aftermath scenarios.

    • Some senators may quit the APC to form another party.
    • Some APC senators who came from the PDP may return to the PDP.
    • Some senators may hang on with Buhari in the APC
    • The Senate may become tumultuous.
    • The PDP may return to power and Bukola Saraki become the next president of Nigeria.
    • President Buhari may fight dirty with Senate, making it a hollow Senate and block and pulverising Saraki’s ambition. Making the Senate hollow may mean depriving it’s members contract, constituency allowances and fat salaries. The contracts may go to foreign companies which will perform and make President Buhari achieve his dreams. It perhaps for this reason that President Buhari has been visiting foreign capitals seeking support for his programmes and making commitment. The world is waiting and watching.

    One point I cannot easily forget in the Senate upheaval is that cycles open and close. Hundreds of years ago, the Alaafin of Oyo (king of Oyo Empire) sent Afonja, his work general, to Ilorin, northern outpost of the empire, to stop Fulani Jihadist from entering the empire. When Afonja arrived in Ilorin, he rebelled against the Alaafin and asked Alimi, commander of the Jihad forces, to support his adventure.

    Alimi supported Afonja, the Alaafin held back. Ilorin became independent of Oyo Empire. But Alimi was to later kill Afonja and take over Ilorin. Till this day, the descendant of Alimi rule over Ilorin. Afonja and Alimi committed treachery. Today, Senator Saraki, would appear set to destroy the APC and surreptitiously hand its presidential election victory to the PDP, which he may wish to ride to power in 2019. But he may find at that time an Alimi had lain in wait for an Afonja.

    The world still hates treachery. However it may have become fashionable in today’s world. Pharmacist Jimi Agbaje would appear set to win the Governorship election in Lagos. But the tide would appear to rise against him, when he sided with immigrants who would appear bent on taking the land from his owners. The political eyes of many of his supporters suddenly opened. They remember the Alaafin, Afonja, Alimi and more.

    Even the Oba of Lagos spoke publicly. The political pendulum swung in favour of Akinwunmi Ambode, the new Governor of Lagos State, who it is believed would protect the land against immigrant’s treachery.

    Treacherous immigrants stole Australia and present–day United States of America from the Aborigenes. They vanquished “Sons of the Incas”. They trampled over Zimbabwe and South Africa.

    We do not know as yet where the treachery in the Senate would end. An APC general has brought the opposition PDP to power in the Senate, strangling his party. It is clear however all falsehood will collapse in the fullness of its time.

    Concept

    We can understand events better if we examine the concepts they throw up. Inherent in these concepts are the messages events bring to us. For this false pastor in reference, I would say such people like him, unable to see in events the concepts which power them, are typical of those people our Lord Jesus describe as seeing but not comprehending. When you claim to be a Pastor, a representative of the Lord among this “flock’’, and you do not lead a deep Christian life which would enable you see the content of events, that is the concept, but rather the dust and heat they throw up, you are a surface man, and in no way different from the emotional men of Babel. Treachery has found its way into the new song we are trying to sing. Surely, it will not crack our throats or make them coarse. For we stand in the deep conviction that all falsehood will eventually collapse.

  • What’s new in the hair growth industry

    The incidence and harmlessness of baldness is high enough for us to consider the condition variant rather than abnormal or disease.  For many aging men, it is a new normal in their lives.  For many, it is actually a good look and a sign of maturity. For many others, it is undesirable, unbearable, and requires a solution.  As far as baldness is a problem, there are bold new solutions.

    In Africa not much research, if any is being done in this respect.  Scientists are a rare breed of professionals in Africa. In many developed countries, scientists work round the clock studying nature, seeking understanding, growing in knowledge, and even making discoveries to solve problems or to provide goods or services.  In Africa these days, many rely on faith to have their problems solved, and that works when justified. However, science and faith are siblings from the same source and neither should be neglected or undermined if we want to enjoy life as we should.

    Scientists are working globally and the current approved remedies for hair loss may soon be challenged by new products with promising advantages. For example, minoxidil may take up to 6 months of continual treatment for effective thickening of the hair while some herbal remedies appear to be able to do the same in four weeks. However the toxicological profiles of such herbal medicines are largely unknown unlike that of the well-studied government approved drugs.  Minoxidil may cause side effects of scalp irritation and undesirable hair growth on the face, and rapid heart rate (tachycardia). Finasteride, another approved drug, may not work well for baldness in men over 60 years of age. In some patients, it has the side effects of impaired sex drive and sexual function and may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Because of possible birth defects, child-bearing women should not touch the broken tablets with bare hands.  Non-drug treatments for baldness such as robot-assisted microsurgery devices are expensive.  Hence scientists are arriving at competitive solutions.

    At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), molecular biologists led by Dr Heather Christofk’s and Dr William Lowry’s laboratories have found two drugs that can be applied to the skin to activate hair follicle stem cells in mice. Unlike previous treatments that were based on our knowledge of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, one of these drugs, RCGD423, involves activating the JAK-STAT molecular signalling pathway within cells and increasing lactate production. It was originally discovered by Dr Denis Evseenko, a molecular pharmacologist and orthopaedic surgeon (University of Southern California), as a regulator of cartilage growth and differentiation (RCGD) for treatment of arthritis.  The second drug, UK5099, was originally developed by Pfizer.   It blocks a glucose metabolite – pyruvate – from entering cell mitochondria forcing an increase in lactate production in the hair follicle stem cells.  The result is accelerated hair growth.

    Dr Mingxing Lei, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Southern California (USC) working with Dr Cheng-Ming Chuong, Professor of Pathology and head of the team, in collaboration with British and Chinese scientists published experimental results showing how they regenerated hair from adult mice that had stop growing hair (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Aug 22;114(34):E7101-E7110). They investigate stem cells and how hair follicles can be grown from skin cells in the laboratory mice. Video analysis and documentation, bioinformatics, and molecular screenings, are being used to drive cells to self-organize into organoids (in this case, artificial follicles) that can produce hair.

    USC is partnering with the Riken Institute in Japan to develop hair cells and hair follicles for transplant. Replicel’s hair technology RCH-01 is a bold new step to use cells to treat. Healthy hair cells and follicles are cultured and the numerous new cells are injected back into the scalp where hair needs to be grown. Replicel is in partnership with a Japanese company which is also developing another therapeutic cell line, iPS cells, that has the potential to cause unlimited hair growth. Dr Takashi Tsuji at Riken develops hair follicle germ that can be transplanted into the scalp.  The British company HairClone actually helps clients to store or bank their frozen hair follicles in their cryopreservation facility and to use them over the years as needed. Like freezing eggs and freezing sperm, freezing follicles can help many men and women to worry less about the aging process. To be continued.

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635