Up Your Style Quotient

Article contributed by:

Raffles Medical Group

 

While women fuss over the slightest line on their face, most men pay no attention to their appearances. This, however, is a changing phenomenon. You may not desire baby smooth skin but nobody wants a crater-filled face or the unbearable discomfort of itchy scratchy skin. Check yourself against these potential turn-offs and turn up your appeal today.

  

On this page: ► Dead Man’s Breath ► Odour! Odour! ► Smelly, My Foot!	► Skin Care Basics ► Flicking the Flakes ► Keep Your Hair On

 

Dead Man’s Breath

Bad breath or halitosis is usually caused by sulphur-producing bacteria that residenwithin the back of the tongue and throat. 

 

“These bacteria break down proteins at a very high rate and release odorous volatile sulphur compounds.  Although bad breath is not infectious, it can have a major impact on a person’s confidence and self-esteem due to its social connotations.  Because of bad breath, other people may back away or turn their heads when a person speaks or goes near,” said A/Prof Adrian Yap, Consultant Prosthodontist, Raffles Dental.
 
The main causes of halitosis are:

 

 

Did you know? 90% of bad breath cases originate from the mouth. Less common causes of halitosis include acid reflux from the stomach, hormonal factors during menstrual cycle or pregnancy and foods such as onions, garlic or cauliflower.  The effects of odorous foods are short-lived.

 
In addition to bad breath, other symptoms may include:

 

 

Treatment of halitosis depends largely on the underlying causes.  As it is caused by many factors, there is usually no one single treatment. “Still,” according to A/Prof Yap, “a visit to your dentist will be a good place to start. Your dentist will clean your teeth and manage your gum problems.  You will also be instructed on proper oral hygiene procedures.  Poorly aligned teeth and gaps in teeth can also be fixed with braces, implants, etc.”
 
Good oral hygiene, including brushing, flossing and cleaning your tongue, is important for reducing the bacteria load. Some mouthwashes may also be effective in fighting bad breath.  A course of antibiotics to reduce the overgrowth of sulphur-producing bacteria could also be helpful.  People with chronic sinusitis should get it treated by a doctor.

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As such, to halt the onslaught of the odour, one can either reduce the amount of sweat or tackle the bacteria that produce the odour.  “You should use anti-perspirants and deodorants routinely,” said Dr Teh. “Anti-perspirants reduce the amount of sweat produced by the body while deodorants mask the smell of sweat with fragrance.”

 

Over-the-counter products, medication and electrical treatments may also help.  However, for severe cases, help is also available in the form of keyhole surgery and BOTOX.  Depending on your needs, both methods have proven to be effective.

 

Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating affects one in five Asians and one in 25 Caucasians.  It commonly starts during childhood or adolescence and is a lifelong condition.  The problem is aggravated by the hot and humid climate, as well as stress.  This may affect self-confidence, social lives and even employment.
 

Needlescopic Transthoracic Sympathetomy is a procedure that cuts the nerves to the sweat glands.  A keyhole surgery, it is minimally invasive, making only small holes so there is minimal scarring.  The procedure requires only a day’s stay in hospital and lasts between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on the areas to be covered.

 

The Needlescopic Thoracic Sympathectomy surgery is recommended as it is permanent and eliminates body odour once and for all.  The treatment is also painless.  Said Dr Teh, “This used to be a fairly major surgery but with the advent of modern surgical techniques of key hole surgery we are able to do this surgery faster, through very small incisions which allow a quicker recovery and minimal down time.  It offers a permanent solution to a very difficult social problem and it has dramatically change the lives of many young people.”

 

The BOTOX treatment for hyperhidrosis requires the doctor to inject BOTOX to block the nerves that trigger the sweat glands.  It is an outpatient treatment that can be done in less than an hour.  Patients will feel weakness in the treated parts for a few hours and each treatment lasts about six months.
 
Consultant Dermatologist, Raffles Aesthetics Centre, A /Prof Wong Soon Tee, is one of the few doctors in Singapore who can perform this procedure. “My patients prefer this procedure as they do not need to go under the knife. Although the effects are not permanent, some of my patients claimed that their sweating problem has reduced.”

 

If you have been told that you smell, you may be able to reduce the odour through these simple steps.    Due to the humid weather in Singapore, you should wash your body with soap twice (or even thrice if you sweat a lot) a day.  Certain parts of our body do smell more than others, so pay particular attention to the armpits, groin and feet as they have many sweat producing glands.   Wash your clothes thoroughly at as high a temperature as possible and dry them quickly.  You should also change into fresh clothes each time unless you want to smell yesterday’s sweat.

 

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Smelly, My Foot!

Smelly feet may occur as a result of excessive perspiration on the feet. Perspiration itself is odourless, until it comes into contact with bacteria on the skin.

 

“Other than perspiration,” explained Dr Chris Foo, Consultant Dermatologist with Raffles Skin Centre, “smelly feet can also be due to fungal infection or bacterial infection. Infection by a Clostridium bacteria causes ‘pits’ on the sole of the feet together with an unpleasant smell – a condition known as pitted keratolysis.”

 

Excessive perspiration can be treated by topical anti-perspirants such as Driclor, or by iontophoresis – a method of introducing ionized drugs into the skin with the help of a current. Invasive methods include BOTOX and Sympathectomy.

 

Both fungal infection and bacterial infection are treated with creams or even tablets if severe.

 

Dr Foo also advises that sufferers should consider seeing a doctor should anti-perspirants not help in controlling perspiration adequately, or if the odour is associated with a rash or pits on the soles of the feet.

 

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Skin Care Basics

Men tend to think that skincare is for women. Dr Foo disagrees, “Yes, men do need to cleanse and moisturise.  You should also use a toner if your skin is oily.”

 

Here are some bad news for men who love the sun and the bronze glow on their skin that comes with time out in the sun: ultraviolet light exposure can and will age your skin prematurely. “Sunblock is crucial to prevent and slow down photoageing,” said Dr Foo, “as well as chances of getting the big C – skin cancer.”

 

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or 30 let you enjoy the sun fifteen to thirty times longer than without protection. Lower SPF products are best when you plan not to spend more than 10 minutes outside during peak UV hours.

 

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Flicking the Flakes

Are you avoiding dark tops due to dandruff?

 

Dandruff is a common problem and can be caused by seborrhoeic eczema, psoriasis or fungal infection.

 

“Of which, seborrhoeic eczema is the commonest cause for dandruff in the patients seen,” said Dr Foo. “It is thought to be caused due to extra sensitivity to fungus which normally lives on our scalp.  Many people have this chronic scalp condition, which can be rather distressing because of the itching and flaking associated with it.  It is possible to control this chronic condition, although some patience and persistence is required.”

 

If you are only experiencing mild itch and flaking, choosing to use a medicated antifungal shampoo is usually good enough to treat the problem.  However, if the condition is more severe, you may need a steroid lotion from a dermatologist.

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Keep Your Hair On

The best time to start looking for help for your thinning hair problem is now. “With hair loss treatments,” said Dr Foo, “the earlier the treatment is started – the better the result.”
 

Pattern hair loss has been largely thought to be associated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT - a hormone found in our body that can shrink hair follicles) and family history.

 

Another common cause for hair loss is alopecia areata. Said Dr Foo, “This has been thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly treats its hair follicles as foreign tissue and suppresses or stops hair growth.  The actual cause is still unknown. Hair will generally grow back but the condition may recur.  Some people may be severely affected and lose all their hair and the chances of hair rowing back in such cases is lower.”

 

Treatments for hair loss include over-the-counter medications, prescription medications injections and even immuno-therapy depending on the cause of hair loss.  Sufferers should seek help from their doctor as soon as possible for best results.

  

Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group

Dated: May 2011

 

 

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