Virtually all medicines for the skin are topical or systemic. The topical medicines are applied directly into the affected area of the skin. The systemic drugs are ingested orally or injected and distributed throughout the body. On rare occasions, when you need a high concentration of a drug in the affected area, the doctor may inject a drug just under the skin, this procedure is called intradermal injection.

Some medicines for the skin require a prescription, others can be purchased without a prescription. Although generally are considered safer than those that require a prescription, OTC medicines should be used with caution. Implementing the wrong medication can worsen a disease skin or hide symptoms, making diagnosis more difficult for the doctor.

Topical preparations
The active substances (drugs) from a topical preparation are mixed with (suspended in) a vehicle (an inert carrier of the medication). . Consequently, among the topical preparations, the formulation and consistency vary widely. It is the vehicle that determines the strength of the product and makes the active compounds remain on the surface or penetrate the skin (if the preparation is thick and oily and watery or light). Depending on the vehicle used, the preparation will be an ointment, cream, lotion, a solution, a powder or a gel. Read the rest of this entry »

The skin is not only a protective layer. It is a system that regulates body temperature, perceives the stimuli of pain and pleasure, does not allow certain substances enter the body and represents a protective barrier against the harmful effects of the sun. The color, texture and the folds of the skin to help identify the individuals. Any disruption in the operation or the appearance of the skin may have significant consequences for the physical and mental health.

Each layer of the skin meets a specific task. The outer layer, the epidermis, is finer, in most parts of the body, a plastic film. The top of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, containing keratin, is made up of remnants of dead cells and protects the skin from harmful substances. At the bottom of the epidermis are the melanocytes, cells that produce melanin (the dark pigment of the skin).

Beneath the epidermis is located the dermis, which contains pain and touch receptors, whose ramifications reach the surface of the skin and various glands function of the same: sweat glands, which produce sweat, sebaceous glands, which produce tallow, and hair follicles, which cause hair. Also, inside the dermis, are blood vessels that provide nutrients and heat to the skin and nerves that branch off between the different layers of the same.

Below the dermis is a layer of fat that helps insulate the body of heat and cold. Read the rest of this entry »