Lichen is a skin disease that is common enough. The reasons for the development of such an ailment are completely different. However, its nature remains unchanged and is infectious. It is transmitted lichen not only from person to person, but also from the animal. It is our smaller brothers who are the main carriers of the disease. So what is lichen and how to deal with it?
What is a disease?
Lichen is not one, but a whole group of skin diseases that are not dependent on the etiology. Such ailments are characterized by scaly rashes, papules or spots.
At the moment, there are several varieties of this disease. Lichen can be pink, color, pityriasis, asbestos, and so on. All of these varieties are accompanied, as a rule, by severe itching. In this case, signs of lichen may appear throughout the body. A specific spot localization spots does not exist.
Asbestos versicolor
Asbestos lichen is a disease that affects primarily the hair and skin of the head. Such an ailment is characterized by a peculiar peeling with limited contours of spots. The reasons for the development of such a disease have not yet been established.
Such lichen acquired its name precisely because of the spots, or rather, because of their appearance. They resemble fibers of stone flax, asbestos. Peeling affects not only the skin, but also the hair. At the same time, most of the strong scales, which have a whitish-gray tint and fit tightly to each other, cover the parietal part of the head and forehead. Very rarely, such lichen is able to affect the skin in the neck. Separating such scales from hair is almost impossible.
Due to asbestos depriving, the curls become too brittle. They lose their luster, but do not break off. Each hair is individually covered with its white case. As a rule, such a disease is accompanied by severe itching. But in some cases, such a symptom may not occur. Most often, adolescents and children suffer from the disease.
How to treat such lichen
Signs of lichen, the photo of which is presented above, allow you to determine the variety and prescribe adequate therapy. To combat such an ailment, the doctor can prescribe salicylic-sulfur-tar tar ointment 3 or 5% or sulfur-salicylic composition 2%. In some cases, Skin-cap ointment is prescribed.
During the treatment of asbestos lichen, a course of multivitamins, Aevita, vitamins B 12 and B 6 is prescribed. In addition to traditional medicine, you can use folk remedies. They are no less effective. However, if there are signs of an ailment, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Folk remedies against asbestos lichen
How to overcome asbestos lichen? What kind of disease is described above? To combat the disease, you can use not only medicines, but also folk remedies.
For cooking, you will need 100 grams of lard, 50 grams of bone marrow, 2 grams of benzoic and salicylic acid. The components should be melted in a water bath, stirring regularly. The mass should become homogeneous. After this, the composition should be removed from the water bath and cool.
You need to apply the product on the affected areas of the hair and skin of the head. In conclusion, it is worth putting on a cap of rubber or wrap everything with plastic wrap. After two hours, the mass should be washed off with ordinary soap. The procedure is recommended once every 7 days.
Also, for the treatment of asbestos lichen, you can use products from plant components. To do this, mix in a ratio of one to one castor oil and tincture of calendula. From the components should be an emulsion. Rub the finished drug in the affected areas up to three times a week. Two hours after application, the product should be washed off using ordinary soap.
Pityriasis versicolor
Pityriasis versicolor is a disease that is also called colored or multi-colored. This variety is able to spread to all parts of the body where hair follicles are present. Symptoms of lichen are brown or yellow-pink spots. Initially, they are very small. However, after some time, the spots begin to increase in size, merging with each other. As a result of this, an affected area with a scalloped edge is formed.
It is worth noting that the scaly surface of infected skin is practically not noticeable. Scales appear only when scraping. Pityriasis versicolor is a slightly contagious fungal disease of the skin.
Spots most often occur in the abdomen, back, shoulders and chest. Very rarely they can be seen in the neck and head. Such lichen does not affect the skin of the feet and hands. With such an ailment, the patient practically does not feel discomfort. In some cases, mild itching occurs.
Traditional medicine against pityriasis versicolor
How to cure such lichen? It is possible to use agents for external use for the treatment of such a disease. As a rule, a doctor recommends treating affected areas of the skin with 3 or 5% salicylic alcohol before applying a special ointment. This will not only clean the surface, but also slightly dry it.
After that, the sites are treated with Wilkinson's ointment or sulfuric with a concentration of the main component of 10%. Oral drugs may also be prescribed. Usually, with such a lichen, they prescribe Neotigason or Undetsin.
Will folk remedies help
What lichen can be cured with folk remedies? As practice shows, anyone, since the nature of their origin is the same. To overcome pityriasis versicolor, it is worth using the following drugs:
- To prepare the product, you need to peel, chop and mash fresh onions. From the resulting mass, squeeze the juice. Use the drug is only fresh. Onion juice should treat the affected areas once a day.
- For the treatment of such deprivation, many use "paper fat". This is the resin that is released when the material is burned. To obtain this component, you need to fold a sheet of white paper with a funnel. The open end of this design is placed up on a plate, and then set on fire. As a result, a yellow liquid should form. It is carefully removed and then applied to the affected areas once a day. The course lasts until the lichen disappears completely.
Pink lichen: signs
The treatment of such an ailment is time-consuming. Pink lichen is a fairly common variety. Such a disease, many attribute to viral. At risk are people whose age is from 20 to 40 years. The development and spread of pink lichen is characterized by high speed and severity.
On the patient’s skin, pink-yellow or light red spots usually appear, having a round or oval shape. The diameter of the affected areas may initially be from 1 to 2 centimeters. Spots may rise slightly above the skin. Moreover, in the center of such a section may have a small fold. The peeling is pityriate and subtle. On the edges of the spots have a pink-red corolla, which is free from scales.
Features of pink lichen
Most often, this type of lichen affects the skin in the limbs and trunk, without affecting the face, feet and hands. Before the appearance of rashes, in about 7 days, a "mother plaque" is formed. This pink spot is round in shape, the diameter of which is 3-4 centimeters. After some time, the center of the plaque becomes yellowish. In this case, peeling appears.
With the occurrence of profuse rashes, the remaining signs of the disease may appear, including fever, malaise, general weakness and so on. In this case, the patient feels severe itching.
What is prescribed for pink lichen
Signs of lichen pink do not allow it to be confused with other varieties. This greatly speeds up the diagnostic process. With the development of such an ailment, a patient may be prescribed corticosteroid creams, including Flucinar, Lorinden, Sinalar, and so on.
With such an ailment, antibiotics are mandatory. Most often prescribed Oletetrin, Amoxicillin. In addition, the doctor can prescribe drugs that have a desensitizing effect: Suprastin, Diphenhydramine. Calcium is also often prescribed: either gluconate or chloride.
How to overcome pink lichen folk remedies
Such lichen in animals is extremely rare. Most often, it is transmitted from person to person. You can cure a similar ailment with folk remedies:
- Fresh leaves of cabbage should be greased with sour cream, and then applied to the affected areas of the skin. When the compress has dried, it should be replaced with a fresh one.
- Euphorbia is worth squeezing the juice from the plant, and then grease the affected area with it.
- It copes well with pink deprive calendula ointment. It can be purchased ready-made at the pharmacy or prepared independently. For this, the dried flowers of the plant are ground into powder. 10 grams of this mass should be mixed with 50 grams of petroleum jelly. The components must be mixed until smooth. Apply the finished composition twice a day: in the evening and in the morning.
Other recipes for lichen
Alternative medicine is recommended to be used in combination with medicines. This will achieve a faster result. Some recipes have a deep history. The following are considered the most effective:
- Buckwheat. To combat lichen, it is recommended to wipe all affected areas of the skin with a decoction of this cereal. To prepare the product, buckwheat needs to be boiled in water without salt. For 1 part of the cereal, two parts of the liquid are required.
- A tear of grape. This is the juice that, when broken, flows from the vine of this plant. It is with this liquid that lichen should be lubricated. This method of therapy has been known since the time of Avicenna: approximately the first century BC.
- Yeast cakes. The course of therapy is 5 days. For treatment, a regular yeast dough is required. Small cakes are rolled from it, and then they are applied to the affected areas for about two hours.
- Creamy tar. To begin with, it is worth preparing a kind of ointment. To do this, in equal parts you need to mix butter and pure tar. The finished composition should be applied to the fabric, and then attached to the lichen. It is recommended to do such a compress for the whole night.
- Burdock treatment. From a felt variety of burdock, it is necessary to prepare a decoction or infusion. In the finished product, a piece of tissue or gauze is wetted, and then applied to the skin affected by lichen.
In conclusion
Pityriasis, pink, asbestos and sheared lichen can be cured with folk remedies. However, do not forget about visiting a doctor. Indeed, self-medication in some cases can aggravate the condition of the patient. Therefore, if spots occur on the skin, you should immediately consult a doctor to diagnose the disease. After careful research, the doctor will prescribe the necessary therapy. It is not recommended to start lichen, in the early stages it can be cured much easier.