Puffy eyes -- when the skin under your eyes appears swollen or "puffed out" -- is a common but often distressing skin problem. Usually, these "bags" are caused by a buildup of fluids beneath the skin, also known as water retention, that is...
Carrots are good for the skin because of their high vitamin A and beta-carotene content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 1 cup provides 16,679 IUs of beta-carotene, which is equivalent to about 686 percent of the recommended daily...
Selenium is a mineral that lives in the soil and is taken up by plants. When you eat selenium-containing plants, your body absorbs some of the selenium and uses it for some essential functions. Though selenium is an important mineral for health,...
Carcinoma is a term covering cancers that originate in epithelial tissues and spread to the surrounding area. Since epithelial cells are in the internal cavities of the body, on the skin and in the lining of all glandular tissues, carcinoma makes...
Cancer is a significant health problem in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimated that the United States would have almost 1.5 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2009--and that estimate does not even include nonmelanoma...
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer in the United States, with 2.8 million new cases each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Although it's hardly ever fatal, untreated cancers can be disfiguring, and even when...
Selenium is a trace mineral found in water, soil and some foods. Deficiency in most of the United States is rare, but it is fairly common in areas where soil content of the mineral is low, according to the National Institutes of Health. Plant...
The disease process begins when something foreign enters the body, such as a bacterial or viral substance, or when a body system, such as the circulatory, respiratory or digestive system, do not function correctly. Causes of disease include...
In 2010, approximately 1 million people will be diagnosed with some type of nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. People who develop certain types of skin cancer, such as actinic keratoses and superficial basal cell...
Selenium, a trace mineral required by your body in minute amounts, can have harmful effects if taken in excess. Selenium was considered a poison when discovered in 1817, according to the University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter. Your...
Skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic, is the abnormal growth of skin cells. Treatment depends on the type of skin cancer, how deep it is and how widespread the cancer is in the body. Multiple small superficial skin cancers might be able to be...
Non-infectious diseases are disease processes that do not have a bacterial or viral origin. Compared to infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases are not contagious or communicable. Non-infectious diseases such as cancers and heart disease are...
Safe and effective use of sunblock, or sunscreen, is key to preventing damage from the sun's rays. You will increase your chance of developing skin cancer by leaving your skin unprotected while exposed to the sun. The sun causes more than 1...
In the United States, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. A 2005 study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" showed that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetimes. Ultraviolet radiation...
Sun exposure is the No. 1 cause of visible skin-aging. Sun damage speeds up skin's aging process, resulting in wrinkles, uneven pigmentation and certain types of skin cancer. Many over-the-counter lotions and creams claim to reverse the signs of...
Skin ulcers typically occur when an underlying condition compromises the health of the affected skin. Problems with venous or arterial blood flow account for the majority of skin ulcers. Skin cancer may also present as ulcerations of the skin....
Cancer is the uncontrolled and abnormal growth of the cells that can develop in any organ of the body. The exact cause of cancer is unknown, although many factors, such as alcohol, obesity, radiation, infection, occupational exposures to certain...
Skin tags are benign, harmless growths on the uppermost surface of the skin. They are generally flesh-colored bumps attached to the skin by thin stalks. According to Mayo Clinic, skin tags most often occur in skin folds that receive a large amount...
Cancer salves have been used in alternative medicine as a treatment for skin cancer for over 100 years. They began to fall into disfavor with the rise in the popularity of allopathic medicine at the beginning of the 20th century. Cancer salves are...
Overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can severely damage your skin, possibly causing melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. Aside from protecting your skin from the sun using sunscreen lotions, certain plants contain...
For over a century, black salves have been used in alternative medicine as a topical treatment for skin cancers. With the rise of allopathic medicine at the start of the 20th century, however, the use of escharotic, or caustic, salves began to...
Retinol, the popular ingredient found in drugstore and high-end antiaging skin products, promises to turn back time on your skin, or so as the cosmetic industries claim. It's not difficult to obtain retinol as you can get them from your foods,...
The abnormal growth of skin cells is called skin cancer, and this usually although not always occurs in skin exposed to sunlight. You can reduce your risk of getting skin cancer by limiting your exposure to ultraviolet light and wearing sunscreen....
Bloodroot, native to the eastern portion of North America, is traditionally used to treat skin cancer and many other ailments, from coughs to bone weakness and infections. While its history of use is long, this remedy is far from proven for any...
Caffeine can affect your skin in a variety of ways, some good and some bad. For example, caffeine can cause wrinkles and exacerbate acne, but it may also help protect against skin cancer. Frequent coffee drinkers are most likely to experience...
Ayurveda, and ancient system of Indian medicine, relies heavily on food supplements, including herbs. According to a 2010 review in the "Journal of Japanese History of Pharmacy," the pioneers of Ayurveda studied more than 1,000 herbs. Many of...
Borage oil and black seed oil have similar characteristics, as well as unique properties. Both oils are obtained from the seed of their respective plants and contain high levels of anti-inflammatory fatty acids. These plants are unrelated,...
Selenium is a trace mineral, meaning that it is required in very small quantities for good health. Selenium is used by the thyroid gland and is important to the proper functioning of the immune system. It is involved in antioxidant defenses...
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, basal cell skin cancer is not only the most common skin cancer, it is the most common of all cancers. More than one-third of all new cancers are skin cancers; and the majority of these cases are basal cell...