Monday, July 28, 2008

And here's what you should eat to delay aging!!

What foods to avoid to prevent aging and wrinkles

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Simple tips for aging,allergies and general skin care


Someone rightly said,"skin is the reflection of your inner self".Skin is like a mirror of your health and habits. Many health problems are reflected by telltale signs on the skin. just a small example,If you have spoon shaped nails there is a high chance you are anemic(low haemoglobin in blood).There are many many others.My focus for this article is not to teach you medical terminology but to focus on easily preventable skin problems by using simple tips that you can use safely without medical supervision.

WRINKLES & LAUGH LINES
Starting with wrinkles and laugh lines.If you have wrinkles on forehead there can be multiple reasons for it.I will try to focus on aspects that you can take care of easily.
Sunlight-Excessive skin exposure can cause skin aging prematurely.Wear a suitable sunscreen when u are outdoors. If you have too many lines around your eyes called 'crow-feet' one reason could be looking directly in sunlight.As you try to close eyes due to bright light wrinkling occurs around the eyes.With time they form permanent lines.This can be easily avoided by wearing dark glasses in the sun.

Post Menopausal - Menopause is a time of hormonal changes of the body.wrinkling is just one aspect of it. medically prescribed hormone replacement therapy is also not prescribed beyond 5 years after menopause.Soyabean is a natural source of female hormone estrogen which can be included in diet if you are post menopause.Many skin creams are also being manufactured that include Soya as its ingredient.

Wrong method of applying cream there is a video on this blog about home facial techniques.It you use it even for applying cream daily on your face it will be very beneficial.Do not use random strokes while applying cream. It will only promote new lines on your face.

Dehydration-I keep mentioning this point repeatedly because this is the most preventable aspect of wrinkilng phenomenon.

ALLERGIC REACTIONS
skin can be allergic to anything and everything.Medicine being a common cause.Others can be metal jewellery, hair dyes, bleaches , cosmetics (including nail polish!) ,creams etc
Here are some tips to avoid allergic reaction on your skin.
1.If you have a history of allergies (allergic rhinitis,asthma,allergic dermatitis) then be careful while trying a new cosmetic.
2.Always tell your doctor about your allergies while taking a new prescription.Many reactions can be really dangerous!
3.Many products like bleaches advice you to do a patch test on small area of skin before using.Never skip this step.
4.Never apply a product on a sensitive area of skin like lips,undereyes,forearm,thighs unless it mentions that it is safe to use it there.

SKIN CANCERS
if you notice a change in
color
size
shape
suface
bleeding
of any mole on your body do not ignore it.It could be a melanma(a type of skin cancer).

VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES
Skin vitamins are Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Vitamin B.Out of there only vitamin B and C should be taken without prescription.Vitamin E is being included in many skin creams and is safe to use it that way.Vitamin A should be taken only on a doctor's prescription.
Problems like drying scaly skin,cracking of mouth angles are taken care of by Vitamin B.
Vitamin C is particularly useful if you have a healing scar/scars such as acne scars.But once the scars have already healed it will not help.Vitamin A & E take care of skin maintainance.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Dont squeeze your Pimple!

As most of my readers keep asking me "whats the harm in popping a pimple?", I thought of putting up a whole article on it here.Let me begin by asking you why you squeeze your pimple.most common reason is that it disappears fast if you squeeze it....right?

Now let me tell you what happens when you squeeze a pimple.
Pimple(acne) is a skin infection caused by propionibacterium acnes predisposed by oiliness of face and increased androgen secretion in the body.Because it is a bacterial infection squeezing it causes thousands of bacteria to spill over your skin and pass into the blood circulation promoting pimples over other areas of your face.So this simply means if you have one pimple and you squeeze it then you are likely to get some more.

Moreover a pimple has associated inflammation with it.Squeezing a pimple promotes inflammation and also causes darkening of the skin around the pimple as you step out in the sun.This is called hyperpigmentation.It may take a while for this pigmentation to go.

The blackhead or the white head that you squeeze leaves the area injured that heals with a scar often making the pore bigger with poor elasticity making them look larger.It is one of the reason of having large pores on skin.

Now next time you see an ugly pimple on your face be patient to get consultation from a dermatologist and don't squeeze it right away.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

What you did not know about Shampoos!

Here are some interesting facts about shampoos.Most of the hair problems you are facing may be due to the wrong choice of shampoo or your way of using it.

1.The most common ingredient of a shampoo is a detergent base.This is how it cleans your scalp and hair.The main function and in my opinion the only function of a shampoo is to clean your hair.

2.Many herbal shampoos sold in the market have just 1-2% of herbal ingredients. Hence most of them are still synthetic.

3.Do not change your shampoo very frequently if you want to prevent hair fall.Once you find a suitable shampoo for you hair stick to it!

4.Even if you have a big bottle of shampoo with you ,don't use more than required amount because it will wash off the natural oils from your hair making then rough and dry.Hmm now you know why you got those split ends on your hair tips :(

5.Do not shampoo your hair too frequently.It will promote dryness and split ends.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Tips and Tricks to look ten years younger without plastic surgery


Appearances can be deceptive....hmm turn it around to mean you can make your appearance seem younger without the need for any plastic surgery or expensive chemical treatments.Read on..
1.If you keep your hair short they look more heavy.This should work specially if your hair have thinned out and you still have them long like you used to have them ten years back.

2.For fine lines on your skin the immediate help is to use a concealer of one tone lighter than your skin and blend it in using a foundation.However a long term solution would be to get a regular facial done.A good facial help to prevent sagging of your face and will actually lift your face to some extent.

3.Dress in a darker color if you want to hide bulges on your body.But some dresses can actually make your curves prominent for example slacks! a big no no if you are plus size.

4.A lot of women have a problem of weight gain after they have lost it.You can maintain your figure if you simply sit erect and keep your abdomen and back aligned.This will allow your abdominal muscles to push back your internal organs and prevent a bulging belly.

5.If you are short in height and have put on weight you should add height to your appearance by wearing heels.But do not try this if you suffer from arthritis.

6.Beware of overdone make-up.Too much of make up to hide your facial flaws ends up making your face look like a mask....eeh phony!

7.This last tip is for ladies who have some fat around the face making it look chubby.To give better definition to your chin and jawline use Yoga neck exercises.Ask a yoga practitioner to teach you these exercises.By defining your jaw you will have a slimmer appearance.Slim face people definitely appear slimmer no matter what !

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

How to keep your lips red and soft?


Lips have very delicate skin and need to maintained for a beautiful smile.If your lips are dark,cracked or dry it time to give 5 minutes to your lips.

Here are some useful tips for maintaining the beauty of your lips:


1.Quit smoking !! Yes you heard me right.Smoking darken your lips.


2.If you use lipstick regularly make sure you bye a good brand.Just like your eyes your lips have very delicate skin and lipsticks are ofcource chemicals.Make sure you cleanse your lips with a cream based moisturiser every night before sleep.


3.Too hot liquids like tea,coffee,cocoa also darken your lips.Just like teeth lips are also sensitive to temperature


4.Make sure you keep your lips clean....don't forget to wipe then after eating!


5.Keep your lips well moisturised using a chap stick specially in winters.


If you already have dark lips you can try this simple to use remedy:


Take a small amount of milk cream and add lemon juice to it.Massage your lips with it for 5-10 minutes and wash it with water.It will remove darkness and make them red,soft and moist.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Understanding Acne

Thursday, May 15, 2008

10 Step Night Routine For Clear & Flawless Skin

Throughout the day your skin attracts enough dirt to deserve some cleansing at night before going to sleep. Night is the best time to cleanse the pores because next 8 hours of sleep will allow your skin to restore to its normal texture and prepare it to face next day's dust and grease!

To cleanse your skin :
1.Start by washing your face with soap and cold water.Cold water improves the blood circulation on face by bringing in pure blood to the skin and removing impure blood .If your skin is oily use an oil eliminating soap for better results.


2.Take a piece of ripe papaya and rub it lightly over face and neck.Papaya has natural enzyme called papain that helps to loosen up the dead cells from your skin.So it is the best exfoliating agent that one can use regularly.Leave the papaya pulp on your face for 10 minutes and wash it with water.

3.Cleanse your skin using a cream based cleanser if your skin is normal/dry.Do not use it if your skin is oily.Instead you can use an oil eliminating cleanser .Best one available in market is Neutrogena.

4.After Cleansing use a toner to close the pores that we opened during cleansing.If you are afraid of using too many chemicals on your face try using an ice cube on your skin.It works like a toner and closed your skin pores.

5.Now apply a night cream/moisturiser on your face and neck using 'Facial strokes'.....if you don't know what this means ....give me some time...i will soon write a whole article on it.For now just apply it as you do daily.

6.If you use computer for long hours during the day.This is specially for you.With finger tips massage circularly around your eyes using olive oil.This will help curing dark circles and improve your sleep too.

7.Apply some Vaseline or moisturiser on your lips and hands too.

8.Cleanse your elbows and knees using a scrub(facial scrub).This is the part that attracts most of the dust during the day .

9.If you wear sandals during the day apply some Vaseline on the back of your heels to prevent them from drying/cracking.

10.Now take 2 minutes for your hair.Use your comb to remove any knots in hair.Using comb run it on your scalp gently so that it touches your scalp all the way down till the neck while you are combing.Now you will ask how is it different from combing.This method helps to improve the blood circulation on your scalp and will help in boosting hair growth in the follicle.
****Good night!*****

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Therapy for lifeless,thin and falling hair

Falling and lifeless thin hair...common hair problems that can be prevented and treated.No!...i am not talking about the latest shampoo with conditioner in market.

Use oil to massage your scalp with your finger tips for 15-20 minutes twice a week.
1.Massage improves blood circulation and helps to enhance growth in the hair follicles.
2.It will make your hair stronger and prevent breakage
3.Oil is a natural conditioner .If used 1 hour before a hair wash it will make your hair soft and shiny after hair wash.

After you wash your hair wrap a towel dipped in warm water on your hair.It will help to restore the moisture in your hair by its steaming effect.


If falling hair or dandruff is your main concern then take lemon juice in a bowl and massage your scalp with it before hair wash.It can cause some tingling sensation but it is normal.

This will make your hair strong,shiny and well hydrated to the tip.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Treatment for Dark Circles


Dark Circles is not just a cosmetic problem.It occurs due to stasis of blood around the eyes being reflected as dark blue/brown.It offen occues due to eye strain, lack of sleep,allergic rhinitis.

1.The most important step is to get a sound sleep of atleast 8 hrs every day.


2.If you are a computer user make sure you take a break in between if you are using computer for long hours.

3.Make sure your are wearing correct power glasses for near/distant vision.This will avoid eye strain.

4.Putting cotton pads soaked in cold water on ur eyes is a good way of refreshing the eyes.

5.Apply cucumber juice on the dark circles for 5 min regularly and wash off with water.

6.Refigerate round slices of cucumber and place them on your closed eyes for the cooling and relaxing effect.

7.Daily massage with oil(olive oil) can help improve the blood circulation around eyes and relieve dark circles.

8.Skn around the eyes is very sensitive.Try to avoid contact with scrubs , chemical peels or packs on the skin around eyes.

However the best is to treat them....for a quick cover up a good make up can help.Watch the tips on this video

Thursday, May 1, 2008

How to do a Facial Massage

Glowing skin in 5 minutes!


Try out these very easy to use recipies for glow on skin:

1.Just apply some pure honey..n keep it for 5 min..and wash it off..ur skin will b glowing fresh and smooth.

2.Mix honey with lemon jucie....apply on ur skin for 5 minutes...your skin will be great !

3.Daily cleansing, toning, moisturising and sun protection will also keep your skin soft ,supple and glowing.

4.Drink a lot of water daily.Water is something that keeps your complete system fine and allows proper hydration of cells so that skin does not wrinkle.

5.Maltani mitti with chandan powder face pack/mask helps in controlling pimples and keeps skin clear.

6. Apply an ice cube on face once or twice a day. it acts as a toner of sorts that helps close pores.

7. in case ur open pores secrete oil too then apply pack of multani mitti mixed with curd for drying but if ur not old enough to have wrinkles on ur face avoid drying,remove it before it is dry with gentle scrubbing.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Dark skin of neck and armpits-no problem!


Even if you have a spotless face it can be a problem if skin colour of face does not matches with neck colour.How to remove this darkness over the skin around neck.Even if you often bleach your neck still it doesnt work because bleaches only lighten the hair color.Here is a simple solution-This recipe is good in whitening dark underarms and neck.


You will need:Lemons,Cucumber,Turmeric


Procedure:

1.Extract lemon juice and cucumber juice.

2.Mix them together with a pinch of turmeric.

3.Apply to neck or underarms daily and leave this for 20 minutes.

4.Then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.


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How to get rid of forehead lines?

You can try using honey on your forehead..Daily massage honey with your fingers by giving upwards strokes for 2 mins..keep it for 10- 15 mins and then wash it with water. Always keep your face specially forehead moisturized..Continue this atleast for 2 weeks..It may help you in reducing the fine-line on your forehead.

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Skin Cancer Symptoms, cure, and Prevention

Despite the medical evidence available on skin cancer, our society insists on tanning beds and sunbathing without using the proper protection, as we can find many youth and teenagers spending long times in the harmful and burning sun rays that what makes them the suffer a lot from Skin Cancer. But the good news is that Skin Cancer is considered the easiest form of cancer and you can overcome it by spotting it in time. There are two forms of Skin Cancer, melanomas and non-melanomas. Melanomas usually account for only four percent of diagnosed skin cancers, and it occurs in the epidermis, the skins outer layer, usually appearing as a dark mole with uneven edges but they are considered to be the most deadly. Non-melanomas, on the other hand, are comprised of two different cell types, basal cells and squamous cells. Both of these cells are caused from sun exposure.

Skin cancer symptoms vary from individual to individual as to which chemical, or substance causes allergic reactions. The tumor in the epidermis, caused by skin cancer, is always clearly visible, making diagnosis slightly easier than in other cases of cancer. Skin Cancer patient may encounter Rough and scaly patches on the skin, A sore or spot that bleeds or become crusty, a small lump that is shiny, waxy, pale in color, and smooth in texture.

Skin protection is very important and easy; off course there is no excuse not to prevent it. You have to protect every member in your family even young babies, try to find shady areas when you take them outside to play and be sure they have the proper protection on.Children and people with fair skin need to be using a higher protection factor than other people Skin protection doesnt mean to avoid sun forever, but you have to be reasonable and be careful while dealing with the sun. Sensitive areas like lips, nose, palms, and the back of your hand should be sufficiently protected while exposure to sun.
When out in the sun do not forget to protect your face. Applying lotion to the ears, nose and neck will help to protect those sensitive areas from the sun.Sunscreen is recommended as a form of protection against the sun. Of course, your self-examinations should be in addition to an annual doctors exam; doctors trained eyes often spot skin cancer even quicker than you do.


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Friday, April 18, 2008

How to improve your appearance?

Now that you have come to this blog surely reflects that you are determined to look your best.So lets get started:
These are some very simple steps that can help you add to your looks.Let us go head-to-toe so that we don't miss out anything.

1.Hair Style:You have a haircut that suits your facial bone structure.It can make your face look slimmer if you are overweight.Short hair are manageable if you are working and cannot spend too much time on hair care.Summer is another good reason to go for shorter hair.

2.Eye brows:Neatly done eye brows look good and make you look fresh.Though Americans may use wax to trim them,threading is a popular Indian way catching up among Americans too.Length and thickness of eyebrows can change the look of your face completely!

3.Dress:Never wear a light top if you are overweight as it will define the bulged more clearly.However a very loose top will make you look fatter as well.So the trick is to wear dark colored tight fit tops made out of fabrics that do not cling too much too the skin.If however you are very thin try some loose tops in lighter shades.

If you choose a loose top make sure your pants or skirt fit well and opposite applies for tight fit tops.

4:Shoes:Shoes can do a lot of trick in adding height to your look if you are short .But make sure you don't wear too high heals as they can be dangerous and cause ligament injury.shoes must match your dress and occasion as well but according to me comfort is the bottom line.

5.Accessories:Keep it simple unless it is a party or a date.Too much cling-cling or piercing creates a bad impression.I prefer accessories that add to the look and don't look an extra!

6.Make up and skin care:Wear make up that suits the occasion and make sure you remove it soon after you return home!


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Body Piercing can be dangerous!


Body piercing has become increasingly trendy.People see it as a fashion statement nowadays.Though it may give a sense of adventure to some, body piercing has a downside to it.

Following are some of the risks involved with body piercing:
1.excessive bleeding(specially in patients of clotting disorder)
2.Infection (not only simple bacterial ones but dangerous ones like HIV due to improperly sterilized instruments)
3.Swelling
4.Skin dimpling
5.hypertrophic scar or keloids
6.Risk of swallowing the stud(tongue piercing or lip piercing)
Next time you choose to look trendy check out some artificial jewellery that can be worn without actual piercing.They are harmless and will give the same look as pierced ones



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