Revitalize and Rebuild Your Skin with the Right Anti Aging Facial Skin Care

Stress and the environment, in addition to hormonal aging, can diminish the healthy appearance of skin. However, you can regain that youthful glow and revitalize and rebuild your skin. The secret is in using the right anti aging facial skin care products and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Rejuvenate and Promote Healthy Skin the Healthy Way

You can combat the signs of environmental and biological aging of your skin by finding and executing the right daily skin care plan. This should include cleansing your face with the right cleansers, moisturizing with the right anti aging cream, and a nutritious diet. You should also minimize your exposure to UV rays. In fact, the best anti aging facial skin care plan is a full body approach to wellness and health.

Your skin can begin losing moisture when you are in your twenties, so it is important to moisturize regularly. Your skin’s natural moisturizer continues to decrease as estrogen levels decrease, at which time you are losing collagen as well. So you are left with dry and dead skin cells in addition to thinner, sagging skin. This is why you must properly cleanse your face with the right anti aging facial skin care cleanser, removing dead skin cells and other impurities. Cleansing should be followed up with an anti aging facial skin care cream or serum that does not contain any harsh chemicals. If possible, you should opt for anti aging facial skin care products that contain natural ingredients only. These are easily absorbed and do not contain any toxins in support of your overall health. Your moisturizer should not only restore any moisture that has been lost, it should also promote the generation of new, healthy cells.

You deserve to feel great and young both inside and out, and a healthy lifestyle will allow you to do so. This requires a healthy, nutritious diet, which should be a part of every anti aging facial skin care plan. Stay away from fatty foods and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Just as you should nourish your skin with the beneficial natural ingredients from the outside, you should nourish your body and skin with natural foods you take in. The right food and plenty of water will keep your body healthy and your skin moisturized and vibrant. With the proper nutrition, you can help your body, as well as your skin maintain its youthful appearance by fighting the free radicals that can be so damaging.

Revitalize and Rebuild Your Skin with the Right Anti Aging Facial Skin Care

Stress and the environment, in addition to hormonal aging, can diminish the healthy appearance of skin. However, you can regain that youthful glow and revitalize and rebuild your skin. The secret is in using the right anti aging facial skin care products and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Rejuvenate and Promote Healthy Skin the Healthy Way

You can combat the signs of environmental and biological aging of your skin by finding and executing the right daily skin care plan. This should include cleansing your face with the right cleansers, moisturizing with the right anti aging cream, and a nutritious diet. You should also minimize your exposure to UV rays. In fact, the best anti aging facial skin care plan is a full body approach to wellness and health.

Your skin can begin losing moisture when you are in your twenties, so it is important to moisturize regularly. Your skin’s natural moisturizer continues to decrease as estrogen levels decrease, at which time you are losing collagen as well. So you are left with dry and dead skin cells in addition to thinner, sagging skin. This is why you must properly cleanse your face with the right anti aging facial skin care cleanser, removing dead skin cells and other impurities. Cleansing should be followed up with an anti aging facial skin care cream or serum that does not contain any harsh chemicals. If possible, you should opt for anti aging facial skin care products that contain natural ingredients only. These are easily absorbed and do not contain any toxins in support of your overall health. Your moisturizer should not only restore any moisture that has been lost, it should also promote the generation of new, healthy cells.

You deserve to feel great and young both inside and out, and a healthy lifestyle will allow you to do so. This requires a healthy, nutritious diet, which should be a part of every anti aging facial skin care plan. Stay away from fatty foods and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Just as you should nourish your skin with the beneficial natural ingredients from the outside, you should nourish your body and skin with natural foods you take in. The right food and plenty of water will keep your body healthy and your skin moisturized and vibrant. With the proper nutrition, you can help your body, as well as your skin maintain its youthful appearance by fighting the free radicals that can be so damaging.

Finding Natural Skin Care Cosmetics

There are natural skin care and cosmetic products on the market today that can be very helpful to people who have skin allergies or other problems that may prevent them from using makeup under normal circumstances. Although these products are usually more expensive than regular makeup, which is saying a lot since makeup is already expensive; the price is worth it to be able to wear makeup again without having detrimental effects. In addition, using natural herbal cosmetics and natural skin care products is also a way to eliminate harmful toxins that are absorbed into the skin or consumed accidentally from lipstick or glosses on the lips. Regular makeup only abides by the government's regulations for safe materials to have in makeup and other skin care products which are not as stringent as one might think. Unfortunately, these regulations still allow synthetic materials to be used in supposedly natural skin care and cosmetic products that have been shown to cause diseases, birth defects and cancer in some users.

Organic

The best natural skin care and cosmetic companies have agreed to uphold a higher standard in their products than is required by the government. These companies care that their products do not harm the environment and the women and men who use them. This is an especially important issue for women, since they are typically more concerned with a proper skin care regimen from the time they are a teenager. In addition, they put products on their face daily, from lotions to cosmetics, which soak into the skin throughout the day. If these products have chemicals in them that are toxic, they can cause lasting harm to the women who use them. If more women would think about the amount of materials that are used on their face daily, which soak in and are eaten inadvertently through the course of every day, they would likely rise up and force more companies who claim to have natural skin care and cosmetic products to live up to their claims and truly use materials that are not harmful.

The environment is helped by women choosing to use natural skin care and cosmetic products since these products do not cause the same detrimental issues that other products cause when washed into the water supply. Other products can cause reproductive issues as well as immune system issues in animals that live in or near water supplies. Women who choose natural skin care and cosmetic products help to prevent these issues.

Finding Natural Skin Care Cosmetics

There are natural skin care and cosmetic products on the market today that can be very helpful to people who have skin allergies or other problems that may prevent them from using makeup under normal circumstances. Although these products are usually more expensive than regular makeup, which is saying a lot since makeup is already expensive; the price is worth it to be able to wear makeup again without having detrimental effects. In addition, using natural herbal cosmetics and natural skin care products is also a way to eliminate harmful toxins that are absorbed into the skin or consumed accidentally from lipstick or glosses on the lips. Regular makeup only abides by the government's regulations for safe materials to have in makeup and other skin care products which are not as stringent as one might think. Unfortunately, these regulations still allow synthetic materials to be used in supposedly natural skin care and cosmetic products that have been shown to cause diseases, birth defects and cancer in some users.

Organic

The best natural skin care and cosmetic companies have agreed to uphold a higher standard in their products than is required by the government. These companies care that their products do not harm the environment and the women and men who use them. This is an especially important issue for women, since they are typically more concerned with a proper skin care regimen from the time they are a teenager. In addition, they put products on their face daily, from lotions to cosmetics, which soak into the skin throughout the day. If these products have chemicals in them that are toxic, they can cause lasting harm to the women who use them. If more women would think about the amount of materials that are used on their face daily, which soak in and are eaten inadvertently through the course of every day, they would likely rise up and force more companies who claim to have natural skin care and cosmetic products to live up to their claims and truly use materials that are not harmful.

The environment is helped by women choosing to use natural skin care and cosmetic products since these products do not cause the same detrimental issues that other products cause when washed into the water supply. Other products can cause reproductive issues as well as immune system issues in animals that live in or near water supplies. Women who choose natural skin care and cosmetic products help to prevent these issues.

Skin Warts and Your Beauty

Warts are very common. At anyone time something like ten per cent of the population will have a wart or two somewhere on their bodies. Warts are caused by viruses, they are infectious, and they seem to affect children more than adults (we tend to develop immunity to them as the years go by), and most of them will disappear without any treatment.

It is because warts tend to disappear by themselves that there are so many marvellous 'cures' available. Listen to tellers of old wives tales and you will discover that it is possible to get rid of warts by blowing on them nine times when the moon is full, by rubbing them with a slice of raw mea t and then burying it in the garden and by stroking the warts with a tortoiseshell cat's tail in the month of May.

Some of the more modern remedies are not much better and unless a wart is inconvenient, painful or particularly embarrassing it is best to leave it alone. It will probably disappear in time without leaving any scar.

Verrucas Warts that appear on the soles of the feet are, for some reason, known as verrucas and because they get trodden on quite a lot can be painful and annoying. It is worth taking some trouble to get rid of them. You can buy remedies containing salicylic acid from a pharmacist but do read the instructions very carefully and make sure that you do not get any of the application on healthy skin around the wart. It isn't sensible to try removing warts at home without first consulting your doctor.

The question of whether children with verrucas should be allowed into swimming baths always crops up when these warts are mentioned. The consensus of opinion seems to be that it is much more dangerous to stop children learning to swim than it is to let them into pools with verrucas on their feet. The best compromise is to cover the warts with a temporary protective coating, such as waterproof sticking plaster.

You should always see your doctor if you are not certain that what you have is a wart, if a wart changes color, grows in size or bleeds. Warty-looking growths can be malignant and, although this risk is slight, it must not be ignored.

Skin Warts and Your Beauty

Warts are very common. At anyone time something like ten per cent of the population will have a wart or two somewhere on their bodies. Warts are caused by viruses, they are infectious, and they seem to affect children more than adults (we tend to develop immunity to them as the years go by), and most of them will disappear without any treatment.

It is because warts tend to disappear by themselves that there are so many marvellous 'cures' available. Listen to tellers of old wives tales and you will discover that it is possible to get rid of warts by blowing on them nine times when the moon is full, by rubbing them with a slice of raw mea t and then burying it in the garden and by stroking the warts with a tortoiseshell cat's tail in the month of May.

Some of the more modern remedies are not much better and unless a wart is inconvenient, painful or particularly embarrassing it is best to leave it alone. It will probably disappear in time without leaving any scar.

Verrucas Warts that appear on the soles of the feet are, for some reason, known as verrucas and because they get trodden on quite a lot can be painful and annoying. It is worth taking some trouble to get rid of them. You can buy remedies containing salicylic acid from a pharmacist but do read the instructions very carefully and make sure that you do not get any of the application on healthy skin around the wart. It isn't sensible to try removing warts at home without first consulting your doctor.

The question of whether children with verrucas should be allowed into swimming baths always crops up when these warts are mentioned. The consensus of opinion seems to be that it is much more dangerous to stop children learning to swim than it is to let them into pools with verrucas on their feet. The best compromise is to cover the warts with a temporary protective coating, such as waterproof sticking plaster.

You should always see your doctor if you are not certain that what you have is a wart, if a wart changes color, grows in size or bleeds. Warty-looking growths can be malignant and, although this risk is slight, it must not be ignored.

Getting in Shape at a Minimum of Cost: Home Fitness Exercise

Not everyone knows that it is very possible to get in shape without buying expensive gym memberships that usually come with contracts that do not get used to their fullest extent as life changes, or even buying home fitness exercise equipment. Home fitness exercise merely takes a shifting of perspective so that the individuals see their house as full of exercise equipment already, not to mention the variety of activities that can be done for exercise out of doors.

Types of Exercise

There are a variety of home fitness exercises that individuals can do to increase their cardiovascular health at little to no cost. Going on a brisk walk for thirty minutes to an hour not only increases cardiovascular health, but it also allows individuals to enjoy the outdoors, a nice break from the office. For the more adventurous, these walks could be jogs or runs, possibly training for the next community fun run in order to give them the inspiration they need to continue the exercise. Either of these activities are great to do with friends or pets, which also helps with the motivation needed to continue.

For a minimal cost, individuals who live in colder climates and do not want to run or walk out of doors in the coldest of weather can buy a jump rope or an aerobics or yoga DVD to do their home fitness exercise for cardio vascular strength. These items cost anywhere from five to twenty dollars, which is less than a month's cost at a gym and usually lasts a lifetime. Jumping rope can get tedious, but putting on a favorite CD or flipping to a favorite TV station and cranking the volume can help the time pass quickly. In addition, individuals can do interval training, where they jump as fast as possible during commercials and then watch the show while doing stomach crunches or pushups.

In order to gain more strength, there are also great home fitness exercises that can be done using the furniture and tools that are in common households. For leg strength, individuals can do lunges across the living room or down the hallway, making sure that the front knee does not bend in front of the toes so that they do not injure their knees. In addition, they can do calf raises on any set of steps, holding onto the railing and lowering their heels as far as possible and then raising up on their toes as high as possible. These can be done with toes turned in, out or straight. For arm strength, individuals can do wall pushups, regular pushups, military pushups, pushups with their feet on a chair and hands on the floor, and dips with their hands on a chair for their triceps.

Visit Here for More Body Fitness Articles

Getting in Shape at a Minimum of Cost: Home Fitness Exercise

Not everyone knows that it is very possible to get in shape without buying expensive gym memberships that usually come with contracts that do not get used to their fullest extent as life changes, or even buying home fitness exercise equipment. Home fitness exercise merely takes a shifting of perspective so that the individuals see their house as full of exercise equipment already, not to mention the variety of activities that can be done for exercise out of doors.

Types of Exercise

There are a variety of home fitness exercises that individuals can do to increase their cardiovascular health at little to no cost. Going on a brisk walk for thirty minutes to an hour not only increases cardiovascular health, but it also allows individuals to enjoy the outdoors, a nice break from the office. For the more adventurous, these walks could be jogs or runs, possibly training for the next community fun run in order to give them the inspiration they need to continue the exercise. Either of these activities are great to do with friends or pets, which also helps with the motivation needed to continue.

For a minimal cost, individuals who live in colder climates and do not want to run or walk out of doors in the coldest of weather can buy a jump rope or an aerobics or yoga DVD to do their home fitness exercise for cardio vascular strength. These items cost anywhere from five to twenty dollars, which is less than a month's cost at a gym and usually lasts a lifetime. Jumping rope can get tedious, but putting on a favorite CD or flipping to a favorite TV station and cranking the volume can help the time pass quickly. In addition, individuals can do interval training, where they jump as fast as possible during commercials and then watch the show while doing stomach crunches or pushups.

In order to gain more strength, there are also great home fitness exercises that can be done using the furniture and tools that are in common households. For leg strength, individuals can do lunges across the living room or down the hallway, making sure that the front knee does not bend in front of the toes so that they do not injure their knees. In addition, they can do calf raises on any set of steps, holding onto the railing and lowering their heels as far as possible and then raising up on their toes as high as possible. These can be done with toes turned in, out or straight. For arm strength, individuals can do wall pushups, regular pushups, military pushups, pushups with their feet on a chair and hands on the floor, and dips with their hands on a chair for their triceps.

Visit Here for More Body Fitness Articles

Ways to Prevent Wrinkles Easily

Most of the organs in our bodies age without our being aware of anything very much happening: our lungs, kidneys, heart and liver all begin to wear out but, unless they fail to function effectively, we are not usually aware of what is happening.

Skin is different. As we age, the changes which take place in our skin become clearly apparent:

1 There is an increase in the amount of natural skin pigmentation and instead of being regular and even, it tends to be rather blotchy, producing freckle-like patches or 'liver spots'.

2 There is a build up of dead cells and these collect together to cause dryness and roughness.

3 As the connective tissue beneath the skin loses its firmness, the elastic fibres break down, the skin loses its natural plasticity, and the changes in sex hormone production which accompany old age lower the production of natural skin oils.

All these combine with environmental factors - such as sunshine, high winds and chemical pollutants in the atmosphere - to produce skin wrinkling.

Although it isn't possible to prevent all wrinkles developing it is possible to slow down the process:

1 One of the simplest and most effective ways is to keep out of the sun as much as possible, or at least to use effective sunscreen creams. The sun is a giant wrinkle­ making machine.

2 Use a good moisturizing cream regularly to protect your skin from the sun and from pollutants.

Exercise is often promoted as an effective way to stay young looking. Beauty experts have thought up complex routines designed to strengthen the facial muscles. However, I don't know of any evidence to suggest that exercising your muscles will retard the development of wrinkles. The harsh truth is that it is the collapse, breakdown and disappearance of the proteins, elastin and collagen, in the skin which determines the formation of wrinkles - and these are not restored by exercise.

Massage is another frequently recommended remedy for wrinkles. But again, I do not know or any evidence proving that it works. Indeed, I suspect that massage could hasten the development of wrinkles rather than prevent them. Nor do I think that rubbing in special creams will help. You need to use good supplies of your ordinary moisturizing cream all over your body, but I don't think there is any value in buying special creams.

One specific pollutant often associated with wrinkle formation is tobacco. I'm doubtful about this. I suspect that if tobacco does cause wrinkles it is because smokers tend to screw up their eyes against the smoke. The answer is either to give up smoking or to use a cigarette holder.

There are scores of remedies available for the treatment of wrinkles but I think that a lot of them are quite useless. You can, for example, buy special' anti-wrinkle' creams, but these only work as masking creams - they do not make the wrinkles disappear. Then there are the special electrical treatments that beauty salons sometimes offer. I don't have much faith in them either. Nor do I recommend special collagen injections or laser treatments, both of which could be dangerous in unskilled hands. Special pills and diets are a waste of money, vitamins won't help wrinkles and nor will vitamin creams. I don't think you should waste your money on garlic, ginseng or any of the magical and mysterious remedies now on the market either. Finally, while discussing remedies I don't recommend for wrinkles I must mention dermabrasion and chemosurgery. In dermabrasion the surface layer of the skin is removed mechanically - with a very tough brush. In chemosurgery the skin's top layer is removed in much the same way as it would be if acid were splashed on to it. Both these remedies are potentially dangerous and I think you should avoid them.

The only effective, permanent way of dealing with wrinkles that already exist is to visit a plastic surgeon. However, I would repeat my advice that you should only visit a plastic surgeon who has been recommended by your own family doctor. Never follow up advertisements offering plastic surgery.

The classic way in which a plastic surgeon deals with wrinkles is by tightening the skin. Just as you can remove the surface wrinkles from a piece of cloth by pulling it tight so you can remove the wrinkles from skin.

A standard face lift, to deal with deep creases and sagging skin, takes several hours. Using either a local or a general anesthetic the surgeon makes small cuts in front of the ears, cuts the facial skin away from the face and then literally pulls the skin tight before cutting off the excess and resuturing. There is usually some bruising for a week or two, but the eventual scars can usually be covered up with hair.

Unfortunately, there are a number of risks with face lift surgery. If the circulation is impaired, skin may slough off and if the facial nerve is cut permanent paralysis can result.

The other extremely popular operation to eliminate facial wrinkles involves the eyelids. This is longer lasting than a face lift, heals quickly and is usually very effective. It is also possible to deal with forehead creases by an operation called a frontal ridectomy. The snag with this type of operation is that afterwards the patient's face may not be so mobile or able to produce a full range of facial expressions.

I've mentioned facial wrinkles at some length because they are the ones that worry people most of all. But surgeons can also operate on wrinkles elsewhere. Indeed, the only part of the human body that plastic surgeons cannot straighten out is the insides of the thighs. If you see someone on the beach and you want to know whether their youthful good looks are a result of the knife, look at the insides of the thighs for tell-tale wrinkles and creases.

Removing excess skin is probably the technique most commonly used for wrinkles but there are others. Plastic surgeons used to inject silicone into the skin, for example, although this has gone out of favor because it is known that the silicone does not always stay where it is put.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/ways-to-prevent-wrinkles-easily.html

Ways to Prevent Wrinkles Easily

Most of the organs in our bodies age without our being aware of anything very much happening: our lungs, kidneys, heart and liver all begin to wear out but, unless they fail to function effectively, we are not usually aware of what is happening.

Skin is different. As we age, the changes which take place in our skin become clearly apparent:

1 There is an increase in the amount of natural skin pigmentation and instead of being regular and even, it tends to be rather blotchy, producing freckle-like patches or 'liver spots'.

2 There is a build up of dead cells and these collect together to cause dryness and roughness.

3 As the connective tissue beneath the skin loses its firmness, the elastic fibres break down, the skin loses its natural plasticity, and the changes in sex hormone production which accompany old age lower the production of natural skin oils.

All these combine with environmental factors - such as sunshine, high winds and chemical pollutants in the atmosphere - to produce skin wrinkling.

Although it isn't possible to prevent all wrinkles developing it is possible to slow down the process:

1 One of the simplest and most effective ways is to keep out of the sun as much as possible, or at least to use effective sunscreen creams. The sun is a giant wrinkle­ making machine.

2 Use a good moisturizing cream regularly to protect your skin from the sun and from pollutants.

Exercise is often promoted as an effective way to stay young looking. Beauty experts have thought up complex routines designed to strengthen the facial muscles. However, I don't know of any evidence to suggest that exercising your muscles will retard the development of wrinkles. The harsh truth is that it is the collapse, breakdown and disappearance of the proteins, elastin and collagen, in the skin which determines the formation of wrinkles - and these are not restored by exercise.

Massage is another frequently recommended remedy for wrinkles. But again, I do not know or any evidence proving that it works. Indeed, I suspect that massage could hasten the development of wrinkles rather than prevent them. Nor do I think that rubbing in special creams will help. You need to use good supplies of your ordinary moisturizing cream all over your body, but I don't think there is any value in buying special creams.

One specific pollutant often associated with wrinkle formation is tobacco. I'm doubtful about this. I suspect that if tobacco does cause wrinkles it is because smokers tend to screw up their eyes against the smoke. The answer is either to give up smoking or to use a cigarette holder.

There are scores of remedies available for the treatment of wrinkles but I think that a lot of them are quite useless. You can, for example, buy special' anti-wrinkle' creams, but these only work as masking creams - they do not make the wrinkles disappear. Then there are the special electrical treatments that beauty salons sometimes offer. I don't have much faith in them either. Nor do I recommend special collagen injections or laser treatments, both of which could be dangerous in unskilled hands. Special pills and diets are a waste of money, vitamins won't help wrinkles and nor will vitamin creams. I don't think you should waste your money on garlic, ginseng or any of the magical and mysterious remedies now on the market either. Finally, while discussing remedies I don't recommend for wrinkles I must mention dermabrasion and chemosurgery. In dermabrasion the surface layer of the skin is removed mechanically - with a very tough brush. In chemosurgery the skin's top layer is removed in much the same way as it would be if acid were splashed on to it. Both these remedies are potentially dangerous and I think you should avoid them.

The only effective, permanent way of dealing with wrinkles that already exist is to visit a plastic surgeon. However, I would repeat my advice that you should only visit a plastic surgeon who has been recommended by your own family doctor. Never follow up advertisements offering plastic surgery.

The classic way in which a plastic surgeon deals with wrinkles is by tightening the skin. Just as you can remove the surface wrinkles from a piece of cloth by pulling it tight so you can remove the wrinkles from skin.

A standard face lift, to deal with deep creases and sagging skin, takes several hours. Using either a local or a general anesthetic the surgeon makes small cuts in front of the ears, cuts the facial skin away from the face and then literally pulls the skin tight before cutting off the excess and resuturing. There is usually some bruising for a week or two, but the eventual scars can usually be covered up with hair.

Unfortunately, there are a number of risks with face lift surgery. If the circulation is impaired, skin may slough off and if the facial nerve is cut permanent paralysis can result.

The other extremely popular operation to eliminate facial wrinkles involves the eyelids. This is longer lasting than a face lift, heals quickly and is usually very effective. It is also possible to deal with forehead creases by an operation called a frontal ridectomy. The snag with this type of operation is that afterwards the patient's face may not be so mobile or able to produce a full range of facial expressions.

I've mentioned facial wrinkles at some length because they are the ones that worry people most of all. But surgeons can also operate on wrinkles elsewhere. Indeed, the only part of the human body that plastic surgeons cannot straighten out is the insides of the thighs. If you see someone on the beach and you want to know whether their youthful good looks are a result of the knife, look at the insides of the thighs for tell-tale wrinkles and creases.

Removing excess skin is probably the technique most commonly used for wrinkles but there are others. Plastic surgeons used to inject silicone into the skin, for example, although this has gone out of favor because it is known that the silicone does not always stay where it is put.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/ways-to-prevent-wrinkles-easily.html

Health Risks of Tattoos

Tattoos regularly go in and out of fashion, and if you are tempted to have one it is important to remember that once pigment has been put into the skin it will stay there for ever: tattoos are permanent. It is also important to remember that if the artist doing the tattooing doesn't sterilize his needles very carefully there is a real risk of hepatitis - a dangerous, disabling and sometimes lethal disease.

When tattoos are unwanted the simplest way to deal with them is by the use of a camouflage cream, available either from a pharmacy or through a general practitioner. Over the years a number of methods for removing tattoos have been tried. Surgical removal, followed by skin grafting, and dermabrasion are just two such techniques. More recently surgeons have started to remove tattoos with the aid of carbon dioxide lasers and this technique seems useful and effective, but it still is not clear how the technique works and there is usually some scarring.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/health-risks-of-tattoos.html

Health Risks of Tattoos

Tattoos regularly go in and out of fashion, and if you are tempted to have one it is important to remember that once pigment has been put into the skin it will stay there for ever: tattoos are permanent. It is also important to remember that if the artist doing the tattooing doesn't sterilize his needles very carefully there is a real risk of hepatitis - a dangerous, disabling and sometimes lethal disease.

When tattoos are unwanted the simplest way to deal with them is by the use of a camouflage cream, available either from a pharmacy or through a general practitioner. Over the years a number of methods for removing tattoos have been tried. Surgical removal, followed by skin grafting, and dermabrasion are just two such techniques. More recently surgeons have started to remove tattoos with the aid of carbon dioxide lasers and this technique seems useful and effective, but it still is not clear how the technique works and there is usually some scarring.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/health-risks-of-tattoos.html

Facts about Sunbeds

In order to supplement holiday sunshine many people now take to sun beds during the winter months. Thousands of sunbeds have been bought for private homes and many clinics have been set up by entrepreneurs anxious to cash in on the boom.

If you are planning on using a sunbed then you should be aware of these facts:

1 There is no evidence to show that spending time on a sunbed improves health or helps to alleviate disease. The reports that do exist seem to be based on subjective evidence provided by happy customers rather than on objective and critical scientific research.

2 Lying on a sunbed is as dangerous as spending time in the sun. Apart from the risk of getting burnt there is risk of skin drying out, wrinkling being induced and cancer developing. There is evidence too that certain disorders, such as psoriasis, can be made worse by lying on a sunbed. All the rules about sunbathing should be obeyed.

3 Goggles must always be worn; otherwise you risk eye damage.

4 Only about one in three people get a good suntan from lying on a sunbed. The other two-thirds end up with either a moderate tan or no tan at all. It seems that there are differences between the suntan obtained from sunshine and the one obtained from a sunbed. People who normally tan well in the sun don't necessarily tan well on a sun bed and a sunbed tan won't prevent burning when your skin is exposed to the sun.

Facts about Sunbeds

In order to supplement holiday sunshine many people now take to sun beds during the winter months. Thousands of sunbeds have been bought for private homes and many clinics have been set up by entrepreneurs anxious to cash in on the boom.

If you are planning on using a sunbed then you should be aware of these facts:

1 There is no evidence to show that spending time on a sunbed improves health or helps to alleviate disease. The reports that do exist seem to be based on subjective evidence provided by happy customers rather than on objective and critical scientific research.

2 Lying on a sunbed is as dangerous as spending time in the sun. Apart from the risk of getting burnt there is risk of skin drying out, wrinkling being induced and cancer developing. There is evidence too that certain disorders, such as psoriasis, can be made worse by lying on a sunbed. All the rules about sunbathing should be obeyed.

3 Goggles must always be worn; otherwise you risk eye damage.

4 Only about one in three people get a good suntan from lying on a sunbed. The other two-thirds end up with either a moderate tan or no tan at all. It seems that there are differences between the suntan obtained from sunshine and the one obtained from a sunbed. People who normally tan well in the sun don't necessarily tan well on a sun bed and a sunbed tan won't prevent burning when your skin is exposed to the sun.

Ringworm Treatment

Different species of ringworm (or tinea) attack different parts of the human body and in slightly different ways. However, the marks are usually round and red with a white scale on top, about the size of a large coin, and they almost invariably itch.

On the scalp ringworm causes bald patches, and it is extremely infectious.

On the feet it produces scaling and blistering in a condition known commonly as athlete's foot.

On the chest or back it usually produces very pale blotches which can be mistaken for vitiligo.

Ringworm Treatment

The treatment of ringworm depends on the precise nature and site of the infection. There is an effective drug called griseofulvin which can be taken orally, but ringworm can also be treated with a cream, shampoo or lotion. Do not try treating any type of ringworm yourself; see your doctor for a precise diagnosis and an appropriate prescription.

Ringworm Treatment

Different species of ringworm (or tinea) attack different parts of the human body and in slightly different ways. However, the marks are usually round and red with a white scale on top, about the size of a large coin, and they almost invariably itch.

On the scalp ringworm causes bald patches, and it is extremely infectious.

On the feet it produces scaling and blistering in a condition known commonly as athlete's foot.

On the chest or back it usually produces very pale blotches which can be mistaken for vitiligo.

Ringworm Treatment

The treatment of ringworm depends on the precise nature and site of the infection. There is an effective drug called griseofulvin which can be taken orally, but ringworm can also be treated with a cream, shampoo or lotion. Do not try treating any type of ringworm yourself; see your doctor for a precise diagnosis and an appropriate prescription.

What Causes Stretch Marks (Striae)?

The average newborn baby weighs about seven pounds. The average adult weighs twenty times as much. In order to accommodate this massive, if gradual, increase in size our skin needs to stretch a great deal; if skin did not stretch and grow with us we would all burst out of our skins at a very early age. However, although usually skin can accommodate this gradual change in shape and size very successfully it does sometimes fail to cope: it can be strained by sudden changes in body weight and size, and stretch marks are the visible souvenirs of that unacceptable pressure.

Stretch marks usually show where the elastic fibres of the skin were put under the greatest stress and their number and size is usually proportionate to the rate of weight chance.

It is not known exactly what happens during the development of stretch marks but it seems possible that hormones weaken and rupture the elastic fibres while mechanical forces decide the extent, length and direction of the resulting stretch marks.

Stretch marks can occur at almost any time of life but there are two occasions when they are particularly likely to develop:

1 The earliest date at which stretch marks develop is usually adolescence when changes in hormone levels in the body accompany a fairly rapid weight gain. Experts disagree about just how common striae are at this time but it seems that between a half and three quarters of all girls and about a third of all boys develop marks somewhere on their bodies. Varying in length, stretch marks are usually pink or purple to start with, although they invariably fade to white scars as the years go by, becoming wrinkled and papery with time. Adolescent boys usually develop striae on their backs, buttocks and abdomens while girls develop marks on their breasts as well.

2 The other very common time when women develop stretch marks is, of course, during pregnancy. An ordinary female abdomen has to stretch considerably during those nine months, to cope with the developing foetus, and one side-effect is often a collection of abdominal stretch marks. Nine out of ten young mothers develop them, either on their abdomens or on their breasts. (Marks develop on the breasts because they, too, tend to swell as milk accumulates.)

There is no certain way to prevent stretch marks developing, although there are scores of preparations on the market, designed to help stop striae forming. A little gentle massage with a plain moisturizing cream is probably as useful as anything, and very gentle exercising of the abdominal muscles may help. Stretch marks on the breasts can be minimized by wearing a good, supporting maternity bra.

Stretch Marks (Striae) Treatment

Once stretch marks have developed the most effective way to deal with them is with a camouflage cream. Your local pharmacist should be able to recommend a suitable one but if you have difficulty, ask your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist, who should be able to advise you on suitable creams - indeed some specialist dermatologists now work closely with specially trained beauticians. I would not suggest plastic surgery for stretch marks because the result may be scars that are more noticeable than the stretch marks. Remember, although they rarely disappear entirely stretch marks do usually fade as the years go by.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-causes-stretch-marks-striae.html

What Causes Stretch Marks (Striae)?

The average newborn baby weighs about seven pounds. The average adult weighs twenty times as much. In order to accommodate this massive, if gradual, increase in size our skin needs to stretch a great deal; if skin did not stretch and grow with us we would all burst out of our skins at a very early age. However, although usually skin can accommodate this gradual change in shape and size very successfully it does sometimes fail to cope: it can be strained by sudden changes in body weight and size, and stretch marks are the visible souvenirs of that unacceptable pressure.

Stretch marks usually show where the elastic fibres of the skin were put under the greatest stress and their number and size is usually proportionate to the rate of weight chance.

It is not known exactly what happens during the development of stretch marks but it seems possible that hormones weaken and rupture the elastic fibres while mechanical forces decide the extent, length and direction of the resulting stretch marks.

Stretch marks can occur at almost any time of life but there are two occasions when they are particularly likely to develop:

1 The earliest date at which stretch marks develop is usually adolescence when changes in hormone levels in the body accompany a fairly rapid weight gain. Experts disagree about just how common striae are at this time but it seems that between a half and three quarters of all girls and about a third of all boys develop marks somewhere on their bodies. Varying in length, stretch marks are usually pink or purple to start with, although they invariably fade to white scars as the years go by, becoming wrinkled and papery with time. Adolescent boys usually develop striae on their backs, buttocks and abdomens while girls develop marks on their breasts as well.

2 The other very common time when women develop stretch marks is, of course, during pregnancy. An ordinary female abdomen has to stretch considerably during those nine months, to cope with the developing foetus, and one side-effect is often a collection of abdominal stretch marks. Nine out of ten young mothers develop them, either on their abdomens or on their breasts. (Marks develop on the breasts because they, too, tend to swell as milk accumulates.)

There is no certain way to prevent stretch marks developing, although there are scores of preparations on the market, designed to help stop striae forming. A little gentle massage with a plain moisturizing cream is probably as useful as anything, and very gentle exercising of the abdominal muscles may help. Stretch marks on the breasts can be minimized by wearing a good, supporting maternity bra.

Stretch Marks (Striae) Treatment

Once stretch marks have developed the most effective way to deal with them is with a camouflage cream. Your local pharmacist should be able to recommend a suitable one but if you have difficulty, ask your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist, who should be able to advise you on suitable creams - indeed some specialist dermatologists now work closely with specially trained beauticians. I would not suggest plastic surgery for stretch marks because the result may be scars that are more noticeable than the stretch marks. Remember, although they rarely disappear entirely stretch marks do usually fade as the years go by.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-causes-stretch-marks-striae.html

Steroids for Your Skin

These creams and ointments have been in use since the 1950s and have a powerful effect on the skin. Also known as topical steroids they are believed to work in three different ways:

1 They make surface blood vessels close up tightly, thereby reducing the amount of redness visible in the skin.

2 They slow down the production of new cells.

3 They reduce skin inflammation (thereby having an important effect on conditions such as eczema).

Although they are particularly effective in the treatment of most types of dermatitis and eczema, some cases of intertrigo, occasionally psoriasis and a variety of other disorders, topical steroids can make some other conditions worse and are particularly likely to produce problems if used on the face, under the arms or around the genital area. The side-effects produced by steroids vary but skin atrophy, acne and some types of dermatitis can all be caused by creams and ointments of this type. Children and babies are particularly susceptible.

Treatment with steroids

When prescribed for skin conditions, steroids should be applied fairly sparingly (the majority of patients use more steroid cream than is necessary). They should be rubbed in very gently but thoroughly and should be kept off areas of healthy skin if possible. These creams should not be obtained on repeat prescription.

There are many different types of steroid cream available, some much more powerful than others. Obviously, the least powerful preparation that will do the job is the most suitable one.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/steroids-for-your-skin.html

Steroids for Your Skin

These creams and ointments have been in use since the 1950s and have a powerful effect on the skin. Also known as topical steroids they are believed to work in three different ways:

1 They make surface blood vessels close up tightly, thereby reducing the amount of redness visible in the skin.

2 They slow down the production of new cells.

3 They reduce skin inflammation (thereby having an important effect on conditions such as eczema).

Although they are particularly effective in the treatment of most types of dermatitis and eczema, some cases of intertrigo, occasionally psoriasis and a variety of other disorders, topical steroids can make some other conditions worse and are particularly likely to produce problems if used on the face, under the arms or around the genital area. The side-effects produced by steroids vary but skin atrophy, acne and some types of dermatitis can all be caused by creams and ointments of this type. Children and babies are particularly susceptible.

Treatment with steroids

When prescribed for skin conditions, steroids should be applied fairly sparingly (the majority of patients use more steroid cream than is necessary). They should be rubbed in very gently but thoroughly and should be kept off areas of healthy skin if possible. These creams should not be obtained on repeat prescription.

There are many different types of steroid cream available, some much more powerful than others. Obviously, the least powerful preparation that will do the job is the most suitable one.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/11/steroids-for-your-skin.html

Types of Soap

The manufacture and sale of soap is a multi-million industry and the cosmetics companies are constantly working hard to find new ways to convince us that they have produced a soap that surpasses all others. Unfortu­nately, their claims are based more on advertising hype than on scientific truth and the only result is increased confusion.

Ordinary soap is often dismissed as harmful and useless by beauticians who want to sell you something much more esoteric and expensive. This just isn't so. The purpose of any dermatological cleansing. (The sort of term favored by beauticians for a process most of us know as 'washing') is to remove dirt and grease. Ordinary soap, when used with water, does this very effectively.

Soap consists of two basic ingredients: fats and lye (an alkaline solution). The fats work particularly well as cleansers. The one unfortunate effect associated with soaps is that by removing natural oils from the skin they car) have a drying effect. I do feel, however, that this effect is over­emphasized by beauty experts. You are not likely to get too much of a drying effect from using soap as long as you use a moisturizing cream afterwards.

In their attempts to corner profitable sections of the soap buying market manufacturers produce many different 'special' soaps:

Transparent soaps
These are more difficult to make than­ ordinary soaps and consequently cost more but I have not been able to find any evidence to suggest that they are more effective or safer than any other type.

Super fatted soaps
Super fatted soaps these are sold for people with very dry skin. Again, I don't know of any evidence that these are worth buying.

Triple or hard-milled soaps
Triple or hard-milled soaps are ones that have been processed to a very hard consistency. I can't see why you should buy those either.

Perfumed soaps
Perfumed soaps many manufacturers add extra ingredients to their soaps. Some add perfumes and, indeed, some design soaps to fit into their range of products, incorporating the same perfume as the colognes and deodorants. I can't see any point in buying a perfumed soap because you should always rinse it off thoroughly and added perfume is merely a potential source of skin irritation.

Medicated soaps
Medicated soaps are equally unnecessary. The usual additives to medicated soaps are antiseptics or disinfectants but I don't believe these serve any useful purpose. I do believe, -however, that they can sometimes cause some skin irritation.

pH soaps
Since it is known that the skin is normally slightly acid whereas most soaps are slightly alkaline there are now soaps designed to help maintain the skin's natural acidic balance. I think that attempts to preserve the pH of the skin with soap are entirely worthless.

Moisturizing soaps
I don't think there is any point in buying soaps that contain a moisturizer either. You cannot wash your skin and put a moisturizer on at the same time.

Liquid soaps
Liquid soaps these are very popular with some sections of the soap industry but I don't know of any reason why you should spend your money on liquid soap rather than on an ordinary bar of soap. Liquid soap is simply likely to cost you more, because of its packaging.

Now for some positive advice. I believe that the best soap to buy is the cheapest, simplest non-scented soap that suits you. A soap that contains few added and unnecessary ingredients is less likely to cause allergy problems than one that is stuffed to the wrapper with perfumes and soon. Use water that is warm rather than hot and smooth the soap on quite gently in widening, circular movements. Then rinse off all of the lather, preferably using running water.

When you have washed, use your ordinary moisturizing cream.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/types-of-soap.html

Types of Soap

The manufacture and sale of soap is a multi-million industry and the cosmetics companies are constantly working hard to find new ways to convince us that they have produced a soap that surpasses all others. Unfortu­nately, their claims are based more on advertising hype than on scientific truth and the only result is increased confusion.

Ordinary soap is often dismissed as harmful and useless by beauticians who want to sell you something much more esoteric and expensive. This just isn't so. The purpose of any dermatological cleansing. (The sort of term favored by beauticians for a process most of us know as 'washing') is to remove dirt and grease. Ordinary soap, when used with water, does this very effectively.

Soap consists of two basic ingredients: fats and lye (an alkaline solution). The fats work particularly well as cleansers. The one unfortunate effect associated with soaps is that by removing natural oils from the skin they car) have a drying effect. I do feel, however, that this effect is over­emphasized by beauty experts. You are not likely to get too much of a drying effect from using soap as long as you use a moisturizing cream afterwards.

In their attempts to corner profitable sections of the soap buying market manufacturers produce many different 'special' soaps:

Transparent soaps
These are more difficult to make than­ ordinary soaps and consequently cost more but I have not been able to find any evidence to suggest that they are more effective or safer than any other type.

Super fatted soaps
Super fatted soaps these are sold for people with very dry skin. Again, I don't know of any evidence that these are worth buying.

Triple or hard-milled soaps
Triple or hard-milled soaps are ones that have been processed to a very hard consistency. I can't see why you should buy those either.

Perfumed soaps
Perfumed soaps many manufacturers add extra ingredients to their soaps. Some add perfumes and, indeed, some design soaps to fit into their range of products, incorporating the same perfume as the colognes and deodorants. I can't see any point in buying a perfumed soap because you should always rinse it off thoroughly and added perfume is merely a potential source of skin irritation.

Medicated soaps
Medicated soaps are equally unnecessary. The usual additives to medicated soaps are antiseptics or disinfectants but I don't believe these serve any useful purpose. I do believe, -however, that they can sometimes cause some skin irritation.

pH soaps
Since it is known that the skin is normally slightly acid whereas most soaps are slightly alkaline there are now soaps designed to help maintain the skin's natural acidic balance. I think that attempts to preserve the pH of the skin with soap are entirely worthless.

Moisturizing soaps
I don't think there is any point in buying soaps that contain a moisturizer either. You cannot wash your skin and put a moisturizer on at the same time.

Liquid soaps
Liquid soaps these are very popular with some sections of the soap industry but I don't know of any reason why you should spend your money on liquid soap rather than on an ordinary bar of soap. Liquid soap is simply likely to cost you more, because of its packaging.

Now for some positive advice. I believe that the best soap to buy is the cheapest, simplest non-scented soap that suits you. A soap that contains few added and unnecessary ingredients is less likely to cause allergy problems than one that is stuffed to the wrapper with perfumes and soon. Use water that is warm rather than hot and smooth the soap on quite gently in widening, circular movements. Then rinse off all of the lather, preferably using running water.

When you have washed, use your ordinary moisturizing cream.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/types-of-soap.html

Things to know about Shampoo

There are hundreds of different types of shampoo available and a good deal of nonsense is written about their various qualities.

First and foremost, a shampoo is designed to get hair clean. To do this the single most important ingredient of nearly all shampoos is a detergent to help loosen dirt and oil from the hair - if you try to remove them with water alone they will cling to the individual hairs and defy all your efforts.

When using a shampoo it is important to wet your hair first of all, and to rinse it thoroughly afterwards. It is best to wash hair under running water because it is easier to remove all the shampoo that way. If you wash your hair once a week, or less frequently than that, you might need two applications of shampoo. If you are washing it more than once a week, you only need one application.

Regardless of the many claims by manufacturers the best shampoo for you is the cheapest one that does not cause an allergy reaction and that doesn't contain any unwanted perfume. If you suffer from dandruff, however, then you do need a special anti-dandruff shampoo.

I don't think there is ever any point in paying extra for shampoos that contain beer, special herbs, vitamins etc. Certainly it is not sensible to buy a shampoo that contains a conditioner because to try and condition your hair at the same time as you are washing it is like trying to put your make-up on at the same time as you are washing your face! When you have washed your hair you need to be able to wash out all traces of the shampoo that you have used, before you apply conditioner.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/things-to-know-about-shampoo.html

Things to know about Shampoo

There are hundreds of different types of shampoo available and a good deal of nonsense is written about their various qualities.

First and foremost, a shampoo is designed to get hair clean. To do this the single most important ingredient of nearly all shampoos is a detergent to help loosen dirt and oil from the hair - if you try to remove them with water alone they will cling to the individual hairs and defy all your efforts.

When using a shampoo it is important to wet your hair first of all, and to rinse it thoroughly afterwards. It is best to wash hair under running water because it is easier to remove all the shampoo that way. If you wash your hair once a week, or less frequently than that, you might need two applications of shampoo. If you are washing it more than once a week, you only need one application.

Regardless of the many claims by manufacturers the best shampoo for you is the cheapest one that does not cause an allergy reaction and that doesn't contain any unwanted perfume. If you suffer from dandruff, however, then you do need a special anti-dandruff shampoo.

I don't think there is ever any point in paying extra for shampoos that contain beer, special herbs, vitamins etc. Certainly it is not sensible to buy a shampoo that contains a conditioner because to try and condition your hair at the same time as you are washing it is like trying to put your make-up on at the same time as you are washing your face! When you have washed your hair you need to be able to wash out all traces of the shampoo that you have used, before you apply conditioner.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/things-to-know-about-shampoo.html

Perfume and Your Health

Individual perfumes often contain a hundred or more ingredients, each of which adds something special to the overall effect. For example, there will be ingredients that provide what are technically known as head or top notes, which have an immediate, rather volatile effect; solid, middle of the range odours, and less volatile, more persistent odours known as the base or lower notes. There are also fixatives - the three main ones used are ambergris, civet and musk - to slow the rate of evaporation and to maintain the quality and character of the fragrance.

Perfumes do not very often produce skin problems but occasionally people find that they are allergic to one particular type of perfume. It is impossible to find out all of the constituents of all the perfumes available (manufacturers are naturally secretive) so if you do develop a rash with a particular type of perfume, try to find another perfume that you like, and that doesn't upset your skin. If you have sensitive skin and find a perfume that suits you, stick with it or at least with that .particular manufacturer.

One last warning: perfumes can cause blotchy sun­ tanning so, if you're going to sunbathe, it is sensible not to put on any perfume.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/perfume-and-your-health.html

Perfume and Your Health

Individual perfumes often contain a hundred or more ingredients, each of which adds something special to the overall effect. For example, there will be ingredients that provide what are technically known as head or top notes, which have an immediate, rather volatile effect; solid, middle of the range odours, and less volatile, more persistent odours known as the base or lower notes. There are also fixatives - the three main ones used are ambergris, civet and musk - to slow the rate of evaporation and to maintain the quality and character of the fragrance.

Perfumes do not very often produce skin problems but occasionally people find that they are allergic to one particular type of perfume. It is impossible to find out all of the constituents of all the perfumes available (manufacturers are naturally secretive) so if you do develop a rash with a particular type of perfume, try to find another perfume that you like, and that doesn't upset your skin. If you have sensitive skin and find a perfume that suits you, stick with it or at least with that .particular manufacturer.

One last warning: perfumes can cause blotchy sun­ tanning so, if you're going to sunbathe, it is sensible not to put on any perfume.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/perfume-and-your-health.html

Things to know about Nourishing Creams

There are dozens of products on the market which will, according to the manufacturer's claims, nourish your skin. These products contain such varied ingredients asprotein, vitamins, collagen, hormones and just about anything else that sounds efficacious, are said to feed the skin and to add 'specially formulated foods' to the skin's natural diet.

Collagen is probably one of the commonest ingredients, but an awful lot of nonsense is talked about this substance. It is perfectly true that collagen is a normal constituent of good, healthy skin and that without collagen the skin looks wrinkled and aged, but putting replacement collagen into a skin cream isn't likely to do much good at all. The problem is that however much collagen a cream contains there isn't evidence to prove that it will be absorbed by your skin. The same is true of elastin, avocado and all the other ingredients so much loved by those who prepare nourishing creams.

The bald truth is that the inner layers of the skin derive their nourishment from their blood supply, and the cells on the outer surface of the skin are dead. The skin does not absorb food from special creams. If you could absorb substances into your skin, then you'd be full of soap! Nourishing creams are a waste of money. The only thing they nourish is the manufacturers' bank balances.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/things-to-know-about-nourishing-creams.html

Things to know about Nourishing Creams

There are dozens of products on the market which will, according to the manufacturer's claims, nourish your skin. These products contain such varied ingredients asprotein, vitamins, collagen, hormones and just about anything else that sounds efficacious, are said to feed the skin and to add 'specially formulated foods' to the skin's natural diet.

Collagen is probably one of the commonest ingredients, but an awful lot of nonsense is talked about this substance. It is perfectly true that collagen is a normal constituent of good, healthy skin and that without collagen the skin looks wrinkled and aged, but putting replacement collagen into a skin cream isn't likely to do much good at all. The problem is that however much collagen a cream contains there isn't evidence to prove that it will be absorbed by your skin. The same is true of elastin, avocado and all the other ingredients so much loved by those who prepare nourishing creams.

The bald truth is that the inner layers of the skin derive their nourishment from their blood supply, and the cells on the outer surface of the skin are dead. The skin does not absorb food from special creams. If you could absorb substances into your skin, then you'd be full of soap! Nourishing creams are a waste of money. The only thing they nourish is the manufacturers' bank balances.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/things-to-know-about-nourishing-creams.html

Nail Problems and Your Beauty

Here are some of the commonest disorders affecting the nails:

Chronic paronychia is a condition which can be fairly easily diagnosed because the nail folds, the areas where the nails meet the skin, are usually painful, red and swollen. This problem can be caused by the careless use of manicure scissors or a nail file, by over-enthusiastic thumb sucking or by too frequent immersion in water. It is a condition that commonly affects dishwashers, barmaids, kitchen hands and housewives.

Paronychia can usually be prevented by keeping the hands as dry as possible, by using cotton-lined rubber gloves, by making sure that wet hands are always dried carefully and thoroughly and by being careful when grooming the nails with scissors or files.

Hangnails are common too. These little slits along the side of the nails are caused by too much washing and not enough drying, and also by injuries sustained during a manicure. Take care of your hands and hangnails will usually get better by themselves. There isn't any treatment available, but do resist the temptation to pull off any slivers of skin which you find sticking up by the side of a nail. Cut such slivers off neatly with a pair of sharp nail scissors.

Paronychia and hangnails are two problems which most commonly affect the finger nails. There are also two problems which most commonly affect the toe nails:

Ingrowing nails these are very painful and physically limiting. The best way to avoid the problem is to ensure that your toe nails are cut regularly, but not too short. It is important to cut them straight across so that the corners do not grow into the flesh of the toes. Treating the problem usually involves a doctor or chiropodist although, if there isn't any infection, you may be able to deal with it yourself. Ask your pharmacist for advice.

Onychogryphosis is the other problem that affects toe nails more often than finger nails. In this condition the toe nails grow to a tremendous size and definitely need the skilled attention of a chiropodist.

Finally, I must mention that some nail problems can be caused by general health disorders. For example, iron deficiency anemia can result in spoon-shaped nails while in a number of chest conditions the whole shape of the nails can be disturbed. Strange spots and markings that appear on nails can often mark physical or mental problems that took place months before. It takes about six months for a finger nail to grow to its full length (toe nails take about twice as long). Injury, disease and an inadequate diet can all interfere with the production of nail cells and lines, ridges and black or white markings can all be souvenirs of otherwise forgotten illnesses.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/nail-problems-and-your-beauty.html

Nail Problems and Your Beauty

Here are some of the commonest disorders affecting the nails:

Chronic paronychia is a condition which can be fairly easily diagnosed because the nail folds, the areas where the nails meet the skin, are usually painful, red and swollen. This problem can be caused by the careless use of manicure scissors or a nail file, by over-enthusiastic thumb sucking or by too frequent immersion in water. It is a condition that commonly affects dishwashers, barmaids, kitchen hands and housewives.

Paronychia can usually be prevented by keeping the hands as dry as possible, by using cotton-lined rubber gloves, by making sure that wet hands are always dried carefully and thoroughly and by being careful when grooming the nails with scissors or files.

Hangnails are common too. These little slits along the side of the nails are caused by too much washing and not enough drying, and also by injuries sustained during a manicure. Take care of your hands and hangnails will usually get better by themselves. There isn't any treatment available, but do resist the temptation to pull off any slivers of skin which you find sticking up by the side of a nail. Cut such slivers off neatly with a pair of sharp nail scissors.

Paronychia and hangnails are two problems which most commonly affect the finger nails. There are also two problems which most commonly affect the toe nails:

Ingrowing nails these are very painful and physically limiting. The best way to avoid the problem is to ensure that your toe nails are cut regularly, but not too short. It is important to cut them straight across so that the corners do not grow into the flesh of the toes. Treating the problem usually involves a doctor or chiropodist although, if there isn't any infection, you may be able to deal with it yourself. Ask your pharmacist for advice.

Onychogryphosis is the other problem that affects toe nails more often than finger nails. In this condition the toe nails grow to a tremendous size and definitely need the skilled attention of a chiropodist.

Finally, I must mention that some nail problems can be caused by general health disorders. For example, iron deficiency anemia can result in spoon-shaped nails while in a number of chest conditions the whole shape of the nails can be disturbed. Strange spots and markings that appear on nails can often mark physical or mental problems that took place months before. It takes about six months for a finger nail to grow to its full length (toe nails take about twice as long). Injury, disease and an inadequate diet can all interfere with the production of nail cells and lines, ridges and black or white markings can all be souvenirs of otherwise forgotten illnesses.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/nail-problems-and-your-beauty.html

Myth about Your Skin Types

A lot of nonsense is talked about skin types. Some beauty experts will tell you that you've got one sort of skin on your cheeks, another sort on your forehead and so on and so on. There is talk about dry skin, greasy skin and combination skin.

The truth is that your skin is alive and always changing in texture and form. Its state at anyone time depends on a number of factors: your age, the amount of time you've spent in the sun, what you've been putting on it and how you've been looking after it. And because your skin responds to changes in the environment, different areas of skin will need looking after in different ways. . . the skin on your feet may well be dry, whereas the skin on your face is greasy.

Look after your skin by cleaning it carefully and moist­urizing well. Look for individual problem areas and treat them accordingly. But don't be tempted into believing that you have one particular skin type.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/myth-about-your-skin-types.html

Data Recovery

Myth about Your Skin Types

A lot of nonsense is talked about skin types. Some beauty experts will tell you that you've got one sort of skin on your cheeks, another sort on your forehead and so on and so on. There is talk about dry skin, greasy skin and combination skin.

The truth is that your skin is alive and always changing in texture and form. Its state at anyone time depends on a number of factors: your age, the amount of time you've spent in the sun, what you've been putting on it and how you've been looking after it. And because your skin responds to changes in the environment, different areas of skin will need looking after in different ways. . . the skin on your feet may well be dry, whereas the skin on your face is greasy.

Look after your skin by cleaning it carefully and moist­urizing well. Look for individual problem areas and treat them accordingly. But don't be tempted into believing that you have one particular skin type.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/myth-about-your-skin-types.html

Data Recovery

How to Manicure Your Nails

In addition to looking after your nails in these basic ways it is a good idea to give yourself a weekly manicure, following these notes:

1 When cutting and shaping your nails don't take too much off the sides. If you do you will weaken them and they will be more likely to break. Use smooth, even strokes with the coarse side of an emery board or with a steel nail file, and file the nail in one direction only so that you will be less likely to develop rough edges. Finish with the finer side of the board or file.

2 Give your nails a good healthy scrub with a tough brush. You are not likely to damage healthy nails that way and you will get rid of unwanted dirt and dead skin.

3 Look after your cuticles. Don't be too rough on them but, if they are edging forwards, gently push them back with a towel or cotton bud. Do not attack them with anything sharp such as a nail file or scissors because if you do you1l probably produce problems. Use a little moisturizing cream to keep your cuticles looking soft and healthy.

4 Give your toe nails a manicure too, being particularly careful to cut the nails straight across; if you shape the sides you will encourage ingrowing toe nails.

5 I don't think there is any point at all in buying a special nail conditioner of any kind.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-manicure-your-nails.html

How to Manicure Your Nails

In addition to looking after your nails in these basic ways it is a good idea to give yourself a weekly manicure, following these notes:

1 When cutting and shaping your nails don't take too much off the sides. If you do you will weaken them and they will be more likely to break. Use smooth, even strokes with the coarse side of an emery board or with a steel nail file, and file the nail in one direction only so that you will be less likely to develop rough edges. Finish with the finer side of the board or file.

2 Give your nails a good healthy scrub with a tough brush. You are not likely to damage healthy nails that way and you will get rid of unwanted dirt and dead skin.

3 Look after your cuticles. Don't be too rough on them but, if they are edging forwards, gently push them back with a towel or cotton bud. Do not attack them with anything sharp such as a nail file or scissors because if you do you1l probably produce problems. Use a little moisturizing cream to keep your cuticles looking soft and healthy.

4 Give your toe nails a manicure too, being particularly careful to cut the nails straight across; if you shape the sides you will encourage ingrowing toe nails.

5 I don't think there is any point at all in buying a special nail conditioner of any kind.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-manicure-your-nails.html

Nail Care

Modern kitchen chemicals (detergents, washing powders, bleaches etc.) are often very powerful and cause a high percentage of nail problems. Washing dishes, clothes and small children means that the average woman's nails are probably soaked more than a dozen times every day. Perhaps more important, they're usually dried properly only once or twice a day: the kitchen towel is probably damp, bald or missing when the telephone rings or the front door bell goes.

The simplest, most effective way to avoid nail damage is to wear rubber gloves. It is important that the gloves are large enough and that, if they don't contain cotton liners, you wear cotton gloves underneath (otherwise you can develop skin problems caused by the rubber). But it is important they should not be worn for more than twenty minutes or so a t a time bee a use they can ca use sweating and irritation.

I know that quite a lot of people argue that they cannot do certain household chores while wearing rubber gloves, but if you buy good, comfortable rubber gloves then you ought to be able to do most chores while wearing them, After all surgeons wear rubber gloves all the time.

If you can't wear gloves, the answer for some chores is a long-handled kitchen mop. Use one of these to help keep your hands out of the water and you will soon notice the benefit. I think long-handled kitchen mops and rubber gloves should be available on prescription!

On those occasions when neither long-handled mops nor rubber gloves are practical, make sure that you rinse your hands thoroughly, dry them very carefully (particularly between the fingers and around the nails) and then generously apply a good simple moisturizing cream.

There are other chores that can damage the nails, of course. And there are other ways to protect yourself. If you use the telephone a great deal, use a pencil to operate the dial; if you do a lot of heavy work or gardening wear protective gloves. You may find that gardening gloves wear out frequently but, if they do, just think how much damage you would have done to your hands if you hadn't been wearing gloves.

http://myshabi.blogspot.com/2008/10/nail-care.html