How to slow down the appearance of gray hair.
As people get older, their skin changes and their hair becomes white. This is the natural process of aging and it is impossible to avoid, but there are ways that this process can be slowed down.

A few words for white hair.
Your hair becomes white when it begins to lose the natural pigment, known as melanin which is primarily responsible for skin color. Although greying of hair is a natural process, it can be caused by many other factors such as: genetics, stress, malnutrition or health disorders, and some bad lifestyle choices.

The more you smoke, the more your hair becomes white.
Speaking of bad lifestyle choices, we thought about this – smoking. Smoking accelerates the aging process of the body, including hair. The first thing you need to do is to quit this bad habit.

Goodbye to coffee, alcohol and junk food!
Too much alcohol and caffeine, and junk food is harmful for health and hair. They can only cause premature aging. Avoid fast food, limit your intake of white flour and refined sugar. This food lowers energy and you wont get anything in return from them. Your hair needs healthy foods to stay young.

Water is the name of the game!
If you are not sufficiently hydrated, nutrients will not be able to easily reach your hair follicles. That lack of hydration can cause premature whitening of hair.

Are you stressed?
White hair can be caused by stress and anxiety. If you are a long time stressed or if you are upset or concerned, your hair will faster turn gray. Control your stress by exercising relaxation techniques: yoga, deep breathing, meditation, tai chi chuan, etc..

Daily exercise helps.
Good blood circulation, and normal blood pressure is basically great prevention for gray hair. In fact, it is almost useless to consume adequate food, if they can not reach the hair follicles and thats why you need to exercise.

Ensure the blood supply to your hair by massaging it regularly with appropriate oils. Exercise daily to increase circulation and improve blood flow.

Eating chicken may reduce the appearance of grey hair? A lot!
For the production of melanin, pigmet responsible for producing hair color, you need protein. Therefore, eat foods rich in protein such as: chicken and turkey meat, sprouts and soy crops.

Take B vitamins – B2, B6, B12
The lack of these vitamins can cause gray hair. Therefore, eat whole grain bread, bananas, eggs, dairy products, poultry and green leafy vegetables.

You are what you eat.
Lack of copper can also cause significantly premature greying. One way to prevent this is to eat foods rich in this element as spinach, beef liver, sunflower seeds, lentils, almonds, seafood, egg yolks and mushrooms.

On your menu put food rich in iodine.
Iodine is an important mineral for your hair. Foods rich in iodine is banana, carrot, spinach and fish.

And selenium!
Add selenium in your menu. This foods will help: clams, tuna, salmon, corn, wheat, soybeans, brazilian nuts and sunflower seeds.

Massage your scalp.
Massage your scalp with coconut oil and lemon. And it’s a good way to keep your hair with youthful appearance. But if you really want to benefit from massages, you’ll need to do them regularly.

Source: secretly healthy

When treating varicose veins, laser therapy remains the best option, a new study says.

Researchers in the study examined 798 participants who had varicose veins and were treated at 11 vascular surgery centers in the United Kingdom, between November 2008 and October 2012. The participants underwent one of three types of treatments: closing off the veins with a laser, injecting a drug “foam” into the vein or surgically removing the vein.

After six months, the researchers compared the outcomes, looking at how well the treatments worked and at their complication rates, as well as how the participants rated the change in their quality of life since their treatments.

“The main findings indicated that laser therapy was the preferred treatment for varicose veins,” said study author Dr. Julie Brittenden, a professor in vascular surgery at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. “We found that all three treatments reduced symptoms associated with varicose veins, but there were fewer complications after laser treatment

What causes varicose veins?

Varicose veins are blood vessels that have become swollen, enlarged and twisted. Improperly working valves in the veins cause the disorder, Brittenden explained. In people who have this condition, blood returns up to the heart from the veins in the legs because of the contraction of the calf muscles, she said. Normally, valves in these veins prevent blood from flowing backwards, down towards the feet.

“People with varicose veins have leaky valves, which means that some blood flows backward and pools in the veins, causing them to become enlarged,” she said.

The procedure called endovenous laser ablation, or laser therapy, uses heat generated by laser energy to seal off faulty blood vessels, diverting blood flow immediately to nearby healthy veins.

Foam treatment involves injecting drugs into a blood vessel. The medicines, when mixed with air, cause the vessel wall to thicken, which also helps to seal off blood flow. The recent study showed that foam was less likely than the other treatments to completely close a vein that had leaky valves, which may increase the likelihood that a patient will need future treatment, Brittenden said.

In the study, about 1 percent of patients who underwent treatment with a laser experienced complications such as lumpiness, skin staining and numbness. About 6 percent of those who received the foam treatment, and 7 percent of those who underwent surgery experienced such complications, according to the study.

The researchers also found that successful ablation of the great saphenous vein occurred in 83 percent of those who received the laser treatment and 84.4 percent of the participants who underwent surgery. These numbers were significantly higher than the 54.6 percent who had such successful ablation after the foam treatment. The great saphenous vein, the longest in the body, runs along the length of the leg.

The study appears in today’s (September 24) issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Kevin McMullen, a vascular surgeon at Surgical Hospital of Oklahoma who was not involved with the study, said he agreed with Brittenden’s conclusion. “Laser is preferred over surgery or foam due to higher success rates with the least amount of complications,” he said.

Laser therapy works better than foam on larger veins, as the success rates for foam treatments worsens with increasing vein size, McMullen said. However, surgery may be the best choice for patients who have previously had vein procedures, or who have anatomical issues, such as veins that are very close to the skin or are larger than three-quarters of an inch (20 millimeters) in diameter, he said.

Can varicose veins be prevented?

Varicose vein treatment is not done just for cosmetic reasons, Brittenden said. “People with varicose veins often suffer from aches and discomfort,” she told Live Science. “The condition can also cause swelling of the ankles, skin changes and sometimes ulcers.”

Both men and women get varicose veins, she said. The condition is more common in pregnant women, older patients, overweight people and those who stand for long periods. It is also more prevalent in people who have a family history of varicose veins.

People can’t prevent varicose veins from forming, but may be able to delay their formation or prevent existing varicose veins from getting worse, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIH recommends that people avoid standing or sitting for a long time without taking breaks; avoid crossing their legs when sitting; and keep their legs raised when sitting, resting or sleeping.

Losing weight and doing exercise that works the leg muscles can also help, the NIH said.

Brittenden said that she and her team plan to follow the study participants for five years, as long-term results are important in determining longer-term costs and consequences of each of the treatments, such as recurrent varicose veins.

Source: yahoo news

I love to pamper my skin, and with great homemade face mask recipes, I can do that from the comfort of my own home! Finding the perfect homemade facial mask recipe for your skin type can seem daunting, so check out this collection of 10 amazing homemade face mask recipes — you’re sure to find the perfect mask recipe for your beauty routine!

1. Nutmeg, Honey, and Cinnamon Mask Recipe — This soothing facial mask recipe is the perfect way to relax after a long day. Nutmeg and honey are natural anti-inflammatories, which can reduce swelling and redness in your skin. This homemade face mask recipe sounds lovely!

2. Heavenly Honey Citrus Mask — Marie Clare offers this honey citrus face mask recipe. This luscious honey and orange based mask will give your skin a beautiful healthy glow. Sounds good enough to eat!

3. Avocado Egg White Face Mask Recipe — Combine the oil-fighting powers of avocado with the pore-tightening properties in egg whites, and you get one powerful acne-fighting homemade facial mask! This avocado egg white face mask will do wonders for oily skin.

4. Nourishing Honey and Oatmeal Facial Mask Recipe — If you have dry skin, you’ll want to find a facial mask that can moisturize and nourish. This honey and oatmeal mask will not only add moisture to your skin, but it will soften and smooth even the most tired skin.

5. Homemade Cucumber Mask Recipe — I adore the fresh scent of cucumber, so this cooling cucumber facial mask recipe is definitely at the top of my list. Cucumbers are full of water, so they will not only hydrate your skin, they are loaded with Vitamin A, B, and C, as well as minerals including: magnesium, potassium, manganese, and silicon. You truly can’t go wrong with a cucumber mask!

6. Brightening Daisy Mask — Who ever would have guessed that daisies would be great for your skin? This video tutorial teaches you how to make your own daisy mask at home for brighter, youthful skin.

7. DIY Mud Mask Recipe — Of course, the most common type of mask is a mud mask. I love the way a good mud mask makes my skin feel, and this DIY mud mask recipe looks really nice. This mud mask is particularly great for oily skin.

8. Strawberry Face Mask Recipe — Actually, the strawberry facial mask recipe (which is super-simple) is only one of many in this fabulous round-up of homemade face mask recipes that offers a variety of easy mask recipes for different skin types. This is a great resource, you’ll definitely want to bookmark it!

9. Coffee and Cocoa Face Mask Recipe — Yum, how does a coffee and cocoa facial mask sound? When it comes to homemade face mask recipes, this one is perfect for waking up dull skin, and really, it just sounds too yummy not to try!

10. Lemon–Milk Alpha Hydroxy Mask — Why spend money on expensive alpha hydroxy facial masks, when you can prepare your own homemade face mask recipe at home? This Lemon-Milk Alpha Hydroxy Mask will perk-up your sleepy skin, making it feel fresh and look bright. Both milk and lemon contain natural alpha hydroxy acids. This is such a great way to save money and kickstart your beauty routine!

Whether you have normal, oily, or dry skin, there is a mask for you. I’m a sucker for at-home spa treatments, so I’ll be trying several of these facial mask recipes this summer! Hope you enjoyed learning more about these 10 incredible homemade face mask recipes!

Source: Dear Crissy