Here’s how to cope with tiny elegance mishaps without having an M.D.

 A 1st-Degree Burn From the Curling Iron

The Rx: Handle it as you would any 1st-diploma burn up.

“Wrap ice in a paper towel or a thin fabric and apply it to the burn off suitable absent to awesome down the temperature of the skin,” claimed Carolyn Jacob, an associate clinical teacher of dermatology at Northwestern Memorial Clinic, in Chicago.

Next, utilize a 1 per cent hydrocortisone cream to the burned spot. At night, use a mild cleanser (like Cetaphil) to wash the burned pores and skin, and afterward use a moisturizing ointment (these types of as Aquaphor). Preserve the area protected with a bandage. Consider ibuprofen or aspirin if you are in discomfort. If the burn up commences to blister or develops pus, see a doctor.

Fast camouflage: Test some inventive hairstyling. Facet-swept bangs can deal with a spot on your forehead, while a small side ponytail performs for a burn on your neck.

Itchy, Irritated Pores and skin From a New Face Product

The Rx: Your skin could be reacting to an component in the item. Wash off the product promptly with a delicate, fragrance-free of charge soap. Apply a 1 p.c hydrocortisone cream

You can also use a neat washcloth to soothe swelling and choose an oral antihistamine (like Benadryl) to lessen itching, states Mary P. Lupo, a medical professor of dermatology at Tulane University, in New Orleans

Pare again on other skin-treatment solutions until eventually the discomfort subsides. If your skin begins to blister or flake, see your medical professional you may possibly need to have a prescription for oral steroids or a cortisone shot.

Brief camouflage: Select up a mineral-powder basis to use rather of your frequent base. This kind of basis tends to be gentler and is less probably to irritate.

A Scratch on the Cornea From a Mascara Wand

The Rx: This can be a portal for microorganisms to enter the eye and cause an an infection. Use a few drops of a lubricating eyedrop (these types of as TheraTears or Optive) to flush out any makeup that might even now be in the eye.

“This aids clean absent inflammatory substances developed by the system (which can make the eye purple and puffy),” Dr. Marguerite McDonald, a cornea specialist with Ophthalmic Consultants of Very long Island, stated.

Then utilize a zipper-sealed bag of ice wrapped in a paper towel to the lid. For agony or blurry eyesight that will not improve in 12 to 24 several hours, see an ophthalmologist.

Speedy camouflage: “Use a person drop of an eye-whitening product or service, like Visine,” McDonald stated. (You should not go overboard. If made use of often, these drops can induce rebound redness.)

A Fungal Infection From a Pedicure

The Rx: Fungal bacterial infections develop a diffuse yellowish or white discoloration and can lead to nails to individual from the nail beds or turn out to be thick and start to crumble. Trim your nails shorter. Utilize an antifungal product (this kind of as Lamisil or Lotrimin) on the tops, less than the edges, and about the cuticles of the infected nails, mentioned Stephen Mandy, a dermatologist in South Miami Beach, Florida.

If these steps will not aid immediately after a month, see your health care provider. She may perhaps prescribe an oral antifungal drug or a obvious medicated nail polish known as Penlac, which you use every day right up until the contaminated place grows out absolutely,dermatology teacher Carolyn Jacob mentioned.

Brief camouflage: Apply colored lacquer for a major night out. But eliminate it the subsequent day and go ideal again to your nail therapy.

A Very small Tear in the Skin From Plucking a Hair

The Rx: Preserve continual force on a cold washcloth to constrict the blood vessels and cease the bleeding. Then dab on an antibiotic ointment (this kind of as Polysporin) to protect against infection, advises Roberta Sengelmann, an associate professor of dermatology at the Washington College College of Drugs, in St. Louis.

“Put a bandage on it prior to mattress to create a moist, protected environment,” she mentioned

If the spot is swollen or if pain persists, see a physician.

Rapid camouflage: Remove the ointment with a cotton pad and dab a creamy hypoallergenic concealer on the location. Pat it in with a fingertip.

Red, Uncooked Skin From Exfoliating Much too Vigorously

The Rx: You taken out not only useless pores and skin cells on top but also healthy cells underneath. Use cool washcloths for a few minutes. Then implement a thick, bland, soothing moisturizer (these kinds of as Vanicream) to calm the area. Stay clear of creams with fragrance or exfoliating components, as they can sting and burn up by now sensitized pores and skin. Adhere with a gentle cleanser for a several times, and steer clear of the solar.

“Allow the pores and skin mend prior to you use make-up or place anything at all made up of chemicals on it,” Sengelmann reported.

If the redness and the irritation worsen or if they you should not go away in a 7 days, see a skin doctor.

Swift camouflage: Use a little total of a nonirritating, green-tinted moisturizer, as green lessens purple tones. (Check out Eucerin Redness Aid Every day Perfecting Lotion SPF 15.)

A Melt away or Irritation From Scorching Wax or Hair Removal Cream

The Rx: You really should deal with a burn up from hot wax as you would a curling-iron burn off. For chemical discomfort from a hair removal cream, promptly get rid of the lotion with amazing drinking water and use a cold washcloth.

“Use a 1 p.c hydrocortisone ointment to calm the redness,” Jacob reported.

Continue to keep the place moist, says Lupo, by consistently implementing an ointment with petrolatum (these types of as Aquaphor). Lessen discomfort, acquire an anti-inflammatory drug (these kinds of as ibuprofen). If the redness will not dissipate just after a working day or two, or if you build pustules with a yellow or inexperienced discharge, see a physician.

Quick camouflage: Implement moisturizer to the space, and then pat on a concealer or physique make-up designed for delicate skin.

A Rip in the Pores and skin From Tearing Of a Hangnail

The Rx: This can lead to paronychia, an irritation of the pores and skin encompassing the edge of the nail, and probably to infection. To protect against infection and soothe soreness, soak the finger in a solution of one particular teaspoon white vinegar and four ounces warm water for 3 to 5 minutes, implies Ronald R. Brancaccio, a clinical professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine, in New York Metropolis.

Do this twice a working day for three to seven days. Immediately after soaking, use a topical antibiotic ointment and a bandage to safeguard the space. If you acquire inflammation or a puslike discharge immediately after 48 hrs, see a dermatologist.

Source: dailynewsen

Another study appears to find benefits from eating chocolate: researchers from the University of Granada in Spain analzying data on European teenagers found a strong link between high chocolate consumption and low levels of body fat.

Dr. Magdalena Cuenca-García, of the Department of Medical Physiology in Granada University’s School of Medicine, and colleagues report their findings in a recent online issue of the journal Nutrition.

The researchers are part of the HELENA study group, which is collecting and analyzing data about the diets, fitness and various health measures among European adolescents.

Previous studies have already found that regular chocolate consumption is linked to leanness in adults. There is also evidence that eating chocolate may reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Eating chocolate ‘may help youngsters stay slim’Chocolate squares

Researchers from Spain have found that teens who eat chocolate have lower levels of total fat and fat around the middle than those who abstain.

The Spanish researchers decided to use the HELENA data to see if the same could be said of teenagers.

They analyzed records on 1,458 adolescents from nine European countries who were aged from 12 to 17 and who had completed computer-based questionnaires asking them to recall what they had eaten in the previous 24 hours on 2 non-consecutive days.

The records also contained information from which they could assess participants’ BMI, waist circumference, body fat measures and activity levels.

The results showed that higher chocolate intake among the teenagers were linked with lower levels of total fat and fat around the middle, regardless of other factors (including exercise).

The researchers in this study did not examine why chocolate appears to help the youngsters stay slim, but some previous studies have suggested it could be something to do with the flavonoids it contains.

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds known to have numerous beneficial biochemical and antioxidant effects. For example, they appear to protect against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties.

“It’s also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure,” says Dr. Susanna C. Larsson, of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, where she and her team conducted a study of Swedish men that found chocolate consumption may also lower stroke risk.

Many researchers say it is dark chocolate that is good for the heart, but Dr. Larsson says, surprisingly, that 90% of the chocolate eaten in Sweden – as they also found in their study – is milk chocolate.

Source: http://bit.ly/18UTv2v

If you find gray roots and regrowth peeking through too soon, try one of these handy tricks to disguise them as long as possible:

 1.) Don’t pluck: You may feel tempted to pluck those grays away, but try to resist. Plucking can damage the hair follicle and can possibly lead to bald patches.

2.) Braided styles: French braids or braids along your hairline (like Blake Lively’s or Jada Pinkett Smith’s below) are a great way to tuck away grays and conceal any appearance of regrowth between color applications.

3.) Change your part: For some women, more grays appear on one side of the head than the other. Plus, parting your hair in the same place can make regrowth more prominent. You can switch your part to the other side or try a slightly messy part to help conceal the grays.

4.) Clever clips: Embellished clips or barrettes can conceal root growth and grays. Try twisting and pinning your roots underneath the colored hair. Or, clip hair into a half-up hairstyle to cover grays at the crown and part if you don’t have time to color yet.

5.) Headband or scarf: Wrap a carefully-placed headband or scarf around your head to cover up the roots and leave only your colored ends showing.

6.) Powder: If you’re in a pinch and can’t color your hair, find a colored powder makeup, such as eye shadow or foundation, which matches your hair color. Use a damp brush and dab powder over roots to temporarily camouflage them.

Wipe out gray roots at home with the perfect hair color match from eSalon, which provides personalized hair color made just for you! First time clients can get a full color kit for only $9.95* (50% off!) with a satisfaction guarantee.

Source: http://bit.ly/185vma6

Doctors on a new Channel 4 show, Health Freaks, find homespun remedies are not all quacker

Quack remedies such as duct tape to cure verrucas and bathing in oats to cure skin complaints really can work, a panel of doctors has found.

Some sufferers of common complaints have sworn by household cures for years, which also include using the lubricant WD-40 to ease arthritis and drinking breast milk to cure infections.

They had never been put to the test until the Channel 4 programme Health Freaks, broadcast last night, carried out controlled studies on them.

Dr Ellie Cannon, a west London GP, was among the medics who assessed some of the unusual homespun treatments presented to them by advocates of the cures.

She said: “We know people do use duct tape for verrucas and we did see in the trial we did that it improved them for some. In one case the verruca went completely.”

One patient featured on the program said they had had a verruca for eight years and had been unable to shift it until they used duct tape, which finally cleared it up.

In the trial, some participants used duct tape and some used Elastoplast.

Dr Cannon said further investigation was needed to establish why duct tape was so effective as a remedy, as this remained unclear.

She added: “It’s not what we would call a consistent treatment. It doesn’t work for everyone.

“The three of us on the panel had different theories about why it was working. It might be that the tape is starving the verruca of oxygen, or it might be that the adhesive in the tape is causing an immune reaction.”

Other unusual treatments tested on the programme include breast milk to cure infections and an oat bath for the skin complaint psoriasis.

Breast milk was found to be less effective than one might expect, Dr Cannon said, while oat baths did help a little.

Another homespun remedy, using the lubricant WD-40 to treat arthritis and chest pain, was suggested by two builders but was deemed to be too unsafe to trial.

Dr Cannon said: “One of the things that surprised me was just how widespread the use of some of these remedies is. WD-40 is so widely used on building sites to treat arthritis that the manufacturers have had to put a notice on their website saying it’s not for human use.

“In years gone by the remedy might only be known within a particular family but the internet has made them much more commonly known.

“Another thing that surprised me was how prepared people are to try out remedies that could have dangerous side-effects, like drinking their own urine.”

Other remedies that the doctors were presented with included amber necklaces to cure teething trouble, copper coins to clear up styes, turmeric as an acne cure and leeches to cure deep vein thrombosis.

The doctors concluded that many of the “cures” are a result of the placebo effect, when patients’ bodies heal themselves because the patient is convinced they have been given a miracle remedy.

“Even when people have three doctors telling them their treatment has no medical benefits, once they are in that zone, believing in their remedy, they won’t be persuaded otherwise.”

In the test, all of the people given duct tape found their verrucas shrank by at least one millimeter, whereas none of those who used surgical tape saw any difference at all.

Dr Cannon said: “I’ll certainly suggest to my patients that they give it a try if they aren’t having any success with other treatments.”

Source;

Just like skin, hair changes as we age. Here are a few tips to keep locks at their lushest for those in their 20s and beyond.

We all expect our skin to change with the decades. But who knew that time takes a toll on our tresses in much the same way? While some changes are inevitable, some are the result of the insults we hurl at our hair every day: coloring, curling, straightening, taut ponytails.

Want to make the most of what you’ve got? A few tips:

20s: Your crowning glory

This is as good as it gets: the 100,000-150,000 strands that cover your scalp are the healthiest they’ll ever be. “Most damage at this age comes from experimentation with color and using too much heat,” says Rona O’Connor, a Beverly Hills-based stylist who tends to the lush locks of celebrities, including Blake Lively and Brooke Shields.

Still, there’s no time like the present to start taking care of it. For starters, eat right. Healthy hair depends on a range of vitamins and minerals, especially biotin (a B vitamin), zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, and, most important, protein. “Hair is made of a special protein called keratin, and if you don’t get enough protein in your diet, it can affect the normal hair cycle,” says Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, a member of the faculty of the American Academy of Dermatology who is based in Vallejo, Calif. Women need about 46 grams per day; during pregnancy and breastfeeding intake should boost to 71 grams. Men ages 19 to 70 need 56 grams of protein a day.

Each hair grows out of a follicle, a tiny sac-like hole in the skin. At the bottom of each follicle lives a cluster of cells that make up the root of the hair. As the root grows longer, it produces the shaft of hair that emerges from the scalp. “The shaft is what we wash and dry and curl or straighten into submission,” says Mirmirani, a hair-loss specialist. The shaft is also dead, which is why it’s difficult to repair it once it breaks or the ends are split.

Healthy hair grows about 1 centimeter a month, called the “anagen” phase. At any one time the majority of our hair is actively growing in this phase, which lasts for two to eight years. When this stage comes to its genetically predetermined end, follicles go into a two-week “catagen” or transitional phase when the follicle shrinks, causing the hair to stop growing. From there, the follicle goes into the resting or “telogen” phase. This final stage lasts for up to four months, until the hair falls out and the cycle starts again.

30s: Pregnancy takes a temporary toll

Every day we shed up to 100 hairs. But during pregnancy every follicle is in “grow” mode and normal fallout halts. This explains why many women notice their hair is unusually thick during these months. All good things must come to an end, and within a few months of the baby’s birth, the normal cycles resume and you shed every strand that you’ve been holding on to. “It’s certainly alarming to see all that hair in the bathroom sink, but it’s completely normal,” says Dr. Amy McMichael, professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University.

Other possible causes of hair loss in the 30s: significant weight loss, discontinuing hormonal birth control, illness that’s accompanied by high fever, autoimmune disorders and chronic iron deficiency. “Growing hair requires significant energy,” explains McMichael, “so if your body is stressed in any way, it’s going to divert the attention to where it’s really needed.”

40s and beyond: Let the changes begin

If you’ve made it this far with a full head of healthy hair, thank your lucky genes and clean living. “But no matter what, this is the decade when most women notice that their hair starts to look and feel thin and it turns gray,” says Dr. Carrie Jacob, director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology. “Follicles shrink so the strands are thinner, and we have fewer of them,” she explains. Plus, the number of follicles in the resting and shedding phases increase. Lower estrogen levels are partly to blame.

You can camouflage thinning hair with color (lighter shades reduce the contrast between hair and scalp), fluffy curls or a layered cut to add volume. Or try minoxidil (Rogaine). “It improves the growth rate and the thickness of the hair, no matter how old you are,” says Mirmirani. Some women find the 5% strength irritating but tolerate the 2% well. It takes about six months to get appreciable growth, and the product only works for as long as you use it.

As for the grays, you’ll likely have a few wiry tendrils peeking through now. By age 50, half of women have noticeable gray. Within each follicle lies a certain number of pigment cells that continuously produce the melanin that gives hair color — right up until they don’t. As we age, the pigment cells gradually die off.

Coloring with semi-permanent tints rather than drying peroxide formulas, and holding back on the heat prevents some damage. Jacob advises using low settings on flat irons and curling irons and says to avoid using them every day. A sealing serum can also protect the cuticle. “Repetitive heat is very damaging.”

Tips on washing your hair (or not)

Wash, rinse and repeat, right? Not so fast. By changing your routine ever so slightly, you can enhance the health of your hair — not to mention that sudsing up twice is usually unnecessarily.

• Wash your scalp, not your hair. Shampoo strips away hair’s natural oils, called sebum, leading to flyaways and dull, coarse hair. Joico’s Clinicure Purifying Scalp Cleanse ($13.95) contains biotin and vitamin B to nourish the scalp as it cleans and removes oil.
• Wash every other day (or less). Between washes, try a dry shampoo such as Umberto Beverly Hills Dry Clean Shampoo ($8.99) with rice starch to rejuvenate limp hair.
• Once a week, use a serum. A serum such as Phyto’s Revitalizing Serum contains gingko biloba and vitamins B5 and B6 to stimulate the scalp, improve thickness and slow down the graying process

Source: www.latimes.com