skin

Now, wearable ‘skin-like’ device to monitor heart, skin health

Scientists have developed a new device, which is much like skin itself and when worn, monitors heart and skin.

According to the researchers from Northwestern University and University of Illinois the medical device can quickly alert a person if they are having cardiovascular trouble or if it was simply time to put on some skin moisturizer. The small device, approximately five centimeters square, can be placed directly on the skin and worn 24/7 for around-the-clock health monitoring. The wireless technology uses thousands of tiny liquid crystals on a flexible substrate to sense heat. When the device turns color, the wearer knows something is awry.

Now, wearable 'skin-like' device to monitor heart, skin health

Senior researcher Yonggang Huang led the portion of the research focused on theory, design and modeling. The technology and its relevance to basic medicine have been demonstrated in this study, although additional testing is needed before the device can be put to use.

The technology uses the transient temperature change at the skin’s surface to determine blood flow rate, which is of direct relevance to cardiovascular health, and skin hydration levels. The device is an array of up to 3,600 liquid crystals, each half a millimeter square, laid out on a thin, soft and stretchable substrate.

Huang said that when a crystal sensed temperature, it changed color, and the dense array provided a snapshot of how the temperature is distributed across the area of the device. An algorithm translated the temperature data into an accurate health report, all in less than 30 seconds.

With its 3,600 liquid crystals, the photonic device had 3,600 temperature points, providing sub-millimeter spatial resolution that was comparable to the infrared technology currently used in hospitals.

The device also has a wireless heating system that could be powered by electromagnetic waves present in the air. The heating system was used to determine the thermal properties of the skin.

The study is published online in the journal Nature Communications.

Five powerful health benefits of eating pomegranate!

Years ago pomegranates were considered exotic. Like Mandarin oranges they were precious imports brought over on ships for a once-a-year treat at Christmas. But in recent years, as you might have noticed, the pomegranate has been designated a “superfood” (foods with the highest nutritional values). And it truly is super with its high dietary fibre and folate, vitamin C and vitamin K. Since ancient times, the fabulous fleshy seeds were used for fertility, but it turns out they do so much more.

Five powerful health benefits of eating pomegranate!

Five reasons the pomegranate is a superfood:

1. You can reduce joint pain and inflammation with pomegranates. At the source of any joint pain is always a cascade of enzyme reactions that lead to the body triggering inflammation and ultimately pain. Pomegranates have been shown to halt the enzyme reactions before the inflammation is able to occur and reduce pain as a result.

2. Pomegranates have been used to treat malaria. In ancient Indian culture, this was the only remedy that was available for the treatment of malaria because of its powerful anti-parasitic properties. Remember to stock up on pomegranates before your next tropical destination vacation to ward off those pesky parasites.

3. Pomegranates are anti-viral. Protect yourself during those winter months by stocking up on pomegranates. The anti-viral component of these fruits is so powerful that it’s been studied as an alternative treatment of HIV, with promising results.

4. Pomegranate plant flowers can be used to lower cholesterol. Pomegranate flowers contain an oil called oleanolic acid that improves the metabolism of free triglycerides found in the blood. These triglycerides are what lead to the collection of LDL cholesterol and blockage of arterial walls leading to atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the artery walls) increasing your susceptibility to heart disease.

5. Pomegranates protect your cardiovascular system. For plaque to begin to form on your arteries, there first must be damage to the arterial walls caused by free-radicals. Pomegranates contain powerful antioxidants that eat up these free radicals and target the lining of your blood vessels and prevent them from damage. The ultimate prevention food!

Source; chatelaine

Want gorgeous glow on skin? Eat and apply the right vitamins

Want gorgeous glow on

Are you eating all the right veggies and fruits but your face still lacks the luminescent glow? Believe it or not the skin care regime is missing some essential vitamins.

The aging signs can be reversed by the help of nutrients. Even if a balanced diet holds the key to a gorgeous skin , according to Mary Lupo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology, “the body delivers only a certain percentage of vitamins to your skin, no matter how much you ingest.” The diet does keep the skin superfine but it may not do the needful for the blemishes, under eye skin and facial marks. This means that we have to topically apply the vitamins in the skin to make it glow and look better.

Vitamin A- the age fighter

This is an important part of the night creams and OTC lotions. They contribute greatly to the removal of blemishes like brown spots and reduction of the wrinkles; they also help in smoothening the rough skin. They help in reducing age lines and thus make the person look younger. Make sure that you apply the cream at night as the sunlight works negatively on the vitamin and neutralize its action. The creams with retinoids may cause irritation and redness so apply in very little quantities, every alternate day in the beginning.

Vitamin B3 to reduce redness

The skin is protected by an outer barrier made up of fatty acids and ceramides. This helps the skin retain moisture and ward off substances that cause skin irritations. So if the skin is sensitive and prone to dryness then use Vitamin B3 creams for reducing skin redness and keeping the skin hydrated. It also helps in minimizing the dark spots if used in morning and night. Mixing a retinoid cream with niacinamide or Vitamin B3 provides great anti aging benefits.

Vitamin C- the all around vitamin that keeps age at bay

Skin care benefit is maximum from the creams that show a concentration of more than 5% of vitamin C and are stored in air tight containers. Vitamin C helps ward off the sagging skin by making it firm and also helps in treating brown spots. Discolorations and fine lines lighten up tremendously with the regular use of Vitamin C.

Moisturize the skin with Vitamin E

Generally all after sun products and the sunscreens contain this Vitamin and help the skin retain the hydration and also quell dryness. It helps neutralize the harmful and damaging free radicals keeping it less dry and inflamed. It’s best used before heading out to the sun and also after sun exposure. Vitamin E in the skin is destroyed by UV light or sun exposure so just pick the right cream and slather it on generously.

Vitamin K for brighter eyes

Brighten the under eye skin with creams containing Vitamin K. The capillaries below the eyes are very fragile and the blood in them sometimes leaks into the skin causing the dark eyes. The Vitamin helps in lighten the under eye skin by lightening the melanin. Generally the Vitamin K is complemented by the retinol, says Dr. Baumann, “the retinol may enhance K’s ability to penetrate skin and knock out darkness.”

Remember now it’s not only the greens that you gorge on, concentrate on the Vitamin applications for that extra glow.

Source: the med guru

Environmental toxins could make you look older than your years

pollution

Researchers have said that the amount of exposure to harmful substances, such as benzene and cigarette smoke, in the environment is the reason behind some 75-year-olds being downright spry while others barely being able to get around.

Norman Sharpless from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, said the rate of physiologic, or molecular, aging differs between individuals in part because of exposure to ‘gerontogens’, i.e., environmental factors that affect aging.

Sharpless said they believe just as an understanding of carcinogens has informed cancer biology, so will an understanding of gerontogens benefit the study of aging and by identifying and avoiding gerontogens, they will be able to influence aging and life expectancy at a public health level.

In the future, blood tests evaluating biomarkers of molecular age might be used to understand differences amongst individuals in aging rates. Those tests might measure key pathways involved in the process of cellular senescence or chemical modifications to DNA .

From a public health perspective, cigarette smoke is likely the most important gerontogen, Sharpless said. Cigarettes are linked with cancers but also with atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and other diseases associated with age.

UV radiation from the sun makes us older too, and Sharpless and his colleagues recently showed that chemotherapy treatment is also a strong gerontogen. With the aid of a mouse model that they developed, his team is prepared to study these gerontogens and others in much greater detail.

The researchers call for a concerted research effort to understand the clinical uses for molecular tests of aging as well as the epidemiology of accelerated aging.

The research has been published in the Cell Press journal Trends.

source: zee news

9 Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer

melanoma-monday

1. Reduce Sun Exposure

Especially between 11 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest or when UV index is 3 or more.

2. Shade your Skin

  • Seek shade under trees, or create your own shade with a hat, shirt, or umbrella.
  • Wear clothing to cover your arms and legs. Make sure the fabric has a tight weave. Fabric that is wet or has a loose weave will allow more light to penetrate through to the skin.
  • Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection.

3. Beware of clouds

Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate light clouds, mist and fog. You can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day.

4. Remember about Reflection

Water, sand, snow and concrete can reflect up to 80% of the sun’s damaging rays.

5. Slop on the Sunscreen

Use sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or more that contain both UVA and UVB protection.

Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours (more often when working, playing, or swimming).

6. Avoid tanning salons and sunlamps

These lights emit mostly UVA radiation – up to 2 – 5 times as much as natural sunlight. UVA radiation causes sunburn, premature aging of the skin and skin cancer.

The UVB radiation from tanning lights is the main cause of sunburn and skin cancer and also contributes to premature skin aging.

For more information see youth tanning (link to being modified by the school team)

7. Protect Children

The most harmful effects of sun exposure occur during early childhood. Keep babies under 1 year out of direct sunlight. Once infants turn 6 months of age, begin using a sunscreen for added protection. It’s important to protect your child’s eyes by using plastic lens sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays.

  • Children should have arms and legs covered when out in the sun.
  • Instead of wearing baseball caps, they should wear hats with a wide brim, which provides more sun protection.
  • When children are playing in the water, make sure to use waterproof sunscreen.

8. Protect your Eyes

Radiation from the sun can damage cells in the structures of your eyes. UV radiation from the sun may increase the risk of developing cataracts later in life. UV radiation can also contribute to the development of skin cancer on the eyelid or on the surface of the eye. This damage can be prevented by protecting your eyes with sunglasses that protect against 100% UVA and UVB rays. Wearing a hat with a wide brim all the way around when out in the sun. Legionnaire style caps (caps with a flap a back flap) are also recommended to help protect the neck, ears and face.

9. Spot Check Your Moles

  • Examine your moles and freckles every month to check for any changes. See your health care provider immediately if you notice:
  • a mole or discolouration that appears suddenly or begins to change
  • a sore that does not heal
  • areas of skin that are red and bumpy, bleed or are itchy

Source: health unit

Simple Beauty tips that work

beauty-tips

Use toothpaste on yellow nails.
This usually happens when you let nail polish stay on your nails for very long and when you’ve used cheap nail polish. Whiten them all up by rubbing toothpaste to remove the stains. You can also add a few drops of lemon for extra whitening, it’s a natural bleaching agent.

Use suntan oil to treat damaged hair.
Here’s another use for that coconut suntan oil you love so much. If your tresses have been damaged from over styling or coloring, you can use this oil to treat it. Rinse your hair with warm water and then with a dollop of suntan oil, rub this on your hair. Wrap it in plastic cling wrap and secure with a towel. Sleep with this on overnight. The next day, wash your hair with baby shampoo (or anything moisturizing) to get the greasiness out.

Protect skin from the pool and the beach.
Don’t you hate the chlorine smell after swimming in the pool and the sticky feel of sea salt on your hair and skin after a dip in the beach? You can help minimize these effects by showering first with non-chlorinated water, which fills your pores and hair follicles. By doing this your hair won’t soak up much more water and then the residues will be easy to shower off.

Treat burns with milk.
If you’re burnt badly, first aid treatment could be standing under the shower and pouring canned milk over the burns. It will help pull the heat from the burn until you can get medical treatment.

Hydrate before travelling.
Since when you’re in a plane, you’re much closer to the sun, the proximity lets you be exposed more to the solar rays. Avoid drinking alcohol and salty foods because they are dehydrating. Drink lots of water instead, this will help your skin a lot.

Powder Your Roots
If by any chance you have no chance to jump into the shower and you need to look your best. Say for example you’ve spend the whole night preparing for an important presentation. Get a fluffy makeup brush and dab it onto loose powder and then brush it on the roots of your hair. Shake off the excess. The powder will soak off the grease in your locks.

Cure Calluses with Vaseline or petroleum jelly
It’s very unsightly to see hard calluses on your feet especially when you’ve been wearing closed shoes for a long time. I’ve seen a friend do this. To soften these tough calluses, she puts on petroleum jelly on them and puts on socks before going to bed.

Spot-Treat Smudges
I find cotton tips very usual for this. You can use it on your eyelids if you’ve made a mistake with your eyeliner and for your nails to correct a stray nail polish line.

Soften Your Body with an Avocado
Since avocadoes are natural moisturizers. Mash one up and slather this on your body just before taking a shower. The body mask will do wonders for your skin.

uper-Glue a Nail
Yikes! Accidents sometimes happen and when one of your nails break, you can choose to Super Glue it for the meantime. Add an opaque nail polish to cover the crack. Then when you get the chance to, better to cut it off.

Use Makeup Remover on Stubborn Lipstick
Instead of rubbing vigorously on your lips to remove red or dark lipstick, just dab on a cotton ball with makeup remover instead. This will help your lips from getting chapped and bruised.

Tame Brows with Eye Cream
Don’t you just hate it when there appears unsightly white specks on your brows that look like dandruff? This means they’re a bit dry, keep them hydrated with rich eye cream.

Use brown sugar to treat dandruff
If you’ve tried all the dandruff shampoos that you can buy and still your dandruff persists, try out this homemade treatment instead. Mix two parts of brown sugar with one part conditioner and then use this on your scalp. Leave on for about 3 minutes and then rinse it off.

Buff with Baking Soda
I’ve laughed at that episode in Friends when Ross went to a self-tanning sauna and got disastrous results. If you find yourself streaking (not glowing) after applying self-tanner (not all of us become experts at the first try), scrub away the unsightly spots with a loofah doused with baking soda.

Brush on Hair Spray
What I hate about hair sprays is that your hair becomes so stiff and the overall look doesn’t look natural anymore. For a neat hair trick, spray the hair spray on your hair brush after blow drying it. This way, you’ll still get the effects of the hair spray without making your hair look very stiff.

Boost Body Lotion with Baby Oil
For that shiny leg effect but don’t have any bronzing lotion with you, mix in a little baby oil into your everyday lotion to get the same effect.

Dab Body Oil on a Hangnail
Put on apricot oil, the kind found in health-food stores, to protect cuticles from turning rough and raggedy.

For younger hands, rub lemon and salt
Remove dead skin cells by rubbing lemon juice and sea salt on your hands with the aid of a toothbrush.

Freeze Your Eyeliner
I love eyeliners because they perk your eyes right back up. However sometimes they get too soft to be applied. A quick remedy for this will be to stick this into a freezer for 15 minutes.

Use Toothpaste on a Zit
Use just a pea-size amount. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won’t get more clogged, then wash off. Additional tip from Heyhaie: Don’t use any toothpaste that whitens, the bleach will cause the zit to redden.

Heat Up Your Curler
If you have stick-straight lashes, try blasting your metal eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a couple seconds to heat it up so your lashes bend more easily. And use a waterproof mascara. The formula dries faster than other mascaras, so it sets the curl more effectively.

Use Soap Without Water
You know those fancy bars that are actually too pretty to use? Toss them in your underwear or tee-shirt drawers to make your skin smell delicious. You may also use fabric softener in packets.

Lubricate Your Lashes
An easy way to draw attention to your eyes without putting on a pile of makeup is to comb petroleum jelly lightly through the tips of eyelashes to get a sexy, subtle sparkle. It might feel icky if you put on a lot, so watch how much you’ll rub in.

Steamroll Flyaways
Spray on hair spray, then roll the can over your strands. The round bottle fits the curved shape of your head, locks in the spray, and flattens out frizz. You can also use a bit of lotion to further tame the flyaway.

Air-Dry Your Curls
Let your hair dry indoors before going out in the cold. Sometimes my curls look best when dried naturally instead of using a blow drier. It’s friendlier to your tresses too.

Press a Tea Bag on Splotches
If your skin is sensitive or just looking irritated and puffy for some reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down, and dab it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation.

Shave with Conditioner
If you’ve ran out of shaving cream, you can use conditioner instead. Yep don’t use that body wash, the moisturizer in the conditioner will help prevent razor burns and will keep your skin smooth.

Amp Shine with Vinegar
Mix one part vinegar with four parts carbonated water, and soak dry hair. Leave on for 15 minutes before you shampoo to lock in shine and combat dullness.

Exfoliate Your Pits
If your underarms start to look dry and flaky, an easy trick is to exfoliate them with a gentle face scrub to keep that skin pretty when going sleeveless.

Customize Your Body Lotion
Instead of shelling out for an expensive perfumed body product, you can make your own by pouring a few drops of fragrance into any scent-free lotion. Rub it on-the scent will last for hours.

“Brush” with Mouthwash
If you’re too wiped out after a late night of partying to clean your teeth, rinse with water and mouthwash, then use a dry toothbrush on the area where your teeth hit your gums.

Use egg-whites for eyebags
The egg whites will tighten the skin right up. Let the egg whites dry before putting on make-up.

Make an Egg-White Mask
To revive tired, dull skin without hitting the spa table, try this: Crack open an egg in a bowl, separate the yolk, and use the egg whites to make a face mask. The proteins help to heal and restore skin’s moisture. Leave it on for five minutes, and rinse off. A note though, since egg whites tighten the skin and egg yolks moisturize, best not to use the egg white mask on a dry skin.

Source: Cher Cabula’s Mindbox

Want gorgeous glow on skin? Eat and apply the right vitamins

Are you eating all the right veggies and fruits but your face still lacks the luminescent glow? Believe it or not the skin care regime is missing some essential vitamins.

The aging signs can be reversed by the help of nutrients. Even if a balanced diet holds the key to a gorgeous skin , according to Mary Lupo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology, “the body delivers only a certain percentage of vitamins to your skin, no matter how much you ingest.” The diet does keep the skin superfine but it may not do the needful for the blemishes, under eye skin and facial marks. This means that we have to topically apply the vitamins in the skin to make it glow and look better.

Vitamin A- the age fighter

This is an important part of the night creams and OTC lotions. They contribute greatly to the removal of blemishes like brown spots and reduction of the wrinkles; they also help in smoothening the rough skin. They help in reducing age lines and thus make the person look younger. Make sure that you apply the cream at night as the sunlight works negatively on the vitamin and neutralize its action. The creams with retinoids may cause irritation and redness so apply in very little quantities, every alternate day in the beginning.

Vitamin B3 to reduce redness

The skin is protected by an outer barrier made up of fatty acids and ceramides. This helps the skin retain moisture and ward off substances that cause skin irritations. So if the skin is sensitive and prone to dryness then use Vitamin B3 creams for reducing skin redness and keeping the skin hydrated. It also helps in minimizing the dark spots if used in morning and night. Mixing a retinoid cream with niacinamide or Vitamin B3 provides great anti aging benefits.

Vitamin C- the all around vitamin that keeps age at bay

Skin care benefit is maximum from the creams that show a concentration of more than 5% of vitamin C and are stored in air tight containers. Vitamin C helps ward off the sagging skin by making it firm and also helps in treating brown spots. Discolorations and fine lines lighten up tremendously with the regular use of Vitamin C.

Moisturize the skin with Vitamin E

Generally all after sun products and the sunscreens contain this Vitamin and help the skin retain the hydration and also quell dryness. It helps neutralize the harmful and damaging free radicals keeping it less dry and inflamed. It’s best used before heading out to the sun and also after sun exposure. Vitamin E in the skin is destroyed by UV light or sun exposure so just pick the right cream and slather it on generously.

Vitamin K for brighter eyes

Brighten the under eye skin with creams containing Vitamin K. The capillaries below the eyes are very fragile and the blood in them sometimes leaks into the skin causing the dark eyes. The Vitamin helps in lighten the under eye skin by lightening the melanin. Generally the Vitamin K is complemented by the retinol, says Dr. Baumann, “the retinol may enhance K’s ability to penetrate skin and knock out darkness.”

Source: the med guru

Aloe vera for winters

As the temperature begins to drop, and the skin begins to dry up, it’s vital to drink lots of water and use water-based organic products like aloe vera.  Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99 per cent water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.

Aloe vera increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair.  It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow. Aloe vera-based moisturisers should be used to keep your skin soft this winter as they prevent it from drying and keeps them fresh, soft and smooth.

Also, do not forget to drink as much water possible. In addition to that herbal teas and clear soups are more creative ways to get your daily H2O intake and flush out toxins.

Source: Deccan Chronicle