Ways to Handle Hair Loss Problem Effectively

In the olden days, the youth would be crowned with voluminous hair and hair loss would start with growing age. The scenario has undergone a drastic change now and even the youth has started encountering this trouble. Why is it so? The improper eating habits, overburden of work and the use of harmful chemical-based hair products account for most of these problems. If you are losing 10 to 15 hair strands a day, just imagine how many days are left before you will have to run into the bald fashion. Don’t worry! There are some natural techniques that you can follow for handling problems of hair loss effectively.

Scalp massage
This is one of the oldest therapies for treating all sorts of hair problems. Massage improves the blood circulation through the scalp which thereby fuels hair growth. Heating the oil before giving your scalp a soothing massage is quite beneficial. Massage for about 15-20 minutes by applying oil to the roots of hair and to the scalp. Gently rub from the front to the back of your scalp with your fingertips. Repeat this treatment before every wash for better results. This tends to activate the hair follicles. The oils used for massage can be combined with some drops of lavender for even better and more refreshing results.

Apply natural juices
There are some natural ingredients that have the tendency to boost hair growth and to prevent the loss of hair. Applying garlic juice, ginger juice or onion juice to the scalp and keeping it overnight is tested to yield impressive results. Thorough wash in the morning will give naturally smooth and shining hair and loss of hair can be controlled with regular usage.

Proper oiling before wash
Depending upon the type of hair, you can choose the oil that best suits you. For dry hair, olive oil is good. For oily hair, coconut oil is helpful and for normal hair, any type of oil including canola, olive and coconut oil can be used. If your hair has dandruff, you can even add some drops of lemon to this heated oil. Although this oil can be applied an hour or two before getting hair wash, keeping it overnight can yield much better results.

Apply antioxidants
Green tea is one of the most effective antioxidants that can help control hair loss considerably. Prepare a warm mixture by dipping two bags of green tea in one cup of water. This warm mixture can be applied directly to the scalp and left for an hour. Thereafter, hair can be washed with some mild shampoo.

Eat Healthy
The shift of eating culture to the western one has led to adverse effects on men and women. The problems vary in both the genders. Improper diet boosts the production of testosterone levels which in turn leads to baldness. In women, there may be some problem with their gastrointestinal tract. There are usually absorption problems in the organs of women. Zinc, protein, essential vitamins and various other elements are usually less absorbed by the parts of womens bodies. This leads to lightening of hair on scalp. So, proper diet is quite essential for maintaining healthy hair. Pulses play a great role in providing nutrition for healthy hair.

Meditation
The stress and strain that every working individual is taking these days is quite responsible for hair loss problems. Meditation is one of the strongest tools to relax and ease the mental pressure that piles up due to the work and other problems. It has been observed that people who are involved in meditation tend to have 10 percent lesser hair fall than others that dont.

Ways to remove dark spots

Worried about the dark spots on your face? Dark spots can show up on your skin for a number of reasons. Some of the reasons why dark spots appear are too much exposure to the sun, hormonal changes, liver diseases etc.  The most common cause is overexposure of the skin to the sun.

Most people consult a doctor in case of persistent dark spots or patches on their skin and opt for a conventional line of treatment. However, a number of home remedies are available that can free your skin from dark spots, patches and blemishes to give it a flawless and vibrant look.

Nevertheless, a number of home remedies are also available that can help you reduce and lighten these dark spots. But before trying these home remedies it is important to understand that these remedies take time to take effect, hence you will have to be patient and persevering. Furthermore, all remedies are effective only if you take care of your skin by protecting it from exposure in the sun and switch to a healthy diet. A healthy diet includes lots of green vegetables and drinking lots of water. The first step to achieving a perfectly flawless and healthy skin is by regulating the internal environment of the body and this can be done by regulating the diet.

The homemade remedies for curing the skin of dark spots include a number of easily available ingredients. Lemon and its properties of bleaching the skin of spots and patches are well known. Similarly, there are a number of other ingredients that can be applied on the skin to remove patches and marks.

Lemon: Lemon juice can be applied directly on the skin to remove dark spots and blemishes. If you think direct application is too harsh for your skin, you can mix the lemon juice with water or honey and then apply it on your skin.

Sandalwood: Sandalwood cools and refreshes skin like nothing else. You can prepare a paste of sandalwood, honey and milk or rose water and apply it on your skin.

Milk:  The lactic acid in milk also acts as a great skin lightening agent. You can apply milk on your face using a cotton ball and this when done regularly for about one and a half months can give you visible difference in the tone of your skin.

Potatoes: Potatoes are useful in reducing the dark spots in your skin. Use grated potato and honey on your dark spots and leave it on for some time. This mixture is effective in reducing skin pigmentation and enhances lightening of skin.

Papaya: Papaya paste has great effect on the skin. It lightens the skin tone and removes dark patches and blemishes. Apply papaya paste to your skin and wash off after 15 to 20 minutes. Apply the paste regularly from a month or so and see the difference in your skin.

Most importantly, use a sunscreen, preferably of SPF 30, half an hour before you got out in the sun.

These home remedies will help you lighten the skin tone and blemishes in your skin. However, for complete removal of dark patches, you might want to consult a dermatologist who can suggest the more conventional and technical methods.  Chemical peels are known to be the most popular methods of dark spot removal and skin tone lightening. This involves the use of glycolic acid which breaks down the cells that hold the dead skin layers together and expose the new skin below it. However, before you opt for such chemical treatments, it is best you consult your physician or dermatologist. The secret to a beautiful skin is healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle. So begin your endeavor to achieve perfect, flawless skin today

Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive Oil for years has been a preferred choice of people who are health conscious. It has the goodness of monosaturated fatty acids which promote the buildup of good cholesterol or HDL and prevent the buildup of bad cholesterol called LDL. This makes it a preferred medium of cooking and is used by a number of women across the globe. Besides cooking, olive oil also finds use in personal care, remedies for ailments, home care etc. This wonderful product has such varied uses that a bottle of olive oil can cater to a person’s almost all needs. Here’s how:
Cooking: Olive oil is rich in monosaturated fatty acids which are extremely beneficial to the body. It is also loaded with vitamins and antioxidants which are believed to be helpful in preventing and fighting cancer. There are different varieties of olive oil available in the market. The most expensive form of olive oil is labeled Extra Virgin Olive Oil. These are obtained from the first pressing of olives and the oil retains the distinct taste and aroma. You may also find “cold pressed” olive oil, another expensive version of the oil. This form is prepared by pressing olives without heating them to high temperatures. High temperatures destroy the nutrients in the oil. The oil derived from the second pressing is labeled as “Virgin” oil and the lesser forms are labeled as “Pure” or “Regular” oils. These lesser forms have lesser nutrient value and do not have the natural flavor and aroma.
Personal Care: Olive oil contains linoleic acid which makes the oil a great moisturizer. Due to the rich amount of antioxidants present in the oil, its application on the skin can help delay skin aging and also prevent skin cancer. It also is a great hair rejuvenator. Olive oil, reportedly, can revive damaged hair and make it shiny and smooth. All one needs to do is massage olive oil into damaged hair and keep it on for 30 minutes and then shampoo. Regular application with cure all hair problems and make them healthy and shiny.
Home Care: Olive oil can be used to polish furniture and metal items. After scrubbing clean copper ware, apply a bit of olive oil to prevent corrosion, tarnish etc.
Other Uses: Olive oil also has a number of other interesting uses such as:
Cure and Reduce Acne: A scrub made of olive oil and salt can help reduce acne.
Treat Sunburn: Shake a mixture of olive oil and water and apply it to the affected area. Olive oil helps retain moisture in the skin and hence is helpful in cases of mild sunburn.
Minimise cellulite: Prepare a paste of coffee grounds with olive oil and apply it on the skin to get rid of cellulite.
Remove makeup: You can safely use olive oil around your eyes to remove makeup.
Reduce stretch marks: Prepare a paste of cocoa butter and olive oil and apply it on the body to reduce stretch marks
Free a stuck zipper: Drizzle a few drops of olive oil onto the stuck zipper and free it.
These are only some of the many uses of this wonderful product. Besides, helping in preventing diseases and keeping us healthy, it also comes handy as a household utility. The use of olive oil has become increasingly popular as more and more people are becoming aware about their health.

Fundamental steps to a perfect facial

The everyday routine is enough to leave your skin wanting for more. Just like your body gets tired and sluggish, your skin gets that way too. If you have been burning the midnight oil all too often these days, it may be time for you to take a break and relax. Give your body some time to breathe, and your skin some time to rejuvenate. Go in for a facial and if you do not want to go to a professional, you can do it right at home. Here’s what a facial entails:
Step 1: Cleanse: You may have been out all day, and your skin attracts dirt. Before any facial or relaxing and revitalizing routine for your skin, it is recommended that you cleanse your skin well. For a clean canvas, you can use gentle facial foam to clean your face. Some women also use cleansing milks for this purpose.
Step 2: Exfoliate: The next step is to remove the dead skin cells. As your skin ages, a lot of the cells die and the debris simply remains on the skin. You have to keep removing it from time to time so that newer, healthier skin can be exposed. Use a gentle exfoliate and rub it on your skin in gentle circular motions.
Step 3: Open the pores: Usually, steam is applied to open pores. If you are doing the facial at home, you can just put a hot towel on your face for a few minutes and let your skin absorb the heat from it. Once your pores are open, the next few steps will be performed to completely cleanse them.
Step 4: Extractions: Now that your pores are open, extractions can be made to remove all the harmful bacteria and toxins which cause and promote acne. The extraction is usually done mechanically with the help of tools or with chemical treatments that penetrate your pores and cleanse them completely. The aim is to purify your skin and eliminate harmful bacteria.
Step 5: Massage: Your skin will next be massaged with oils or moisturizers. This helps moisture penetrate deep into your skin and improve both its appearance and texture. The facial massage also relaxes your skin and the pressure stimulates it, increasing the blood flow to it. The pressure of the massage also improves your lymphatic drainage.
Step 6: Mask: As the facial comes to an end, you have to put on a mask to finish off. Choose a mask which compliments and suits your skin. A hydrating mask is ideal for those who have dry skin. A clay mask is great for those who have oily skin or acne. A soothing mask is great as it helps relieve stress. Some of the other masks include tightening masks, pore minimizing masks and even anti acne mask. Once you have the mask on, there is nothing more for you to do than to take some time out and relax.

After the mask is washed off, you can apply a little sun block and be ready to step out.

Skin Care - Measures to Achieve Quick Results

Do you wish to have that perfect, flawless look on the face that is shown on television? All women do. All of us have tried and tested different skin care products to get a fairer and beautiful skin or to get rid of scars, marks, dark spots, blemishes, but very few get noticeable results. The reason for this is that we forget to follow the basics of skin care. To achieve the best and fast results from skincare products, it is important that we religiously follow the basic rules of skin care and keep our skin free of dirt and grime and keep it clean and healthy at all times. The basics of skincare comprise of exfoliation, cleansing, toning, moisturizing and protection of the skin. Although a number of skincare products are available in the market, it is important that we choose products according to our skin type. Here are some of the simple yet basic tenets of skin care:

Exfoliation:
To keep your skin healthy and young, it is important that you scrub your skin regularly to remove the layer of dead skin cells. By removing dead skin cells you expose the fresh skin underneath. A lot of women do not pay attention to exfoliation. Due to this, their skin loses its shine and becomes dull and lifeless. Exfoliation is one of the most important steps of skin care and needs to be followed religiously.

Cleansing:
It is important that the skin is kept free of dirt and grime at all times. You should ideally wash your skin using a face wash two times a day i.e. in the morning and in the evening to keep your skin free of oil and accumulated dirt. However, you can make washing your face a regular or frequent habit if your skin is oily and feels sticky even after washing. Washing your face with plain water is a good habit and keeps the skin clean and fresh. At the end of the day, make sure you wash your face and remove all makeup before going to bed. There are products available in the market that can help you remove all kinds of makeup. Use good cleansing milk and rub it gently on your skin to remove all traces of makeup, dirt and grime. Make this a habit and you will see a visible difference in your skin.

Toning:
A toner is usually recommended for people who have oily skin. Dab on a few drops of a good quality astringent after you clean your skin using cleansing milk. You can also use an astringent on your skin in the mornings after washing. Get yourself an alcohol based toner, which will not only remove traces of oil from your skin but also prevent your skin from getting greasy for a longer time.

Moisturizing:
This is important for people who have dry or normal skin. For those of you who have oily skin, you may not want to add in more moisture to your skin. However for those who have dry skin, a moisturizer will lock in the moisture in your skin and prevent it from getting dry. Make sure you keep your skin moisturized at all times to make it look soft and supple.

Sunscreens:
Protecting your skin is another important step. Keep a bottle of sunscreen lotion with you at all times during the summers and use it every time you have to step out in the sun. Use a sunscreen that is preferably of SPF 30 and in case you have oily skin, look for something that is water based. Just cleansing, toning and moisturizing isnt enough, but protecting your skin from UV rays is just as important. By following these basic steps of skin care, you can make your skin look healthier and get better results from skin care products.

Dry Skin Acne

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they become better human beings. It came for me too. I have always been a rather smug about winning a gene pool lottery which made sure that for most of my life, I never had any skin, hair, weight or serious health issues. Combined with my inherent complacence, it turned me into a cocky little sparrow with a careless attitude towards the earth shatteringly important issues of health, skincare and beauty.

Then, last year, I turned 20 and intensified the point-and-laugh campaign that I had started 4-5 years back against friends suffering from what I called “the funny little red zits issue.” This is how my thought process went – “Hooray! Teenage over and so is the threat of ever getting any acne! Let’s call up pimply friends and ask them how their pus boils are doing.”

Then, karma caught up, cuffed me by my neck, gave me its own version of what school teachers call “vunnnnn tiiiite slapp!” and ran away guffawing. Last December, I woke up one morning and discovered (for the first time in my life), a whole gang of big, fat, cherry red pimples hosting a raucous party on the entire left side of my face. Except for a momentary shock-and-scream reaction accompanied by various unmentionable profanities, I was very stoic in my approach. My friends, like all true friends, were utterly unsympathetic and downright sadistic. Here’s the reaction that I received, by the way – “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Serves you right!”

Clearly, it was a battle that I waged alone and for the next three months, one of my life’s priorities was – “Get rid of the goddamn acne before face develops Om Puri’s craters.” My biggest problem was that I have dry skin and none of the usual acne remedies (recommended by my friends with oil fields for faces) could work without making me shed my skin like a mad Basilisk living in the Chamber of Secrets. It wasn’t easy especially with my parents pointing and laughing at me every other day (my family is not big on sympathy over “minor issues” like 5 million mammoth pimples on the face) and classmates asking if I had just recovered from chicken pox.

After a seemingly endless period of denial, anger, frustration, existential crisis, lots of research into skincare issues, discovery of IMBB, stick-tongue-out-at-mocking-mother episodes, mirror-avoidance, anti-acne Ninja training and similar yada yada, I finally won my war against the enemy. What’s more, there are no ugly scars on my face either to act as relics of that war!

If it is hard to battle zits on oily skin, it is doubly so when you have dry skin. So, the reason why I recounted that introductory sob story was because I’ve decided to create a comprehensive acne-battling-tactics-for-dry-skin guide for fellow victims and share tips and sympathy.

The Whys:

The first thing that popped in my mind (after “Oh, CRAP!”, of course) was “Why the hell?”. The moment I recovered some mental stability, I sat up and analysed the living hell out of this issue. Normally, you would not expect acne on dry skin. Well, incorrect assumption. Here are all the reasons that I believe can cause acne even on sandpaper-like skins.

1.) Temperature is an important factor for dry skin acne as humidity affects skin health. In summers, dry skin is easily sunburned and it also produces more sweat and oil to cool down, thereby giving a chance to evil little bacteria to grow. Winters are even worse because frost, harsh winds, and heaters cause more dryness leading to flakes and itchiness. “Cracking” of the skin is common, opening the door for bacteria to creep in and create havoc on the face. In the winter, pores also become drier and more irritated and aggravate problems.

2.) Dryness itself can be a cause of acne. Oily-skinned people are usually advised to use a light moisturiser so that their skin doesn’t over-produce oil for moisturisation causing more oiliness. That is precisely what happens with dry skin. To compensate for extreme dryness, skin starts producing oil/sebum leading to clogged pores and later, acne.

3.) Smoking is also a major factor of acne. Many people don’t realize how harmful even passive smoking can be for the skin and the lungs. People who hang out with smokers or just tend to smoke occasionally (aka. the I’ll-just-have-a-few-drags syndrome) usually suffer from acne. What is worse is that those smokers (passive or otherwise) who kick the butt have to face a purgatory called “quitzits” – acne caused as a side effect of quitting smoking. Classic example of “damned if you and damned if you don’t.”

4.) Stress is also acne’s dearly beloved friend. Basically, this is how the mechanism works: You get pissed off —> you want to punch someone and break their nose —> you remember that your mommy told you that it might get you into trouble —> you punch a pillow and let out a volley of certain words instead that mommy wouldn’t approve of —> your urge to punch may be satisfied but the wish to break a nose stays unfulfilled which makes your adrenal gland go bonkers leading to higher androgen levels —> result = red little buggers on the face —> you get more pissed off —> and so the vicious circle continues.

5.) Do you remember Bugs Bunny? Have you ever seen him with pimples? No, right? That’s what carrots, or rather, Vitamin A can do to you. One of the major causes of acne can be vitamin deficiency and besides the Bugs Bunny Vitamin, other vitamins and minerals for an acne-free skin include B, C, E, chromium and zinc. If you’re a poor eater or are best friends with the McDonald’s/Pizza Hut Staff due to your delusionally healthy eating habits, you will definitely be attacked by pimples, even if your skin looks so dry that you practically resemble a scaly lizard. Lack of vitamins and minerals does not allow your body to flush out the harmful toxins from your body whose results are directly visible on your skin.

6.) Dandruff and flaky scalp could also be the culprits. Your scalp health is directly related to that of your facial skin and if it’s snowing on your head, mini volcano eruptions are bound to take place on your face.