Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sun and Fun: Worries None!

“An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound of Cure” – follow this literally when using sunscreen. It takes one ounce of sunscreen to cover your entire body. Lather yourself up with sunscreen and dont stay too long under the heat of the sun. If you can’t realy help it and have already done the damage to your skin then you can do the simple skincare:

Drink water while sunbathing. Dehydration is the end result of sunburn, so don’t forget to drink lots of fluids when you’re sunbathing around.

Determine the type of burn.
First-degree burns involve reddening of the skin due to dilation of the vessels after sun exposure. These are the type of burns that feel warm to the touch, and seem to “sting” even when you’re not under the sun. “The treatment for this type of burn may be cold compresses and cool baths,” says Dr. AJ Ramos-Braga, a dermatologist. “Low potent topical steroids may also be given, but this shouldn’t be applied on broken skin or open wounds.”
You can also lessen the discomfort by taking pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Try putting some Aloe Vera on the affected area to keep it moist and cool. Aloe Vera may also help the epidermis heal faster. Avoid using heavy creams though, since these require a lot of rubbing (the last thing your skin needs is to be touched!)

If you find your skin riddled with blisters, then congratulations, you’ve sunned yourself to a second-degree burn! It may be tempting to puncture these blobs of liquid, but it’s best to leave them alone, as popping them is an invite for bacteria to come in and cause an infection. “Blisters are used by the skin to heal the underlying damaged skin,” explains Dr. Ramos-Braga. “These will eventually ‘fall off’ when the skin is healed.”

Try not to wear clothes that could rub against the blister. If the blister does pop, lightly cover it with bandage, making sure any tape doesn’t touch the blister. Be sure to wash your hands very well before handling a blister, since they’re prone to infection.
Pat, don’t rub. Take cold showers when possible, to help soothe the burning sensation on your skin. Pat, not rub, your skin with a towel afterward, and follow with a generous slather of moisturizer on your dry, damaged skin.

Eat your fruits and vegetables. Lessen the severity of your sunburn by chowing down on food that’s rich in antioxidants. This may help hasten your skin’s recovery, as antioxidants fight of free radicals (which helped you get that burn in the first place). Oranges, spinach, eggplants, and berries are just some foods that are packed with antioxidants.

Don’t peel your skin. As your burnt skin starts to peel off, you might be tempted to peel the skin off yourself to help the process along. Resist the temptation and just let nature take its course. “‘Peeling’ cracked skin due to sunburn may cause minor breaks in the skin, which may eventually act as an entry for bacteria. This may cause infection,” says Dr. Ramos-Braga.

Types Of Care for Your Hair

I have encountered so many questions on how to care, lengthen and make hair wavy in forums and other sites. I am wondering if these people know and understand their hair type or are they going for what are the most popular, most “in” thing to do?

Well ladies, it appears we have to know more about our hair to fully appreciate how to care for it. Best hair loss treatments cant work unless you know what and how you are treating it. I am sharing this to give you a glimpse of a few:

Silky straight
It’s the hair type most Asians are known for: silky smooth, straight hair that reflects the sun. It seems to be the most resilient type, and if you’ve ever tried working with a curling iron, you’ll know that it’s impossible to keep curls with this hair texture. This hair type reflects the most sheen, thanks to its oily texture—which is because oil from the scalp can work its way to the ends without being interfered by curls.

How to give it volume: Unfortunately for straight-haired sisters, their locks lack volume. Because there aren’t any curls or waves to take up space on their crowns, straight-haired women feel their hair always lie flat and dull. If you feel like you’re stuck in this rut,turn your hair upside down, and blow-dry until it’s a bit damp. Finish off by brushing from the roots with a round brush, to “lift” up hair.

Wavy
Neither super straight nor very curly, Type 2 hair has S-curls that every Victoria Secret supermodel seems to sport nowadays. This unusual hair type can further be classified into three types: fine, thin hair, which is easy to handle and style; medium-textured type; and the thick and coarse wavy hair. The last two types have a tendency to get frizzy.

How to tame frizz: You might want to use anti-frizz products to tame frizz. Your hair can also be easily weighed down by styling products, so use lighter formulas like mousses and sprays. You might also want to shampoo every other day, since too much shampooing can make your hair dry and cause it to become even more frizzy!

Curly
Type 3 hair may look straight when wet. But as it dries, you’ll notice it slowly going back to its curly state. It has a lot of body and bounce, and can easily be styled while in its natural state. In fact, healthy Type 3 hair is shiny, with smooth curls and strong elasticity. The curls are beautifully well-defined and springy. They are also climate-dependent, and damage-prone.
Too much humidity can cause curly hair to frizz, making you look like you stuck your finger in an electric socket. Plus, oil isn’t able to reach the ends of your hair, with curls obstructing the way…this leaves you with dry hair.

How to keep the frizz down: Try to keep frizz down to a minimum by shampooing once or twice a week—more than that could strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it dry and prone to breakage. Use emollient-rich shampoos and conditioners, and consider running a wide-toothed comb through your hair when applying conditioner for even distribution. Never, ever rub your hair with a towel—the friction will only cause more hair damage and frizz.

Air-dry your hair and apply an anti-frizz serum and moisturizing gel while hair is still damp. If you’re looking at using hair styling products, keep them to a minimum, often giving your hair a “time-out” in between: styling products can deplete hair of natural oils.

Kinky
Think Macy Gray’s ‘fro is super tough? Think again. Type 4 hair, or kinky hair, may look super strong and durable, but it’s actually the most fragile type of hair. This type of hair looks wiry, but each tightly-coiled strand has fewer cuticle layers, making it more prone to damage than any other hair type. It’s also the driest hair type.
Many people think kinky hair doesn’t grow as fast as straight or wavy hair, but it actually grows at the same rate…but since it’s so much more drier, hair tends to be prone to breakage, making it seem like it didn’t grow. Plus, Type 4 hair shrinks up to 75% of its actual hair length, making it look like it hasn’t been growing in length!

How to fight dryness and breakage: Type 4 hair is fine and fragile, so treat it with as much care as you would a super expensive cashmere sweater: cleanse and detangle softly, and avoid harsh chemicals! Use a creamy, sulfate-free moisturizing cleanser on your hair once a week (washing your hair more than once a week will strip it of natural oils) followed by a super hydrating conditioner. Do the mayo conditioner method to lock in moisture.
If you want to style your hair, pick styling butters that have conditioners and moisturizers. Detangle your hair with a special detangling brush, since combs and brushes will only cause more tangles and could break your hair. Lastly, reduce tangles by sleeping on a satin pillow or using a satin head wrap.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

How to Sleep Well


Trouble falling asleep? Here are some steps on how you can sleep better at night.

Set a bedtime schedule

Try going to bed at the same time every night. Having the same bedtime schedule will help your body set itself for sleep.

Relax

If you have a hard time sleeping at night, it’s probably because you are worried or stressed out about something. So, the best thing to do is to do things that can help you relax. Try reading a ‘light’ book or magazine, listen to relaxing music or watch a mindless movie or TV show.




Take a Warm Bath

Take a warm bath to help you relax and loosen those tight muscles. Do not take a shower because this will only wake you up.

Clean your Face

Cleaning your face with a cleanser, toner and moisturizer is not only a good skin care regimen, but also a great way to make you feel good before going to sleep. If you want to have less puffy eyes in the morning, try applying eye cream. In my case, I use Neutrogena Visibly Firm eyecream. Whenever I use it, the skin under my eyes feels tighter.