STRETCH MARKS
Stretch marks (striae) are relatively common, even in males. It is not completely understood how they form, but there are several theories. One is that stretch marks form simply when the skin is stretched to the point of breaking and a scar is formed. Another interesting theory is that stretch marks are caused by an increased level of glucocorticoids (cortisol). Glucocorticoids prevent connective tissues from forming the collagen and elastin fibers need to keep the skin tight, and dermal layer then tears. Some people may be more genetically prone to stretch marks than others. Skin type may be a factor; dryer skin has less elasticity than oily skin, and is more prone to stretch marks.
TREATING STRETCH MARKS
There are several extra steps you can take for the reduction of your stretch marks. Consider your skin care regimen, and fine-tune it to meet the needs of skin that is damaged, requires cellular repair and the stimulation of collagen and elastin production.
Nutrition: An adequate amount of water, vitamins E, C, selenium, and alpha lipoic acid, as well as enough monounsaturated fats (olive oil) and gamma lineolic acid (borage oil) are vital for keeping your skin strong and healthy and able to repair itself.
The basic treatment for the reduction of the appearance of scars is to regularly 1) remove the overgrown scar tissue with brisk exfoliation and then 2) encourage the regrowth of normal tissues with use of nutrients and conditioners.
If stretch marks have formed because of weight gain, reducing bodyfat stores (losing weight) can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks by releasing pressure from the skin.
Exfoliation: Stretch marks are similar to scars, there can be either a build up of scar tissue, which results in a raised stretch mark, or tearing and obvious depressions in the skin. Stretch marks respond well to vigorous exfoliation with both mechanical and chemical means. Your goal is to break down the malformed collagen and have it slough off, while new, properly constructed collagen and skin cells are formed below. You may wish to perform at least a light exfoliation on the stretch marks on a daily basis. You can use a massage tool to improve the breakdown of scar tissues. Applying alpha hydroxy peel products, such as retinol, glycolic or lactic acid, has shown to be effective for the improvement of stretch marks.
Protection: After exfoliating, apply antioxidant formulas with A, E, C, and alpha lipoic acids to protect the new skin cells from damage. If skin is to be exposed to the sun, apply a sunscreen to prevent further breakdown of newly formed skin cells.
Moisturizer: After exfoliating skin and applying antioxidants, moisturize the area thoroughly. If you are prone to stretch marks, remember to moisturize your body skin daily to avoid developing more stretch marks with weight changes. Aloe Vera should be used to improve skin microcirculation, followed by a layer of lipid-based cream or lotion.
Other Treatments:
Sleep: Get plenty of sleep to help your skin regenerate.
Milk Bath: You can soak your entire body with softening lactic acid by adding a cup or two of skin milk powder to your bath and soaking for 15 to 20 minutes several times a week. For extra enjoyment, add a few drops of your favorite scent to the bath. Rinse the milk bath off under the shower, but do not use soap. If you’re sweaty or dirty, take a quick shower with a mild soap before your milk bath. Moisturize your body skin thoroughly afterwards.
You can prepare your own tinctures and creams, or look for commercial products that contain ingredients known to improve the appearance of stretch marks.
The following nutrients may be helpful in the treatment of stretch marks:
Natural Internal Treatments for Stretch Marks
Vitamin C
Borage Oil
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Copper
CoQ10
Flax Seed Oil
Horsetail
MSM
Palm Oil
Natural External Treatments for Stretch Marks
Natural Exfoliation Agents
Apricot kernal scrub
Bromelain
Dead Sea Salts
Dessicated Milk Powder (lactic acid)
Papain
Rolled Oats
Sea Salt
Brown Sugar (glycolic acid)
White Willow Bark, ground (salicylic acid)
Vitamin A Oil
Natural External Rejuvenation Agents
Almond Oil
Aloe Vera Gel
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Borage Oil
Boxthorn herb
Bergamot
Sea Buchthorn
Clary Sage
Grape Seed Extract
Comfrey Herb
Safflower Oil
Rosemary Herb
Coconut Oil
Sunflower & Safflower Oil
Vitamin E & Vitamin A oil
Squalene Oil
Remember that the reduction of stretch marks is a two step process. First, the malformed collagen cells must be broken down by mechanical or chemical means. Secondly the new underlying skin layers must be encouraged to grow properly and with proper nutrition and hydration.
With a little diligent effort, the appearance of stretch marks can be reduced and improved.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Hillary Duff and her Cosmetic Surgery, Dental Cosmetic Surgery That Is
The young singer/actress Hillary Duff has had various speculations about her smile as of late. This is verification to everyone's suspicions, yes Hillary Duff has veneers. The young pop star chipped her tooth on her microphone during one of her energetic concerts. She had emergency dental surgery to solve the problem of the chipped tooth. Even though she only chipped one tooth Miss Duff did have to get veneers (plural) because it is incredibly difficult to match the shade of natural teeth and porcelain veneers.
If you are at all concerned over what an extensive and grueling procedure Miss Duff endured or you want to hear an account of all the gory details then read on. Don't be too concerned though, because they did not have to knock her teeth out with a hammer (although I am sure they had a line of people begging for the job). When placing veneers only 0.5 millimeters are what is necessary to shave off to make room for the veneers. They stick to the natural tooth through the use of cements and other bonding agents.
Some concerns over veneers are that you cannot take them out if you regret your decision for whatever reason, because the shape your teeth to be pointy. Price is another concern, because each porcelain veneer can cost up to and more than one thousand dollars. There are composite materials that are cheaper, but porcelain is known to stain less and last longer. Although, porcelain veneers are more durable they still chip easily.
That is why Hillary Duff chipped her tooth again on her microphone at a later concert date. Of course she had to have emergency surgery to fix her broken veneer, because the paparazzi would have a field day with pictures of a less than perfect Duff. Hilary Duff a celebrity with her own Barbie doll can't possibly be seen any less than perfect. Her second dental surgery was less abrasive since it was only a replacement rather than a whole new set, and the preparation was already done.
All of this boils down to a question that has been bothering me since the beginning of this ordeal. I believe this question his greatly looked over and not contemplated enough. The question being of course: what the hell his her microphone doing so close to her mouth? First of all, if the microphone is so close to her teeth then she should feel where it is. If she could feel the microphone on her lips why would she accidentally bite down?
These are questions that will plague humanity long after Hilary Duff's career plummets into obscurity. Comfort can be taken in the fact that veneers are a new alternative to orthodontist and can repair embarrassingly given chips to the teeth. Veneers are the new Hollywood secret that has been out to the public and now all we have to do is wait for Madonna to catch on and fix the gap in her teeth.
If you are at all concerned over what an extensive and grueling procedure Miss Duff endured or you want to hear an account of all the gory details then read on. Don't be too concerned though, because they did not have to knock her teeth out with a hammer (although I am sure they had a line of people begging for the job). When placing veneers only 0.5 millimeters are what is necessary to shave off to make room for the veneers. They stick to the natural tooth through the use of cements and other bonding agents.
Some concerns over veneers are that you cannot take them out if you regret your decision for whatever reason, because the shape your teeth to be pointy. Price is another concern, because each porcelain veneer can cost up to and more than one thousand dollars. There are composite materials that are cheaper, but porcelain is known to stain less and last longer. Although, porcelain veneers are more durable they still chip easily.
That is why Hillary Duff chipped her tooth again on her microphone at a later concert date. Of course she had to have emergency surgery to fix her broken veneer, because the paparazzi would have a field day with pictures of a less than perfect Duff. Hilary Duff a celebrity with her own Barbie doll can't possibly be seen any less than perfect. Her second dental surgery was less abrasive since it was only a replacement rather than a whole new set, and the preparation was already done.
All of this boils down to a question that has been bothering me since the beginning of this ordeal. I believe this question his greatly looked over and not contemplated enough. The question being of course: what the hell his her microphone doing so close to her mouth? First of all, if the microphone is so close to her teeth then she should feel where it is. If she could feel the microphone on her lips why would she accidentally bite down?
These are questions that will plague humanity long after Hilary Duff's career plummets into obscurity. Comfort can be taken in the fact that veneers are a new alternative to orthodontist and can repair embarrassingly given chips to the teeth. Veneers are the new Hollywood secret that has been out to the public and now all we have to do is wait for Madonna to catch on and fix the gap in her teeth.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Cosmetic Surgery Abroad – Making the Right Choice
The past few years have seen a dramatic change in the public perception of cosmetic surgery in Britain, leading to a sixty five per cent increase in demand in 2004 alone. In fact, so popular has cosmetic surgery become that it is hard to turn on the television or open a magazine without encountering stories of lives transformed as a result of work being done. Vastly improved treatments and increased social acceptance has lead to cosmetic surgery becoming a normalised practice, as viable and realistic to the housewife as it is to the Hollywood star. None of which is surprising, considering the very real and immediate benefits cosmetic surgery can bring to the patient’s appearance and self-esteem.
However, cosmetic surgery can still be beyond the budget of many, which is why there is a growing trend for people to travel to parts of the world where the standard of expertise and post-operation care is just as good as in the United Kingdom, but up to sixty percent cheaper. Such savings are made due to favorable exchange rates This is particularly significant when you consider that medical health insurance doesn’t cover the cost of elective cosmetic surgery. So now patients are choosing to enjoy holidays to exotic destinations such as Malaysia and Thailand in addition to improving their appearance.
No country is more suited to this combination than Brazil, land of sun and sea and the body beautiful, and second only to the United States in terms of the number of surgical operations performed every year. The 3500 plus members of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery are renowned for their experience and expertise, which makes sense when you consider that 80% of all plastic surgery in the United Kingdom is reconstructive, whereas 80% of all plastic surgery in Brazil is cosmetic, and that cosmetic surgery magazines clutter up the shelves in newsagents the same way that computer and golf magazines do here. The level of service in the Brazilian private health sector is extremely high, to mention all of those wonderful beaches you can strut your stuff down after you’ve made a full recovery!
Of course, another benefit of having cosmetic surgery abroad is that it guarantees total privacy, so that you won’t need to worry about friends, neighbours and work colleagues seeing you in the immediate aftermath of the operation. You can recover in a relaxed environment, choose who you want to see and have all manner of complementary therapies and additional work done while you’re at it. In order to make the most of your stay in the country and feel confident you’ve hired a surgeon with the sufficient level of expertise to carry out the work, it is advisable to engage the services of a cosmetic surgery company who regularly deals with sending clients from the United Kingdom to Brazil, or your country of choice. This will also insure that you are given the appropriate level of follow-up care, including careful monitoring in the days immediately following surgery. Not only will this give you piece of mind, but it will save you money as the company uses contacts that have been built up in the country over a number of years.
Regardless of this, it is worth understanding that all types of surgery carry a degree of risk and that surgical results differ from person to person and depend on many factors, including the patient’s age, medical history and health, and that results may be slightly different from those that you were expecting. As such, it is a good indication of the responsibility and professionalism of the surgeon that such things are discussed in detail before any operation takes place and you are aware of any complications or side effects that may occur, no matter how rare. Also, that the surgeon is available to discuss and treat side effects or complications as and when they arise. If such things are not immediately offered it is advisable to consider this a warning sign and start looking for a different surgeon. After all, you can take as long as you want selecting a surgeon you feel comfortable with, but you will be living with the results for the rest of your life.
However, cosmetic surgery can still be beyond the budget of many, which is why there is a growing trend for people to travel to parts of the world where the standard of expertise and post-operation care is just as good as in the United Kingdom, but up to sixty percent cheaper. Such savings are made due to favorable exchange rates This is particularly significant when you consider that medical health insurance doesn’t cover the cost of elective cosmetic surgery. So now patients are choosing to enjoy holidays to exotic destinations such as Malaysia and Thailand in addition to improving their appearance.
No country is more suited to this combination than Brazil, land of sun and sea and the body beautiful, and second only to the United States in terms of the number of surgical operations performed every year. The 3500 plus members of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery are renowned for their experience and expertise, which makes sense when you consider that 80% of all plastic surgery in the United Kingdom is reconstructive, whereas 80% of all plastic surgery in Brazil is cosmetic, and that cosmetic surgery magazines clutter up the shelves in newsagents the same way that computer and golf magazines do here. The level of service in the Brazilian private health sector is extremely high, to mention all of those wonderful beaches you can strut your stuff down after you’ve made a full recovery!
Of course, another benefit of having cosmetic surgery abroad is that it guarantees total privacy, so that you won’t need to worry about friends, neighbours and work colleagues seeing you in the immediate aftermath of the operation. You can recover in a relaxed environment, choose who you want to see and have all manner of complementary therapies and additional work done while you’re at it. In order to make the most of your stay in the country and feel confident you’ve hired a surgeon with the sufficient level of expertise to carry out the work, it is advisable to engage the services of a cosmetic surgery company who regularly deals with sending clients from the United Kingdom to Brazil, or your country of choice. This will also insure that you are given the appropriate level of follow-up care, including careful monitoring in the days immediately following surgery. Not only will this give you piece of mind, but it will save you money as the company uses contacts that have been built up in the country over a number of years.
Regardless of this, it is worth understanding that all types of surgery carry a degree of risk and that surgical results differ from person to person and depend on many factors, including the patient’s age, medical history and health, and that results may be slightly different from those that you were expecting. As such, it is a good indication of the responsibility and professionalism of the surgeon that such things are discussed in detail before any operation takes place and you are aware of any complications or side effects that may occur, no matter how rare. Also, that the surgeon is available to discuss and treat side effects or complications as and when they arise. If such things are not immediately offered it is advisable to consider this a warning sign and start looking for a different surgeon. After all, you can take as long as you want selecting a surgeon you feel comfortable with, but you will be living with the results for the rest of your life.
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