Health For All: November 2011

Hair Types and Hair Problem Solutions

Work with your hair, not against it. Here are common hair problems and practical solutions including recommended hair products that will solve your hair problems.

Limp Hair Problem

Limp hair is commonly caused by buildup on the scalp, not the hair, so the basic solution is to clean and exfoliate the scalp first. Loading up on products can torture limp hair. “You can’t spray limp hair with a volumizer and expect it to instantly repair the difficulty,” as advised by hair expert Jean-Louis Renaud. His Phytologie Hair care company addresses hair care as serious as toxicology.

Recommended products: Phytoslogie’s three step program involves Phytopolliene pre-treatment oil to exfoliate the scalp, Phytocedrat shampoo to clean the hair and scalp, and Phyto L spray to act as an astringent. Restoration does not happen overnight. It is a corrective therapy that gets lasting results.

Frizzy or Curly Hair

Do not lop off those rebellious curls-- all they need is a little TLC. To keep frizzy or curly hair under control, avoid blow-drying it. If you must, use a diffuser attachment and a cool setting. Work with your hair not against it. Shop for hair products labeled as “serum.” It should be applied to damp hair to coat and smoothen it, taming the wayward strands.

Recommended products: John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum and Kiehl’s Leave-In Hair Conditioner

Dry, Flaky Scalp

If you are experiencing dry, flaky scalp, stay away from blow dryers for a while because it can over-dry the scalp. Use a medicated and mild soothing shampoo. Some find Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo very effective for this purpose.

Course Straight Hair (Asian hair)

For those with straight, course hair, look for a style with no significant part. You may add some needed texture by coloring or waving (such as digital perm) the hair. Styles with some length work best with this type of hair because if you cut it too short, the hair can separate and appear pokey, like hairbrush bristles. Most Asians with this type of hair complain because of its weighted down quality. Occasional use of a deep cleansing shampoo like TRESemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo will remedy this significantly.

Damaged Hair

Damaged and out of condition hair may only be remedied by a good haircut to remove the damaged parts. Follow that up by an intensive conditioning treatment which can be done in a salon using steam heating. You can also remedy this at home by using an intensive conditioner at least once a week. Leave it on your hair under a shower cap for 20 minutes.

Recommended product: Rene Furterer Karité Conditioning Cream - it is highly acclaimed to repair over-processed hair.

Baby-Fine Hair

The fix for baby fine hair is a great haircut. A uniform cut sans the layers will work best. Be overly cautious on going for very short haircuts because it makes you lose a lot of volume. You may end up looking like a wet chicken.

Recommended products: Pantene Pro-V 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner would give you noticeable results. Body building sprays may simply make your hair look thicker but without any movement or swing, which eventually defeats the purpose. Try Redken’s Fat Cat Thickening Lotion instead. Those who used this product found visible improvements after three applications.

Static on Hair

To solve the static problem on hair, use conditioner regularly as usual. Apply a little gel your hair before blow drying. There’s one other solution – use laundry anti-static sheets (the stuff you toss in the dryer) on your hair to get rid of the static on your hair.

Cowlick Bangs

A cowlick is one natural hair trait that you have to live with for the rest of your life. Work with it by applying some weight on your bang area. Heavier bangs would help solve it. Your blow dryer is your best friend when it comes to solving this problem.

Also read on:

Beauty Tips for Busy Women

What Causes Dry Eyes and How Can Dry Eye Syndrome Be Treated?

What is Dry Eye?
Dry Eye Syndrome is one very common eye dysfunction. A lot of factors bring about this condition, as well as a various of symptoms. Dry Eye is the effect of incapability to produce the proper quantity or quality of tears to keep the eye moistened. People with Dry Eye complain of symptoms such as itching, eye grittiness, burning feeling, tired eyes and fuzzy sight. It is surprising that, some people suffer from an excess of tears. Those tears produced by their eyes are mostly of water and lack the important oil to keep them from evaporating. Such tears are then not moistening their eyes, then the eyes compensate by creating even more tears.

What causes Dry Eye?
There are many causes of Dry Eye. One of the most common sources for the eye dryness is simply the natural aging process. As we age, the tear glands do not produce tears as efficiently as before. It is more common among older women than men, especially after menopause. Thyroid problems, as well as inadequate Vitamin A are additional medical causes of Dry Eye. A wide variety of over-the-counter and prescribed medications, especially diuretics, antihistamines, sleeping medications and pain relievers can also be related with Dry Eye.

What are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
The most familiar symptoms of Dry Eye are burning sensations, itchiness or grittiness in the eye. Your eye care specialist is the best person to help determine not only if you are suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome, but the extent of the disorder - mild, moderate or severe. It is important to measure and treat Dry Eye not only for comfort, but also for your eye's overall health.

What should be done for my Dry Eye symptoms?
The most important thing when you believe that you are afflicted with Dry Eye is to consult your eye care professional. Other people attain relief in using a formulated tear product on a regular basis. These products not only provide speedy relief of symptoms like itching, burning and grittiness, but they also have a lubricant to protect the outer eye layer. There are eye care products that are formulated to closely resemble the chemical composition of natural tears as possible, and are safe to use as often as needed in a day.

Protect Your Eyes From Injuries

Why We Need to Cry Sometimes

Breastfeeding Tips for the Working Mom

image via Wikimedia

Breastfeeding mothers who intend to resume full-time work can still continue nourishing their babies with breastmilk. If you are one of these mothers, here are tips on how to continue breastfeeding while working full-time.

1. Get a portable breast pump (either bought, rented, or borrowed). Breast pumps can either be battery-operated or plugged-in. During your work day, pump your breast milk every three hours (you have to take some short breaks to accomplish this). You have a legal right to pump your milk even at the work. Breast milk should be stored in a clean bottle in an ice box or a refrigerator to be consumed by your baby when you get home to be stored in the freezer for future use.

2. Before going to work, breastfeed your baby, also as soon as you come home; and as frequently as possible during weekends and holidays. Nursing before leaving for work leaves the baby happy and full and breastfeeding upon return is a happy reunion. These are usually the most pleasant times.

3. Encourage the nanny or caregiver to make the take a late-afternoon nap and to avoid feeding him within an hour prior to your anticipated return home. Upon arrival, don't allow yourself to be disturbed by phone calls or messages. Play some calming music and proceed with your breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has a relaxing hormone called prolactin. This is one of the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers.

4. Sleep with your baby. This will give both the mother and the baby more restful and longer sleep time. This gets rid of frequently waking up all night that makes it hard to work the following day. Furthermore, breastfeeding at night also encourages continuous milk supply.

5. If your husband is living with you, ask him to do his share of household chores. If you are planning to continue breastfeeding and working, you will need domestic assistance.

6. Think about your during work. Many mothers instinctively surround themselves with pictures of their baby while at their office. Thinking of your baby while using the breast pump helps activate your milk-producing hormones.

7. There will be temporary annoyances such as breast engorgement or leaking of milk. These discomforts will settle down within a couple of weeks as your body adjusts to your new breastfeeding routine.

Remedies for Body Odor and Excessive Sweating

image credit

Sweating is important to keep our body healthy. Sweat keeps our body cool and helps eliminate some of the toxins from our body through the pores of the skin. There are two types of sweat glands: the eccrinte glands and the apocrine glands. The eccrinte glands which count to about three million is located all over the body. The eccrinte glands produce salts and can pass smells and odors such as the food we ate like onions. The apocrine glands line the armpits, groin and feet excrete oils and draw in bacteria. When the bacteria starts thriving in your sweat, this is when body odor starts. The intensity of odor will depend on the amount of sweat and the length of time it stays on your body. Excessive perspiration could be caused by eating extremely spiced foods, an overactive thyroid or other hormonal changes, and also stress or nervousness.

Remedies for Body Odor

Thorough cleanliness is the key to eliminating body odor. Daily bathing with an anti-bacterial soap is important.
Removal of underarm hair through shaving or waxing also helps.
Use an antiperspirant containing aluminum chlorhydrate
use a deodorant foot spray and wear only newly washed cotton socks. Avoid using of nylon socks if your feet sweat a lot.
Practice stress management by doing relaxation exercises and meditation.

In extreme cases, doctors can surgically remove the sweat glands in an affected person's underarms.

Remedy for Belching and Intestinal Gas (Farting)

Everyone produces almost a liter of gas daily - and passes it about 13 times everyday. It is caused either by bacteria in the intestines feeding on indigestible food by-products like the fiber in several vegetables; when we swallow carbon dioxide such as those found in soda and fizzy drinks; or by swallowing too a lot of air, either normally during eating and drinking, or compulsively, due to nervousness. Gas is either absorbed into the bloodstream or expelled by flatulence (farting) or commonly by burping.

Is burping or farting bad?

Flatulence is normally a good sign: it may mean that you have a healthy, high-fiber diet. Even so, that does not make it any less embarrassing. When you wish to increase your dietary fiber intake in order to reap the health benefits, do so bit by bit, and drink a lot of water or fruit juice. Some drugstores sell gas remedies such as Beano, which contains an enzyme that boosts break down of undigested food so the bacteria have less to feed on.

Binging or stress-eating can also hinder normal digestion; and lead to excessive gas. To lessen burping, try taking peppermints or drinking peppermint tea after a meal. Some doctors prescribe using over-the-counter products that containing simethicone, such as Ovol, which dissipate air bubbles in the stomach. For lactose-intolerant people - those who experience gas pains after consuming dairy products - frequently find relief by using Lactaid, a product that assists in digesting lactoses or milk sugars.

image credit