Archive for 'Health and Fitness'
A Look at Hair Transplant Procedures
Posted on May 11, 2009, by Amanda Gamdana, under Health and Fitness.
As hair transplant techniques advance, they become more popular. Hair plugs are much less apparent today, compared to the past when they were spotted more easily. Yet, there are still a few facts about hair transplant surgical operation that are not widely known. In fact, half of all American men that are 50 years old or older are experiencing with some amount of hair loss, a large percentage of men have balding issues.
Taking on the issue of baldness has been handled a couple of ways. Some people choose to remove all their hair, thinking it will be less obvious. Others select to take the more emphatic route and have surgical operation. Those who take in their hair loss may have a healthy psyche, but they are more or less out of step with the rest of the world.
Before entering surgical process, be aware that this procedure is permanent, and reversal requires a series of painful surgeries that may leave your head forever scarred. Because of this, you should refuse offers to try a couple of hair grafting to see how you like it, since once you’ve begun, you are committed.
Being the operation is a very elementary procedure, you may think you can get right up and begin your normal activities nonetheless, you need to have rest for a number of days after the hair transplant surgery, being it is only your scalp, and not bones or muscle, the reality of things are that you have a lot of tiny wounds which you will need to take care of. Hair grafts can take a lot of time to do and the process will generally go on for one or two years. Intensive treatments involving thousands of grafting in one procedure can shrink the total time, but these longer treatments can be daunting.
Hair transfer surgical process might be done together with another process since if you have less than the required quantity of hair, you won’t be able to get the regular hair transplant surgical process. However, there are other surgeries that can be used in conjunction with hair transfer to accomplish similar outcomes but the difference is that these procedures are usually more painful. All of the grafts might not live, nevertheless not numerous doctors will reveal the truth that hair grafting don’t of necessity survive following hair transfer procedures. The expectation is that not many will be lost and the total results will be alright.
You may think that a hair transplant is much too expensive but it’s not too expensive, you can easily spend 12,000 dollars for the hair transfer. If you got it completed at age thirty and died at age 70, you would have the transplant 40 years. This breaks down to to three hundred dollars annually or twenty five dollars monthly, while a lot of the allegedly low-priced male pattern baldness treatments can cost in excess of that amount monthly. If you have the hair transplant surgical process firstly, you will actually save.
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An Overview to Cosmetic Surgery
Posted on May 10, 2009, by Sibusiso M. Maseko, under Health and Fitness.
Cosmetic surgery uses a number of medical and surgical techniques to enhance an individual’s appearance. The main reason a majority of people decide on some form of cosmetic adjustment is their dissatisfaction with their appearance and believe this procedure will not only improve their looks but also increase their confidence. To avoid a disappointing result you would be wise to carefully examine your reasons for proceeding with cosmetic surgery.
It is believed the reason that some patients who lived longer and had previous cosmetic surgery was because they looked and felt younger from the experience. The most important factor when considering plastic or cosmetic surgery is the surgeon you choose. Another decision to make once you are happy with your plastic surgeon is whether cosmetic surgery is right for you and your surgeon will be happy to consult with you on this matter.
From the volume of cosmetic procedures that take place every year it would appear that many people now consider this type of surgery to be a completely acceptable way to treat areas of their body they don’t like. Plastic surgery isn’t just about making someone look good, it also has another area which deals with people who need to have areas of their face or body reconstructed because they were either born with defects or require help with problems after an injury. It has always been held that only women undergo cosmetic surgery procedures but today, there are just as many men.
There are positive aspects to cosmetic surgery when multiple procedures are carried out on a person with low self esteem where the physical improvements mean they can live a more normal life. A area of cosmetic surgery that basically re-shapes a person is called body contouring.
Scarring is no longer an issue with modern techniques which continue to improve. Be warned though that your original appearance will be nothing like the finished product, depending on how the patient looked before the operation, the results could be quite dramatic. Since a major cosmetic surgery involves a significant recovery period, you must not expect instant results after surgery. Thus post-operative care is pivotal for attaining satisfactory results and in order to expedite the recovery process.
Expectations can run high with cosmetic surgery but it is worth remembering that there are always risks with any type of surgery and the ‘finished product’ may be slightly different to what you were hoping. Risk from infection post surgery in now less than 1% of cases and antibiotics are used routinely to lower this risk.
It used to be that any type of cosmetic surgery was beyond the means of the normal person but this is no longer the case and you do not have to be a celebrity now to benefit from its advantages. Cosmetic surgery patients of today come from all walks of life and changing your appearance is open to all with advanced techniques and falling costs, almost anyone can change the way they look.
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Cure Hemorrhoids Without Surgery?
Posted on April 7, 2009, by Aumter J. Palinger, under Diseases and Conditions.
I wanted to discuss something that affects over 40% of the adult population at one time or another in their lives. Yes, hemorrhoids or piles are any form of vein inflammation around the anus.
Blood on your toilet paper? Itching in your anus area? Pain during constipation? All of these are likely signs that you may have hemorrhoids and it’s no laughing matter ” because although common, they can be annoying and embarrassing.
Severe cases are where the hemorrhoids fall out like a lump outside your rectum. Do you know some common mistakes folks make that contribute to this condition? You may already be afflicted but if you avoid the following three mistakes you can start relieving the problem immediately.
Mistake #1: Eating too much processed food
This can be rough on some folks but it is well known that processed foods cause the stool to be harder and troubles in digestion. This leads to constipation and other causes of hemorrhoids. So it is important, especially when attempting to cure hemorrhoids, to lower the amount of processed foods and sugars you take in.
Mistake #2: Sedentary lifestyle
Sitting for long periods of time can create additional pressure on the rectum promoting an environment that is perfect for the hemorrhoids to occur when combined with something like constipation or pregnancy in women. Try not to sit for more than an hour at a time and do some healthy blood flow promoting exercises between sitting sessions.
Mistake #3: Intake of processed medication and creams
This creates the same potential problem as processed foods. Even many of the fiber supplements contain processed and artificial elements that can create side-effects elsewhere and lastly they are not even attacking the root of the problem here.
The other downside of these creams which do no benefit is that they waste one’s time and the hemorrhoid can get worse over time if the root problem is not reversed.
Avoiding these three mistakes will help by not causing the hemorrhoids to become worse. More importantly, it is necessary to understand how our modern sedentary office work lifestyle and convenient processed diets contribute to the problem.
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New FDA Approved Drug to Grow Longer Thicker Eyelashes
Posted on March 10, 2009, by Andrew Roberts, under Health and Fitness.
Finally there is a way to grow your own eyelashes, naturally. A new drug called Latisse has been introduced to solve this age-old problem. Made by the Allergan company, this drug is clinically proven to grow longer and thicker lashes.
After 16 weeks of daily application, Latisse grew eyelashes 25% longer and 106% thicker. The drug also made the eyelashes 18% darker. Results were noticed after just 8 weeks. No mascara can match that!
The clinical trial consisted of 280 members. 1/2 used the drug for 16 weeks. They applied the drug to the upper eyelid only. Latisse is not recommended for use on the lower eyelids. Latisse was well tolerated by the participates.
Latisse will be sold by prescription only. It will probably not be covered by insurance plans, unless prescribed for a specific medical condition, like hypotrichosis. It is expected to cost about $120.00 for a 30 day supply, ( which includes 60 single use applicators).
There are some side effects noted during the study. 3.6% of the participates experienced eye itching. There is some concern that permanent darkening of the iris could occur. Green and Hazel eyes are at risk for this side effect. In the study no one reported darkening of the iris. The upper eyelid could also possibly be affected by becoming darker.
Ever hear of Botox? Allergan was the company that introduced Botox to the world. It hopes to find similar success with Latisse. When developing a drug to treat glaucoma, called Lumigan, researchers noted a starling side effect, longer thicker eyelashes. The active ingredient called Bimatoprost caused eyelash growth. Allergan developed Latisse to take advantage of this effect. Some other side effects of Lumigan were permanent darkening of the iris. Eyelids were also darker. Latisse is not expected to have similar results because it uses only 5% of the concentration placed on the eyelash. Lumigan is placed directly in the eye.
Lashes normally last about 4 to 5 months. When you stop using the drug, your eye lashes will gradually return to their normal length as old follicles fall out and new ones grow in.
No more false eyelashes or extensions for you! Latisse can grow your own eyelashes longer and thicker. The only FDA approved drug that can do this.
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Acne Scars Treatment - Your Options Explained
Posted on March 6, 2009, by Jayne Nightingales, under Health and Fitness.
For many, acne scars are little more than an irritation. For others, they may have a scar or two in a visible location but they are easily covered. However there are many acne scar sufferers where the scarring is so severe that no amount of make up will hide or cover them up.
Luckily acne scars treatment is now available that will help you to permanently remove your acne scars. There are lots of methods available from expensive laser surgery and chemical peels to natural healing creams. Most people do not know that a scar can develop from a simple pimple.
Whenever the white blood cells come to the surface in order to combat the infection from the clogged pore, far too many people tend to either touch it, pop it or pick at it. What this actually does is to drive the bacteria further down into the skin and promote the scarring that ends up showing up at a later date. It also may cause the infection and visible acne to spread to other areas of the face.
If you are afraid of acne scarring, make sure that you leave the pimples alone. If you already have a bad case of acne scarring, you need to consider one of the treatment options that are available. Some of the more radical and thereby more expensive treatments that people undertake include laser treatments and chemical peels.
Although these can permanently remove much of the scarring, they are also very expensive and you typically have to go in for more than one treatment. On top of that, your insurance will, more than likely, not cover this particular treatment because it is cosmetic.
The best option for your acne scars is the use of a natural acne scars treatment cream. This aims to hydrate your skin, especially the affected areas and to promote the production of collagen that will smooth the surface of your skin to conceal any scarring.
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How To Cure Heartburn Naturally?
Posted on March 3, 2009, by William Lagadyn, under Health and Fitness.
Heartburn is a common disturbance or ailment that occurs to people and yet they consider it as minor. What these people don’t know are the dangers posed by chronic or advanced heartburn towards human health. Heartburn can be termed as a manifestation of acid reflux, which in other words is the backing up of acids from the stomach into the esophagus. A different medical term that can be used is Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease, or in short GERD. An advanced heartburn can result in the esophagus walls being infected by ulcers.
In normal circumstances, heartburns have always been treated using the industrial chemical drugs. However, recent research has questioned the effectiveness of some of these drugs. The reason is that the drugs have been made to suppress the stomach acids, thereby leaving the stomach with not enough essential acids that aid in the break down of food during digestion. This therefore means that the best option is to use the natural cures. The natural remedies have been found to have no side effect when used properly as they are simple to use and understand. It is even simpler because the natural cure has been around and it is found in the foods that we eat in our daily lives.
To start with, you have to make sure that you take adequate amounts of water every day. Clean filtered water stabilizes the pH levels in your stomach thus keeping acid levels to the required level. Other kinds of natural cure for heartburn are ginger and peppermint. Though ginger can be taken just on its own, it is better taken in meals in measured amounts. Peppermint can be taken in drinks and its ability to neutralize stomach acids will go a long way in inhibiting heartburn or acid reflux.
Other natural products that have been used and found effective as a cure for heartburn include apple cider vinegar. This is also taken with drinks. Then there are those who take roasted unsalted almonds and they too have been known to work. But perhaps in treating heartburn, the surest way is to go for preventive remedies other to wait until you already have the heartburn and start using them. Therefore you have to be very conscious of the foods that you take. For instance, spicy foods are a sure recipe for the esophageal disorder so by avoiding them you prevent the occurrence of heartburn.
Before embarking on a measure to try and alleviate your heartburn, it’s important to seek advice from a medical doctor on the best ways to go about it. Many people claim to have remedies but they are quacks that pose a danger to your health. Therefore, it is prudent for the sake of your health to be absolutely certain of what you are ingesting into your body.
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Lose weight using Resveratrol
Posted on March 3, 2009, by Casandra James, under Diseases and Conditions.
Resveratrol just may be the answer to many medical questions and problems. Pure RezV, a health supplement that’s primary ingredient is resveratrol, has been helping many, many people improve there quality of life.
The highest levels of resveratrol are usually found in red wine. Pure RezV has been able to take this natural supplement in its purest form and convert it into a pill, for all to consume. The benefits of Pure RezV are amazing and the best part is - you can benefit from resveratrol now with out having to consume one drop of alcohol.
Studies at the Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Biology have discovered that resveratrol, which comes from the skin of red grapes may actually reduce the risk of heart disease but also can drastically reduce the chances or even eliminate the chances of people ever getting Alzheimers disease.
Studies on resveratrol have also shown that it keeps estrogen from causing breast cancer in test tube studies. Resveratrol increases production of an enzyme that destroys dangerous estrogen metabolites. Resveratrol also has the abilities to prevent the first step from ever happening that leads to cancer. What is even more amazing is, when the tests were done that shown these results - they were done with fairly low levels of resveratrol.
There is a research firm in the US that not only believes that resveratrol can stop age related diseases but can also extend the human life, and theirs hopes that with in the next fives years will have a pill on the market for the public to use. I know that I am not speaking for myself when I say we are looking forward to it.
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Is Wu Long or Wu Yi Tea YOUR Fountain of Youth?
Posted on March 1, 2009, by Caitlin Ryan, under Weight Loss.
Maybe you have been searching for the fountain of youth to restore your gorgeous looks and prevent any further damage from aging. Actually, the Chinese have known about a potential fountain for centuries. Oolong tea has some wonderful age-fighting abilities, and a few lovely mugs a day may help you maintain your youth or undo the damage already done!
Wu long and wu yi tea varietals have become all the rage in both the weight loss and age-fighting arenas. Both teas are highly beneficial in improving overall health, but is one better than the other? To answer this question, let us look at the origin of tea.
Tea is born from Camellia sinensis, but then processed in different ways after harvest. Green tea, white tea, oolong tea and black tea are the main types of tea.
Unfermented teas are green tea and white tea. White tealeaves are harvested before the bud opens making it a bit milder than green tea, but both teas are relatively grassy tasting and a bit bitter. The tea we are most familiar with is black tea which is flavorful, but the leaves are highly fermented and thus, not as nutritious as green tea or white tea.
Oolong tea is fermented for a short time. Because the process is shorter, oolong tea is still highly nutritious, but the fermenting process makes the tea milder in aroma and flavor. Wu long and wu yi tea are both oolong teas. Wu long tealeaves are harvested during the first cycle of leaf growth on the tea plant. The plant is then allowed to regenerate for more cycles of growth and harvest.
For this reason, many tea connoisseurs believe that wu long tea is superior. The tea is higher in price (usually) then wu yi tea, but wu yi tea has the same age-fighting, health-boosting capabilities than wu long tea has, and the flavor differences are so subtle that most people would not really notice. I say, save a few dollars!
In a way, choosing between wu yi and wu long tea is like choosing between a $20 bottle of red wine and a $50 bottle. Will the $50 be so good that it is worth the extra $30? Probably not. Personally, I would rather save the money by buying wu yi tea because the taste differences are not that remarkable. At the same time, you are not likely to find wu yi tea next to the cheap, econo-sized teas at the market. These could be compared to the $5 bottles of Shiraz.
It does not matter whether it is wu yi or wu long tea when it comes to fighting free radicals and preventing premature aging. Tea contains highly powerful antioxidants that improve your skin health by eliminating free radicals and the damage they incur. For this reason, your skin will remain youthful for far longer when free radicals are not able to break down collagen and cause wrinkling, sagging skin.
Wu yi tea is also important for the regeneration of skin cells. Enjoying a mug of wu yi tea can calm your body.
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5 Surefire Tips to Weight Loss Success
Posted on February 27, 2009, by admin, under Weight Loss.
There are abundance of diet programs whether online or offline. Even if you were to search the World Wide Web only, you will still find a wide range of diet programs. What is more tedious is finding a diet plan that would be suited for your health, help you lose weight and not harm your body in any way. Believe me, finding the best weight loss program is like finding a pearl from the bottom of the ocean. But regardless of which diet program you chose, you will still need to follow the basics of dieting, otherwise you will never be able to lose weight. In this article, I will tell you about five basics of effective weight loss.
1. Metabolism is the key weight loss determinant: Always keep in mind that your body’s metabolic rate is what will determine how much weight you will be able to lose at a given point of time. When your metabolic rate is high, you are able to lose significant amount weight even while at rest; on the other hand, if your metabolic rate is slow, then you should find ways to increases it. One option to speed up your metabolism is to consume weight loss pills and supplements.
2. Regular exercises are a must: Regardless of how religiously you follow your diet, if you lie idle all day sitting on your couch and watching your favorite TV program, how can you expect to those flabby belly? You should exercise regularly and never skip even a single workout session! If you are afraid of high intensity exercises such as cardio and resistance training, you can start with lighter aerobics. Aerobics will help you burn as much fat as cardio. If you cannot do exercises at all, regular walking alone will help you burn fat.
3. Don’t lose it too quickly: I know that you are in a hurry to lose weight and fit yourself into one of your old jeans or bikinis, but you should never attempt to lose weight too fast. Ideally you should lose no more than 1 or 2 pounds per week. If you lose more than that then it can affect your health negatively. If you think you are losing weight too fast, you should immediately see a doctor.
4. Eat low fat foods only: I know that every weight loss expert has advised you the same thing, but allow me to reiterate that you should eat only those foods that have a low fat content. Eating fatty and junk foods will make your situation worse!
5. Work harder for hereditary obesity: Some people become overweight because of hereditary issues. If your parents were overweight then there is a high chance that you will end up overweight also. Also, people who suffer from hereditary obesity need to put in more effort than others in order to lose weight. This doesn’t mean that you cannot lose weight at all; but you shouldn’t expect yourself to become ultra slim like others.
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