Archive for the ‘Skin Care’ Category
Natural Remedies for Hives – Effective Natural Treatments for Hives
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 28th, 2009
Forget the Irritation and Pain of Hives forever! Learn How You Can Cure Hives Quickly and Effectively with Natural Treatments
Natural Remedies For Hives
By Evelyn Lim
It is very common to get hives which has the appearance of red, nasty bumps on your skin. It is usually caused by an allergic reaction to drugs or food. Your body releases chemicals that make your skin swell up in hives.
Hives usually go away on their own. However, if it turns severe, most people turn commercially available preparations, prescription medications or even allergy shots. The medications tend to contain antihistamines and cortisone, which makes them work work well for controlling hives. However, they usually have a lot of side effects with them too, such as making you drowsy. Cortisone is rather potent and potentially dangerous if taken on a regular basis. You may be one of those who are prone to getting hives on a regular basis. If so, natural remedies for hives may be something for you too look into.
Herbalists actually recommend that what you should do first is figure out what is causing you hives before you even begin to treat the condition. That way, you can eliminate your exposure to the allergen. In the meantime, for treatment, here are some natural remedies for hives:
1. Quercetin. This is a plant pigment that is found in leafy green vegetables, onions, apples, and other natural foods. Quercetin acts as a natural antihistamine, which can help reduce or even completely eliminate hives in a lot of people. You should take 500 milligrams of this twice a day. It may be the best natural remedy for controlling hives.
2. Sandalwood essential oil. This natural remedy is especially used in Native American medicine wherein it is believed that hives are a fiery condition. This essential oil is well known for its calming and cooling effects. As such, some herbalists call Sandalwood a sedative for the skin. Simply add several drops of this essential oil to a cotton ball and then apply it to the infected area every three hours.
3. Mint. Mint is a natural remedy that has a cooling effect. Mint oil can be used to soothe the irritating symptoms of hives. The best way to do this is by creating mint ice cubes that you can place directly onto your skin. Seep 2 teaspoons of freshly crushed mint leaves in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Next, strain this “tea” and pour it into an ice cube tray and place it in your freezer. When the ice cubes are formed, apply them onto your inflamed and irritated hives. You can save the remaining ice cubes into a labeled plastic freezer bag for future use.
Evelyn Lim is the publisher of a newsletter on Herbal Home Remedies. She draws on her practical knowledge passed down by her grandmother in the use of herbs to treat common ailments and shares about them in her newsletter. For free information and a bonus MP3 download, please visit her site at http://www.HerbalRemedyTips.com
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Forget the Irritation and Pain of Hives forever! Learn How You Can Cure Hives Quickly and Effectively with Natural Treatments
What Causes Stretch Marks – What Can Cause This Common Form of Scarring
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 28th, 2009
What Causes Stretch Marks?
By Mel Paterson
Around 70 percent of pregnant women develop stretch marks, and large numbers in other groups, both men and women, will be affected by striae (stretchmark) scarring at some point in their lives. These other groups include teenagers and adolescents experiencing growth spurts, weightlifters, bodybuilders, and anyone experiencing rapid growth, weight gain or weight loss.
What causes stretch marks is the rapid stretching of skin during a period of rapid change in body mass. The usually elastic skin is stretched too quickly for the healing process to keep up, and the tiny fibres are torn rather than stretched. This causes scarring in the middle layer of skin called the dermis, and the outer layer the epidermis is stretched thin and becomes translucent. It’s this combination that causes the distinctive look of striae, which is the red streaks that fade to silver or white and the glossy, shiny surrounding area.
Stretch marks can occur anywhere, but most commonly appear on the hips, buttocks, breasts, and stomach.
There are other factors that can affect what causes stretch marks, including skin type, genetic factors (people whose parents suffer from stretch marks are more likely to develop scarring themselves), diet and lifestyle (people who are under hydrated, or not receiving right nutrition are more likely to be affected).
There are a few other theories on causes of stretch marks, including hormonal causes. This theory dictates that an increase of a hormone known as glucocorticoids is secreted by the adrenal glands during periods of pregnancy, adolescence and obesity, and disrupts the production of collagen.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occuring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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Boils Treatment – Home Remedies to Cure Boils
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 27th, 2009
Looking For a Way to Get Rid of Nasty and Painful Boils? Try These Natural and Effective Treatments
Boils – Home Remedies to Cure Boils
By Juliet Cohen
A boil is a red, swollen, painful bump under the skin. Boil or furuncle is a skin disease caused by the inflammation of hair follicles , thus resulting in the localized accumulation of pus and dead tissues. Individual boils can bunch together and form an interconnected network of boils called carbuncles . In severe cases, boils may develop to form abscesses . Boils are usually caused by a bacteria named Staphylococcus Aureus which are normally found on the skin surface. Furuncles may occur in the hair follicles anywhere on the body, but they are most common on the face, neck, armpit, buttocks, and thighs. Sometimes boils occur in clusters called carbuncles. Although anyone can develop boils and carbuncles, people who have diabetes, a suppressed immune system, or acne or other skin problems are at increased risk. You can usually care for a single boil at home, but don’t attempt to lance or squeeze it that may spread the infection. Call your doctor if a boil or carbuncle is extremely painful, lasts longer than two weeks or occurs with a fever. In that case, you may need antibiotics or surgical drainage to clear the infection of boils and carbuncles.
A boil, also referred to as a skin abscess, is a localized infection deep in the skin. A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area. Over time, the area becomes firm and hard. Eventually, the center of the abscess softens and becomes filled with infection-fighting white blood cells. This collection of white cells is known as pus. Eventually, this pus “forms a head,” which in due course will drain. They affect people of all ages. Treatment for boils in the groin area is very important. If left untreated, a boil can spread and/or become infected . If it becomes infected, antibiotics are necessary. Fortunately, there is a very safe and effective cure for boils groin. It disinfects the area of the boil, prevents the infection from spreading, and helps to speed up the healing process. For information on how to best treat boils in the groin area, follow this link to Bexatrol.
Home Remedies to Cure Boils
1. Apply the juice of onion or garlic on the boils, as it helps in evacuating the pus.
2. Milk cream is considered valuable in the treatment of boils. Take 1 tsp of milk cream and add ½ tsp vinegar and a pinch of turmeric powder to it. Apply it on the blood filled boils.
3. For boils filled with blood, bitter gourd acts as the perfect boils home remedy treatment. Take 1 cup juice of bitter gourd and add 1 tsp limejuice to it. Consume this mixture empty stomach in the morning on a daily basis for a couple of months and see the magical results.
4. Apply a poultice of crushed fenugreek seeds which have been boiled in water for 10 minutes to treat boil.
5. Another effective remedy for boil treatment is to take equal quantities of honey, fresh lemon Juice, fresh orange juice and cod liver oil mixed and taken three times a day is an excellent tonic when You are feeling tired and run down.
6. One teaspoon of milk cream, mixed with half a teaspoon of vinegar, and a pinch of turmeric powder, makes an excellent poultice. It helps in ripening the blood boils and in their healing without allowing them to become septic.
7. Make a paste of roasted & powdered pomgranate skin with fresh lime juice and apply over boils.
8. Neem heads the list in herbal cures for boils. Grind fresh tender leaves to a fine paste and apply daily on the boil.
Juliet Cohen writes articles for free home remedies. He also writes articles for vitamins world and herbal medicines.
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If You are Sick and Tired of Painful Boils, Check Out This Effective Natural Remedy
Stop Squeezing Your Pimples – 7 Safe Ways to Get Rid of Pimples
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 27th, 2009
Are You Completely Sick of Pimples or Acne? Get Rid of Those Nasty Pimples Quickly and Effectively Today!
Stop Squeezing Your Pimples – 7 Safe Ways to Get Rid of Pimples
By Emily Clark
It’s everyone’s worst nightmare. Waking up the day before a
special event to discover a big, red pimple baring itself for all
to see right on your face!
Here’s how to get rid of it quickly and safely:
1. Don’t ever pinch, squeeze or pick at a pimple. This only
causes it to become more red and inflamed, and will spread the
bacteria and oils that caused it in the first place, to other
parts of your face! It can also lead to scars.
2. Every 30 minutes, apply an ice pack to the pimple and hold it
there for about 2 minutes. This will decrease the swelling and
redness and help shrink the inflammation and pain that sometimes
comes along with it.
3. They don’t call it concealer for nothing! Covering the pimple
with a light dose of flesh-tinted concealer can help mask it when
you’re in a hurry. It also helps cover up that oily shine.
4. Cleanse your skin 2-3 times a day with mild, unscented soap or
a specialized acne cleanser that has no harsh chemicals (such as
lye). Scrub skin gently with an exfoliating pad or washcloth, but
don’t rub too hard, otherwise you’ll sap your skin of its own
natural oils, which help to repel buildup naturally.
5. Apply a cream or ointment containing benzyl peroxide or
salicylic acid (many over-the-counter acne medicines contain
these ingredients) to the blemish or around the entire facial
area. Note that these ingredients both have a tendency to dry
out skin if used too much and are not recommended if you have
sensitive skin.
6. Wear oil-free makeup whenever possible. These types have less
of a tendency to cause the pore buildup that results in
blemishes. Remove your makeup nightly and cleanse with an
acne-fighting medicine to remove dirt, oil and makeup from deep
within the skin.
7. If you’re in need of a quick fix, a dab of toothpaste on the
affected area right before bed can help soothe irritation and
reduce redness. Pressing and holding a wet tea bag or a cotton
ball with a dab of lemon juice against the blemish for five
minutes can also reduce swelling and redness.
If you follow these tips, chances are you’ll notice a significant
difference rather quickly – often within a day or two. If
pimples become a recurring problem or worsen, your doctor or
dermatologist can suggest a daily skin cleansing routine that
will suit your skin type. Other long-term remedies, such as
facial masks, diet adjustments and increasing the amount of water
you drink can also help combat outbreaks.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
Emily Clark writes articles on a wide range of health and lifestyle topics. She has an excellent selection of tips about wheel chairs cushions posted on her blog and if you need information on pride wheelchairs then this is an article you should not miss.
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Eliminate Your Pimples Today with Effective and Safe Natural Treatments
Stretch Marks on Breasts – Remove or Avoid These Unsightly Scars
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 27th, 2009
Stretch Marks – Breasts
By Mel Paterson
Stretch marks can show up just about anywhere, but one of the most devastating places to find an ugly unsightly stretch mark is the breasts. Striae scarring can be detrimental to a woman’s self-image and can affect her confidence and self esteem, regardless of where the scarring turns up, but the breasts are a part of the body that symbolises femininity and play a large role in intimate relations with their partners.
Having scarring affect the breasts can have a negative effect on many aspects of a woman’s life, including lifestyle (she may not want to be seen in a bathing suit, go to the beach or be outdoors on a nice day), intimacy (she may no longer want her partner to see her body, can be ashamed or shy of intimacy) as well as self esteem and self image. Stretch marks on breasts are most commonly found after pregnancy, and this can cause depression when a woman feels they may not get their pre-pregnancy body back.
If you have stretch marked breasts or feel you are at risk of developing them, there are a few things you can do. There are many treatments available to treat stretchmarks, but many of them are ineffective so it is important to pick the right ones. Any treatment that contains vitamin E, collagen, elastin, or squaline would be a fairly safe bet, as these are among the few ingredients actually proven to help repair stretch marks on breasts.
Other treatments to consider are laser therapy and skin peels, but these are generally viewed as over-hyped expensive procedures that do little to heal striae scarring. They affect the outer layers of skin, while the source of the scarring occurs in the deeper layers, and there is no concrete evidence that they help replenish the supply of collagen in the skin, which is the only proven way of healing stretch marks.
If you are suffering from stretch marks on the breasts, your best bet is to research and find a good topical treatment with proven active ingredients and start treatment immediately. Results have shown these treatments work more quickly on newer scarring, so getting started as soon as possible will be of great help. Ladies with older scars need not worry, older scars have been shown to heal just as well, but your treatment time may be longer and you may want to apply the treatment more frequently.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occurring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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Laser Removal of Stretch Marks – What You Need to Know
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 27th, 2009
Laser Removal of Stretch Marks
By Mel Paterson
When the body experiences a period of weight gain or loss, usually the skin will stretch to accommodate the change in body mass. Because the skin is elastic, it will tolerate stretching up to a certain extent. However, if the change in mass is too rapid, the skin cannot keep up and the dermis layer will tear, leaving a scar. The outer layer, the epidermis, is also thinned, and it is this combination that causes the shiny, streaky appearance of stretch marks.
If you are considering laser removal of stretch marks, it might be wise to do some serious research before taking the plunge. Laser surgery is expensive, can be painful and can cause additional scarring.
The way laser removal of stretch marks is claimed to work is by removing damaged outer layers of skin, thereby promoting the production of collagen, the protein rich compound inside the body that repairs and rejuvenates skin tissue.
Most plastic surgeons and dermatologists are sceptical of these claims, as the real source of stretch marks is in the lower layer of the skin, and there is no evidence that this will promote the production of collagen that deeply in the skin. It is thought that people may believe they have made progress due to a change in appearance of the outer layer from the laser treatment, but this will be short lived and will at best simply ‘disguise’ the scarring.
There are modern topical treatments that both contain collagen and are also proven to help the body generate the compound. These are generally more expensive than mainstream skin care products, but have shown to be effective in reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Unfortunately nothing will ever completely rid your body of scarring, but these treatments will reduce their appearance dramatically, and save you a lot of time, effort, pain and money in the long run if you choose them over laser removal of stretch marks.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occurring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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Remove Stretch Marks – Methods to Remove and Prevent Stretch Marks
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 27th, 2009
Remove Stretch Marks – Prevent Stretch Marks
By Mel Paterson
Stretch marks are caused by extreme stretching of the skin, which happens at a rate too fast for the skin to return to it’s original condition. This is why stretch marks most commonly affect pregnant women. Teenagers, bodybuilders, and anyone experiencing rapid weight loss or gain are also at risk of developing theses scars.
If you suffer from stretch marks, there are a few options you can consider to remove them. The first is one of the plethora of stretch mark treatments available in stores and online.
Recent scientific study into the removal of stretch marks by topical creams has resulted in quite a few effective products coming on to the market. Most topical treatments are formulated as a preventative or as a treatment to relatively new stretch marks, but there are a few that can be effective on older more set-in scarring.
Be sure to do your research and read your labels, as there are still a lot of the old formulations that seem to do little to nothing floating around on the market. Also remember that everyone’s skin is different, so what worked for your friend or neighbour might not work for you, so if at first you don’t succeed, try try again!
The stretch mark removal ingredients to look out for in your chosen treatment or cream are: Vitamin E, Elastin, Collagen, DL-Penthenol, Squaline, Vitamin D3 and Aloe Vera. Chances are, if your treatment has some of those in it, it’s going to have a better chance at helping reduce or prevent scarring than other treatments, which usually just moisturise or exfoliate the skin.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occurring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks – Remove and Prevent Stretch Marks
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 22nd, 2009
How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks – The Only Real Way
By Mel Paterson
Are you noticing stretch marks for the first time? Or have you been putting up with those ugly silver lines for some time now? Either way, there is bound to be just one question on your mind – how do you get rid of stretch marks? Unfortunately, you can’t ever get rid of them completely, but you can certainly reduce their appearance drastically.
Stretch marks, or Striae Distensae as they are known in the dermatology world, are cause by rapid stretching of the skin, which occurs too quickly for the collagen in the skin to repair itself properly. This is why the most common sufferers of stretch marks are pregnant women or those undergoing body changes such as losing or gaining a large amount of weight.
Due to the nature of this sort of scarring, solutions like laser surgery and other surgical solutions are rarely successful, despite the claims to the contrary. This is because these methods treat the outer layer of skin, and not the deeper layers where the collagen resides. In addition to this, these methods are expensive, painful, and can even cause worse scarring than you might have had before.
With this in mind, the only real way to reduce the appearance of striae distensae scarring is to help the skin repair itself, by boosting the production of collagen. Despite a checkered past in dealing with stretch marks (mainly due to marketing ineffective moisturisers as stretch mark cures) the cosmetics industry has recently come up with some very effective products for helping repair stretch marks.
Products containing collagen or elastin can help boost the collagen levels in your skin, as can natural ingredients squaline oil and aloe vera. Treatments containing Vitamins E, A and D3 can also help boost collagen and reduce the appearance of scarring.
So when looking to get rid of stretch marks, look out for products containing the above ingredients.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occurring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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Can Stretch Marks Go Away? Yes, They Can!
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 22nd, 2009
Can Stretch Marks Go Away? Yes, They Can!
By Mel Paterson
Stretch marks can affect anyone, young, old, men or women. They are ugly, unsightly and generally not much fun. The worst part is they usually come about after a very positive experience in someone’s life, such as falling pregnant, getting fit or building muscle, or losing a lot of weight. This is due to the body’s mass changing too fast for the skin to keep up, and so the dermis tears and scarring appears.
The good news is stretch marks can go away. There are several options to choose from when treating stretch marks, and we’ll discuss a few of them.
Surgery
There are a few options available in the field of surgery for stretch marks. Laser surgery is the most popular, and the results are fairly inconsistent. For every claim that it’s the bees knees best ever total cure out there, there’s another that claims it does nothing. One thing that’s certain, it’s very expensive, and can be painful. It would be worth researching very carefully before going ahead with laser surgery.
Natural Therapy
Natural therapies such as massage, herbal and essential oil treatments and mineral baths and spas are reputed to help make stretch marks go away. Indeed, it is true that massage can induce the production of collagen, which is a compound proven to help repair and rejuvenate skin. Other natural therapies have little scientific backing but have tons of anecdotal evidence to their effectiveness, so they could be worth a try.
Topical Treatments
Like a lot of skin care products, stretch mark creams in the past have been the realm of hocus-pocus and lots of unsubstantiated claims and false promises. This has all changed recently, with a lot of actual scientific research going in to creating effective treatments for scarring and stretch marks. There are now available several topical creams that are proven to help boost the production of collagen in the body and repair damaged tissue. The ingredients to look out for in a good topical treatment are: Vitamin E, Elastin, Collagen, DL-Penthenol, Squaline, and Vitamin D3. If your chosen treatment has any combination of these ingredients, chances are you are in good hands and have a fighting chance at making stretch marks go away.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occurring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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Stretch Marks Removal – Is It Really Possible to Remove Stretch Marks
Posted by FitterHealthier.com in Skin Care on July 21st, 2009
Stretch Marks Removal – You Can Remove Stretch Marks
By Mel Paterson
We live in an era where image is just so important. It’s no use shirking this fact, it is simply true in modern society, and our self-image is of vital importance to our own self worth, confidence and self-esteem.
If you suffer from ugly stretch marks, you know just how devastating they can be to someone’s self-image. They seem to pop up just at the times in life when self-image even more of a concern than usual, such as during pregnancy, adolescence, when losing or gaining weight, or when experiencing hormonal changes.
Stretch Marks are a consequence of skin expanding too rapidly for the dermis to repair itself, which explains why the most common sufferers are pregnant ladies. The tiny fibres of skin are unable to knit themselves back together, and so scarring occurs.
The only way to truly remove stretch marks is to promote collagen and elastin in the skin, which are the chemical that allow the skin to stretch and move without tearing or scarring. There are two methods that propose to do this, topical treatments (creams and salves) and surgery (peels, lasers, tucks).
Laser surgery is a relic of the past, and it simply does not remove stretch marks. Lasers and peels remove outer layers of skin to ‘hide’ marks, but they cannot cause the tissue to heal itself, despite what they advertise. It’s expensive, painful and dangerous, and not worth the time or effort. Tucks can work if the scarring is on your stomach, but this can also cause scarring and so may be replacing one problem with another.
There are a few topical treatments available now that may be able to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. After some scientific study into the cause and remedy for this scarring, it has been determined that the replacement of collagen and elastin in the skin can reduce the severity of scarring and stretch marks. If you are considering a topical treatment, be sure to get one that contains these chemicals or promotes their production in the skin, as the other products are simply moisturisers or contain nothing effective at all.
Do you want to get rid of ugly stretch marks or prevent them from occuring? We offer honest and unbiased reviews of the top stretch mark treatments available today. Visit us to learn how you can reduce or prevent the appearance of stretch marks quickly and effectively.
Click here to check out our tips and reviews.
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