Category: Skin problems and treatments

Interestingly, whilst most women are generally very good at regular hair removal, many only opt for a temporary solution such as waxing or shaving. They usually start thinking about permanent hair removal when they have a significant event coming up which as a holiday in the sun or a wedding and, of course, by the time it has occurred to them it is usually too late!

Don’t Leave It Too Late

If you are thinking about using a permanent hair removal reduction method, such as laser hair removal, then you need to allow plenty of time for the process. To have the best results you would need to have several treatments, approximately six weeks apart, so as you can see it would take several months in total.

It isn’t the kind of decision you can really make at the last minute. To make sure you are getting the best treatment possible you need to plan ahead. For example, one of the common mistakes people make is assuming they can have laser hair treatment at any time of year. In fact, the worst time to have treatment is in the summer when you may be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

Find The Right Clinic

You should also spend time researching the different clinics in your local area. Don’t just pick the cheapest or the closest. Search online for reviews, visit a few times and make sure that you are comfortable with the clinic and all its practitioners. Not opting for the cheapest isn’t to say that you have to pay full whack for treatment however as this can be very expensive; keep an eye out for discounted deals or money off vouchers and buy them when you can. Just make sure you look up the clinic first!

Safety is Number One Priority

Before embarking on any treatment plan make sure you have a patch test carried out. This will ensure you aren’t going to react with the treatment or any of the products used. It is also a good idea to read up on the types of laser removal available for your skin type. Not all skin types are suitable for treatment so rather than be disappointed by the results, if you are aware of your options you can be in a more knowledgeable position when visiting potential clinics. An experienced clinic will know the best laser for each skin type in order to achieve optimum results and maintain safety.

Remember to trust your instincts. If you don’t like the look or feel of a clinic, then don’t feel obliged to stay. There are plenty of good clinics, so simply find one you feel comfortable with.

It has long been considered a myth that the food you eat can cause acne, with many dermatologists dismissing the links as too inconclusive. However, a 50 year long study has recently revealed that in fact certain foods are linked to acne outbreaks, and so in the bid to have healthy looking skin, you should watch what you eat.

The research also indicates, interestingly, that skin problems are predominantly a ‘western’ problem, based on our diets which contain lots of sugar and refined grain products. In cultures where the diet is mostly meat, vegetables and whole grain foods with limited refined produce there are very few acne issues.

That doesn’t mean that you have to turn your entire diet upside down on its head and adopt a more caveman approach to eating, but it is important that you know which foods you should avoid. Unfortunately, whilst there are certain foods which are more likely to cause a flare up of acne, there isn’t a one answer fits all and it is very much an individual thing based on your skin and your body. Monitor the way your skin reacts to the different food types, perhaps by keeping a food diary for a week or two, and then take steps to adjust how much of them you are eating.

So, exactly what food should you limit? Here is a quick breakdown of the food most likely to cause a spot problem:

Foods to Avoid

• Processed food

• Sugary food

• Dairy

• Spices such as chilli

• Anything high in caffeine including drinks such as coffee and food such as chocolate

Of course, it could be that these foods do not cause an acne problem but it is always best to have a balanced diet. If you are stuck for some healthier options, there are some good ideas below.

Foods To Eat

• Vegetables which are high in vitamin A, such as carrots and sweet potatoes. These help to detox your skin.

• Oily fish is perfect for reducing the production of sebum, the very thing which cause acne.

• Any fruit and vegetables with a high water content as this will re-hydrate your skin.

• If you are trying to cut out your caffeine intake, try green tea instead. It contains a lot of polyphenols which are great for the skin.

Taking care of your skin is about more than just the food you eat but this should give you some ideas about whether your skin is affected by your diet.

I Have Changed My Diet And Still Get Acne, Now What?

Unfortunately just changing your diet may not be enough, some people may be prone to acne purely from a genetic point of view. If your mum, dad or both suffered from acne then there is a good chance that you will also. If this is the case there are a few acne treatments available that can help to reduce or clear up your acne problem including the IMAGE Acne Lift, Silk Peel with BHA Serum Infusion, Green Peel or Obaji – Blue Radiance.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Men and laser hair removal were words that  for years didn’t appear the same sentence together!.

A few years back an article like this would have been virtually impossible to find on the big world wide web. ‘Real men’ didn’t shave, doing so would violate and go against the very essence of what is meant to be a man. However in more recent times it has actually not only become acceptable for a man to shave but also fashionable.

The very idea that a male might actually take a razor to his chest is not a breach of the manly code anymore; in fact it’s quite the opposite with a high percentage openly admitting that they like to sport the more naked appearance.

There are 4 main areas of the body that most guys tend to remove hair from, these include

• Chest

• Back

• Shoulders

• *cough* downstairs *cough*

See from a personal experience I don’t have to worry too much about a big forest appearing on my chest and back because my hair growth is quite slow. Fortunately for me I wasn’t born in the 60s or 70s during the good old rugged days or else I might have actually had to cut up a rug and stick it on my chest in order to fit in. The thing is even if I could grow a good mane it wouldn’t be there for long as whenever some hairs do decide to sprout from my face the Mrs demands that I remove them.

Away With The Hair

Society now demands that we all look pristine which has set in motion the whole going to the gym and healthily eating craze that has in the past few years swept the nation. Go back a few years and it was said “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”…nowadays we are told to have 5 varying fruits in order for our body to obtain the necessary vitamins and nutrients. Also recent research has also shown that natures ‘perfect food’, milk, might not be as good for us as first thought.

Removing ones hair is believed to show off more muscle definition that has come from spending hours in the gym pumping iron in order to obtain rock hard abs and bulging pecks. Think about it, whenever you see a picture on the front of a men’s health magazine how many of them sport hair on their chests? Exactly…

Top Ways To Remove Hair

There are a few methods which can be used to remove hair, with the top ones being

• shaving
• waxing
• laser hair removal

Shaving is probably the most commonly used method to achieve the clean look but it can be very time consuming and quite inefficient as hair tends to grow back very quickly.

Waxing is another popular method which is more efficient than shaving, however this can be extremely painful and can be very costly over a person’s lifetime. For these very reasons Laser hair removal has become a very popular method as it can remove the majority of the hair from any given area.

This means no more time is wasted in the mornings shaving or the expense of having to buy a new razor set or wax strips during the weekly shop. Back laser hair removal tends to be the most common type of hair removal for men followed closely by the chest.

Removing hair from the back area can be a challenging task but with laser hair removal once the treatments have finished men never have to worry about their hairy backs ever again.

What do you think? Do you think men should have hairy chests or do you prefer the cleaner appearance?

Share – If you prefer the clean look (Daniel Craig)

Like – If you think men should be hairy and rugged. (Sean Connery)

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When it comes to hair removal women are by far the most experienced out of the two genders. Give them a razor blade, wax strip or hair removal cream and faster then you can say ‘bobs your uncle’ they are all hair free and silky smooth. Have any of you ever watched ‘Stars In Your Eyes’? Well you know that part where the person enters the cloudy mist and reappears looking absolutely nothing like the singer they are supposed to be…well my bathroom at home is similar. The other half will start to run a really hot bath and close the door behind her while she is waiting for the water to fill the tub. Moments later when she re-opens the door all the mist pours out from the bathroom and engulfs her as she walks in…the next thing I know she re-emerges and the hair removal transformation has taken place. “Tonight Mathew I am going to be hair free”.

Being men we get ridiculed by women when it comes to pain and are constantly reminded that no matter what we have done and how painful something was we will never in our lifetime EVER feel the pain that is associated with childbirth. The thing is women have always had this wildcard at their disposal and therefore win this argument hands down every time. There has never been anything a man could ever come back with….until now.

See from a man’s point of view we know childbirth must be painful, I don’t think you will ever get a man that would even try and tell women otherwise, well not unless he doesn’t value his life very highly anyway.

Society over the last several years has become increasingly image conscious and even the stereotypical manly man is now eating healthily, wearing moisturiser and removing his body hair, yes even down there. Up until recently this was achieved with a pair of scissors and a good old fashioned razor blade. The only problem with this however is that for one it was not only dangerous but it could also take a very long time.

It seemed that there would never be an ideal way for men to keep his privates hair free until he found VEET. Now I don’t know if any of you have read any of the Amazon reviews for this hair removal cream but the word VEET has now made its way in the top 3 words men now fear the most – right below ‘commitment’ and ‘pregnant’. For anyone who has not had the pleasure of reading these you really need to see them (see here & here). They will not only have you in stitches but are seriously some of the funniest things I have ever read in my life. I can guarantee any of you women reading this that once a man has made one of the biggest mistakes he will ever make of using this product on his never regions he will never make it again, well assuming he has something left to use it on.

Men, if you wish to remove your pubic hair in a safe and effective manner London Premier Laser provide pubic laser hair removal courses that will leave you silky smooth.

share / like this with friends if you too found the articles hilariously funny.

Everyone is going on about the hottest beauty tips for this and the hottest beauty tips for that so I decided to be a little different, you know throw a curve ball out there and mix it up a little. Here you will literally find the coolest beauty tips for 2013. Yes the coolest! However we are not talking about the word cool as in wearing your pants half way down your legs cool or wearing your pyjamas or onesie to the supermarket kind of cool, no we literally mean cool, ice cube cool.

Sorry I just realised that I probably just broke some kind of Guinness world record for saying the word cool in any one paragraph…

Anyway back to our beauty tips…below are some great ways to use ice in your beauty regime.

All Natural Look

Women are masters when it comes to putting on makeup. No matter when or where they are they always have an emergency kit ready for when they need to touch up a nail or cover a cheeky spot. Sometimes however there are times when there is just no time. In these rare occasions if you want to give your face a dewy and fresh look without applying makeup just rub an ice cube or two onto your face.

Turn Back The Clock

Experts believe that massaging an ice cube on your face until it melts can keep wrinkles at bay and can prevent premature aging.

Reduce the Size OF Your Pours

By wrapping one or two ice cubes up in a cloth and applying pressure to your face making circular motions you can reduce the size of your pours. This also reduces the production of excess oil that your skin can naturally create leading to acne.

Spots…What Spots?

Do you have a pimple, whitehead or blackhead? Well fear no more. Instead of popping this oversized red monstrosity which could maybe lead to the situation getting worse, all you need to do is pop to your freezer and grab an ice cube. You guessed it, simply place the cube on your spot and watch that spot disappear…it’s magic.

Make Your Makeup Last Longer

By rubbing an ice cube onto the area you wish to apply makeup beforehand has a cooling effect which helps to keep it looking fresh and last longer.

Fruity Complexion.

Yeah who said ice cubes had to be made from water? Try pouring fruit juice into your ice tray and allow it to freeze. When they are all cube-ified try rubbing one on your facial area to get a radiant complexion.

Soothe Sore Eyes

If you are someone who works in an office constantly starring at your computer screen all day or glued to your TV or tablet at home why not give your tied sore eyes a break and place a ice cube on each one. This helps to refresh worn out eyes and keep them looking less tired.

Heat Rash Relief

If you have a heat rash and want to reduce the redness guess what you have to do? Massage ice cubes onto the affected area? Ha wrong…oh wait no your right, how did you guess? Make sure however to have them wrapped up in a cloth before applying directly to the rash.

Finally…

When using any of these tips it is important to note that you should only really use 2 ice cubes at any one time. Also if you place the ice cube directly onto the skin this can cause the capillaries underneath to break if you have sensitive skin – to avoid this make sure to wrap up the ice cubes before using them.

This is certainly an area of massive conflict and debate. We all know that exercise is good for the mind, body and soul but what about our skin? While some groups claim that exercise helps to cure acne there are the others on the opposite side of the coin that state that exercise is a key acne inducer.

So who is right? If I have bad acne should I be exercising or not? Well truth be told it’s not all that simple and there are some good arguments from both parties. Below we will have a look at what each side has to say and try and come up with an answer to this question

Argument 1: Exercise Helps To Prevent Acne

This argument states that exercise can actually be a cure to acne. It is no secret that exercise is a good thing and is certainly good to our well being. Below are a few points which highlight how exercise helps to fight off acne.

• Intensive exercise makes you sweat. Why is this good? Well it is this sweat that actually transports the toxins out of the body helping to purify it.

• When we exercise endorphins are released into the body. These neurochemicals make us feel better and usually less stressful therefore reducing acne.

• Exercise improves the blood circulation around the body providing us with a cleaner supply of oxygen.

• Exercise helps to improve your immune system which helps to keep those pesky germs at bay. It also helps to flush out harmful toxins.

Argument 2: Exercise Can Bring About Acne

Recently at a Clean and Clear event, dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe spoke about something called acne mechanica. Acne mechanica is when acne is brought about by aggravated heat, covered skin, constant pressure and repetitive friction on the skin.

Sports related causes can include:

• Shoulder pads and straps

• Head protection such as helmets

• Constrictive uniforms that are constructed of synthetic fabric

• Headbands

• Backpack straps

With the combination of sweat and friction the pours can become clogged and produce the perfect conditions that are needed for acne to develop.

People that are more prone to acne mechanica include those under the age of 20 and anyone who already suffers from sand paper acne

Conclusion

Ok so looking at the above I can see why there is such a confliction. Technically both groups are right but to different extents. People wrongly attach acne that can sometimes be seen after working out with the exercise itself rather than the conditions that the work out was conducted in and the improper post exercise regimen. By following the below simple rules you limit your chances of getting acne next time you work out.

1. Wash immediately after. Ok so this should really be a given anyway but if you don’t have access to a shower after a workout make sure that you wipe your face down with towel – do this by gently dabbing your face rather than rubbing too vigorously.

2. This one is for the ladies. Avoid the use of makeup when you exercise. Cosmetics can block the skins pours which can bring on acne. If you  absolutely HAVE to put on makeup before that run make sure that you use oil free cosmetics and have a wash immediately after.

3. Wear loose fitting garments that allows for your skin to breath. Avoid synthetic, nylon or lycra clothing as these fabrics do not breathe. After your workout make sure to remove your wet clothing as soon as possible.

4. Clean your exercise equipment – if you are using things such as helmets or pads make sure that you wash them with a quick antibacterial spray before using them. Also if you are at a gym make sure to wipe down any equipment and machines.

5. Drink plenty of water. As you exercise you will lose water in the form of sweat. It is important to not only top up with water as you exercise to keep yourself hydrated but also to enable your body to flush out any toxins.

Make sure that you make time for exercise in your daily routine as it is important in keeping yourself healthy and fit.

Cellulite is like that annoying friend that you just can’t get rid of no matter how much you try. Now for the purpose of this article we shall call cellulite Dave. See Dave likes to tag along everywhere you go and even makes you look bad on your holiday photos. He certainly loves being the centre of attention, seriously as soon as the sun comes out and you pop on your shorts Dave is there, screaming “look at me”.

You have tried asking him to leave nicely by changing your diet and by exercising but Dave is persistent and will just not leave you alone.

Time to bring in the muscle. You and Dave have known each other for a good few years now but it’s time to say goodbye, it’s time to introduce him to your new best friend Mr AWT.

What is Acoustic Wave Therapy (AWT)?

Acoustic Wave Therapy (AWT) utilises sound waves which are applied to the cellulite region. These waves combat both the major causes of cellulite; fibrous septae and the protrusion of fat into the lower dermis. When the sound waves are applied they stimulate the varying skin layers resulting in:

• Smoother, firm skin

• Breakdown of fat deposits

• Connective tissue tightening and retention of fat cells in the subcutis

This treatment was first discovered by chance. Even though acoustic waves have been used in the medical industry for many years to treat such things as kidney stones and muscle disorders, its “skin smoothing” capabilities where unknown.

Straight To The Point Without Needles

Until AWT the only way to improve the appearance of the cellulite dimples involved needles, and lots of them. Skin needling with a derma roller causes a micro injury to the skin triggering off the natural healing response which involves the body producing new collagen.

In contrast Acoustic Wave Therapy is painless and is none invasive. Research has shown that in female patients the skin elasticity can improve by 110%.

What Does The Treatment Entail?

Firstly a conducting gel is applied to the cellulite affected area to be treated. Next the AWT device is gently and smoothly moved over the skins surface, delivering the powerful yet painless waves deep into the skin. This usually takes around 30 minutes, but is dependent on the severity of the cellulite reduction required. After there is absolutely no downtime meaning you can continue with normal activities as soon as you have had the treatment.

80% of all women have been affected by Dave at some point in their lives, If you would like to finally say bye to him you can find more information here.