What is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a nutrient that is found in a type of marine microalgae called Haematococcus pluvialis. Sea animals such as salmon, trout, shrimp and lobster consume these algae; consequently, eating these sea animals will provide you with a natural source of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is also manufactured and sold in concentrated form as a nutritional supplement for a variety of health promoting purposes, one of which is the attainment of healthy looking skin.[i]

How Astaxanthin Promotes Skin Health

Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals in your body. This is important because free radicals accelerate the aging process by attacking and destroying your cells and DNA. A study published in the April 2000 edition of “Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry,” found that the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin is far more powerful than the renowned antioxidant nutrients beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene.[ii] In addition, astaxanthin has been found to be 65 times more powerful than vitamin C and 14 times more potent than vitamin E.[iii] Astaxanthin also demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory properties and may therefore be beneficial for acne sufferers, since acne is an inflammatory disorder of the skin.[iv]

Scientifically Proven Benefits

Scientific studies which were done in Japan and Canada examined the antiaging effects of astaxanthin. The Japan study was four weeks long and conducted in 2002 by Yamashita. The subjects consumed 2 mg of astaxanthin daily and they experienced an improvement in skin health after just two weeks. At the end of the study, a smoother skin surface with fewer fine lines, enhanced skin tone and elasticity, reduced eye puffiness, fewer freckles and increased moisture levels were noted on all of the participants.[v]

The Canadian study was twelve weeks long and conducted on females between the age of thirty-five and sixty. The participants were given a supplement formulation that contained astaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids and marine glycosaminoglycans. Similar to the Japan study, all of the women experienced enhaned skin health. Specifically, the woman taking the astaxanthin formulation experienced a notable increase in skin hydration and skin elasticity, and a slight improvement in overall skin tone.

The Synergesitc Effect of Combining Astaxanthin with a Topical Anti-aging Cream

The Canadian study also examined the effects of combining the astanxthin supplement formulation with the daily application of a skin cream containing glycosaminoglycans as its active ingredient. The combination appeared to have a synergistic effect and it produced dramatic results. The women reported:

1. 48% reduction in fine lines
2. 35% reduction in wrinkles
3. 45% reduction in brown spots
4. 45% enhancement of overall skin tone
5. 59% increase in overall quality of the skin.[vi]

Astaxanthin as “Nature’s Sunscreen”

Sun damage is the leading cause of premature skin aging and astaxanthin can slow the formation of new wrinkles by working as an internal sunscreen. Dr.Mercola explains on his website, that astaxanthin is produced by the Haematoccous pluvialis microaglage in order to protect itself from ultraviolet radiation when its water supply dries up. The protective effect of astaxanthin extends to humans as well, and it protects you from the damaging effects of sunlight in three ways:

1. Radiation from the sun damages the collagen in your skin. Collagen is a fibrous protein found naturally in your body and a reduction of it leads to reduced skin elasticity and consequently the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Taking astaxanthin regularly can help to reduce the damage to the collagen in your skin that results from exposure to UVA and UVB light.[vii]
2. According to cosmeticsdesign-europe.com, astaxanthin also appears to strengthen and protect the fibroblasts in your skin.  Fibroblasts are skin cells that act as a defense system, providing your skin with strength and resilence. When your skin is exposed to the sun, the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) occurs and a build-up of ROS results in damage to your skin cells. By enhancing the strenght of the fibroblasts, astaxanthin helps to both prevent the formation of ROS and to mop them up once they have been created. [viii]
3. Sunburn is a result of excessive exposure to the sun or inadequate sun protection. Sunburns cause irreversible damage to your skin and accelerate skin aging. According to Dr. Mercola, sunburn is a result of an inflammatory process. Due to astaxanthins potent anti-inflammatory properties, taking it regularly can help to protect your skin from developing a sunburn.

How to take Astaxanthin

There is no standard recommended dose of astaxanthin; however the Japanese study used 2 mg daily. Astaxanthin is fat-soluble which means that it needs to be taken along with a healthy source of fat in order to be properly absorbed by your body. There are currently no reported toxic side-effects or drug interactions from astaxanthin supplements, however it is always best to consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking any new nutritional supplement.[ix]

References:

[i] http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/Search.aspx?rn=1&cs=&s=ND&pt=100&id=1063&ds=&name=ASTAXANTHIN&searchid=27641588

[ii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10775364?dopt=Abstract

[iii] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/25/sunscreen-and-wrinkle-prevention-in-a-pill.aspx

[iv] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19895474

[v] “Cosmetic Benefit of Dietary Supplements Containing Astaxanthin and Tocotrienol on Human Skin.” Food Style. 21 6(6):112-17]

[vi] http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/bioastin/batl34.pdf

[vii] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/25/sunscreen-and-wrinkle-prevention-in-a-pill.aspx

[viii] http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Formulation-Science/Astaxanthin-protects-the-skin-against-UV-damage-study

[ix] http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/Search.aspx?rn=1&cs=&s=ND&pt=100&id=1063&ds=&name=ASTAXANTHIN&searchid=27641588

What are Stretch Marks Exactly?

Stretch marks occur from pulling of the skin. Although our skin is fairly elastic, the younger you are, the more ability it has to stretch. When it is overstretched something called collagen is disrupted. This is the protein that makes up your skins connectivity. Basically, this causes scaring which are the stretch marks.

Women will get stretch marks mostly in areas of the thighs, buttocks, breast, hips, and stomach after pregnancy. Men may get them on their lower back, buttocks, hip area, and other parts of the body. Both rapid weight gain or weight loss can cause stretch marks but don’t; forget the genetic factor. It could be that you have inherited the defects of your tissue. If you mother had severe stretch marks, it is likely you will have them as well. Stretch marks will appear as either red in color or purple. They are lines that will have different textures such as indents. Overtime, it is likely that will lighten and almost disappear.

How to Prevent Stretch Marks?

Preventing stretch mark is the most important this you can do if you are trying to avoid getting them. The very first rule to prevention is trying to avoid rapid weight gain or loss. Sometimes, this is obviously completely unavoidable however.

Moisturizers - The next prevent measure is to be sure you moisturize thoroughly and often. There are many creams, lotions, and oils out there, but you will want to choose the right one. In doing so you may end up paying hundreds of dollars for a product that didn’t even work. Since there are literally thousands if not millions of products available you can ask around and do research to see what users have experienced and which products they prefer. Another option is to make your own home remedy and use natural ingredients that people have been using successfully for centuries.

Home Remedies – Some popular remedies include massage olive oil onto the skin as needed to keep the area moisturized. You can also purchase some Vitamin E and do the same. Cocoa butter is also another helpful remedy that many people use. It also protects your skin which prevents damage. You can find cocoa butter in the form of a lotion or bar, and it smells rather nice. Shea butter does not smell as nice, but it will help to keep your skin elastic and soft. Castor oil is oil that can help in prevention. It actually can bring out toxins in your skin, and heal scarring.

The entire point of keeping your skin moisturized is so that it is able to stretch easier. Keep this in mind when you choose which remedy you would like to use. You MUST keep your skin moisturized at all times if you are trying to prevent stretch marks.

How to Ease the Appearance of Stretch Marks?

While you can never completely get rid of your stretch marks, you can certainly help to reduce their appearance. You can go with the over the counter options with products that promise results but make sure you do your research! Many will not work. On that note, you may save money and get better results from home remedies using herbal oils, vitamins, and so on.

Oils – Some oils include vitamin E oil which is often used in the treatment of stretch marks. It helps to heal damaged tissue and blemishes of the skin as well. Helichrysum oil can also assist because it helps to regenerate skin tissue as far as scaring and injury. Just as olive oil can help in prevention it can help existing stretch marks as well. Grape seed oil is also a great skin rejuvenator that many people use for their stretch marks.

Vitamins – Vitamin A can help to reduce the marking and even more so when used in combination with helichrysum oil. Vitamin C helps to enable the process of creating collagen which is very helpful to your stretch marks. Vitamin E works as an antioxidant to repair tissue and Zinc is also a great vitamin to help your stretch marks. While these are just a few, there are other vitamins that can help. These are the most popular however.

References

http://www.homemademedicine.com/home-remedies-stretch-marks.html

http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/stretch-marks-getting-under-your-skin

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/beautiful/stretch_marks.html

Why Many Lotions and Creams Don’t Work

You may find that you need to apply lotion to your hands or entire body frequently to begin to feel like it is getting the proper amount of moisture. This is because the many chemicals found in various lotions and creams will ultimately dry you out versus bringing moisture. Many lotions have smells to them which is created by chemicals. You may find that the best lotions and creams are ones that do not have much of a smell to them. People who have eczema are instructed to stay away from lotions that have a scent because they will make their skin even worse! You may also notice how thin some lotions are. You apply them and just a few moments later it doesn’t appear like you have even applied any.

There are ingredients added to these lotions to water them down so that the manufacturer gets more out of the product when it comes to filling the bottles. The thinner lotions never truly moisturize your skin. As a matter of fact the thicker the better! It is important to point out that not all lotions and creams don’t work, but many of them will simply not work as well as home remedies.

So What Does Work?

There are many things that you can do bring moisture back into your skin. Here are some great home remedies that will help you to moisture and will bring benefits almost immediately.

Honey – This happens to be one of the best home remedies for dry skin. This is nothing new after all, Greeks and Egyptians used this same remedy centuries ago. It actually was used in dressing wounds during WWII as well. You will need to choose a honey that will enhance the cells of your skin so not just any old honey will work best. Instead, you want active manuka honey because it has more antioxidants. Before taking a shower or bath, apply the honey in the desired dry spots. Let it sit for about ten minutes before cleaning it off. You can do this however often you would like or when necessary.

Bananas – Not only are bananas delicious and healthy to eat but you can also use them for your skin. Specifically, they are great for your face and neck area. All you need to do is purchase ripe bananas from your local grocery store, bash them up and apply it to your face. Instead of applying it like a cream, take the entire bunch of it and apply it like a face pack. After about 15 to 20 minutes, wash your face with only warm water. If your one to have cracked heels, use the peel of the banana to rub it on the dry area, which will help greatly as well.

Petroleum Jelly – Don’t forget that some petroleum jelly will work wonders for your dry skin. Be sure not to purchase a type that smells, but whenever you need it, apply it. You can use it on your hands, feet, and anywhere on your body that is dry.

Milk – Cleopatra who is known as being very beautiful actually took a milk bath every day. A milk bath can help to maintain soft, moisturized skin because of its lactaid acids that rids the skin of dead cells. It works like an exfoliate which then reveals the softer skin cells underneath. To make a milk bath is very simple. You will need buttermilk to add to you bath specifically, 2 to 4 cups. You should soak in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes, and towards the end, use a washcloth to scrub away the dead skin cells. Do this by rotating in a circular motion while holding the washcloth. Don’t scrub hard, but gently. Once you are done rinse with clean warm water and don’t forget to rinse the bath tub as well!

Olive Oil – Not only can olive oil be great in cooking delicious meals but it can moisture your skin instantly. It is no mystery that all sorts of various oils can do this but olive oil is great because it also cleans out your pours. You can store it in a spray bottle and when you shower, spray it on the desired areas you wish to moisturize. You will want to apply it after your regular showing ritual such as shaving, and make sure you rinse it so that your skin doesn’t become greasy.

References

http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/25-natural-remedies-for-dry-skin.html

http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_dryskin.htm

Why Choose Liposuction over a Face Lift?

Simply put, when it comes to a choice between chin liposuction and a face lift, the most cost effective treatment is the liposuction. Additionally, there isn’t as much risk with this procedure as there is with a face lift, and the recovery time for liposuction is quite minimal.

There is also a smaller chance of infection for liposuction than there is with a face lift. This is because the incisions made for liposuction are very tiny, while the incisions made for a face lift are very large. Additionally, with a face lift, the patient must be asleep for the procedure. Chin liposuction, however, does not require this. Instead, a sedative and a local anesthetic are used. In some cases, a sedative isn’t even needed. There is very little bleeding, and the tissues are traumatized less with this procedure.

The Costs Associated with Chin Liposuction

Click here to view the embedded video.

The average cost of a chin liposuction runs from $2500 to $5000. This is the total cost, since use of a hospital or surgical suite is not required, and since anesthesia is not used. If you will be having laser assisted liposuction, however, the cost may be a bit higher. You can be sure that your health insurance will not cover chin liposuction, since it is a cosmetic procedure. Some doctors do offer financing options that may benefit you, however.

Naturally, there are some factors that will affect the cost of the procedure. For example, the experience and skill of the doctor affects the price. The more experienced and skilled the surgeon is, the higher the cost will be. Additionally, the area where you have the procedure done also affects the cost. Smaller communities charge less. Larger cities tend to charge more. Another factor is how much fat you have to be suctioned out during the procedure, and whether skin resurfacing is also required, or if additional procedures are needed to remove excess skin that has lost elasticity.

Chin Liposuction May Not Work for You

There are many things that determine whether chin liposuction will work for you or not. People who are within their ideal weight range have the greatest success. No amount of exercise or dieting will get rid of the fat in your double chin or neck.

The age of the person also matters a great deal when it comes to how effective or ineffective the procedure will be. As we age, our skin loses its elasticity. This means that the fat can be removed, but that the skin may still hang loosely because it has lost elasticity. More mature people tend to benefit not only from the liposuction, but also with a surgical procedure to remove the excess skin that will not contract back over time. This, of course, significantly increases the cost of chin liposuction.

It is very important that you consult your cosmetic surgeon before making your final decision to have this procedure done. You need to know what the doctor expects in terms of the outcome or end result, and you need to be sure that this expected end result is what you want, and also expect. Is the cost worth the expected outcome?

If your doctor is an honest person, and he knows that the procedure will have little or no affect, or that it will not have a long lasting affect, he will tell you this. Naturally, you will want at least two other opinions, but if another doctor promises wonderful results, you need to think things over carefully. Go back and ask the original doctor why he doesn’t feel that the procedure will benefit you – get the facts and then make a decision.

Many people who have chin liposuction are quite happy with the results, while others are completely unhappy. Still others are in the middle, as they do not see that the procedure has changed anything, or hasn’t changed their appearance enough to be worth the expense and effort involved. Some people expected far better results than what they ended up with, and this is why it is essential to get various opinions from more than one doctor before going forward with the chin liposuction procedure. This way, you will have a better idea of what the result will be, and you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you will have the procedure done or not.

Source: http://www.facialplasticsurgery.net/, http://www.realself.com/, http://www.smartplasticsurgery.com/

Fragile – Handle with Care

The skin on the face is typically the most sensitive and fragile skin that you have on your body. This is because the skin located here is thinner than the skin located on other parts of the body. The facial skin needs special care – especially when it comes to treating eczema flare ups.

Not only is the skin on the face the thinnest skin on your body, but it also gets the hardest workout. It is touched often with our hands. It is almost constantly exposed to the elements, and we use more products on our faces than on any other part of our bodies.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our faces show everything. If you get a pimple, it is usually noticed, unless you can cover it well. Eczema is like a group of little pimples, with a background of redness, and it is extremely noticeable. Unfortunately, trying to cover the area with makeup only tends to make the condition worse.  Eczema is most common in children, but when an adult gets eczema, the case is usually worse than it would be if the person were a child.

Having a condition such as eczema on your face can be quite traumatic and even life changing. It ranks right up there with having acne on your face. While you do not have to do anything other than to control the itching involved, you will want to take measures to clear the condition as quickly as possible, simply because it is appearing on your face.

Stress, Bad Habits and Facial Eczema

Among adults, stress is the most common trigger for an eczema flare up. Stress causes toxins to be released within your body, and those toxins make their way out of your body through the pores of your skin. These toxins can cause eczema flare ups.

If you have eczema, you absolutely must avoid stress – especially if it appears on your face. Unfortunately, we live in a world where stress tends to find us no matter what we do. For this reason, you might want to consider practicing relaxation techniques, and participating in relaxation therapies, such as massages and meditation.

Touching your face with your fingers is also a problem. While eczema is best avoided by keeping the skin moisturized, the oils in your fingers can actually cause an outbreak. Smoking is also a bad habit that you must avoid, since it has been known to dry out the skin, including the skin on your face. This lack of moisture causes eczema flare ups.

Facial Products and Facial Eczema

Steroid creams are commonly used to treat eczema on other parts of the body, but this is not a desired treatment for facial eczema. The use of steroid creams can cause acne and other visible problems on the skin. You would essentially be trading one visible problem for a different visible problem. You need to ask your doctor about topical treatments that do not include steroids, as well as treatments that will not be visible on your skin.

Aside from topical creams to treat eczema on the face, you must also carefully consider the makeup that you use, as well as other facial products that you regularly use, including soaps and products used to cleanse the skin. You can wear makeup, even when you have a flare up. You should choose a quality brand that is hypoallergenic, as well as a product that includes moisturizers.

Additionally, you may want to consider using a non-comedogenic makeup. This type of makeup does not clog the pores as badly as other types of makeup do. This will be essential when it comes to healing or clearing up the eczema flare ups.

Make sure that you wash off all makeup at the end of the day, and use a cleanser that does not remove natural oils. You should also be very gentle with the facial skin when removing makeup.

It may take some time to find what works for you, and to eliminate what does not work for you. Be patient, and know that you will eventually find the right combination of products and habits that will prevent or reduce eczema flare ups that appear on your face. Additionally, you should talk to your doctor about your diet, and supplements that you can take to help prevent eczema flare ups from occurring. If your facial eczema is not responding to the things that you are trying yourself, you may need to seek treatment from a dermatologist.

Source: http://eczemafree.org/, http://www.medicinenet.com/

Eyes Show Your Age First

In terms of appearance, you will first start showing the signs of aging around your eyes. It may start with dark circles under your eyes. You may develop bags under the eyes. Before any of this occurs, however, you are most likely to lean up close to the mirror one day and discover that there are very fine lines appearing near the outside corners of the eyes.

Sometimes these lines appear rather early, and they are the result of squinting your eyes, or even of smiling often. As you age, you lose elasticity in your skin, and the skin around the eyes is very sensitive and thin – and it thins out even more as you age. There is nothing that you can do to prevent this process from happening, but you can take measures to hide the situation.

Regardless of what the underlying cause is, age is the main culprit, and regardless of this fact, you still want to know how to make those lines go away – quickly, using the easiest possible method that costs the very least.

Making Changes to Reduce Fine Lines around Eyes

The first thing that you need to do is to make some changes in your life. There are many treatments available to make these fine lines go away altogether for a while, or to make them less noticeable, but unless you make changes, this is going to be an ongoing battle – and you are going to lose.

Make sure that you do not squint your eyes. If you need glasses, get them. We squint to see better, and we also squint when the light or sun is too bright. Get prescription eye glasses to improve your vision – without squinting, and while you are at it, go ahead and get prescription sunglasses as well.

When you are outdoors, you not only need to wear sunglasses, but you also need a hat that protects your face from the sun. Sun dries the skin, and dried skin wrinkles easily, and that may be why those fine lines are suddenly appearing long before you think that they should.

Get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. This will not only help to reduce those fine lines, but it will also be an immediate cure for those dark circles, and will even reduce the bags under your eyes.

Get rid of bad habits. Smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will definitely contribute to those fine lines around your eyes, but they also bring about a host of additional problems that are not as easily solved, and that are incredibly more serious. You need to trade smoking and alcohol for more water, to keep the skin well hydrated.

Erasing Fine Lines with Products and Other Substances

You can spend thousands of dollars looking for that wonder product that will erase those fine lines over night. Unfortunately, most do not do what they claim to do. You do not need expensive products. What you need is a good moisturizer, and moisturizers made from all natural ingredients seem to work best – and of course they are the safest products as well. Ingredients that you should be looking for include grade seed oil, shea butter, honey, and macadamia oil.

If you really don’t care whether a product is natural or not, and you just want those fine lines to go away quickly, you should look for a product that contains Glycolic Acid, which is also called Alpha Hydroxy Acid. The abbreviation for this ingredient is AHA. This is not a natural ingredient, and you should use care when using the product to ensure that it does not get into your eyes.

If you are really bothered by those fine lines, and they are causing you to lose your confidence and self esteem, you may want to talk to a cosmetic surgeon about your options. There are many treatments available that do not involve cosmetic surgery. You can participate in laser treatments and botox injections instead, but these are costly procedures. Cosmetic surgery, or a face lift, should be your last option, and it is an option that you should consider carefully before jumping in with both feet.

Source: http://www.beautystylewatch.com/, http://www.freebeautytips.org/, http://www.dermnetnz.org/

What Makes a Brand Popular?

There are several things that determine how popular a cosmetic company is or will be, and it goes far beyond the marketing for the company or products that the company manufactures, although this also matters a great deal.

Typically, women want makeup that does what they need it to do. They want products that last a long time, and products that are thick and luxurious for the most part. They also want products that are easy to use. The products must also be of high quality, but of reasonable price for the majority of the people who wear makeup. Products that appear cheap in their packaging, and look cheap when applied do not usually gain much popularity.

Marketing does matter. Everyone wants to be beautiful, and smart cosmetic companies use beautiful people in their marketing. Some even use well known people to demonstrate how beautiful their products can make you. This can increase brands popularity dramatically, because we all want to look like those beautiful, smiling people that we see in the ads.

The Top 5 Most Popular Cosmetic Brands

1. Clinique – Clinique is one of the most expensive makeup brands on the market, but it is popular because of the huge range of hypoallergenic products, as well as the ability to order customized makeup.
2. Revlon – Revlon is one of the older companies still in business today. The company was founded in 1932. While Revlon does manufacturer facial makeup, they are most famous for their nail products.
3. Max Factor – Max Factor has a reputation for ‘staying put.’ Because of its staying power, it is a brand that is popular among many people, including makeup artists. It is also very reasonably priced.
4. Cover Girl – Cover Girl is another reasonably priced brand that has been around for decades, and the fact that the company uses beautiful, famous people for the ‘face of Cover Girl’ also adds to the brands popularity.
5. Mary Kay – Mary Kay has been in business since 1963. It is a very popular brand, and one of the few brands that are not sold in retail stores. Instead, you must purchase Mary Kay cosmetics from distributors.

Choose the Brand that is Best for You

When it comes to the makeup that you will wear, you shouldn’t pay any attention to trends, except in how makeup is applied to the face. In the end, the brand really doesn’t matter, as long as it does what you want or need the cosmetic to do.

While many women are die hard brand fans, and will only use cosmetics from a specific manufacturer, others know the value of using products from multiple manufacturers to achieve the look that they want with their cosmetics. There is nothing wrong with this method of purchasing and using cosmetics.

For example, when it comes to base makeup, it is vital that the makeup closely match your natural skin color. Not all brands will carry the colors that are best for you. Your base makeup may come from Revlon. You may not like Revlon’s mascara products, and you might prefer Clinique. For lipstick, you may prefer Cover Girl. You shouldn’t be afraid to mix brands to achieve what you are going for.

You also shouldn’t be afraid to experiment. Many cosmetic departments have samples that you can purchase, or samples that you can use at the counter, complete with mirrors. You can also get a makeover, but you should note that the technician who does the makeover will often suggest brands not based on what is best for you, but what is best for their own pocketbook. When you get a makeover, pay more attention to coloring and technique than you do to brands, and experiment with various brands to ensure that you can still get the same affect, at a better price.

You should also choose makeup and techniques that look natural on you. Some people forget that makeup exists to play up certain features that we like, and to hide features or imperfections that we do not like. They are not designed to make you look like a made up clown, or like someone that you are not. When someone looks at you, they should think ‘she is beautiful’ or ‘she is pretty.’ They should not think ‘she is wearing a lot of makeup.’ The makeup shouldn’t even really be noticeable.

Source: http://beauty101.org/

Plastic Surgery Isn’t Always the Answer

Stereotypes exist everywhere. We have all types of media telling us how we should look. The truth is, if we all followed guidelines and trends set by the media and society as a whole, we would all be identical. What happened to the desire to be unique and to stand out from the crowd?

10 Reasons to Avoid Plastic Surgery

1. Everyone is beautiful, in their own way – without surgical help.
2. You want to look like you. You do not want to look like someone else – regardless of how famous they are.
3. Even after plastic surgery, you are still who you are. That will never change, unless you make an effort to change it.
4. The people who know you will know that you had surgery. In most circles, this is seen as a lack of self confidence in who you are.
5. Surgery of any type, including cosmetic surgery, carries numerous risks. Things could go wrong during the surgery, or infection could set in after the surgery.
6. The surgery doesn’t always turn out the way that you had hoped. You may look nothing like what you wanted to look like, and you may be very disappointed with the results.
7. Plastic Surgery does involve lots of pain, and a long healing process.
8. If you are considering plastic surgery to impress others, you are doing it for the wrong reason.
9. Makeup can do a great deal – and it is less painful, less risky, and less expensive than surgery.
10. Your body will continue to change as you age, despite having plastic surgery, which means that you will eventually need more surgery to maintain the look that you want.

Before You Agree to Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery is not a decision that should be rushed into. You really need to stop and think about the reasons why you want the surgery. Has someone made a comment that hurt your feelings? Are you trying to attract a certain person? Do you feel that life would be easier with bigger breasts? All of these are wrong reasons to have plastic surgery, and the decision needs a great deal more thought before you proceed.

1.  Keep The Skin Moisturized

Wrinkles are caused when the skin could not expand evenly and dehydration is one of the common causes for wrinkles. You should take at least 8 -10 glasses of water in a day. You should keep the skin moisturized, in certain weather conditions, and provide nutrition to the skin, in the form of skin tonic and milk, to reduce the lines. Urea is a chemical which prevents loss of water and it can be applied through skin creams to keep the skin moisturized.

2. Use Creams To Increase Level Of Collagen Fibers

If the elasticity of skin reduces, it can cause wrinkles. To improve the skin’s elasticity, you can use anti wrinkle creams, which contains hyaluronic acid. These creams contain collagen fibers, and it helps in repairing and rebuilding the damaged skin cells.

3.  Reduce Exposure To Harmful Radiation And Chemicals

Try to protect skin from sun’s harmful radiation, always cover your face with clothes while you go outside. You can wear long sleeve clothes to protect skin from coming in direct contact with sun or environmental hazards. Avoid using anything on the face which can damage your skin’s inner layers. Do not apply harsh chemicals to the skin. Use sunscreen blocks which protects against UVA and UVB radiations.

4.  Do Not Smoke

Smoking is very harmful for your health and skin. It has been found in research that cigarette smoking can fasten the process of aging. It causes wrinkles because certain enzymes are released by the smoke of cigarette which breaks down elastin and collagen found on the skin.

5.  Lifestyle And Food

If you have a stressful and hectic lifestyle, your skin will suffer. Not having adequate sleep of eight hours, or irregular sleep patterns can make your skin look dull and wrinkled. Improper diet and unbalanced intake of minerals and vitamins can even raise the risk of skin ridges. To improve the elasticity of skin, you should take adequate amount of vitamins and minerals which are needed to keep the skin healthy. Take adequate quantities of Vitamin B and C to improve skin texture. You should reduce intake of coffee and tea, instead take herbal tea and cocoa to make the skin look smoother and softer. Include fresh water fishes in diet to improve the skin texture as well. Omega 3 fatty acid found in fish is helpful in providing nutrition to the skin and reducing wrinkles. Eat more vegetables and fruits which contain free radicals and make you look younger and radiant.

Do Lips Really Wrinkle?

Lips get a lot of work over a lifetime. You smile, you frown, you talk, you eat, and you make facial expressions. All of this causes wrinkles as the muscles and even the skin is stretched and used. The lips themselves do wrinkle over time, but the most noticeable wrinkles are the wrinkles immediately surrounding the lips. Everyone wrinkles around the lips, but smokers will have the most noticeable wrinkles in this area.

How to Treat Lip Wrinkles

There are two words that you need to remember – elastin and collagen. These are two proteins that occur naturally in the body, but as we age, we produce less of these important, wrinkle fighting proteins.

Products that are sold over the counter that contain both of these ingredients are essential for fighting all wrinkles. However, because the wrinkles that you are treating are on or near the lips, it is vital that you read the ingredients of these products carefully, as there is a possibility of getting them in your mouth. You should apply any product as directed. The products that you choose should contain both proteins, and not just one. Otherwise, you are wasting precious time and money.

Natural Ways to Treat Lip Wrinkles

If using over the counter products isn’t exactly what you want to do, there are other options. Start with your habits, such as smoking. Remember that smokers have the most noticeable wrinkles, and they will appear much earlier than normal.

Also make sure that you eat a healthy diet. Free radicals are also factors when it comes to wrinkles, so you want to eat foods that fight free radicals, such as raw fruits and vegetables.

Smiling, frowning, and facial expressions can cause wrinkles, but you don’t want to stop smiling. Instead, be careful not to hold your mouth in any set position for long periods of time that cause wrinkles in the skin while you are making the expression.