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The Various Forms of Asthma Medication

2008-09-04T14:42:00.001+07:00

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic and non-curable disease which affects the respiratory system in the human body, and which has certain triggers such as that of environmental triggers, which are able to heighten the ability for and trigger that of an asthma attack. Although asthma is a recurring disease with no form of curability at the present time, there are different forms of asthma medication that are prescribed to asthmatics, especially those with a particularly severe case, and an asthma medication is extremely helpful because it can help an asthmatic not only to keep their asthma under control but also to help them prevent the onset of attacks.

What are the Various Forms of Asthma Medication That are Available Today?

The most common type of asthma medication is that of an inhaler. There are two different basic types of inhalers: a metered-dose inhaler and a dry powder inhaler. The metered-dose inhalers work by using a chemical propellant to push out the medication from the inhaler, and this medication can either be released by squeezing the canister or by that of direct inhalation. With dry powder inhalers on the other hand, the medication is released by your inhaling more rapidly than you would with that of a metered-dose inhaler.

There are also several different forms of asthma medication that are released from inhalers, of which asthma medication is released will obviously depend on your own personal circumstances and the severity of your asthma. Some of the most common forms are: short-acting bronchodilators, which are medications such as albuterol, and pirbuterol, and which are used to provide immediate relief of asthma symptoms; and long-acting bronchodilators, which are used to relieve that of asthma symptoms for longer periods of time.

There are also three other incredibly common forms of medication, which are: corticosteroids, which are used long term in order to prevent asthma attacks, and which includes such medications as beclomethasone dipropionate, fluticasone, budesonide, and flunisolide; cormolyn or nedocromil, which are nonsteroidal medications which are typically used long term in order to prevent inflammation of the airways; and corticosteroid plus long-acting bronchodilator, which is a medication which combines that of a corticosteroid and a long-acting bronchodilator.

The only way you can be sure of which type of medication is best for your asthma is by consulting your physician. It will usually be a quite simple task for them to determine which type of medication is most proper for you, with the results depending primarily on how severe your asthma is on a regular basis.

Using an Asthma Nebulizer can give you More Freedom

2008-09-04T14:40:00.001+07:00

Asthma is an ailment due to which a person finds it difficult to breathe due to the sudden constriction of the airway passage and lungs. The constriction often takes place after being triggered off by some allergen. Many times, such attacks are very serious (not to mention scary) and this is where the asthma nebulizer comes in handy.

What is an Asthma Nebulizer?

The asthma nebulizer is a tiny machine that consists of three major parts – the main body is T-shaped, the second is the mouthpiece, which will go into the mouth of the patient, and the third is the cup that holds the medicine. Normally these machines run on electricity and have adaptors that can fit in the car as well so it can be used wherever you are.

How to Use an Asthma Nebulizer?

First, you should ensure that your hands and the machine are both clean. If the machine is fitted with a multi-dose medicine bottle, ensure that you have taken out the right amount in the asthma nebulizer. Alternatively, if the medicine bottle is a single dose one, then you will just have to twist it open so the medicine falls into the machine.

The next step is to attach the mouthpiece to the T-shaped part of the asthma nebulizer, connect it to the cup and the compressor port tube. Once the whole system is ready, hold the apparatus in a straight position, insert the mouth piece in your mouth (preferably between your teeth) closing your mouth over it in an air tight manner and then check by turning on the compressor a little at a time.

If the machine works, then you will see it mist over. As soon as it mists, start inhaling deeply through your mouth for about five seconds. After every breath is taken in, allow the mist to escape by opening the valve. Be sure you hold your breath for about 10 seconds before exhaling so the medicine has enough time to do what it is intended to do in the lungs.

The method should be continued until you exhaust all the medicine from the asthma nebulizer. This may take anywhere from three to five minutes. You will know when the nebulizer is empty when it starts making sputtering noises.

Once you have finished, ensure that the machine is cleaned properly and stored in a dirt-free place ready for the next use.

Learning About Asthma Prevention

2008-09-04T14:39:00.000+07:00

There are several factors that can influence asthma symptoms and make them greater in sufferers of the affliction. Learning about asthma prevention can help with those symptoms and decrease their harmful effect on the body of the sufferer, helping to overcome the affliction and live a life despite the conditions. Asthma prevention is, effectively, a lifestyle change that alters the way in which a sufferer handles their condition and handles their life outside of the condition. This can change all of the facets of life into something different and can affect the way life is lived in general.

To many, asthma can be a frustrating condition that can stop people from living normal lives and from being as active as they would have wished. With a little bit of awareness and care, most asthma sufferers can handle the condition to a certain degree and can enable a sort of healing in a sense that living a life properly becomes more of a possibility. This type of asthma prevention is based on simply changing the mind of the sufferer and changing the type of suffering. It involves a minor change in mindset and a major shift in lifestyle choices that affect the way the disorder manifests itself.

Lifestyle Changes

For starters, reducing general exposure to environmental triggers of asthma can be an important piece of the puzzle. Staying away from pollens, molds, animal dander or fluff, and tobacco smoke are important parts to keeping asthma prevention at the forefront of a health strategy. Keep the home or living space cooled to a certain temperature; most physicians recommend a temperature of around 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit for asthma sufferers. Providing air filtration systems that take care of filtering out harmful components from the air is also a good option for asthma prevention.

Wearing a mask when clearing out any outdoors areas is a good idea as this prevents any dust or dirt from entering the lungs. A good idea is also to add a mold inhibitor to paint, especially in areas more susceptible to dampness such as a washroom. This prevents the growing of any problematic mold pockets that are harmful to asthma sufferers. For asthma prevention, the key component is to prevent the problems from spreading around the home and creating a home that is air-friendly. The main factor in prevention is being prepared for anything that could come up, so sparing no expense should be considered.

Is Asthma Management Really Possible?

2008-09-04T14:38:00.000+07:00

There is always hope – the whole world lives on hope.

Asthma management is a relatively recent term encompassing methods, techniques and modalities used to deal with asthma and asthmatic symptoms. The main idea is to assist those suffering with asthma in carrying on with a normal life, or as normal a life as humans aspire towards.

So much has been written about asthma management already and as more is understood about asthma, the available knowledge base grows. In the United States, the National Asthma Council not only compiles but brings together asthma management resources from multiple sources.

Internet search engines further facilitate access to traditional and alternative asthma management techniques. The world of science has opened up new and promising air function research that looks both forward and backward in time to unlock clues to elusive solutions.

Traditional Treatments

Traditional asthma medications play a significant role in management theory. These consist of inhalers that basically treat air availability issues such as airway constriction or obstruction. Primarily anti-inflammatory, prescription drugs act on the body’s adrenal and epinephrine activators related to muscles. Whether to treat the condition daily or on occurrence is a discussion to have with one’s primary doctor or asthma specialist.

Pediatric considerations play a paramount part and require separate asthma management focus. Since philosophies and guidelines keep changing, it is best to stay abreast of medical advances. Simply put this requires maintaining more than a casual monitoring of events. Rightly so as there is nothing casual about an asthma attack.

Alternative Medicine

Modern asthma management takes alternative therapies seriously. With the recent onset of acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine and homeopathy in western society, available options for treatments are more holistic in nature and have flourished.

Each modality has its own strengths and shortcomings but they are worth investigating. Many MD’s are now working these complementary therapies into their treatment regimes for asthma patients. Asthma management has stepped into the 21st century with the addition of ancient remedies.

Action Plan

A discussion would be incomplete without considering the Action Plan – a vital and potentially life-saving element. We are all adding action plans to our lifestyles in preparation for emergencies - floods, hurricanes and other disasters. In the life of one who suffers asthmatic attacks, this is not just for peace of mind. Asthma management means knowing what to do, who to call and which medication to take.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, asthma management is about survival and it’s about working solutions to reach and maintain a normal life. With hope, diligence and determined effort, the asthma sufferer can live and grow, benefiting from the positive approaches modern asthma management offers.

Feel blue? Try leafy greens and other ‘mood foods’

2008-09-04T14:25:00.000+07:00

Eat every four to five hours
Eating consistently throughout the day provides your brain and body with a constant source of fuel. This four- to five-hour eating strategy can dramatically prevent dips in your blood sugar levels. Some people with diagnosed hypoglycemia may need to eat even more frequently (every two to three hours).

Limit refined carbohydrates
Concentrated sources of sugar like soda, candy, fruit juice, jam and syrup can create radical spikes (and drops!) in your blood sugar — which leaves you feeling cranky and tired. And although refined, white starches like white bread, crackers, bagels and rice do not naturally contain sugar compounds, they are metabolized into sugar very quickly and can often create the same effect.

Combine high-quality carbohydrates and lean protein
Protein and high-fiber carbs (specifically carbs rich in soluble fiber, like oats, barley, certain fruits and veggies) have the ability to slow down the absorption of sugar in your blood and therefore lessen blood sugar and mood swings. Try an egg white omelet loaded with veggies for breakfast; grilled chicken and peppers in a whole-grain tortilla wrap for lunch; shrimp-broccoli stir-fry over brown rice for dinner; and snack on apple slices with peanut butter or nonfat yogurt with berries.

You’ll also want to incorporate two nutrients that have been shown to lift mood, specifically omega-3 fats and folic acid.

Omega-3 fatty acids are present in the brain at higher levels than any other part of the body, and of particular interest is the ability of omega-3 fats to help alleviate depression. Omega-3 fats can be found in fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, Atlantic mackerel … and to a lesser extent in ground flaxseeds, walnuts and omega-3 fortified eggs. If you’d like to try fish oil supplements, consult your personal physician.

Folate (also called folic acid) seems to be important for mood as well, and some studies have shown that low blood levels of this B vitamin are related to depression. If you’re experiencing the blues, be sure to include folate-rich leafy greens, sunflower seeds, soybeans, beets and oranges into your diet.

For more information on healthy eating, visit Joy Bauer’s Web site at www.joybauernutrition.com

Bad Breath

2008-09-04T14:14:00.000+07:00

You lean over to whisper something to your friend and you can tell by the look on your friend's face that something is up. Could it be your breath? Maybe you shouldn't have put extra onions on your hamburger at lunch. What's a kid with smelly breath to do?

The good news is that bad breath happens to everyone once in a while. Let's find out how to detect it, prevent it, and even treat it.

What's That Smell?

Bad breath is the common name for the medical condition known as halitosis (say: hal-uh-toe-sis). Many different things can cause halitosis — from not brushing your teeth to certain medical conditions.

Sometimes, a person's bad breath can blow you away — and he or she may not realize there's a problem. There are tactful (nice) ways of letting someone know about bad breath. You could offer mints or sugarless gum without having to say anything.

If you need to tell a friend he or she has bad breath, you could say that you understand foods can cause bad breath because you've had it before yourself. By letting someone know that bad breath isn't something unusual, you'll make the person feel more comfortable and less embarrassed about accepting your piece of chewing gum.

If you suspect your own breath is foul, ask someone who will give you an honest answer without making fun of you. (Just don't ask your brother or sister — they just might tell you your breath stinks even when it doesn't!) Although everyone gets bad breath sometimes, if you have bad breath a lot, you may need to visit your dentist or doctor.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Here are three common causes of bad breath:

foods and drinks, such as garlic, onions, cheese, orange juice, and soda
poor dental hygiene (say: hi-jeen), meaning you don't brush and floss as you should
smoking and other tobacco use

Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath because when you leave food particles in your mouth, these pieces of food can rot and start to smell. The food particles may begin to collect bacteria, which can be smelly, too. Plus, by not brushing your teeth regularly, plaque (a sticky, colorless film) builds up on your teeth. Plaque is a great place for bacteria to live and yet another reason why breath can turn foul.

Preventing Smelly Breath

So what's a kid to do? Don't smoke or use tobacco products, of course. And take care of your mouth by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day. Brush your tongue, too, because bacteria can grow there. Flossing once a day helps get rid of particles wedged between your teeth. Also, visit your dentist twice a year for regular checkups and cleanings.

Not only will you get a thorough cleaning, the dentist will look around your mouth for any potential problems, including those that can affect breath. For example, gum disease, also known as periodontal (say: per-ee-uh-don-tul) disease, can cause bad breath and damage your teeth.

If you're concerned about bad breath, tell your doctor or dentist. But don't be surprised if he or she leans in and take a big whiff! Smell is one way doctors and dentists can help figure out what's causing the problem. The way a person's breath smells can be a clue to what's wrong. For instance, if someone has uncontrolled diabetes, his or her breath might smell like acetone (the same stuff that's in nail polish remover).

If you have bad breath all the time and the reason can't be determined by your dentist, he or she may refer you to a doctor to make sure there is no other medical condition that could be causing it. Sometimes sinus problems, and rarely liver or kidney problems, can cause bad breath.

Usually, there's a less complicated reason for a kid's bad breath — like what you had for lunch. So keep up with your brushing and flossing and you should be breathing easy — and odor free!

Stay Healthy, Eat More Fish and Seafood

2008-09-04T14:09:00.000+07:00

There are a lot of very good reasons to eat fish and seafood. Fish is a source of high quality protein, and is low in fat and cholesterol.

Fish and seafood are an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Magnesium and Omega 3 fatty acids. There is now a lot of evidence that people who regularly include fish in their diet have a lower risk of unwanted weight gain.

The Omega 3 fatty acids that Fish is rich off are a very important factor in the health benefits of a fish and seafood rich diet. Together with high quality vegetable oils health gains are impressive. So you better hit the tuna steak and reduce your intake of beef steak? Well not really as always its a matter of balance.

Omega 3 fatty acids are linked to a substantial decrease in the symptoms of inflammatory diseases like arthritis and colitis. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), they significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer. Better yet, rich Omega 3 foods like fish have been tightly linked to positive mood changes. So, fish can even be of therapeutic value in the treatment of a mild depression or the “winter blues”!

More good news, there is evidence of a lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease as well as a reduction in the probability of developing type 2 diabetic diseases. Of course there are still a lot of unanswered questions in this area, but Fish and Seafood are a major part of the Mediterranean Diet. People in the countries that are eating fish and using olive oil are known to have less cancer and heart problems than we have in America.

And the list goes on. It seems that Fish and seafood are very beneficial for pregnant women as well. The Omega 3 fatty acids seem to have a positive effect on fetal brain development and may reduce the risk of premature birth. There are positive effects on the growth and health of the fetus.

All of these very positive effects seem to be linked to the Omega 3 fatty acids, but there is now more and more information coming in about the importance of other nutrients in fish and other seafood. Proteins, vitamins and amino acids may all play a part in the health benefits of eating fish. It’s a case of the sum is more than the total of the parts.

The benefits of eating fish and seafood are so obvious that the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommends that adults eat fish at least twice a week and if you have heart disease, the AHA recommends a diet that contains as many Omega 3 fatty acids as one “fatty fish” meal a day. So Fish is beneficial for the health of people with heart problems as well as it prevents getting those problems in the first place.

When you read all this it seems obvious. Eat more fish and seafood. We have a great selection of seafood recipes available on our website. Talking about great news for seafood lovers! And did you know that there are really zillions of ways to prepare a great seafood meal?

With so much positive news about fish, one doesn’t get around the idea that there might be a catch. Well in a way there is. There are dangers in the form of heavy metals found in fish. An article about the dangers and some FDA guidelines on gaining and not losing your health can be found on our web.

install Joomla CMS manually

2008-09-04T11:53:00.001+07:00

You can follow these instructions if you need to manually perform a Joomla installation for your web site. Note that you should skip this step if you have already completed the automated installation.

Pre-installation Steps

Step 1: Database setup

In order to use Joomla, you would need to create a MySQL database and a user with all necessary priviledges to access the database. Please, check here how to create MySQL database and user. It is adviseable to create the database and the username with the same name in order to avoid any confusion in the future (for example you can choose username_joomla for both).

Step 2: Upload the installation files

You have to upload the Joomla installation files to your web hosting account. You can download the latest release from the official Joomla web site.

The downloaded archive should be extracted locally on your computer. Once this is completed, the files should be uploaded to your web hosting account. In order to do so you can use an FTP client. You can find a detailed tutorial how to use an FTP here.

Please note that if you would like the Joomla installation performed for your domain name thus making it accessible at http://www.your-domain.com, the installation files should be uploaded directly under the public_html folder for your account. If you would like the installation perfromed in a sub-folder or for a sub-domain name the files should be uploaded in the corresponding directory located under the public_html folder. For example if you would like the installation performed for: http://www.your-domain.com/joomla, the installation files should be uploaded under public_html/joomla.

Installation

Pre-installation checks:

In this step the Joomla installer checks the server configuration and verifies all the settings needed for the installation. Generally on all Joomla-optimized servers all the checks should be passed without any troubles and the status will be marked in green.

If any custom settings are enabled for your account this might interfere with the Joomla installation. In such case the pre-installation check will notify you exactly which requirement is not met, the status will be marked in red and if available more information will be displayed. If so the issue must be resolved and the check run again.

Once all checks are successfully passed you can proceed with the installation by clicking the [Next] button.

GNU/GPL License agreement.

Please go through the Joomla GNU/GPL License. Any terms, conditions and rules for using a Joomla installation are listed there. After you have checked it you can continue to the installation by clicking the [Next] button.

Step 1: MySQL database configuration

You should have already created the needed MySQL database and username added to it in Step 1 of the pre-installation instructions. The details should be entered in the corresponding boxes.

Note, that the names of the database and the user are prefixed with "username_" where username is your cPanel login name.

Do not forget to type in the password of the MySQL user and note that it is case-sensitive.

For Host Name you should use localhost. All other check-boxes and fields can be left to the default ones. Click on [Next] and a popup will appear, asking you to confirm that the information you entered is correct. If you made a mistake, you will be taken back to this page to correct it.

Step 2: Site Name.

In this step you should choose the desired name for your web site. It will be displayed on the top of the web browser when your web site is accessed and will be used in e-mail messages sent from your Joomla installation. Note that this can be alterred later from the administrator back-end.

Step 3: Confirm the site URL, path, admin e-mail and file/directory chmods

This is an important part of the installation, where you are asked to confirm the URL and system path to the files as well as the permissions you would like set for them. It is highly adviseable not to change the options that were automatically generated and leave them as they are. Also it will be best to supply a valid email address. Of course the administrative password can be changed to a desired one.

Step 4: Completing the installation

Before you can access it, you have to delete the directory called "installation" that is located inside the Joomla directory. This can be done using either an FTP client or cPanel's File Manager.

You will be provided with the administrative login details for your Joomla installation in this screen. You will be able to click the [View Site] button to access your new Joomla site or [Administration] to take you to administrator login.

Well done! You have successfully installed the Joomla! system on your website!

Joomla Installation With Fantastico

2008-09-04T11:48:00.001+07:00

How to install Joomla CMS with Fantastico

In order to install Joomla CMS with Fantastico, please log into your cPanel and click on the blue smiley icon () at the bottom of the page.

Please, select ‘Joomla’ from the menu list on the left-hand side

and click on New Installation.

You will be presented with a form that asks for all necessary information about your future Joomla website.

Form explanation:

Install in Directory - this determines the address where your Joomla installation will be accessible at. If you want to use Joomla for your home page, just leave this field blank.
Admin access data - the username and password for accessing the administration panel of your Joomla installation.
Base Configuration Admin e-mail - your e-mail address
Admin full name - your full name
Site Name - the name of your website that will be displayed on the front page

Once you have filled in the form, please proceed by clicking on the "Install Joomla" button. You will be asked to confirm the installation on the next page. Finally, you get a page that informs you of a successful installation. You should bookmark the address of the administrator panel (yourdomain.com/administrator), and note your login credentials.

Well done! You are now ready to log in and start building your website!

Girly Web 2.0 Template Blogger

2008-09-04T11:35:00.001+07:00

Here’s a cute girly template designed and built by our friend Amanda over at Blogger Buster. She’s done a really nice job adding all the great web 2.0 features including the very so popular three column footer.

This Girly Web 2.0 style template is designed for Blogger and is completely widget ready.

Despite the simple, clean layout, this template has many advanced features including:

Integrated blog search form
Web 2.0 style logo
Navigation bar (which can be customized to suit your needs)
Calendar widget
Unique wide sidebar layout, featuring a combination of wide and dual narrow columns
Three widgets available in the footer section
Unique post footer sections, which include a “What next” section for email post links, social bookmarking and “add a comment”
Related posts section also in post footer, to link to posts of the same label
Author comment highlighting on post pages
Rounded corners achieved by CSS instead of images

eBlog Templates has copied the images over to it’s dedicated Photobucket hosting platform and also enhanced the template a bit. We changed the cool calendar feature so that the calendar image appears on every single post instead of just the current day! Also all the javascript is embedded in the template so no external links are present which means your template won’t break in the future.

In order to get the date to properly work you need to make one small change. Go to your “Settings” => “Formatting” => and change your Timestamp Format to “Monday, March 31st, 2008″. Make sure you change the correct date setting before you start asking why it doesn’t work. 9 times out of 10 it’s because you changed the wrong drop down.

To setup the rest of the features, jump on over to Blogger Buster and read Amanda’s nice description about what needs to be done.

Thanks to Amanda for creating this cool template!

Want to make your blog stand out from the crowd? I recommend giving your newly downloaded Blogger template a unique and personalized look. Read our Free Blogger Header Images article and find yourself a great custom header image!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our eBlog Templates RSS feed. You can also subscribe by email and have new templates and articles sent directly to your inbox.

Download

Grungy 2.0 Template Blogger

2008-09-04T11:32:00.002+07:00

Grungy is an artistic new Blogger template with a nice look. It’s got aqua blue and white for it’s primary colors and the icons throughout the template are somewhat smeared to give you that grunge look (hence the name of this template).

It’s a two column template with all the usual goodies like recent comments and recent posts widgets, link list, two ad spaces which come pre-installed with Text Link Ads and Niche Store. Both ads disappear once you replace the html widget with anything if you don’t want to use them.

Feel free to modify this template but all we ask is to please keep the footer links intact since the original author spent a lot of his personal time creating this template for you. Thanks to Blog Mundi for converting this nice template and providing it for free!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our eBlog Templates RSS feed. You can also subscribe by email and have new templates and articles sent directly to your inbox.

Download

PassionDuo Blue Template Blogger

2008-09-04T11:28:00.003+07:00

Here is the third and final version of our latest make money blogger template first converted here at eBlog Templates. This amazing PassionDuo template for Blogger comes in three colors: red, blue, and now green.

This template includes several popular ad formats for your blog. You get a 468 x 60 banner spot in the header, six 125 x 125 banner spots in the right sidebar, and plenty of other sidebar spots for skyscraper banners.

We’ve also included our popular sidebar widgets such as Recent Posts, Recent Comments, and the cool Feedjit (real time visitor widget). Just paste in your blog rss feed urls into the Recent Posts & Comments widgets and they’ll start working.

Unlike most other custom make money blogger templates, we’ve taken the extra step and setup the “Fonts & Colors” functionality. That means you can change all the colors and font styles easily by just using the built in Blogger section. We’ve also customized the comments section so it looks very professional as well.

PassionDuo also includes top tabs which can be added via your Blogger page element screen. The rss feed icon will automatically appear once you add your first tab so don’t be alarmed after you first install it.

Configuring the rest of this template is actually quite easy. You can swap out the ads and replace them with your own or feel free to keep the existing ones if you don’t have any to use. Make sure you check the “Expand Widget Templates” checkbox on the “Edit HTML” page within Blogger before trying to make any edits. Also make sure to backup your old template just in case you make a mistake.

Let’s start with the 468 x 60 header banner. Search for “” in the template code and the first one you come across is where you replace the ad.

The second instance of “” is for the Google AdSense code which you can either keep, replace, or just remove completely.

For the six 125 x 125 banner ads you’ll need to find “” and update those one by one. Make sure not to delete the

and

before and after each ad otherwise it will look funny. If you don’t already have ads to use, I recommend clicking through each banner and become an affiliate. Then you can replace the affiliate codes with your own and start making money!

The theme was created for Daily Blog Tips by DesignSaurus as a WordPress theme. eBlog Templates converted this theme into Blogger which you can download for free once you register.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our eBlog Templates RSS feed. You can also subscribe by email and have new templates and articles sent directly to your inbox.

Download

Scabies

2008-09-04T11:21:00.001+07:00

If you've recently been diagnosed with scabies, you might be wondering what it is and what caused the horrendous itching. The name alone is enough to make your skin crawl: scabies. By learning what caused your condition and how to deal with it, you can take charge of the itching and start down the road to recovery.

Scabies Photo:

Causes of Scabies

So what caused this horrible itch and how did you get infected? Scabies is caused by a microscopic mite. Yes, you have parasites. The female mite deposits eggs in tunnels under your skin. In about 21 days, these eggs hatch producing a new lifecycle and further irritation. As they mature, they spread to other areas of your skin or hop on over to another person with whom you have close skin-to-skin contact. Your body reacts to the mites, their waste, and their eggs causing the itchiness and rash.

It's important to note that anyone can get scabies and it's not a reflection on your personal hygiene. It spreads through close contact with infected individuals and sharing bedding and clothes with those who have the condition.

The mite can quickly infect the entire household or facility such as a nursing home, daycare center, or prison. When this happens, everyone should be treated and all clothing and bedding thoroughly laundered at the same time so that the chances of reinfestation are minimized.

Scabies Related Complications

Not only do you have an unbearable skin condition, you could also be at risk for a secondary bacterial infection. Vigorous scratching breaks the skin and makes you more vulnerable to a staph or strep infection. Those with weakened immune systems such as people suffering from HIV have a more difficult time dealing with scabies.

How to Get Rid of Scabies

Once you've been diagnosed with scabies, your doctor will prescribe lotions or cream and in some cases oral medications. If you have a secondary bacterial infection, you will likely receive antibiotics. In addition, antihistamines are often prescribed to help relieve the itching.

Treating your body isn't enough. You must also treat the rest of the household and others you have close contact with as well as kill the mites where they hang out when not burrowed on your body. This means laundering bedding and clothes as well as vacuuming the rugs.

Getting Relief

Your treatment will need to be repeated to catch and kill any hatching eggs and the itching can take several weeks before it eases up. Soak in cool water or apply cool compresses or washcloths to the affected areas to minimize itching. You can also apply Calamine lotion to the areas to relieve the pain and itching. Ask your doctor about taking over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl for relief.

Acne Treatment

2008-09-04T11:20:00.000+07:00

Now that you know that it is bacteria that causes acne, it simply doesn't make sense to pick or squeeze a bump. When you squeeze, you create more inflammation and p. acne lives on inflammation. Also, when you squeeze, you can encourage the p. acne to spread under the skin to new areas. One squeeze can trigger lots of new bumps close by. Some products are excellent at killing off the p. acne bacteria. Here is a list:

Sulfur. Sulfur unclogs pores and removes p. acne bacteria. Also used to reduce inflammation. Over the counter acne medications contain sulfur.

Tea Tree Oil. Tea tree oil kills p. acne and is an ingredient in many acne skin care formulations-cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. Tea tree oil is considered as effective as benzoyl peroxide for killing p. acne bacteria, but it takes longer. However, tea tree oil doesn't cause the redness, irritation, and inflammation that's common with benzoyl peroxide.

Benzoyl Peroxide. P. acne can't live in the pressence of oxygen. Benzoyl peroxide forms oxygen deep in the pore and the p. acne dies off. Benzoyl peroxide is drying to the skin and can make it peel. Benzoyl peroxide is an active ingredient in many over the counter acne products.

Antibiotics. Antibiotics are available only by prescription from your doctor and include tetracycline and erythromycin. It's not advised to use these for an extended period of time because antibiotics have undesirable side effects, such as dehydration of the skin and killing off beneficial intestinal bacteria, which results in yeast overgrowth infections. You can also build up resistance to the effectiveness of these antibiotics, such as birth control pills.

Retin A. This prescription medication is applied topically. It's derived from vitamin A, and it helps prevent the formation of microcomedomes in which the p. acne live and multiply. Retin A removes the top layers of the skin so no oil can be trapped in the pores. Retin A can be used for longer periods of time. Think of Retin A as a super exfoliator. Because Retin A thins the skin, you need nitense sun protection every day because your face is far more susceptible to burning than normal. Also, avoid waxing your upper lip or anywhere on your face when using this product. Wear a hat that shades your face when using this product

Accutane. Accutane is a prescription only medication that's taken internally. Accutane is vitamin A at a very high dose. Use only with severe acne eruptions. Accutane severely dries up mucous membranes and has serious side effects including birth defects and mental disorders. You must sign a consent form before taking the medication. If a women decides to take Accutane, she needs to provide two negative pregnancy tests and must use two seperate effective forms of birth control for the month before starting Accutane. You receive a 30 day supply at a time and will be required to have a monthly blood test to make sure you stay healthy. A national registry is being proposed to track persons who have used this powerful medication for long term safety studies. Because of the serious nature of Accutane's side effects, make sure you have tried everything else before using this medication.

Differin. Differin is a topical prescription medication that's a Vitamin A derivative. It clears clogged pores but is gentle to the skin, and not as drying as Retin A. Use as you would Retin A, being sure to always wear a high level of sun protection.

All of these products can ease of eliminate an acne flare up. Because none of them can kill off the p. acne for the rest of your life. The best thing you can do to eliminate future outbreaks is to make lifestyle changes.

TerranTribune Dark - July 08 Bonus Joomla Templates

2008-09-04T11:13:00.000+07:00

The incredible new dark variation of the TerranTribune template features a lightning fast and clean news / magazine style design with one of the most versatile layouts we’ve ever assembled. An amazing 32 module positions allow for up to 7 columns of content as well as built in support for multiple standard advertising locations provide unending options for your site.

TerranTribune balances this versatility with some powerful functionality including the all new RokMiniNews display system, menu assignable section colors, a new RokNewsRotator, and much more.

Overview

An overview of the key features of this template are as follows:

* Joomla 1.5+ version
* Joomla 1.0+ version
* NEW RokMiniNews news content presentation module featuring drag and drop module blocks, automatic content presentation, and the ability to specify the number of articles displayed.
* NEW Updated RokNewsRotator featured article presentation module
* NEW 1.0 & 1.5 Native RocketLauncher now available! - Create your own site just like the demo site with only a few clicks
* CSS Based Tableless Design
* Menu assignable section colors allowing for different pages and sections to use a different color scheme
* Three level Splitmenu system with horizontal second level and vertical third level.
* Optional IE6 Warning / Upgrade Notification
* Incredibly wide range of versatile typography style options
* An amazing 32 Module Positions
* Ability to utilize 1, 2, and 3 primary column layouts with up to a 7 column layout using available module positions
* 3 built-in menu options - The exclusive RokMooMenu menu system, Suckerfish, updated three level SplitMenu, as well as a module position to use your own custom menu moduleModule)
* Built-in IE6 PNG fix
* W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS Valid
* Fully compatible IE7, IE6, Safari 2+, Firefox 2+, Opera 9+
* Source Adobe Fireworks PNGs included (

Color variations:

TerranTribune features 7 built in color styles that can be assigned to each menu item allowing for different color schemes for different pages and sections.

The All New RokMiniNews

RokMiniNews is a powerful module to display your articles, perfect for news and media sites. It is highly configurable and is javascript enabled to allow for user interaction. RokMiniNews features “drag and drop” module blocks to allow you and your visitors to easily rearrange the order. You can also specify the number of articles shown. A truly versatile extension.

RokMiniNews Module for TerranTribune from Andy Miller on Vimeosec=1249340">

Menu Assignable Color Styles

TerranTribune includes the ability to specify color styles for each of your menu items allowing you to have different color schemes for each of your pages or sections.

The RokNewsRotator Module Returns

RokNewsRotator is a module that rotates your news item using the powerful of the mootools javascript library. You simply assign a category/section and watch your articles transition.

The Exclusive RokMooMenu

Our highly popular exclusive menu is called RokMooMenu. This menu has been developed from scratch using the latest and greatest MooTools JavaScript framework. The RokMooMenu is a highly advanced and fully customizable menu system is accessible and degrades to a standard SuckerFish menu if JavaScript is not enabled or supported. Some of the great features include:

* Hover support for IE6 using the sfHover javascript class just like in Suckerfish.
* Fully degradable to standard SuckerFish menu if javascript is not supported.
* Configurable mouse-out delay to allow for accidental mousing out of the menu.
* Completely customizable animation effects using MooTools transitions. Can be configured in X and/or Y directions.
* Support for fade-in transparency
* Experimental support for IE6 z-index bug using the iFrame hack.

Learn more about RokMooMenu on the Menu Options Demo Page.

Menu Information

The exclusive RocketTheme menu systems in this template use the mainmenu by default and this menu is configured in the admin administator. For these to function correctly, understand that the ‘top level’ menu items will show up as the horizontal buttons across the top of the template. For sub menu items, assign Parent Item to these top menus to the top-level item. These will then show up below in a sub-horizontal menu when you click on a top-level item. For an example of this check out the demo server

For more details on the menu configuration options in TerranTribune Dark, check out the instructions on the demo site

Installation Instructions

We’ve created a guide that covers how to set up your new TerranTribune template on your Joomla site. Full details on how to install and setup the template can be found on the “demo server”: http://demo.rockettheme.com.

Module positions are summarized in the diagram below:

NOTES:

1. This template fully supports full width configurations for use with galleries or forums, make sure you do not publish any modules in the side module positions ‘mainbody’ will fill the entire width.

Configuration

There are a couple of configuration options for this template. The configuration variables are located in the template’s own index.php file. This way you can use the Edit HTML button in the Template Manager to quickly and easily make changes to these options. This is how you can choose the color variations and also configure some default variables. Also you can select which menu the system should use.

TerranTribune Configuration Options for Joomla! 1.0

[i]// *************************************************
// Change the variables below to adjust the template
//
// If you have any issues, check out the forum at
// http://www.rockettheme.com
//
// *************************************************

NOTE: TerranTribune Configuration Options for Joomla! 1.5 are set in the template properties in the Administrator. No code changes are required.

Terrantribune Dark For Joomla 1.5.x (244.59 KB)

Download:

http://cn.ziddu.com/downloadfile.php?uid=bq%2BampalZ7OimJmltKyZlJyiZrGWlZqp6
http://rapidshare.com/files/130064053/rt_terrantribune_dark_j15.rar

Perihelion - August 08 Joomla Templates

2008-09-04T11:11:00.000+07:00

The all new Perihelion template features an incredibly stylistic and unique design to add that special touch to your sites. Colorful textures and intricate design elements create an amazing array of layout options and combinations to provide a brand new look and feel.

Perihelion not only features a unique design, but it also offers the same adaptability and powerful features RocketTheme templates are known for. The RokNewsRotator content presentation module and an incredible 32 module positions mean that you can enjoy this unique style without sacrificing versatility.

Overview

An overview of the key features of this template are as follows:

* Joomla 1.5+ version
* Joomla 1.0+ version
* Unique layout and design with colorful textures and style elements
* An amazing 32 Module Positions
* Updated RokNewsRotator featured article presentation module
* NEW 1.0 & 1.5 Native RocketLauncher now available! - Create your own site just like the demo site with only a few clicks
* CSS Based Tableless Design
* Three level Splitmenu system with horizontal second level and vertical third level.
* Optional IE6 Warning / Upgrade Notification
* Incredibly wide range of versatile typography style options
* 5 included preset design styles
* Ability to utilize 1, 2, and 3 column layouts
* 3 built-in menu options - The exclusive RokMooMenu menu system, Suckerfish, updated three level SplitMenu, as well as a module position to use your own custom menu moduleModule)
* Built-in IE6 PNG fix
* W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS Valid
* Fully compatible IE7, IE6, Safari 2+, Firefox 2+, Opera 9+
* Source Adobe Fireworks PNGs included (

Preset style variations:

Perihelion features the following 5 built in preset styles.

The RokNewsRotator Module Returns

RokNewsRotator is a module that rotates your news item using the powerful of the mootools javascript library. You simply assign a category/section and watch your articles transition.

The Exclusive RokMooMenu

Menu Information

For more details on the menu configuration options in Perihelion, check out the instructions on the demo site

Installation Instructions

We’ve created a guide that covers how to set up your new Perihelion template on your Joomlatemplate can be found on the “demo server”: http://demo.rockettheme.com. site. Full details on how to install and setup the

Module positions are summarized in the diagram below:

NOTES:

Configuration

Perihelion Configuration Options for Joomla! 1.0

// *************************************************
// Change the variables below to adjust the template
//
// If you have any issues, check out the forum at
// http://www.rockettheme.com
//
// *************************************************

NOTE: Perihelion Configuration Options for Joomla! 1.5 are set in the template properties in the Administrator. No code changes are required.

Perihelion For Joomla 1.5.x (7.37M)

Joomla_RT_Perihelion_j15.zip
perihelion-extensions-j15.zip
perihelion-pdf-tutorials-j15.zip
rt_perihelion_j15.tgz

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/135000996/rt_perihelion_j1.5.zip
http://cn.ziddu.com/downloadlink/207746/rt_perihelion_j1.5.zip

Perihelion For Joomla 1.0.x (5.17M)

Joomla_RT_Perihelion.zip
perihelion-extensions.zip
perihelion-pdf-tutorials-j10.zip
rt_perihelion.tgz

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/135004502/rt_perihelion_j1.5.zip
http://cn.ziddu.com/downloadlink/207754/rt_perihelion_j1.0.zip

Perihelion File Sources (8.83M)

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/135003911/rt_perihelion-sources.zip
http://cn.ziddu.com/download/207777/rt_perihelion-sources.zip.html

MetaMorph - September 08 Joomla Templates

2008-09-04T11:05:00.001+07:00

he all new MetaMorph template features a unique adapting design style without sacrificing flexibility. Sites needing that extra graphical touch can take advantage of MetaMorph’s beautiful design, as well as it’s adaptability and built-in power.

MetaMorph offers the same flexibility and powerful features RocketTheme templates are known for including the RokContentRotator content presentation module, Animated RokMooMenu menu system, and 28 module positions perfect for providing maximum control over your site’s content presentation.

Overview

An overview of the key features of this template are as follows:

* Joomla 1.5+ version
* Joomla 1.0+ version
* Unique adaptable design and layout
* Versatile 28 Module Positions
* RokContentRotator featured article presentation module
* NEW 1.0 & 1.5 Native RocketLauncher now available! - Deploy a replica of the MetaMorph demo sites.
* CSS Based Tableless Design
* Optional IE6 Warning / Upgrade Notification
* Incredibly wide range of versatile typography style options
* 5 included preset design styles
* Ability to utilize 1, 2, and 3 column layouts
* 3 built-in menu options - The exclusive RokMooMenu 2.0 menu system with animations, Suckerfish, updated three level SplitMenu, as well as a module position to use your own custom menu module (Module)
* Built-in IE6 PNG fix
* W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS Valid
* Fully compatible IE7, IE6, Safari 2+, Firefox 2+, Opera 9+
* Source Adobe Fireworks PNGs included

Preset style variations:

MetaMorph features the following 5 built in preset styles.

The RokContentRotator Module Returns

The RokContentRotator module is another fine way to introduce snippets of your top stories in a seamless fashion. You can view this module in action on the frontpage of the Catalyst demo. A whole new look and feel have been added to give your content a great look.

The Exclusive RokMooMenu 2.0

Menu Information

For more details on the menu configuration options in MetaMorph, check out the instructions on the demo site

Installation Instructions

We’ve created a guide that covers how to set up your new MetaMorph template on your Joomla site. Full details on how to install and setup the template can be found on the “demo server”: http://demo.rockettheme.com.

Module positions are summarized in the diagram below:

NOTES:

Configuration

$default_style = "style1"; // style1 - style5
$enable_ie6warn = "false"; // true | false
$font_family = "default"; // default | geneva | optima | helvetica
trebuchet | lucida | georgia
$template_width = "968"; // width in px
$leftcolumn_width = "270"; // width in px (minimum supported width: 270px)
$rightcolumn_width = "270"; // width in px (minimum supported width: 270px)
$splitmenu_col = "rightcol"; // leftcol | rightcol
$menu_name = "mainmenu"; // mainmenu by default, can be any Joomla menu name
$menu_type = "moomenu"; // moomenu | suckerfish | splitmenu | module
$default_font = "default"; // smaller | default | larger
$show_moduleslider = "true"; // true | false
$moduleslider_location = "right"; // left | middle | right
$moduleslider_height = "400"; // height in px
$show_pathway = "false"; // true | false
$show_logo = "true"; // true | false
$show_bottomlogo = "true"; // true | false
$show_date = "true"; // true | false
$show_controls = "true"; // true | false
$show_copyright = "true"; // true | false

NOTE: MetaMorph Configuration Options for Joomla! 1.5 are set in the template properties in the Administrator. No code changes are required.

MetaMorph Complete Packages： (J1.0.x, J1.5.x, guides, rocketlauncher, sources...) (17.4 MB)

Joomla_RT_MetaMorph.zip
Joomla_RT_MetaMorph_j15.zip
metamorph-extensions-j10.zip

metamorph-extensions-j15.zip

metamorph-pdf-tutorials-j10.zip
metamorph-pdf-tutorials-j15.zip
metamorph-sources.zip
rt_metamorph.tgz
rt_metamorph_j15.tgz

Quote:

http://rapidshare.com/files/141713681/rt_metamorph_package.zip
http://w16.easy-share.com/1701413004.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/141692300/mmo08.rar (password: enjoy)

JA Olivine for Joomla 1.5

2008-09-04T10:55:00.001+07:00

JA Olivine for Joomla 1.5 : (Quickstart included Joomla! 1.5.6 + Template, Extensions installation packages) (5.55 MB)

ja_olivine_extensions_j15.zip
ja_olivine_quickstart_j15.zip
ja_olivine_template_j15.zip

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/139013727/ja_olivine_j15.zip
http://w17.easy-share.com/1701299335.html
http://www.mediafire.com/?dbpnfgbkbfs
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IY2QM26H

JA Olivine for Joomla 1.0 : (Quickstart included Joomla! 1.0.15 + Template, Extensions installation packages) (3.02 MB)

ja_olivine_extensions_j10.zip
ja_olivine_quickstart_j10.zip
ja_olivine_template_j10.zip

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140486972/ja_olivine_j10.zip
http://w16.easy-share.com/1701358463.html
http://www.mediafire.com/?ulwunhgbw1d

JA Olivine Source files : Full PSD Source file for logo, background, module headers... (2.12 MB)

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140490406/ja_olivine_source.zip
http://w16.easy-share.com/1701358458.html
http://www.mediafire.com/?zsiznhm1j2i

JA Olivine Full Package (10.69 MB)

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140570640/ja_olivine_full.zip
http://w15.easy-share.com/1701361958.html

JA Drimia v1.2 for Joomla 1.5.x

2008-09-04T10:49:00.002+07:00

JA Drimia v1.2 for Joomla 1.5.x : (Quickstart included Joomla! 1.5.3 + Template, Extensions installation packages) (8.91 MB)

ja_drimia_extensions_v1.2_1.5.3.zip
ja_drimia_quickstart_v1.2_1.5.3.zip
ja_drimia_template_v1.2_1.5.3.zip

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140735992/ja_drimia_v1.2_1.5.3.zip
http://w14.easy-share.com/1701370877.html

Fedora - Joomla 1.5.3 Template

2008-09-04T10:41:00.001+07:00

JA Fedora for Joomla 1.5 : Quickstart included Joomla! 1.5.3 + Template & Extensions

installation packages (5.08 MB)

ja_fedora_extensions_v1.2_1.5.3.zip
ja_fedora_quickstart_v1.2_1.5.3.zip
ja_fedora_template_v1.2_1.5.3.zip

http://rapidshare.com/files/141323772/ja_fedora_v1.2_j1.5.3.zip
http://w14.easy-share.com/1701396341.html

Anti Aging Skin Care Treatment

2008-09-04T10:34:00.001+07:00

Baby
A baby's skin is the best example of a perfect organ in a human body. The skin is amazingly resistant. A child's skin derives its shine and smoothness from the abundance of collagen and elastin that exists in the body. A child has a very fertile system in place that creates and recreates the same with unerring frequency. All that the child needs to be assisted with is a simple water wash with a mild soap to wipe off any dirt and he or she still maintains the lovely skin texture.

Because children's skin is so new, the skin cells turn over and renew themselves naturally every 21 to 28 days. The most important aspect of skin care in this decade is sun protection. Apply sun protection whenever your child goes outside. Make applying sunscreen nonnegotiable. It is essential to the health of your child. Avoid serving junk food to your child. Be sure to feed your child vegetables and fruits filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Healthy eating habits established early in life will be the good habits in the future.

Teen
Skin starts changing and keeps on changing through the teenage years. There are two changes occur in this period. The first is increased hormone production while moving through puberty. The second is a teenager's is a desire to have perfect skin. Hormonal changes are the beginning of adulthood. While the hormones change, the skin produces more oil due to sebaceous glands being overactive, and this causes breakouts. Acne type skin can develop acne that can range from slight to severe.

1. It is now time to find reliable skin care products and start using them twice a day for cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.

2. Exfoliate in between them one to three times a week, based on the skin type and how often the breakouts occur. Use salyclic acid exfoliants for breakouts and acne type skin. They are known to have antibacterial qualities and go inside the pores to control bacteria.

3. The most important thing to know for the teenage years is no picking. The risks of picking are serious and may cause permanent scarring and spreading to other areas of the body.

4. Be faithful to your routine and be sure not to overdue it. Never go to sleep without washing your face, and never go to bed without removing your makeup. While you sleep your skin renews itself and releases waste products and toxins. This process gets backed up when you don't remove makeup and wash your face before bed.

5. Avoid sunbathing or tanning beds. Tanning ruins the internal structure of your skin.

6. Whenever you are outside use sunscreen or sunblock. Make it a fact of life. be sure to apply enough so you protect your skin and don't burn or tan.

7. Avoid junk foods, heavily processed foods, and foods heavy in sugar. Instead, choose vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, and poultry. Learn all about low glycemic foods and make them the important part of your diet. High glycemic foods create inflammation, which shows up as breakouts and aging on the skin.

8. For unusual skin problems, visit a dermatologist.

Twenties
Hormones begin to balance out by the age of twenty. Normally your skin needs typical care for great results. You may notice a couple of lines around you eyes when you squint, but they are not considered wrinkles. Your skin's oil production has slowed down and your skin is starting to change. The cell renewal cycle of 21 to 28 days is also starting to slow down. If you've had acne breakouts as a teenager, they normally slow down as well. Enjoy your skin now and start adopting a lifestyle that will keep your skin healthy for the rest of your life.

1. During this time, at least by the age of 25, you need to be on a daily skin care ritual of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing twice a day. Never go to sleep in your makeup or without washing your face.

2. Be sure to apply sunscreen every morning immediately after your skin care routine. Reapply often if you are outdoors during the day.

3. To keep your skin healthy, try to get regular exercise into your day. Take a vitamin mineral supplement to assure that you are getting the nutrition you need.

Thirty to Forty
Skin in your 30's can easily look great. Lines and wrinkles in your thirties depend on the amount of sunscreen you used or sun exposure when you were younger. Your level of facial animation can also make a difference. Those with more expressive faces will have more lines. At some point in your 30's, your skin experiences a major turning point. This starts with the time when your metabolism starts to slow down, partially because muscle mass starts to decline. Skin cell turnover is slower, maybe even as slow as every 40 days. Your skin starts to wrinkle, particularly around the eyes. Sun damage from earlier in life starts to show up as sagging and skin discolorations.

1. Continue your daily skin ritual of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.

2. Now is the time to start using glycolic acid exfoliation products regularly. Start with once a week, and gradually add one more treatment per week, up to two to three times a week, based on need. Glycolic acid has been shown to assist the skin in rebuilding collagen.

3. Consider getting a chemical peel once a month from a professional skin care specialist. At the very least, consider a professional facial and skin treatment at the change of seasons.

4. Get checked for skin cancer by a dermatologist or medical doctor yearly.

5. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and sleep. In your 30's and beyond, dancing into the wee hours in the night shows up the next morning. Your face may swell and bags and dark circles could develop under your eyes.

6. Continual high stress levels result in inflammation, wrinkles, and sagging.

7. When eating, choose foods that keep your skin healthy such as low glycemic carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and complete protein. Avoid cortisol inducing foods and beverages, such as coffee, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages, which can cause inflammation and irritation.

Forty to Fifty
Great skin in this decade has minimal sun damage and few expression lines, although you can expect to have some lines around your eyes. Many men have a new skin care concern in their 40s, a receding hairline. Care for the balding areas around your face just as you care for the rest of your facial skin. Any serious health challenges, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or autoimmune disorders affect the health of your skin. The skin condition rosacea could begin in this decade. For women, the 40s usually signal the start of perimenopause. At this time, skin oil production slows, leaving skin drier, and may start to become thinner and more translucent.

1. Cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day.

2. Apply sunscreen faithfully every day.

3. Continue your daily skin care ritual, taking into consideration that you may need to switch products or skin care lines as your skin becomes drier and more sensitive.

4. Start doing chemical peels once a month to encourage more rapid cell turnover.

5. Exfoliate at home two or three times a week with AHA's, scrubs, or enzymes.

6. Use cosmeceuticals, vitamin C, and alpha lipoic acid to help reverse the visible signs of aging.

7. Consider asking your dermatologist for a prescription for Retin A or Renova to assist your skin with rejuvenation.

8. Check your skin regularly for skin cancers and have your dermatologist or medical doctor check as well.

9. You may want to consider such medical procedures as botox or collagen injections to improve your appearance and to temporarily melt away lines and wrinkles. Laser resurfacing can destroy deep brown pigmentation and enlarged or broken capillaries.

10. If you haven't already, become more conscientious about your eating habits. Get plenty of exercise.

Fifties
If you've been good to yourself and your skin, by now you are enjoying the rewards. Your skin has an even tone, with perhaps some slightly darker pigmentation spots. If you've used sun protection regularly, your skin has enough collagen and elastin to remain plump and smooth. You may have some sagging, but not much. By your 50s, expression lines are a fact of life, especially if you have dynamic facial expressions.

Men's skin is more robust than women's because men don't lose their reproductive capacity through menopause. Men's skin sags less because men have more vital collagen and elastin, provided they've stayed out of the sun or used good sun protection.

1. Stick to your daily skin care ritual.

2. Be aggressive with encouraging skin cell turnover by using glycolic peels and frequent exfoliation. If you've spent time in the sun, the damage is showing as sagging skin from collagen and elastin damage. Deep brown pigmentation spots are another result of sun damage. You can reverse some of this damage by the use of cosmeceuiticals, vitamin C, and alpha lipoic acid. Both glycolic peels and Retin A or Renova assist the skin in rebuilding collagen.

3. Eat the foods that nourish your skin, including essential fatty acids (EFAs) and plenty of vegetables and fruits daily. Avoid all junk food, alcoholic beverages, caffeine, and sodas.

4. Get outside more and often using plenty of sunscreen. Regular massage and lymph drainage will help perk up your skin.

5. Now is a good time to consider a surgical face lift. This proves to be a good investment because the results can last up to 10 years.

Sixties and Beyond
Your skin in thinner, with heavier wrinkling. Lifestyle and genetic diseases and disorders, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease can affect the radiance of your skin. This is when lifestyle makes the biggest difference in the quality of your skin skin.

Laser Hair Removal

2008-09-04T10:32:00.000+07:00

The removal of unwanted hair has been the bane of men and women since the dawn of time (or at least since the advent of the bikini). Tedious everyday shaving, plucking, and tweezing has sent many in search of a viable alternative. Until recently, these alternatives were either of poor quality (Nair), of a particularly painful nature (waxing), or unaffordable for the average consumer (electrolysis). Since 1997, however, a new leader has emerged in the fight against furriness. Laser hair removal promises to reduce unwanted hair permanently in just a few sessions. Wave goodbye to the Gillette Venus and the Epilady; there is a better way. But, you may be left wondering, just what is laser hair removal?

To understand the technique of laser hair removal, one must first grasp a couple of concepts about hair itself. Hair is typically in one of three stages: the telogen phase (resting), the catagen phase (transitional) or the anagen phase (growing). Laser hair removal is a process by which lasers are used to create inflammation in the follicles of the patient's hair, which in turn sends a signal to the follicle to go into the telogen (or resting) phase. By doing this, hair growth stops and the visible hair itself is removed.

Because of the three phases of hair growth, and due to the fact that hair grows in cycles, with different follicles being in different cycles at different times, multiple treatments are necessary to ensure the maximum results from laser hair removal. The lasers are only effective against follicles in the anagen phase. Spreading four or five treatments over four to eight week intervals is the only way to procure treatment for the majority of the follicles.

Before heading off for laser hair removal, the cautious consumer may want to consider whether or not they are an ideal candidate for the treatment. For laser hair treatment to be effective, the hair you wish to remove must be darker than the surrounding skin. This means that very tan people with very fair hair are not ideal candidates. In fact, laser treatments can be difficult or impossible for certain people with blond or red hair, regardless of skin tone. People with dark hair, light skin, and course hair are the ideal candidates.

Cost of treatment varies, but one should be cautious about accepting prices that are suspiciously low. Laser hair removal is expensive. Before committing yourself to a treatment, make sure you ask some pertinent questions concerning the quality of the establishment, including the experience of the technician with the system they typically utilize and how long they have used this system. The quality of removal is very dependant on the skill and experience of the practitioner, so it is a good idea to spend the extra money if it means getting the better treatment.

Laser Hair Removal Cost

Per session you can expect to pay $1,000 for legs, and $300 for the bikini area. The average cost is $500 per session, with an average of four sessions required, with a final result of approximately 80% hair reduction in the specified area.

Acne Control

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Often the result of hormonal changes in the body, acne is common condition ranging in severity from occasional pimples to serious cystic acne that requires the intervention of the dermatologist. If you suffer from acne, you may experience pimples around your forehead, nose, and chin, blackheads, whiteheads, and to a lesser degree, occasional more serious infections.

Because the symptoms vary widely, there are a number of treatments for acne ranging from topical over-the-counter ointments to more serious prescription drugs and laser treatments.

The root cause of acne is a blockage in skin pores and hair follicles that leads to infection. Hormonal imbalances that result in the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands in the skin worsens the problem, as does the presence of any bacteria on the skin's surface. The most effective acne treatments work to reduce the amount of oil on the skin, keep pores and hair follicles open and clear, and keep affected areas free of bacteria.

Natural Remedies:

Scrubs
Natural methods of treatment include mild scrubs with oatmeal or other abrasives designed to open clogged pores. They are often combined with cleansing creams that work to kill bacteria.

Antibacterial Agents
Many ointments, balms, and lotions sold to treat acne are mild antibacterial agents designed to kill bacterial colonies and keep them from reforming. Tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and sulfur have excellent antibacterial properties and have been used effectively alone and in combination with other acne treatments.

Skin Repair
Aloe Vera, vitamin A, and vitamin E are useful in healing blemishes, repairing skin cells, and reducing inflammation. They are also used in combination with antibacterial agents to heal skin after an acne outbreak.

Treat Oily Skin
Preparations used to reduce the amount of oil on the skin often contain benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial and drying agent. There are also non-prescription masks and peels designed to remove excess oil from the skin.

Mild scrubs, antibacterials, drying agents, and skin conditioners work together to open clogged pores and keep skin healthy and clear of infection. For minor skin problems they are very effective, and regular treatment using these products will reduce acne flare-ups.

Resistant Acne:

Cosmetic Procedures
More resistant acne often responds to chemical peels and abrasive techniques like micro-dermabrasion. These techniques are administered by a dermatologist in his office and can also be effective in reducing the acne scarring that may result from prolonged acne conditions.

Vitamin A Derivatives (Retin-A)
Therapies using concentrated vitamin A derivatives like Retin-A have had success in treating whiteheads, blackheads, and cystic acne. Used topically over a period of weeks, vitamin A derivatives increase skin production and help in keeping skin pores clear.

Oral Contraceptives
For women, often oral contraceptives have the side benefit of having a positive impact on problem skin.

Laser Treatment
Light therapy is a very effective treatment for acne. Reaching deep into the skin, lasers kill bacteria, help improve the skin's texture, and are effective at helping to reduce oil production.

Isotretinoin
Isotretinoin(Accutane) is reserved for the most serious skin conditions. Usually administered in pill form, it works internally to help reduce the skin's oil production and combat infection. Available only through prescription, it can have serious side effects, so discuss any treatment plan carefully with your doctor.

Acne can be a complicated condition, and it may require some trial and error to determine what type of treatment is going to work best for you. Even the most severe forms of acne respond to treatment, and with some experimentation you will discover a method that will provide the results that you are looking for. In the meantime, keep your skin as clean as you can, and never be tempted to squeeze blemishes. Although satisfying, damaging your skin invariably prolongs the healing process and can lead to deep and permanent scars.

Chemical Peel

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Skin is a dynamic, growing organ. Every day cells divide at the basal layer of the epidermis and begin their journey upward to the uppermost layer, the stratum cornea. As new cells continue to grow, old cells from the stratum cornea slough off. This exfoliation of cells from the stratum cornea is a normal daily event.

Chemical peeling is basically an accelerated form of exfoliation induced by the use of a chemical agent. Very light peeling agents induce a faster sloughing of the cells in the stratum cornea, whereas deeper peeling agents create necrosis and inflammation in the epidermis, papillary dermis, or reticular dermis.

Chemical peeling creates changes in the skin through three mechanisms:
Stimulation of the epidermal growth through removal of the stratum cornea. Even very light peels that do not create necrosis of the "living epidermis" can induce the epidermis to thicken.
Destruction of specific layers of damaged skin. By destroying the layers and replacing them with more "normalized" tissue, a better cosmetic result is achieved. This is especially true in the treatment of pigmentation abnormalities and actinic keratoses.
Introduction of inflammatory reaction deeper in the tissue than the necrosis induced by the peeling agent. Activation of the mediators of inflammation is able to induce production of new collagen and ground substance in the dermis. Epidermal wounds are capable of inducing deposition of collagen and glycosaminoglycans in the dermis.

Because deeper peels involve a greater risk of complication and a longer period of recovery, or downtime, the goal is to create as little necrosis as possible while inducing as much new tissue formation as possible. This is the concept behind repetitive superficial and medium depth peels. They have low risk, but they create cumulative benefits that far exceed the results of on lighter peel.

Levels of Peels

Very superficial (exfoliation): These peels thin or remove the stratum corneum and do not create a wound below the stratum granulosum.

Superficial (epidermal): These peels create necrosis of part of all of the epidermis, anywhere from the stratum granulosum to the basal cell layer.

Medium (papillary dermal): These peels create necrosis of the epidermis and part or all of the papillary dermis.

Deep (reticular dermal): These peels create necrosis of the epidermis and papillary dermis, which extends into the reticular dermis.

Classification of Peeling Agents

Very Superficial: Glycolic acid 30% to 50% applied briefly (1 to 2 minutes)
Jessner's solution applied in 1 to 3 coats
Low-concentration resorcinol 20% to 30% applied briefly (5 to 10 minutes)

Superficial: Glycolic acid 50% to 70% applied for a variable time (2 to 20 minutes)
Jessner's solution applied in 4 to 10 coats
Resorcinol 40% to 50% applied for 30 to 60 minutes.
TCA 10% to 30%

Medium Depth: Glycolic acid 70% applied for a variable time (3 to 30 minutes)
TCA 35% to 50%
Augmented TCA (Jessner's solution plus TCA 35%, glycolic acid 70% plus TCA 35%)

Deep: Phenol 88%
Baker Gordon Phenol Formula

Complications of a Chemical Peel

Some of the reported complications from getting a chemical peel are:
Premature Peeling
Infection
Postinflammatory Infection
Hypopigmentation
Allergic Reactions
Scabbing
Scarring
Ecchymoses
Acneform Eruptions
Tears Dripping Onto the Neck

The cost of a chemical peel is determined by depth, location, and type.

Adult Acne

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Acne that is contracted during adulthood, specifically after eighteen years old is considered adult acne. It commonly appears during the early twenties to even late forties and fifties. Women are the ones frequently affected by adult acne, also known as post-adolescent acne. Hormones are the obvious cause of adult acne since there is no definite pattern to its occurrence as compared to the teenage variety of acne vulgaris. Adolescent girls are often conscious of the growth of this skin condition, especially during their menstrual cycle, although the acne that forms during adulthood comes and goes more easily than the ones contracted during the teenage years.

The appearance of post-adolescent acne differs from that of teenage acne:
Blackheads and whiteheads (comedones) are less commonly seen. Breakouts are usually mild to moderate. Significant scarring is unusual.

Lesions more often appear on the lower cheek, the chin, and along and below the jaw line. Although some women may have breakouts on the chest and back, most have blemishes exclusively on the face.

Papules, also known as pimples, zits, bumps, pustules, and small nodules are the most common composition of breakouts. Papules are skin inflammatory elevations that are not suppurative while the pustules are also inflammatory elevations, but are filled with pus. The pustules and papules can be classified as deep or superficial. Superficial papules are those located on the skin surface. The deep papules are described to be palpable, and come from under the skin, since these are probably inflammations that are trapped underneath the skin's surface.

Nodules are described as large papules or cysts. They are firm tender lumps that stay on for several weeks or even months. The largest growth that they can be is about an inch and when healed can leave a noticeable scar. Luckily, nodules are rarely develop in women with adult acne.

There is no exact diagnosis for adult-onset acne since it can be easily confused by a health care provider with other acne-like disorders like rosacea, pseudofolliculitis barbae, keratosis pilaris, and endocrinopathy:
Rosacea: Symptoms of rosacea include facial lesions that consist of acnelike red papules and pustules. Moreover, both rosacea and acne can appear together.
Endocrinopathy: Sometimes what appears to be a simple case of acne vulgaris or adult-onset acne can be due to an underlying hormonal abnormality, called endocrinopathy. At times like this, acne may be difficult to get under control, and other measures such as blood tests to look for higher or lower than normal hormone levels should be evaluated by your doctor.

Women with adult acne do not have levels of androgen that are elevated but may have a amplified response to androgen in its normal levels and to progesterone, a female hormone, although to a much lower degree. On the other hand, estrogen, another main hormone of females, produces an opposite effect on acne production by depressing its release.

Other than the major hormones of women, adult acne may be caused and enhanced by the intake of pills containing hormones and drugs that have hormonal effects like those seen in oral contraceptive medications, food products, steroids and allergy medications.