Thinning hair is an ailment that both men and women suffer from. Hair can thin for several reasons, including genes, stress and unfavorable environmental conditions. There are steps you can take to slow or possibly stop the process of thinning hair.
1 Wash your hair with protein-infused shampoo. Whatever the cause of your hair thinning is, if you have weak hair follicles, it is sure to exacerbate the thinning. Using a protein-infused shampoo will help reinforce your hair's natural strength and reduce breakage.
2 Take hair-strengthening vitamins. Both biotin and vitamin B12 have shown to assist in the creation of new hair follicles. The creation of new follicles can help stop the appearance of thinning and help you grow new hair to replace what was lost.
3 Visit your doctor. There are several prescription cremes and medications that can be used to stop (or in some cases, reverse) hair loss. These medications do come with some risks and side effects, so it is important to have a lengthy discussion with your doctor before beginning any prescription treatment.
The mention of long hair conjures visions of shiny, healthy hair. In reality, having long hair and keeping it in good shape two different things. Growing your hair out and keeping it looking its best requires a lot of maintenance, daily and otherwise.
Shampoo and Condition Daily
Hair retains odors, which become more noticeable on long hair, so it's essential that long hair is shampooed or conditioned daily. It takes longer to wash long hair than short hair, so factor time for that into your daily schedule. If you find that your hair is dry and frizzy, be certain to use a conditioner every day.
Comb Out Daily
Many people who have long hair find it too difficult to maintain on a daily basis so they simply skim a brush over the top layer, or skip combing it altogether. This is an absolute "don't." It's essential to comb through tangles and snarls daily to maintain healthy looking hair.
Find an Easy Style
Washing and brushing long hair can seem like a lot of work, so it's important to find a hairstyle that doesn't add to your workload. Some suggestions for easy hair styles are to wear long hair in a braid, ponytail, bun, or clip.
Have the Ends Trimmed Regularly
Long hair can get raggedy, especially at the ends. Be sure to have the ends of your hair trimmed at least twice a year. If you keep up on it, you'll only have to have about 1/2 an inch cut off each time. Although it seems counter-intuitive, long hair actually grows faster when it's trimmed on a regular basis.
Avoid Over-processing
One of the problems with having long hair processed hair is that you dye on top of dye and perm on top of perm. You're processing the same hair over and over, instead of having the old hair cut off, and that's highly damaging. After your first process, just get your roots done.
Maintain a Well-Balanced Diet
Hair grows best when the body is healthy. A diet rich in minerals (which are found in green leafy vegetables) and proteins (such as eggs, beans, low-fat cheese, and fish) promotes healthy hair growth.
None of us can avoid getting older, but we can find a way to diminish the effects of looking older. Anti-aging skin care treatments have become the modern fountain of youth as more and more consumers are flocking to buy the latest innovations in the skin care field. Good anti-aging skin care treatments are generally chock full of anti-oxidant products that help to create a youthful appearance through the regeneration of skin cells. By making good choices when selecting your anti-aging skin care treatment, you are sure to add a healthy glow to your skin while slowing down the appearance of wrinkles and other age-related skin conditions.
Types of Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatments
Good anti-aging skin care treatments generally contain a variety of antioxidants such as vitamins A,C, D, and E along with products that boost collagen production. When collagen is encouraged, the skin becomes more elastic and is able to hold its original structure for a longer period of time. Through proper treatment, skin will rejuvenate through sloughing off dead cells and creating new cells. The best anti-aging skin care treatments provide the skin with an added resistance to toxins through their ability to send nutrients into the deep layers of the epidermis.
Considerations
Natural Products Help Maintain Beautiful Skin
There are so many products on the market now, it can be very confusing when it comes to the right formula for you. If you are prone to allergies it is best to avoid chemically based anti-aging skin care products. Natural skin care products treat the skin holistically by nurturing the cells with a variety of oils and extracts that are easy to absorb and non-irritating. Look for ingredients such as white or green tea, chamomile, calendula, Rooibos, soy oil, and safe essential oils. Avoid chemical preservatives, mineral oils, fragrances, and other types of synthetic additives if you wish to avoid the potential of side effects. Anti-aging skin care products come as creams, lotions, serums, and masks and are all designed to nurture and rebuild the skin.
Diet and Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatment
Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables
A well-balanced diet is an important factor in anti-aging skin care treatment. Appropriate daily quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables along with lots of water and herbal teas are an excellent recipe for keeping skin elastic and youthful. Whole grains are also important as well as fat-free milk products if you can tolerate them. Certain spices, such as curcumin, are also known to slow down the aging process. Curcumin is found in turmeric, an ingredient in curry, and has been touted as an element that reduces free radicals, inflammation and sun damage.
Expert Insight
When searching for anti-aging skin care treatments, there are several things you can do besides choosing your products carefully. Make sure you develop a regular regimen of skin care, including wearing sun block everyday and wearing sunglasses in bright sun to protect the delicate skin around the eyes. Cleanse you skin well to remove dirt and dead skin, but not too often as you don't want to strip away the moisture that gives the skin its glow. Never sleep with your makeup on and be sure to always use a moisturizer to keep plump and young looking. Make sure your skin products include UVA and UVB protection. Exercise regularly, get enough sleep, reduce your caffei neand soda intake, and do not smoke!
Warning
Beware of fads and ads that advertise or promise results that may be unrealistic. Keep in mind that beauty comes from within and there is no anti-aging skin treatment that can totally turn back the hands of time. Make the best of what you have by treating your skin with love and care. Don't be fooled by radical procedures that may or may not produce the desired results. Do your research thoroughly before choosing techniques that go beyond at-home treatments.
Garlic is almost an entire pharmacy on its own. Not only does it have strong anti-aging properties, it is also a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent, a potent blood thinner and full of antioxidants for good health. Whether you eat it raw, cook it or use it in extract form, garlic is a wonder vegetable that should be consumed daily. If you want to use it for anti-aging purposes, there are several easy ways to do so.
1 Chop up a raw garlic clove onto a salad every day. The beneficial anti-aging properties of garlic are at their strongest when the garlic is raw.
2 Swallow one to two whole garlic cloves each day, just as you would a vitamins. This is a good way to get raw garlic for people who don't like the taste of it.
3 Roast an entire head of garlic in the oven until the cloves are soft. Squeeze the cloves out of their thin, papery husks onto a plate, then use a butter knife to spread the cloves on bread as a substitute for butter. Do this once a week.
4 Wait ten minutes after chopping up garlic for soups or sauces before putting it into the cooking pot. Leaving garlic out for ten minutes before cooking it allows it to retain more of its anti-aging compounds during the cooking process.
5 Take a garlic supplement every day. Garlic supplements have the beneficial properties of garlic concentrated in pill form, without any lingering smell associated with them.
Expensive anti-aging products are not necessarily the best options for your mature skin. Ingredients such as retinol, copper peptides, hydroxyacids and coenzyme Q10 are present in both drugstore and department store anti-aging creams. Thus, there is little incentive to spend double or triple as much on one brand or another.
Necessary Ingredients
Retinol is one of the main ingredients in all anti-aging creams. It is an antioxidant that helps reverse free radical damage. Free radicals are atoms that can damage DNA and healthy cells. When free radicals damage skin cells, the skin loses its vibrancy and elasticity. When choosing an anti-aging wrinkle cream, make sure retinol is a primary ingredient. As long as this vital ingredient is present in the cream, you don't have to shelve out more money for the expensive brands. Also, look for coenzyme Q10 and copper peptides to be in the ingredients list.
Remember that non-prescription anti-aging creams contain active ingredients in low doses and even the expensive ones will only give temporary results. Thus, your budget is better served if you buy one of the less expensive brands. Just like the more expensive brands, these are reviewed by dermatologists and skin care experts before being put out into the market.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers are a major part of any good anti-aging skin care regimen. A moisturizer used daily will greatly improve the overall quality of your skin, making it feel soft and look smooth. A moisturizer will also make skin look younger and more supple especially because as skin ages it tends to lose moisture. You can purchase highly effective ones for very little money. For added benefit, get a moisturizer that has at least SPF 15 to protect your skin against further sun damage. The sun is skin's worst enemy as one ages.
If you don't want to pay for a brand name moisturizer, you can use natural moisturizers such as castor oil. Dab on a few drops and rub the oil all over your skin. Another good natural moisturizer is vitamin E. You can buy vitamin E capsules, poke holes in them and squeeze out the liquid. Apply to skin at least once a day as part of your anti-aging skin care routine.
Many women are self-conscious about how they look in swimwear. Finding that perfect bathing suit that helps you look great on the beach can be a daunting task, but keeping a few flattering styles in mind while you shop can help you pick a suit you look good in and feel comfortable wearing.
How to Find Good Swimming Wear for Your Body Type
1 Determine your body shape. The following are some common body shapes for women.
Pear: You are small-busted with an average-size waist and a large bottom.
Curvy: You have an hourglass shape with a large bust and hips, and smaller waistline.
Busty: You have a large bust, but a smaller waist and hips.
Straight or Athletic: You don't have many curves.
Tall: You have long legs and/or a long torso.
Petite: You have short legs and/or a short torso.
2 Once you decide which category or categories you fit in, you can start looking for styles that will flatter your figure.
Check out steps 3 to 7 and decide which swim styles fit you best.
3 If you're a pear shape, try a suit that draws attention to your bust. This will make you seem less bottom-heavy. Tankinis are very flattering for pear-shaped women because they provide support for the bust and can often be bought in separates. When buying a two-piece, go with a print or pattern on top to draw the eye there. You may also want to look for a top with a little extra padding and support in the cups, whether it's a bikini or tankini.
Remember, it's OK to wear a solid bottom with a patterned top. Mixing and matching is fun and makes for more swimsuits combinations. For extra coverage, consider a suit with a skirted bottom or boyshorts-cut. However, if the skirt is too long, it can actually make you look heavier, be careful to avoid bottoms with belts or skirts that may emphasize the parts you don't like as much.
Sarongs are a nice option when you are outside of the water. They provide a extra (yet sheer) coverage if you want it and add a little more pizazz to your swim wear.
If it's a one-piece you're looking for, try something with a plunging neckline or extra flair on the upper section, such as ruffles, funky straps, orother ornamental detailing.
4 If you're curvy or have a very large bust, you may want to try a one-piece suit in a bold color to show off your curves. Suits with empire waists or a low-cut bust will also flatter the hourglass shape by pulling attention away from the stomach.
Don't let a large bust keep you from wearing a two-piece. Try a halter top or a top with wide straps. Choose a top with a built-in bra for extra support, but make sure you select a suit with adequate coverage to keep your bust in place for water activities and general movement. Remember, you want to feel comfortable and sexy, not exposed.
5 If you have a straight figure or athletic build, sporty suits flatter slender and athletic bodies. Slender women, and most women with toned and muscular bodies, can actually get away with wearing many cuts on top and bottom, like bandeau and slider tops, along with low-rise hipster bottoms, boyshorts, or scoop bottoms without looking bottom-heavy.
6 If you're tall, an all-over pattern may draw attention away from your height and to the areas you want to show off. If you have long legs, you may want to accentuate them with a bottom that ties at the hip. Many tall frames can get away with the trendy styles of suits like the monokini.
7 If you're petite, look for a suit that is high-cut in the thigh. This will make your legs look longer. Avoid boy shorts and skirted bottoms; they can actually make your legs look shorter. Go for a design that runs vertically, or stick with bright-colored solids. V-shaped necklines also draw the eye up and down, making you appear taller.
Swim suits with thinner straps on the bottoms can also elongate the leg. Choose colorful designs that enhance features about yourself that you like, but avoid wearing suits that highlight too many aspects of your tiny figure.
8 Remember that you might fit into more than one category. Some women are tall and slender; others are petite and pear-shaped. Knowing the category or categories you fit into will help you narrow the swim suits to consider, so you can spend your summer at the beach instead of in the dressing room.
The United States took a step closer to losing its coveted triple-A credit rating over the weekend as a political impasse in Washington reduced hopes of an agreement to meaningfully cut the nation's budget deficit.
Although analysts still expect a last-minute deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid a default next week, it seems unlikely that Democrats and Republicans will agree before the next election in November 2012 how to find $4 trillion through government spending cuts and revenue increases.
Prospects of a budget breakthrough faded as lawmakers missed a self-imposed deadline to produce a deal by the time Asian markets opened for the new week. They still plan to outline proposals on Monday, but both sides appear further apart than ever.
Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch have said they will downgrade the U.S. credit rating if failure to raise the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling leaves the Treasury without cash to service its debt obligations in August.
But, at this point, raising the ceiling is not enough to safeguard the triple-A rating.
The ratings agencies have said the top-notch U.S. rating will only be safe if they see a credible plan from Congress and President Barack Obama to address the country's growing debt burden.
S&P would likely be the first to remove the triple-A status -- a move that could raise borrowing costs for Americans for generations to come, with Moody's and Fitch expected to follow, though perhaps not immediately.
The ratings agencies have suggested that deficit-reduction measures of some $4 trillion over 10 years could allow the U.S. to retain its current rating, though that also depends on a healthy pace of economic growth.
In another day of tense negotiations in Washington on Sunday, plans to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the national debt have been proposed and then quickly discarded as the debate degenerated into an ideological battle.
Republicans, driven by the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement that helped them win the House of Representatives last November, strongly oppose tax increases, while Democrats dislike proposed cuts to popular social programs.
S&P HAS FINGER ON THE TRIGGER
In mid-July S&P threatened to cut U.S. ratings in the following three months if a meaningful deficit cutting plan wasn't agreed.
After issuing that downgrade warning, John Chambers, chairman of S&P's sovereign ratings committee, told Reuters "this is the time" for such a deficit-reduction agreement.
"If you get a small agreement, that will lead to a downgrade," he said in the July 14 interview.
Initially, the agencies seemed willing to wait longer for a deficit reduction plan. But eventually they came to the conclusion that, if a deal is not reached now, it will become even more difficult next year, when presidential elections will further increase political divisions.
"When this started, the focus was the debt ceiling. Now the issue is that the ratings agencies have said they need to have a credible deficit-reduction program in place for them to take away the threat of a downgrade," said Steven Englander, head of G10 FX Strategy at Citigroup in New York.
Moody's has also said it may revise the outlook on the U.S. rating to negative if lawmakers raise the debt ceiling but fail to substantially cut the deficit. A negative outlook is a sign the rating may be downgraded in 12 to 18 months.
Fitch said it will decide on the outlook for the U.S. rating as soon as lawmakers reach a budget deal in Washington.
David Riley, Fitch's main analyst for the United States, said the decision will take into account the headline figure for deficit reduction but also the credibility of the plan.