Healthy Eyes For Healthy Lives

Our world is full of beautiful sights, colorful landscapes, and breathtaking views. Ensuring that your eyes are healthy enough to continue taking in the sights only seems like the right thing to do.

Thankfully, eye care is simple and straightforward. We can all take small steps here and there to keep our gorgeous greens, baby blues, and benevolent browns healthy and functional.

Below are just a few easy care tips that are low-cost, easily accomplished, and easy to remember. Your eyes will look great, feel great, and work great when you’ve given them all the tools to battle degenerative eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

“What’s Up Doc?”
Be sure you get to say those fun words often. Regular checkups for your eyes will be at the top of any eye care list…even if you’re not noticing any problems. The quick and easy tests that eye doctors offer will keep you on the right track for clear vision. Also, be sure to talk to your doctor about some added tips for healthy eyes. Tell them about your work environment and home environment, and they’ll be sure to have some helpful tips customized for your lifestyle.

Eat Right
Nutrition plays a major part in eye care, and it doesn’t even need to get too fancy. Most likely, you’re already eating the leafy green vegetables, fish, and vitamin C-enriched foods that help your eyes fight off health issues. Furthermore, a balanced diet can do more for you than just protect your eyes. It can protect you from diabetes, as well, which can lead to cataracts and blindness. Talk to your doctor about setting up a delicious and nutritious diet that’s good for your eyes and your body.

Give It A Rest
Our eyes do a lot of work, probably more than we realize. Sitting in front of a computer or TV for long durations can make them work more than they’re supposed to. Take regular breaks, even if only for a few seconds, to allow your eyes to rejuvenate. Look away from digital screens, close your eyes for a few seconds, and then get back to work. Not only will your eyes feel refreshed, but so will your mind. Taking short, regular breaks can help your focus, both mentally and physically.

Look Cool
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to buy that sweet pair of sunglasses you’ve always wanted, here’s a great one! Sunglasses not only look great but can also keep your eyes protected from UV rays and unwanted glare. Look for sunglasses offering polarized lenses and/or UV protection to keep your eyes out of harsh light that can be distracting and harmful. Your eyes won’t have to strain to see in brightly lit conditions, you’ll be taking more steps to warding off degenerative eye diseases, and you’ll be stylish the whole time!

Be Nerdy
This might seem like the polar opposite from my previous point, but the bottom line of having healthy eyes for years to come is still the same. Protective eyewear might not be the hippest look around but it can protect your eyes from physical injury. Sports are a great time for protective eyewear, especially when a small ball is involved such as hockey, lacrosse, and tennis. Protective eyewear is also a must when working in a shop. Flying pieces of wood and metal are bad news to even the healthiest eyes. You can eat all the carrots you want and see your eye doctor twice a year, but nothing will physically protect your eyes more than goggles.

Go To The Light
If you’ve picked up a nasty habit of working in the dark or reading in low-light conditions, get to a lamp right away! Straining your eyes in dark rooms can do more than giving your eyes a hard time, but it can lead to headaches, as well. Keep your eyes functioning properly by sitting next to a reading lamp at nighttime or a window during the day. Furthermore, sitting in a dark space will make you feel more tired! So get some lights turned on and let your eyes see all there is to see.

Eye care doesn’t have to be strenuous, time consuming, or even costly. Deciding to keep your eyes safe and healthy is a no-brainer and an easy feat. These tips are intended to be the basic groundwork for healthy eyes. Talk to your doctor about any extra tips that can assist your eyes to perform better and stay out of danger depending on your lifestyle and work environment. With the proper medical attention and the easy tips listed above, you can continue enjoying your great eyesight for years to come.

20/20 Institute Indianapolis is the leader in vision correction in Indiana. Their years of experience and top-rated doctors make their offices the most successful and safe places to have your eye examined and get LASIK. Call for a free consultation if you want to know if you qualify to see the best eye doctor in Indianapolis.

The Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery

The benefits of breast reduction surgery are numerous. Having oversized breast can cause many difficulties and bodily issues. Large breast can cause poor posture, upper and lower back pain, breathing difficulties, and even skin breakouts. The benefits should seriously be considered when one is contemplating going through with breast reduction surgery. This article will take a closer look at some of the problems that can arise from having large and oversized breast.

Poor Posture and Back Pain

Large breast can cause poor posture, as the weight can weigh down your body to one side or forward. In order to keep balance, many women will lean forward or to one side instead of forcing themselves to remain in an upright position. This stance becomes habit and ultimately results in poor posture. Poor posture then can lead to both upper and lower back pain. Back pain can be a very debilitating issue and should be corrected with the appropriate treatment to alleviate the cause if and when possible.

Breathing and Skin Issues

Breathing problems arise when the weight from large breast places undue extra pressure on the ribs and chest. Again, poor posture caused by large breast is a factor in this case as well. If a woman leans or stoops forward due to the weight of their breasts can cause breathing difficulties to arising because there is extra pressure to the diaphragm. The ending result is a shortness of breath and the need to breathe heavily and fast.

Skin Breakouts can occur due to heavy skin to skin contact. When breast are large and not properly supported they can rest, rub, or sway back and forth across the skin causing irritation. Also the extra heat from underneath the breast and the skin to skin contact can result in heat rash.

Locating a Surgeon

Breast reduction and plastic surgery centers in Houston, Texas plentiful and highly sought after. There are several board certified plastic surgeons are highly skilled and eager to take on new patients. If you are ready to make that first step, you can easily research a center by typing in the keywords breast reduction Houston in your internet search engine. By searching for plastic surgeons in Houston and comparing their certifications, achievements, and awards, you can make a decision on the best plastic surgeon for your needs. Breast reduction testimonies can also help you decide which surgeon to choose. If you are experiencing any of the above issues start your search today, as breast reduction surgery can increase your overall quality of life.

During your consultation at Norris Plastic Surgery, Dr. Norris will evaluate your needs and determine the best way to minimize and eliminate what ails you. Dr. Norris will determine if you are or are not an ideal candidate for surgery during the consultation process.

Breast Augmentation And Surgery

Our modern-day breast augmentation was first introduced in 1963 when the silicone gel-filled implants were designed, these have been modified and changed over the years, but the basics are the same as they were years ago. Before 1963 the process was done using polyvinyl or silicone sponge materials or the other procedure was by injecting liquid silicone into the actual tissue.

Currently breast augmentation is accomplished using a silicone bag which is filled with salt water behind the breast tissue. Women who have ptotic breasts or drooping breasts happen when the nipple is lower than the fold under the breast. These women will usually be required to have a second operation to lift their nipple. These two procedures can both be down in one operation.

Many women find that one breast is always larger than the other, if this is the case they can use different size implants to ensure the perfect symmetry.

There are two main groups of demographics who desire breast augmentation, these are firstly young adults in their 20’s who grew up with small breasts and have always desired breast implants just to be those few cup sizes bigger and secondly women who have had 2 or 3 kids and are noticing the decrease in breast size and want to get back to how they used to be.

The Procedure

Once the patient has been sedated a local anaesthetic and a drug to minimize the bleeding will be injected into the surgical area, after this the plastic surgeon will make an incision in the fold under the breast. Some surgeons will make incisions in the armpit or belly button too, but it just depends on the surgeon’s preference.

By separating the tissue from the muscles a space or pocket is made, some will also elevate the muscle from the side of the chest so that the implant can be completely covered by muscle. Once the bleeding has been controlled the implant is placed in the space that has been made and is filled with saline solution. The cut is then closed up and a dressing is put on and a soft bra.

Recovery Period

Generally it takes between 5 and 7 days for the patient to recover from the procedure before they are able to return to work etc. It is better if there is not much hard, strenuous work done for at least 2 weeks as it takes time for the muscle to relax, it can take up to 3 months for the breast to take its final desired shape.

Sam spoke to a plastic surgeon to find out her experiences with reast augmentation procedures and everything involved.

How To Select The Best Beauty Product For You

You can forget buying the latest clothes, getting your nails done or having a pedicure. The only thing worth focusing on is your skin; the rest can look after themselves! Your skin is one of the first things we notice as we start to age because of the fact it loosens, sags, dries out, oils up, gets wrinkles, develops age spots and changes colour in patches throughout our lifetime not to mention the trauma of our teens with hormones causing it to break out which can leave long term scars. It is so important to look after our skin, not just on our faces but all over our body because as we get older we retain less of the vital vitamins we need to ensure healthy skin and balance.

There are a million and one things on your local drug store shelves, in magazines, even in the beauty aisle at the supermarket so it's little wonder we get confused about what is the right product for our particular skin. If you have sensitive skin or it has problems such as acne which need more specialist products and treatment it is better to go for more high end products which are designed to combat individual problems and have a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals and oils.

Try a facial first and see how your skin reacts to the products, get the facialist to write down the names of the products and see if you can get any samples so you can keep up the routine at home and check the products don't dry out your skin or bring you out in spots after a period of time. Low end products can sometimes be very drying especially if they are to combat oily zones or acne because of the acid they contain whilst some of the moisturisers are not rich enough to penetrate below the surface skin layer so it can feel like you constantly have to apply moisturiser. This isn't true for all products of course; some low end products are actually incredibly effective such as nappy rash cream for drying out individual spots or basic baby oil which locks in moisture better than many moisturisers. High end products can also wreak havoc on sensitive skin due to the perfumes and can be a waste of money if your skin doesn't seem to have any noticeable changes to it as the adverts indicate.

Get samples where possible and check the internet for reviews before buying anything expensive and ask friends for recommendations. If you find a product that works for you make sure you take a look at the ingredients so you can keep an eye out for similar products and pass them onto your siblings or children who may have similar skin to you.

How to Wax Your Legs Without Pain?

It is important to take care of yourself and pay attention to your appearance as that reflects your personality. As a result, make sure that you wax your legs every month.

Waxing is a great way to ensure that you have smooth and soft skin. It is a great alternative to shaving and is also comparatively less time-consuming. Unlike shaving that needs to be done a couple times a week, waxing every 4 to 6 weeks will give you the same result, if not better. If you want to save money, you can opt for waxing at home. Purchase a waxing kit from a local store or from an online shopping portal to get started.

Waxing Without Pain

The following tips will ensure that you get the best result, without feeling as much pain:

Exfoliate the skin of your legs some days prior to waxing your legs. You will be able to remove dead skin and also get rid of ingrown hair.

It will be easier for you to wax your legs if you allow the hair to grow to atleast ¼ inch in length. The results would not be very effective if you wax your legs before the hair grows to this length. This indicates that you would not have to shave for a couple of weeks.

Waxing is a painful process. As a result, it is best that you invest in numbing sprays that reduce the pain to a great extent. They are easily available at beauty supply stores. You can also use ice to numb the area. Wait for a few minutes to allow the skin to become numb, before you start waxing your legs.

Take a few deep breaths while you are waxing to ease the pain.

How You Can Wax Your Skin

The following read will give you an idea about how you can wax your skin:

Clean your legs with the cleanser in the waxing kit. Let it dry and then apply talcum powder on the area that requires to be waxed.

If you have opted for hot wax, heat the wax according to the directions given on the package of the wax. Make sure that the wax is not too hot to prevent your skin from getting burnt.

Use the applicator that has been provided in the waxing kit to evenly apply the wax on your legs. Take care to apply it in the direction of hair growth.

Place the hair-removal strip on your leg in the direction of hair growth. Ensure that the strip sticks to the hair by rubbing your hand over the strip.

Hold one corner of the strip and pull it fast against the direction of hair growth.

Repeat the above process till the entire leg has been waxed.

Cleanse the skin and exfoliate it to remove the wax residue.

Apply the moisturizing lotion that has been provided with the waxing kit.

If you feel that the above process will be too time-consuming for you, you can opt for a waxing session at a salon. If you are a resident of Canada, there are many salons that offer waxing in Canada.

How to Do Your Makeup Like Snooki

Nicole Polizzi, more commonly know as Snooki lit up the screen on MTV’s Jersey Shore. Whether you loved her attitude, the funny things she said or her style, let’s just be honest. You loved her. Snooki always looked fabulous no matter what she wore and her makeup was always perfect as well. If you’ve been planning a night out for a while now and you want to look like Snooki, you may be wondering how you can replicate her makeup look. It’s actually really easy and you probably already have everything you will need. Let’s get started, shall we?
RF8Z99CBDFN5

What You Will Need

In order for you to be able to look like Snooki and replicate her makeup, you will need to have a few things on hand. The first thing that you will need is some good foundation. Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Foundation is a great choice that will give you even coverage and give you that airbrushed and poreless look. You will want to use some liquid illuminator, such as Clinique Uplighting to brighten up your cheeks and you will want to have some bronzer as well. You can use any brand of bronzer that you want. Be sure you have some black eye shadow, black eye liner, mascara, fake eye lashes and either light pink or nude lipstick. If you have all of these things, you are ready to start doing your makeup. 

Doing Your Makeup

The first thing you will want to do is to apply the foundation to your face evenly. You can do so either with a sponge or a foundation brush. Once you’re done with applying the foundation, take your liquid illuminator and blend it onto your cheeks with a focus on the apples. You want to brighten the apples up and give them some definition. Let the liquid illuminator set on your face and then apply your bronzer. It is important to be sure the illuminator is dry so it does not cake your bronzer. Next, take your black eye shadow and apply it heavily to your entire eyelid. Wing it out to create a cat eyed look. Apply some mascara to your eyelashes and then apply glue to the fake eyelashes. Wait till it gets tacky and then apply the lashes to your upper eyelids. If any glue seeped out, you can easily cover it with the eyeliner. Finally, put on some lipstick and you will be ready to rock it just like Snooki. 

Snooki’s makeup look is fairly easy to replicate and will be great if you are going for a night out on the town. This look doesn’t require much work and is something anyone can do. Give this look a try and see for yourself how you like it. You’ll be turning heads in the club! Good luck.

Faced with the Dreaded Hairy Upper Lip

As I have reached my early forties I have noticed I am beginning to get more stubborn hair. When I was younger I always used to shave my legs, but as time has gone on I have had to shave once a day to keep my legs smooth, and it’s always been a big pain. I have waxed a few times too but I hate having to leave my hair to grow beforehand so I always stuck to shaving If I wasn’t going on holiday. However, recently I began to find more facial hair and I hate it.

Aging is One Thing, Becoming Hairier than My Husband is Another

I like to look as good as possible, and while I embrace my fine lines and will allow myself to age the idea of having a hairy upper lip or cheeks seems horrific to me.  I have been bleaching my upper lip for about a decade but I hate putting chemicals on my skin, so I decided to look for an alternative.  Waxing my upper lip always resulted in a break out of spots for some reason so I turned to laser hair removal instead.

I was a little nervous about going to see a professional about removing my hairs, but the thought of not having to shave, wax or bleach was enough to make me go and talk to someone. It was actually fine and they were obviously not bothered about looking at my slight double chin or cellulite on the back of my legs.  They were very respectful, friendly and even empathised with me.  I know this is a common problem but I found it made me feel less feminine and a bit insecure. Silly really considering it happens to everyone eventually.

After My Lip I went for the Whole Hog

In the end I decided to have my legs, bikini, upper lip and armpits done, focusing on one at a time. I decided to do my lip first as this was more visually noticeable by everyone I saw. It felt a little strange when I was being lasers, but it was really fast.  When I had my legs done it lasted for about an hour and I went for two treatments to get the results I wanted.  It’s strange because the hairs don’t vanish, they fall out over a couple of weeks and you are told to keep shaving in that time. Once they fell out though they didn’t come back and am so glad I decided to have it done.  Gone are the days when I worried about having a harrier lip than my husband!

5 Ways to Become More Photogenic

Some of the most beautiful people in the world don't always look great in magazines because they aren't photogenic. Taking great pictures may not seem like that big of a deal, but that is going to determine how people remember you in the future. You obviously can't change the structure of your face or body to suit your photos, but you can tweak a few other elements to make yourself look better. Here are a few tips to help you out.

Find the Light

Fans of the show America's Next Top Model may have heard Tyra Banks tell the contestants to "find [their] light." This is an old trick that can completely transform the way you look in photos. If you use the light to your advantage, you can hide some of the negative features you may not like about yourself. If you ignore the light, you can actually emphasize areas that didn't look that bad to begin with. Play around with your facial positions until you get light to glimmer off your cheek bones, irises, and lips. You'll instantly look better after that.

Make It Natural

Rather than looking like you're forcing a smile, you need to make your photos look like they were taken in the moment. For instance, let's assume that you're just trying to take a picture with you smiling. Laugh during the photo session so the smile looks believable. Your muscles will react differently during live situations like this. It's your job to get those moments captured on film. 

Practice Your Angles

Turning your body, face, or feet in a certain direction can completely transform the way you look in a photo. Most people look larger when they face a camera than they do when they turn to the side. You don't have to completely move around, but you need to think about cocking yourself slightly to the side. You'll automatically look thin and lean this way.

Utilize the Eyes

Your eyes are the windows to your soul, and they also happen to be the doors to great photos. The key here is to "smize" (smile with your eyes). You basically have to squint while staring at the camera so that your eyes look like they are piercing straight through the viewer. Practice a bit on your own, and you'll soon see a difference in the emotions your photos evoke.

Clean Your Skin

Having clear skin is an important part of taking a good photo. Blemishes and dark marks always seem to stand out in photos, no matter how much makeup you wear to cover them. Wash your skin on a regular basis, and consider using a microdermabrasion treatment to get that ultra-clean feeling every few weeks. If you can consistently keep your skin soft and smooth, your pics will naturally look better. 

If you follow the tips above, you're sure to have consistently great photos. People will be offering you modeling contracts in no time!

How to Pick a Good Makeup Brush

Who knew applying makeup would turn into such an art? It reminds me of artists whose techniques depend on the brush, the medium, or the canvas. I guess our “medium” is the makeup and the canvas our face. In fact, much of the same shading and color knowledge used in art applies to creating special looks with makeup. Brushes provide opportunities for a soft, natural, or dramatic appearance…whatever your preference. Deciding which brush depends on a few important factors.

Natural Hair Types

Natural bristle brushes are wonderful for sculpting with dry products, which include powder, both compact and loose; blush, and eye shadow. Before going shopping for a natural brush know these brushes tend to soften with use and contain mostly virgin hair whose ends taper to stay soft on the skin. Whatever you do, stay away from poor quality natural hair brushes. They can become scratchy after a time and shed. And avoid the dyed brushes unless you just want to make your brush jar a color palette. Several types of hair are available in natural brushes.

Squirrel Hair

One type is squirrel hair. Prior to commissioning your hunter to bring back a squirrel from your yard, be aware the bristles actually do not come from these little darlings. However, they are the softest natural hair found in makeup brushes. They are more expensive, as quality products often are, but are a worthwhile investment because of their durability. When considering brushes for blending eye shadows, choose squirrel hair brushes.

Goat Hair

A second choice for natural bristles is goat hair. This brush is wonderful for powder… giving the smooth, finished, professional look. It also helps create a glow to your skin naturally as it deposits the powder evenly. Goat hair brushes are best for cheeks and contouring.

Sable Hair

But if you are looking for brushes that last a lifetime, choose sable hair. These may or may not be the most expensive of all, but are worth every penny. With wet or dry products, these brushes are therefore quite versatile. They are well-suited for shadowing. In fact, if my sable brush from college days had not sustained a permanent bend after a move, I would still be using it today! They are really easy to care for as well and have no hint of animal "fragrance".

Synthetic Brushes

If you just plainly do not wish to spend major funds on makeup brushes, synthetic ones made from nylon or a product called taklon are available. Synthetic brushes are good for cream or liquid items such as concealer or foundation. These brushes tend to soak up less liquid than do the natural ones and give a soft, natural, even appearance. However, they can become stiff and may not last as long as their natural counterparts. If you have sensitive skin, the usual preferences are good quality synthetic brushes. They are less expensive, for the most part, are soft against the skin, and any allergies are rare. But find ones that are dense enough to do a good job, and not too floppy.

Weigh the pros and cons of each brush type for your needs. After starting with these tips, you may agree that having a small assortment of excellent quality brushes of which you take excellent care, is the best choice for all your versatile looks. So, before throwing away that brand new blush because it did not give the look you anticipated, check to see if your brush is the culprit.

Kathryn Thompson is a fashion guru who enjoys letting her natural beauty shine forth.  She enjoys writing about anything related to fashion and beauty and recently wrote about her favorite makeup and cosmetic brushes.

Home Remedies to Erase Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

Whether you are staying up late at night, stressed, or simply have allergies chances are those dark circles under your eyes are becoming more noticeable. Maybe you did not even realize you have them but someone has been asking if you are getting enough sleep or how tired you look, this is why.  Do not waste a ton of money on creams or injections to get rid of them, there are other ways that are cheap to help you get rid of them. Each of these remedies will all be items/ingredients one can typically find in your kitchen.

Sleep
Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, a little more if you are able to do so. This may not reduce those dark circles but it will help you stay awake and alert longer. The healthier you are, means the healthier your skin will stay.

Tea Bags
You have just made yourself a cup of hot tea, instead of tossing those warm tea bags away put them on top of your eyelids for 20 minutes. Do this every day for 2 weeks for the best results. This will dramatically reduce the puffiness and dark circles. The best type of tea to use would be green or chamomile tea because they are rich with antioxidants and are healthier for you to drink.

Cucumbers
Grab a cucumber out of your fridge, maybe you were planning using them for cucumbers and ranch dip or a salad. Save enough that, you can cut two thin slices and place them over your eyes for 10-15 minutes. This will help rid the puffiness but also tighten the skin around your eye.
Avocado – Place a slice of avocado under each eye. The oil inside the avocado with the coolness will help reduce the coloring of your eye and the puffiness.

Potato
Placing a slice of potato under each eye will help because of the bleaching agents inside the potato; this will help lighten the dark circles.

Spoon
In case you do not have any of the above take a spoon out of your drawer and put it in the freezer for a while. Once it is frozen take it out and put it on the dark circles until the spoon heats back up.
Do not forget to wash the eye with cold water after using any of the above remedies.  Finally, by eating right and getting the proper exercise this can help your body and reduce those eye circles. Every person should drink 8-10 glasses of water per day to you are your body hydrated.  Sometimes the dark circles are due to the lack of nutrition in your body, which means it is time to figure out what you are missing and put it back in. Gel, creams, facial massages and make up work as well but why pay a ton out of pocket when you can do all the above and barely have to spend a dime?

Styling Hair Extensions: Products

Hair extensions are a fantastic way to add instant, natural looking volume and length. Whether this is with clip in hair extensions or pre bonded, micro loop and tape in extensions. As with your own natural hair, hair extensions can also be styled too. This article explains which products are recommended to be used when styling hair extensions.

Heat Protector

Providing your hair extensions are 100% human hair, then you will be able to use heat to style them. This can be hair dryers, hair straighteners, curling tongs and wands. However, the first styling product that is absolutely essential is a heat protector spray. Heat protector sprays should be used on your own hair too but is particularly beneficial to hair extensions to make them last longer and stay in a good condition.

Heat from blow dryers, hair straighteners and curling irons can weaken the hair making the ends become dry, damaged and split. A good heat protector spray will protect the hair from thermal environments and they are very simple to use – spritz onto wet hair before blow drying or onto dry hair when styling with straighteners or curling tools and comb through to ensure the product is spread throughout the hair. Then simply style as normal. The best part about heat protector sprays is that they are not only going to stop your hair from becoming damaged, but they also add shine, de-frizz and help to style your hair.

Serum

As hair extensions are no longer attached to the scalp, they also no longer receive the much needed nutrients and oils that your natural hair gets. This means that hair extensions often need a little help with some extra moisture. Hair extension serum that is specially designed for extensions will smooth any split ends and help to maintain moisture, not to mention reviving damaged hair in an instant. 1-2 pumps of hair serum is usually sufficient and can be applied by rubbing into the palm of your hand and applying throughout the extensions concentrating on the ends which tend to become dry.

Repeating this application regularly will also help to maintain the life of your hair extensions.

Gloss Spray

As with natural hair, there is nothing better than glossy, healthy locks and this is exactly what we want for our hair extensions too. A gloss spray can add instant shine and shimmer to extensions to give a luxurious look and feel to finish off any hair style.

Styling & Fixing Spray

Just like styling sprays for natural hair, a styling and fixing spray is a great ‘all rounder’ product to help make your styling process easier, adding volume and also texture as well as helping to keep a style in place. This will usually be used after drying hair prior to styling.

Antistatic Spray

Often people find that hair extensions can become quite static so this is one product that I would definitely recommend for extensions. It is a lightweight leave in spray conditioner that adds moisture to the extensions whilst providing nourishment and shine. It can also help to detangle the hair whilst reducing split ends and making the hair appear smoother for a sleek finish. In most cases, you will apply to towel dried hair and comb gently to remove any tangles before drying and styling.

The products recommend in this article will help style your hair extensions effectively. Some high street products that we use in our own hair however cannot be used on hair extensions as extensions need specific ingredients in the products to help maintain them. I would recommend I&K Hair Extension Care products from Hairtrade.com as they are specially designed for use on hair extensions and really help to increase the longevity of the hair.

Laura is a hair and beauty writer with extensive knowledge in Beauty, Makeup and hair care, specialising in hair extensions

New Plastic Surgery Techniques To Eliminate Signs of Aging

The most common thing that comes to mind when someone mentions plastic surgery is the look of over-processed appearances that make once-beautiful women into unrecognizable mannequins. With the current trends in plastic surgery we are moving away from the "mannequin face" and exposing truly natural-looking beauty.

More and more women are looking towards realistic ways to fight the aging process, and the industry has responded with new high-tech treatments to provide a pure form of beauty. Awareness, easy to access, and price has also increased the popularity of plastic surgery options with younger groups. Younger women are now using these options to slow down aging as opposed to reversing it.

Needles and chemical injections are no longer the only answer. Laser treatment is showing promising treatment due to its ability to simulate the skin to repair itself naturally making it more subtle and natural in appearance.

Not every doctor is trained to provide the variety of plastic surgery options available. Take the time to make an appointment with a plastic surgeon who is qualified in the procedure you wish to receive, not your general practitioner. Look for someone who has American Board of Plastic Surgery or American Society of Plastic Surgeons accreditations.

It is important to start your dialogue with the injector so that they fully understand in the results you are trying to achieve. Explain to them that you wish to achieve a natural look that still provides expression and movement. Less is more; you always have the ability to return for additional fillers.

It is difficult to take out what has already been injected. Additional signs to look for when you go for your initial consultation which will help you determine if this doctor is right for you: if everyone who is in the waiting room looks similar, politely cancel your appointment and find a doctor who will take the time to focus on what you need, not make you look like everyone else.

Fillers like botox, radiesse and juvederm are the number one anti aging injectables on the market. If you are noticing wrinkles on your forehead or around your eyes this solution will help eliminate those dreaded wrinkles. Make sure that the plastic surgeon you choose shows you before and after pictures so you know what you can expect. Never rush into something like this, and make sure to always do your homework. To healthy living!

Eye Problems Suffered In The Third World

Many eye charities exist to help with eye problems in the Third World that sadly are largely preventable and treatable but often result in the sufferer becoming irreparably blind due to lack of early care and attention when most needed.

Worst Areas For Eye Disease

A very debilitating disease that is common in the Middle East and Africa is trachoma, which is a highly contagious bacterial infection which attacks the eyelids, the cornea and the conjunctiva of the eye. Untreated it causes scarring, ultimately of the cornea which can result in a great or total loss of vision. It is most common in areas of poverty where there is no proper hygiene and clean water. For those who cannot work, they can face destitution and starvation.

Trachoma can be spread by flies or insects carrying secretions of the infection on their legs or bodies, or by direct or indirect contact with fluids from the eye, nose or throat of an infected individual via polluted water or shared towels.

Can Trachoma Be Prevented?
The disease can be halted by prompt treatment and by hygiene lessons to parents and children to prevent further spread of the disease. For example, learning not to share towels if there is an infected sufferer within the family or for a village to build a covered latrine which prevents flies breeding.

Cataracts In The Third World
In other developing countries, many of the older population have severely impaired sight due to untreated cataracts and may be virtually blind as a result. The cataracts may be due to a previous injury to the eye, to diabetes, be an age-related deterioration of the eye or due to exposure to bright sunlight constantly without protective eyewear. (Something field workers may suffer.)
In developed countries, cataracts are routinely operated upon but in rural areas of India and Africa, the elderly often are resigned to losing their sight and an operation on cataracts carried out by a charity can seem to be like an unexpected miracle.

A Parasitic Infection Of The Eye
The Filarial worm is an opportunistic parasite which is very common and said to be one of the most common causes of blindness in the world – known as river blindness. The parasite is a leech which latches on to the eyeball and is transferred by mosquitoes who bite an infected host and then another, passing on the infection. There is a drug to treat the condition but the best prevention is avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes.
Fortunately today, modern medicine and medical research have shown how to prevent such damaging eye diseases and how to treat them if contracted.

Charlotte blogs about eyes, vision and health for prescription glasses online provider DirectSight.

Vaseline: Awesome Beauty Uses for Petroleum Jelly

Sometimes brand names are so popular that they become synonymous with the product they represent. Adhesive bandages are simply known as Band-Aids. Antibacterial ointment is often referred to as Neosporin. Petroleum jelly is most commonly referred to as Vaseline.

In reality, vaseline isn’t the only company to produce petroleum jelly, but we’ll just use the name here to make things easier. (“Vaseline” rolls off the tongue so much better than “petroleum jelly.”) Whatever type of petroleum jelly you purchase, there are many different ways you can use it in your beauty regimen, and some of them might surprise you. Here are some great uses for it.

On Your Lips
Vaseline is actually one of the best things you can use as a lip gloss. For one thing, a tub of Vaseline can last an incredibly long time if you’re only applying it to your lips, so it’s significantly more cost effective than buying individual tubes of lip gloss. It actually works better, too. Vaseline will moisturize dry, chapped lips and keep the skin healthy. It also gives your lips a brilliant shine.

On Your Nails
If you like to do your own manicures or pedicures, Vaseline is a great product to have on-hand, because it can serve many different purposes. Massage Vaseline into your cuticles to soften them, which will improve their appearance and make it easier for you to trim them. While painting your nails, Vaseline on your cuticles will also make it very easy for you to remove any polish that gets on your skin. Finally, rubbing Vaseline on your nail polish during the week will give it a shiny luster that will make it look just like new again.
Bonus: Rub Vaseline around the the top of a nail polish bottle to make it much easier to open next time.

On Your Body
Vaseline actually makes a great skin moisturizer, especially for the rough areas of your skin, like your elbows and feet. Massage Vaseline into those spots to get soft, shiny skin. Every night before bed, put Vaseline on your feet, and cover them with socks. Your feet will quickly become noticeably better-feeling and better-looking. After shaving, use Vaseline as a soothing lotion. Also, place in on your pressure points before applying perfume to make your scent last much longer.

On Your Face
Use a very little bit of Vaseline on your eyelids before applying eye shadow, or on your cheeks before applying blush, to give your makeup some extra shine. Vaseline can also help you remove false eyelashes. When put you on your eyebrows, it can help you tame and groom them, as well as make it easier for your to pluck them. When applied to a Q-tip, Vaseline also helps remove makeup, especially stubborn waterproof makeup.

In the Shower
You can use Vaseline in the shower to make your own exfoliating body scrub. Just mix Vaseline with brown sugar or sea salt to your desired consistency, and rub all over your skin to remove dead cells. Your skin will be incredibly soft and smooth afterward.

Cayla Crenshaw is a beauty expert and freelance writer who loves to find alternative items that she can use as beauty products. She often writes and can be found blogging about anything from the newest beauty products to eco friendly beauty.

Best Ways To Keep Your Skin Healthy

It is of great relevance to maintain the health of your skin for obvious appearance-related reasons but also for your own well-being. Skin care products are often advertised on television and in many other places and there has pretty much always been a consistent demand for them, evidencing the recognition from people with regard to the importance of a healthy complexion. You may choose to take the opportunity on certain occasions to have a professional facial treatment at a spa but there are also a number of regular practices that can help your skin.

Maintaining calm
Everyone is aware that keeping life free from stress is a near impossibility but there are a number of times when it can be avoided or let go. Managing the level of stress you go through is one of the key factors in maintaining healthy skin, not to mention the effect on your health in an overall sense. Finding the time to shut off from all demands is not always an easy thing but if you can manage to do this at some point during each day then you will benefit yourself considerably. If you do spend time relaxing in the bath then try not to go overboard with how long you spend in there as this can decrease the level of necessary oils in your skin.

Adequate protection from the sun
This is admittedly more of an issue for those who are deemed to be fortunate in living in close proximity to areas that experience a lot of sunshine but protecting your skin from the sun's rays is vital. Among the typical guidelines for sun protection is wearing sun cream that has a high enough factor to protect your specific skin type. In addition to this, finding a place in the shade to sit in is recommended when the sun is at its most powerful in relation to where you are. Hats and other clothing that safeguard against the most harmful rays should also be worn.

Your diet
The food you eat is certainly significant in how your skin looks and feels. An intake of water is often associated with healthier skin and the required amount of hydration is one of the principle elements of the whole process. The first thing that most will think of when beneficial foods are mentioned is fruit and vegetables. Dieticians and nutritionists will advise you against eating excessive amounts of foods high in fat as this is of course detrimental to your overall health, and the same can apply to your skin too.

Ways To Keep Your Skin Healthy

As we age, we begin to understand the importance of taking care of our bodies. The same goes for our skin. To care for our skin means to enhance its healthy appearance.

Sun Isn’t As Healthy As You Think

The biggest thing you can do is protecting yourself from the sun. Think about it-yes your skin is at the mercy of everyday elements, but the most inevitable is the sun. Before you protest, saying you barely have enough time in your morning routine to do your make-up, most moisturizers and foundations carry a small percent of SPF so in one step, you’re done. If you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, remember to reapply. Do so at least every two hours and consider even more if you’re swimming or perspiring more than normal.

Nix Bad Habits

Smoking takes a large toll both inside your body and out. It causes wrinkles, making you look older than you actually are. Smoking affects blood vessels, restricting blood flow which affects the oxygen and nutrients your skin gets. This bad habit also damages collagen and elastin, leaving your skin feeling saggy and dull instead of firm and youthful.  

Improving your diet is another step you can adopt to help out your skin. A balanced diet of grains, proteins and vegetables are good for your body and help with the appearance of skin. Stress is another manageable factor to get a hold of. Stress can take a toll on the appearance of your skin and cause lack of sleep, which also affects how you look.

Be Kind

A large part of taking care of our skin begins in the bathroom. A step that we almost always fail to complete that leaves our skin in harm’s way is the lack of sunscreen we use. Applying sunscreen or a product with it should be one of the first things we do before walking out the door. When it comes to washing our face, we all have a preference to the temperature we like to use, but should we be using a certain one? It seems to make sense that hotter water will open up pores to get out more dirt and grime, but if it’s too hot, it will only strip skin of its natural oils. Next time, avoid turning the handle all the way and wash your face with warm or lukewarm water instead.

Take the same kind of gentle thinking and apply it to your cleanser. If you are someone that feels they need a strong cleanser to wash, especially if you have trouble with acne, think twice about the strength of the cleanser you are using. Stronger isn’t always better. A mild cleanser will still take care of bacteria and dirt and still leave the essentials that are healthy for your skin.

Steps to Take After Cleansing

What we do after cleansing is just as important as cleansing itself. Reaching for the towel, some of us can admit that we scrub as hard as we can until it’s dry. But all that scrubbing is abrasive to skin and can even rub it dry natural moisture. Think gentle and pat it dry.

Depending on your skin type, it may feel dry after cleansing. Many of us take that as a sign we did a good job cleaning our skin, but we are actually harming it by washing away moisture and nutrients that should stay on our skin. This brings us back to why we don’t always need as strong of a cleanser as we think. Regardless of how mild a cleanser is that we try to use, it’s up to us to restore any moisture our skin needs to be healthy. The best way to do that is to find a moisturizer that matches your skin needs and apply it after cleansing. And of course, it’s an added bonus if you apply one with an SPF.

There are many things that can wreak havoc on our skin that involve more than how we wash it. Take steps to better get control over your daily life and skin routine and you will see how much easier it is to maintain healthy skin, which will leave you feeling great about how you look. 

The article was written by the skin care experts at DorMauri.com.

Things To Look Out For In Case Of Modelling For Teenagers

As children, one of the dreams that they may have is to become a successful model. There could be any number of reasons behind this. But it is the glamour and the glitz that attracts teenagers towards modelling. If your teenager wants to become a model, it is a good career option. But it is important for them to understand that it is not an easy job and that there is a lot of hard work involved. They should understand that modelling for teenagers involves a lot of stress and they may also have to travel a lot to complete their assignments.

It is important to choose a good agency in the case of modelling for teenagers. The best thing to do would be to opt for an agency that has a lot of experience in dealing with teenage models. When you opt for such an agency, they would be able to make sure that the career of your child is managed properly. Initially, when your child’s career is starting, you may not have enough money to travel to various cities to do assignments. Therefore, it is always better that you get some local assignments before going to other cities.

Another thing stressful about modelling for teenagers is the interview process that happens for every modelling assignment. It is important that the child is prepared and ready to face the casting agent who would be deciding whether a particular teen would be suitable for the assignment or not. The child should prepare for it in a systematic way and the agency would help them in the process. They would give you training on what all you need to do when you go for an interview and all the documents to carry. Of course, the parent or guardian should also go along in case they are needed for signing the contract.

It is important for the teens to understand that it would not be all plain sailing and that there would be disappointments along the way. Therefore, they should have a strong personality or else they may not be able to face the pressure. There have been many instances where teens have gotten dejected whenever they got rejected by companies and when things seemed to be going very difficult. Only if he or she can take these failures in their stride would they become successful. Or else, they would not become a model.

Another thing to remember in the case of modelling for teenagers is not neglecting education. While your child may be having a successful modelling career, one should not forget that continuing education is also very important. A modelling career lasts only for a few years. Once you come out of it, you should still be able to find yourself a job to support yourself. Also, in case the teenager is not successful, he should not be in a position where he finds himself in the middle of nowhere. One needs to keep all this in mind in the modelling industry. To know more, please visit http://ukmodelsreviews.com/ .

Amy Jackson is a journalist who writes for several Fashion Magazines.

10 Tips For Improving Your Skin

Getting great skin isn't a mystery! Check out these 10 easy tips to improve your skin.

Check your Water - The water you use to clean your skin is almost as important as the water you drink. Hard water isn't conducive to lathering, which forces you to use more product, and can dry out your skin. Soft water lets product lather easily, so you need less product to get the same results. Check your area's water quality by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency.

Be Wary of Wrinkle Fighters - There are tons of anti-wrinkle creams on the market, but they are not all made alike. Check the ingredients; a good anti-wrinkle cream contains Retinol, hydroxyl acids, coenzyme Q10, copper peptides, kinetin and green, black or green tea extracts. Try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream for wrinkle fighting care.

Have a healthy diet - Certain vitamins, like A, C, B3 and E, have been found to benefit the skin. Avoiding fatty foods and an abundance of dairy products if you have acne can also improve your skin tone.

Use Protection - The sun is your skin's worst enemy. Fight it off by applying SPF sunscreen every time you are outdoors. Make sure your sunscreen has UVB and UVA protection, like DDF Enhancing Sun Protection in SPF 30, which works with any type of skin and improves tone at the same time.

Catch your ZZZs - Sleep is nature's way of resetting and healing, and if you're not getting enough rest, your body isn't able to repair your skin - and sleep deprivation can trigger an increase in adrenaline and cortisol. Make sure you have a relaxing bedtime routine, go to sleep and wake up the same time every day and get at least seven to eight hours every day.

Pamper your skin - If your skin looks flaky and uneven, it's time for some hardcore moisturizing care. Try the Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting mask, which sloughs off dry, flaky skin, brightens your tone and soothes at the same time.

Minimize pores - Age, genetics, skin type and sun damage can cause unsightly large pores, and excessively oily skin can magnify the problem. Look for a product with salicylic acid that can hide and refine large pores on your face, like the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner.

Brighten blah skin - Free radicals, sun and stress can leave your skin looking less than glowing. Rejuvenate your lackluster skin with a skin peel or mask with antioxidants and vitamins, like Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel.

Chill out! - Stress increases the body's production of cortisol, which can make skin oily, and lowers the body's ability to fight off acne-inducing bacteria. To combat stress's effect on your skin, practice deep breathing, yoga or medication.

Wash up every night - One nighttime step you should never miss? Washing your face using an effective but gentle cleanser before bed gets rid of makeup, dirt, oil and bacteria that can cause problems. Try Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme Cleanser for cleaning and collagen enhancement.

About the author: Thomas is an award winning freelance writer with many years of experience under his belt covering health issues. When he’s not busy writing he is usually reviewing dermatology experts in Chicago or sharpening his water polo skills.

5 Tips For Healthy Glowing Skin

When it comes to skincare, getting the basics right can really help you avoid the natural aging process and avoid skin problems later in life. Here are 5 easy tips to get you started:

1. Keep a close eye on what you eat
Research shows a strong link between a healthy diet and good skin. By eating the foods you are supposed to eat such as fruit, vegetables, proteins & good fats (such as the fats found in nuts & avocados) and avoiding the high salt and fats found in many microwave meals and takeaways this can really help promote good skin and a healthier lifestyle in general.

2. Quit Smoking
Smoking can lead to a tightening of the blood vessels which decreases blood flow, in turn reducing the amount of oxygen and nutrients that our skin needs to remain healthy. If you do smoke, quitting is a very key way to improve your skin condition and more importantly your overall health. There is an array of options available to help you quit smoking, so do your research and get the right thing for you. Nicotine patches can give you the hit of nicotine your body requires or there are any number of electronic cigarette retailers such as the vape store that supply cigarettes that emit only water vapour.

3. Get some R&R
We all feel the stresses of daily life, whether it’s the kids, the job or those bills continually dropping through the door. But, in amongst all of this, make sure you make time for yourself to relax and reflect, have a soak in the bath with some relaxing music, add some bath oils and help soak away the daily build-up of stress.

4. Sun Lotion & Sun beds
This really is one of the key ways of looking after your skin. Spending too long in the sun can lead to wrinkles in later life; it can also cause other skin conditions and age spots and can severely increase your risk of skin cancer. Most importantly, avoid the concentrated doses of UV that sunbeds bring.
Make sure you use a good amount of sunscreen with at least a factor 15 protection. It’s easy to forget to re-apply but make sure you keep on top of it by re-applying every 2-4 hours or more if you are in and out of the swimming pool.

5. Be good to your skin
The strains of daily life can take a toll on your skin so make sure that you take precautions to look after it. We all know what it feels like to get out of the shower or bath and feel like we have dry skin so make sure you add the moisture back using a good moisturiser like Nivea or Vaseline. Make sure when you shave you lubricate and protect your skin and avoid strong soaps.

This article was created by Paul Young, an accomplished freelance journalist with published healthcare articles on a number of high tier blogs & websites.

How Do Your Eyes Focus?

The eyes function kind of like a complex camera. They snap a picture of whatever is in the field of vision and send that image to the brain. Just like a camera, the lens regulates the focus. By definition, focus means the point rays of light converge. In human optic terms, focus defines the way light refracts to hit the retina. It is a combination of factors that allow you to focus on what you want to see. Understanding how the eye works is a valuable asset when considering whether LASIK surgery is right for you.

Eye Basics
The eye is a hollow globe composed of several critical elements. The part that makes you a brown-eyed girl or a blue-eyed boy is the iris. In the center of the iris is a black dot, or pupil, that opens up to the inner chamber in the globe. The white part is the sclera, and in front sits a clear, fragile skin known as the cornea.

Included in the globe is a gel-like substance, the vitreous body, that gives the ball its shape. The back wall is where you find all the sensitive building blocks that make up the retina. Directly behind the pupil rests a transparent, biconvex lens that is a major component in the light refraction necessary to focus your vision.

Light Refraction
Refraction is a vital term to understand when considering eye focus. Refraction is essentially the bending of rays. When light passes through a medium, like a lens for example, it changes direction. The shift alters the wavelength of the beam. It is the job of the lens to refract light to focus on the retina.

If the lens were a solid piece with no flexibility or mobility, your vision would be limited to a specific distance. The lens changes shape to allow you to shift your focus when looking at something. By altering shape, the lens adjusts to the focal distance.

Focal Distance
The lens of a camera moves back and forth to focus a picture. This is to accommodate the bending of the light rays. Technically, the closer a lens is to the object within the field of vision, the more powerfully it bends the light. When the lens moves farther away, it loses some optical power. The same principle applies to the lens in the eye. The closer you are to an object, the clearer it appears.

The eye lens does not have the space to move back and forth in the globe. Instead, it changes shape to adapt to the focal distance.

Focus
The methodology behind focusing is similar to the technique used to project a movie. A stream of light passes through the lens of the projector. The lens changes to focus that light on a screen to show an image. When you are in a movie theater, the light passes through film into the lens. The lens moves forward or backward to focus the beam onto a white screen. The image of the film transfers with the light onto the screen.

The human eye works the same way, just in reverse. Light passes through the cornea into the pupil. Once it enters the globe, it moves through the lens and an image projects onto the retina.

Changing the shape, or curvature, of the lens requires a powerful muscle – the ciliary muscle – plus a fibrous ring of tissue, the zonule of Zinn, which suspends the lens in place. It is a combined effort of both the ciliary muscle and the zonule fibers that shape the lens.

What Happens When You Focus?
When you are looking at something that sits close, the ciliary muscle contracts, the zonule fibers relax and the lens thickens. Accommodation for greater focal distances works in reverse. The ciliary muscle relaxes causing the zonule fibers to tense to pull the lens flat and thin it out.

Transparency
In order for light to pass through the lens, it must remain transparent. When the lens thickens, it must maintain proper index of refraction while still retaining clarity. This is done via crystallins, water-soluble proteins that are packed into the lens fibers. Crystallins are what keep the lens clear regardless of the density.

Cornea
The other component that is critical to focusing vision is the cornea. When light hits the cornea, it bends to enter the pupil and then bends further as it passes through the lens to focus the image onto the retina. The cornea must have perfect spherical shape in order to refract the light properly. If it is misshapen, light bends wrong and the image ends up fuzzy.

The eyes ability to properly refract light and focus an image onto the retina is the basis for vision. When something is off even slightly in the process, people wear corrective lenses or get LASIK surgery to fix the error.

20/20 Institute is the leader in vision correction in the Denver-Metro area. Call for a free consultation if you want to know if you qualify for the best Denver LASIK.

Beauty Tips while Travelling

When you're travelling, there are often more pressing things on your mind, such as: how much money is the bus? Do I have money? Where does the bus go? Is that man going to mug me?

Unfortunately, there are always things to worry about when you're travelling abroad, so you'll always be occupied with them. Don't worry, though, because we have made a guide for you to look great while you stress overseas, with these easy beauty tips that will guarantee that you look great every day, even when you're backpacking and sleeping in tents most of your trip.

Pack light

Keeping your skin hydrated is something that will be of the highest priority, especially when you're travelling in the air. Use a light cream rather than a heavy moisturiser, as the latter will make you look oily. A light cream is one that applies and dries quickly – but if you're even more of a rush, just use a bit of concealer and lotion and apply to your face.

Hide any smudges quickly

Made a bit of a mistake rushing from Wallert to the airport? Don't fret, you don't have to go back to your Eucalypt home and wash it all out and start from scratch. Instead, what you could you is use a creamy concealer to break down the existing makeup, which will then blend out.

Hide your bags

That couple in the hostel keeping you up all night? Hide those unsightly eye bags easily by applying an apricot coloured concealer to the offending locations on your face to neutralise the colour. If it's puffiness that is the problem, however, then you may have to work a little more: simply applying concealer will make the light reflect off of it, emphasising its puffiness. Instead, you should work and apply mascara to your top eyelashes to take away from this.

Shine

Exhaustion taking away from your normally healthily radiant complexion? No worries. If you're feeling tired or queasy, all you have to do is apply a simple shimmer powder to your nose, cheeks, and lips so that you can look completely alive. Alternatively, if you have problems with dry skin, try instead a blend of lip balm and a cream gloss to keep yourself looking even more fabulous.

Moisturise your lips

Always keep your lips moisturised. You'll often encounter dry and cracked lips, which are unsightly and feel terrible, when you're travelling. The best way to remedy this? Not surprisingly, it involves bringing lip treatment. Try something medicated so that your lipstick doesn't smudge.

Sarah Paige wants to work part time at the community of Wallert.

Four Important Vitamins and Minerals that Fight Aging

As your body ages, good nutrition becomes even more important for living a healthy, long, and pain-free life. Certain vitamins and minerals in particular are especially important for older people. Here are four that will help aging and info on how you can get them in your diet.

Calcium
Calcium is the most important mineral for bone health; it helps maintain bone density and prevent brittle bones. As people age, especially women, their bodies lose bone density, and they’re prone to osteoporosis, broken bones, and other issues. The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000mg for women ages 19-50, and 1,200mg for women ages 50 and up.
Where to Get It
You can get calcium from dairy products. Fat-free yogurt and milk are especially good sources of calcium. Salmon, calcium-fortified orange juice and cereals, cheese, and tofu are other potential sources of calcium. One serving of milk has about 300mg of calcium. You can also take a 500mg supplement of calcium citrate, or a 600mg supplement of calcium carbonate daily.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are incredibly important for brain health. The fatty acids help maintain the structure of your brain, and not enough can lead to memory loss and decreased brain function. Omega-6 fatty acids aren’t good for our bodies, and they’re found in notoriously fatty foods, like processed foods. We often get too much of omega-6, and not enough omega-3, which is essential for counteracting the effects of bad fats.
Where to Get Them
You can get omega-3 fatty acids from foods like walnuts, ground flaxseed, salmon, herring, sardines, or halibut. For fish, wild-caught is better. You can also consider taking a supplement of 2,000mg of fish oil every day, and a 1,000mg supplement of combination DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosaentaenoic acid).
Potassium
Potassium is essential for fighting high blood pressure. Too much salt in your diet can raise your blood pressure and lead to damaged blood vessels. Potassium helps to stop too much salt from wreaking havoc in your body. When your kidneys try to remove salt from your system, you also lose potassium, making more potassium even more important on a high-salt diet.
Where to Get It
Potassium comes from bananas and many other fruits and vegetables. Eat about seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and you should get enough potassium. At the same time, however, you must consume no more than 1,500mg of salt every day. There are potassium supplements, but they are not generally recommended because they can lead to heart arrhythmia or other issues.
Manganese
Manganese can help your body maintain joint cartilage, and a lack of it can lead to joint deterioration and pain. By increasing manganese in your diet, your body can repair damaged joints and prevent more damage.
Where to Get It
Manganese can come from foods like nuts, spinach, and beef. It’s unlikely that your diet will include enough manganese to really help your joints, however, so take a supplement of 5mg of manganese every day.

Jennifer Hawkins is a professional chef and health fanatic who specializes in recipes with nuts. She loves to write and blog about diet and nutrition and how it can help you live a longer, healthier life.

How Your Face Ages Over Time

It's a fact of life that everyone gets older. As we age, our body changes, and many of the changes we see take place in our faces. Everyone knows that the way they look changes over time; wrinkles form, facial features change and alter; but not everyone knows why and how this happens.

Three Zones
Looking at the human face, we can divide it into three separate areas or "zones." These zones are useful classifications when discussing the way the human face changes through the years. When discussing aging, these three areas are referred, so it is important to know exactly what portions of the face they encompass.

The upper face includes the area around your forehead, eyebrows and eyes. The mid-face includes the area under the eyes, the nose and the cheek regions of the face. The lower face includes everything below the nose such as the lips, chin and jawline.

Four Layers
Just as the face is divided into three regions, it is also made up of four basic layers. As a person ages, these layers change, giving the characteristic features of an aging human face. These four features, from deepest to most superficial are bone, muscle, the subcutaneous layer and skin.

Different decades see different changes take place in these layers and these combined changes are what case the various facial changes over time such as wrinkles and loss of face volume.

Bone
Although bones are generally thought of as unchanging once we reach adulthood, nothing could be father from the truth. As we age, our bones continue to change and alter, shifting subtly and taking on slightly different shapes.

Because bone is the foundation on which the shape of the other three layers are built, changes in bone structure, volume and shape can cause changes in the other layers. For example, your cheekbones may become less prominent as you age, causing a change in the shape and volume of your cheeks and affecting the three layers above.

Muscle
As we grow older, the strength and firmness of our muscles weakens. As a result, the muscles don't tend to spring back into shape as easily as they did when we were younger. 

As the face is the most expressive portion of our bodies, we are always using the muscles when making facial expressions. As these muscles become weaker over time, they don't snap back into their original shapes as they did earlier in life. Combined with the loss of elasticity in the skin, this causes the creases in the skin caused by repeated facial expressions to become permanent, creating wrinkles.

Subcutaneous Layer
The subcutaneous layer is the layer that lies just beneath the skin. It is also known as the fatty layer or the volume layer. This layer contains collagen, fat and a substance called hyaluronic acid.

While you might be familiar with collagen and fat, most people aren't as familiar with what hyaluronic acid is and what its function is. Essentially, this is an acid that is used in repairing skin tissue. When you become sunburned, the UV rays slow the body's production of this acid. As a result, the degradation of the skin increases significantly, thus causing the skin to peel. This is one reason why the use of sunscreen is important to reduce the effects of the sun's rays.

As we age, the volume of collagen, fat and hyaluronic acid decreases. This loss of volume can cause not only changes in how the face looks, often causing it to seem to droop, but the skin no longer snaps back as well as it once did.

Skin
The skin, or epidermis, is the most visible part of the aging process. The skin is closely tied to the subcutaneous level, and the point at which one ends and the other begins can be quite difficult to discern. 

As time drags on, the skin loses its own elasticity, the replacement of the outer layer of skin slows and the function of the sebaceous glands becomes lessened. The skin itself no longer snaps back, and wrinkles form over time.

It's a Combination! 
Like so many things in life, the effects of aging are not caused by one single thing but rather a combination. As bone changes, muscle loses strength, the subcutaneous level loses volume and the skin just no longer bounces back, the effects of aging, such as wrinkles and sagging skin, begin showing.

Bella Labella founded Bella Labs in 2009 to become a leading edge skin care supplement manufacturer. To learn more, follow Bella Labs on Twitter.

Bad Habits That Harm Your Looks

Sleeping On Face Side:
When you sleep on your face side, or on your abdomen, the skin on your face encounter will get pushed into the pillow as well as experiences a lot of contortions. Over a period of time this particular pressure can cause lines and creases. Furthermore, utilizing a moisturizer just ahead of punching the sack assists. “Men are usually robust, guys don’t use virtually not any moisturizer,” you might say. But when you don’t want to get wrinkled, difficult skin color sooner, begin to use an excellent moisturizer today. 

Get Away From soaps:
Soap are usually your enemy, except few. Many cleansers produce your skin highly dried up and also susceptible to wrinkles and also ageing. Even though you utilize the face cream submit utilizing cleaning detergent, it's still not good as it completely fatigues your skin of most dampness. Switch to an excellent confront rinse and a entire physique rinse. 

Give up smoking:
It'll be excellent if you can entirely stop, but if an individual can’t, start reducing, besides causing most cancers and also impotency, cigarette smoking cigarettes may also result in wrinkles to form close to your mouth. In order to keep seeking young and also wrinkle-free, kick the butt.

Clean-up Nice hair:
Dry skin doesn’t simply cause a good itches crown. Each time a skip out drops on your own face, this brings about an contamination. Increase slimy pores and epidermis towards the formula, and you are in some genuine difficulty. You use the exact identical fingertips so that you can scuff your own head and touch that person with similar hand. We don’t even realize it because it many occurs quickly. More disease, extra skin difficulties. So work with a excellent dermatitis hair wash, an organic one as well as keep the hair itching free. This will make your hair grow faster.

Stay Away From Sun rays:
sun rays don’t only affect female skin; they will impact man pores and epidermis also. The more exposed you might be, the greater you’re at risk of getting in touch with skin cancer, and other side effects. Hence, use sun screen lotion product prior to 30 minutes regarding walking out there. It'll protect the skin and also keep facial lines from increasing.