Hair grows from cells known as follicles. On average, each strand grows about half an inch per day for two to three years; then growth stops as the follicle rests for two to three months. The hair is shed just before the follicle begins the next growth cycle.

Pattern Baldness is Most Common

Many factors can alter the hair growth cycle. The most common is age. In what is known as pattern baldness, most people eventually experience shrinkage of hair follicles. The result is a shorter growth cycle and hair that is thinner, less robust, and less firmly anchored, so that it falls out more easily.

For men, pattern baldness usually begins at the top of the head or above the forehead. It may stop there, or it may eventually affect the entire head. How far it spreads and how quickly differs for each individual. For women, pattern baldness is more evenly distributed over the head. As with men, there is no reliable prediction of how complete or how rapid hair loss will be.

Other Hair Loss Causes

Other irreversible causes of hair loss include inflammation or scarring that stops follicle activity, certain medications or medical treatments, and hormonal changes.

Some causes of hair loss may be controllable, including illness; physical or emotional stress; stress to the hair itself, caused by too much styling or a style that strains the hair; and poor nutrition.

If your hair loss is due to pattern baldness or other known causes, consult an experienced hair replacement surgeon. Together, you can discuss the latest techniques available to restore some or all of your lost hair.

In experiments at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, researchers attempting to heal damaged skin cells by transplanting embryonic stem cells discovered that the process caused hair follicles to develop and to produce hair.

Human Application Years Away

Researchers have cautioned that it may be as long as ten years before their findings might be applied to regenerating human hair.

A technique that may produce results sooner is hair cloning for transplanting. The current procedure is to remove hair follicles from a part of the scalp where they are healthy and implant them in areas where follicles are no longer productive. With cloning, only a few donor follicles would be harvested, then cloned to produce the number of follicles needed.

As recently as two years ago, estimates were that the use of cloning as a hair replacement method might be nearly as far in the future as stem cells. With rapid advances in the cloning field, some researchers now think there may be significant progress in just over two years.

Today's Techniques Produce Natural Results

Even without the promise of stem cells and cloning, hair restoration has made major advances in just a few years, especially in the area of microsurgery. Originally, doctors relocated patches of skin containing several healthy hair follicles. The results were far from natural-looking. Today, single follicles can be transplanted and can be spaced to simulate the natural variation in hair density, which increases from the hairline inward.

If hair loss is adversely affecting your life, you owe it to yourself to schedule a consultation with an experienced hair replacement surgeon. While research may eventually lead to new methods of hair restoration, today's techniques are already offering great results. Why wait?

The advantage of SBK is that it requires less tissue disruption than traditional LASIK, reducing the likelihood of dry eye, the most common side-effect of LASIK.

The difference is the use of the femtosecond laser to cut the corneal flap that exposes the inner layers of the cornea for laser shaping. The result is a flap only about 110 microns thick, just enough to include Bowman's membrane, a thin non-cellular layer of the cornea immediately below the outer epithelium Other cutting techniques usually result in a flap 120 to 160 microns thick, thus including some of the inner tissue.

The likelihood of developing dry eye after surgery is partially dependent on the thickness of the inner corneal tissue available for laser reshaping. The thinner flap achieved with SBK leaves more tissue, enhancing the potential for a better result and a significantly reduced chance of dry eye.

Although it is showing impressive results, SBK may not be appropriate for every patient. You should consult an experienced refractive vision correction surgeon to learn if it's right for you.

Although obesity is an easily recognized medical condition, it is very difficult to treat. A child is considered obese when their weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for their height and body type. Obesity typically begins around 5 and 6 years old and continues during adolescence and into adulthood unless treated.

As parents learn more about the direct and indirect effects of obesity on teens, and as they also become increasingly frustrated in their attempts to control their children's weight, they seek professional treatment for weight loss. The two main treatments for obese teens seeking extreme weight loss are weight loss camps or bariatric surgery ("stomach stapling").

Weight Loss Camps for Teens

The medical community generally prefers to send a teen to a camp to try and change behavior over an extended period of time since the epidemic of obesity is behavioral. These camps typically run for four to eight weeks and are effective by changing diet, portion sizes, and increasing physical activity. Summer weight loss camps have proven effective in creating long-term behavioral changes in teens and resulting in extreme weight loss.

Bariatric Surgery

If weight loss camps aren't effective, bariatric surgery is considered an option for teens that have health problems related to their weight. Weight loss surgery procedures such as LAP-BAND® and gastric bypass surgery can often result in dramatic weight loss if an appropriate after care regimen is pursued.

The most common type of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass, where a small portion of the stomach is sectioned off, bypassing the first part of the small intestine. Another option is gastric banding where a band-like device is put around the stomach to divide it into two smaller compartments.

Seek Professional Guidance

If you are an obese teen, consult your primary care physician to discuss the best possible weight loss solutions for you.

Further feeding the fire is that Paris denies ever having plastic surgery of any kind. In fact, Hilton has spoken extensively against the use of plastic surgery and has stated several times that she has not had anything done, and does not intent to have anything done in the future.

Rhinoplasty Rumors

There are plenty of pictures of Hilton online and in magazines since she is one of the most photographed women in the world. In comparing many of her pictures, several experts conclude that she has had at least one, and maybe two, nose jobs. It's estimated that the first nose job was done in 2001 to build up the nose's bridge, while the second rhinoplasty was to slim down the tip of the nose.

Plumped Up Pout

Additionally, recent photos of Hilton suggest that she has undergone some type of lip augmentation procedure. Specifically, doctors believe that the photos point to a probable hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane augmentation on both lips.

Despite all the rumors, Hilton's representative stress that the celebutante has never had any type of surgery.

Preventing Neck Wrinkles

Preventing skin wrinkles is easy and takes just a few minutes each day. Here are some wrinkle prevention tips that you can incorporate into your skin care routine.

1. Wear sunscreen. Use an SPF of 15 or greater everyday, even when it is cloudy. Be sure to use a generous amount on te face, neck, chest, and any other exposed areas.

2. Moisturize your skin regularly. Using a good moisturizer like coconut oil will penetrate the deep layers of your skin and keep your underlying connective tissues supple and strong. Not only will this help prevent wrinkles, but it can treat them as well. When the skin is well moisturized it reduces the appearance of existing fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Don't dry the skin. Avoid things that dry the skin like fragrance-heavy soaps and shampoos, alcohol-based toners, astringents, and aftershave.

Treating Neck Wrinkles

Here are three tips you can follow to treat neck wrinkles:

1. The first thing you need to do is hydrate your skin from within. Consume between 48 and 64 fluid ounces of water each day.

2. Take a daily multivitamin. You can also apply vitamin A, C, and E to your neck to fight the free radicals that cause wrinkles. These vitamins also rehydrate the skin.

3. Use an anti-aging cream that contains Retin-A or apply rose hip oil to your neck. Retin-A and rose hip oil are both a source of tretinoin. This promotes new skin production, which in turn makes your skin look fuller, healthier, and less wrinkled.

Myth: Washing your hair too often can contribute to hair loss

Truth: There is no reason to walk around with a head of dirty hair. While it is true that if you are excessively scrubbing your head while lathering up with shampoo you can pull hair out or end up with a condition called traction alopecia. However, simply washing your hair does not result in hair loss and in fact can help keep hair healthy and in place.

Myth: Use of styling products can make your hair fall out

Truth: Perming, coloring, and using styling products does not result in hair loss when done properly. Of course, it's not healthy to change the color of your hair every week, but when used properly, these styling products will not contribute to your hair loss.

Myth: Male pattern baldness is inherited from your mother

Truth: You can stop placing all of the blame on mom for that bald spot you are starting to notice. While it is true that genetics can play a part in hair loss, the genes that cause it to occur can come from either of your parents.

Myth: Frequently wearing a hat increases the risk of hair loss

Truth: It is understandable why this myth persists, even though it is completely false. Wearing a hat for prolonged periods of time when it is very hot and humid out can cause your hair to become unhealthy and result in some of your hair falling out. That, however, is not the same thing as "hair loss." As most people have noticed, once you stop wearing the hat your hair will begin to grow in healthy again because it is getting the oxygen that it needs. With true hair loss, the hair will never grow back even if you quit covering your head.

Myth: You can prevent hair loss by making sure you get plenty of blood flow to your head, like standing on your head

Truth: It is true that good blood flow does keep your hair healthy, but it will not prevent hair loss from occurring.

Though these well-known ladies have graced our television screens for many years, they still remain as beautiful as when they made their debuts in the public eye. Perhaps there is something to these anti-aging skin care products that recommend, because they certainly seem to work wonders for the following women.

Ellen Degeneres

Comedian and talk-show host Ellen Degeneres recently signed on to endorse Cover Girl's Simply Ageless line. This line of products includes foundation and blush that helps to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and give the face a youthful appearance.

Joan Lunden

Popular television personality and former co-host of Good Morning America, Joan Lunden endorses Murad's Resurgence anti-aging skin care line. This extensive line of skin care products helps to treat hormonally aging-skin, and Lunden actively endorses how well this product line works for older women.

Andie MacDowell

For many years Andie MacDowell has been a spokesperson for L'Oreal. In recent years, MacDowell has endorsed the RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizers that are a popular product in the L'Oreal line. If MacDowell, who actively speaks out against plastic surgery, is any indication of how well these products work, they are likely worth the price given the beauty and youthfulness that shines from her gorgeous face.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is another popular celebrity that endorses anti-aging skin care products from L'Oreal. This world-renowned actress is a spokesperson for the Age Perfect Pro-Calcium line produced by L'Oreal. The line includes products that provide necessary nutrients to aging, delicate skin to keep it healthy and radiant.

Natascha McElhone

Natascha McElhone, actress and star of the television show Californication is a spokesperson for Neutrogena. Natascha is one of the newest faces for the Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration line, and anti-aging skin care regimen produced by the company.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Almost better known as Carrie Bradshaw from televisions Sex in the City show, Sarah Jessica Parker has been a long-time spokesperson for the Garnier Nutrisse product line. Parker endorses two of the Garnier anti-aging skin care lines including the Ultra-Lift and Ultra-Lift Pro products, both of which provide anti-wrinkle action to help keep skin looking young.

Why Keeping Hydrated is Important

What's all the hubbub about water during exercise? We need to keep hydrated to maintain proper body functioning. Proper hydration allows us to have the ability to regulate body temperature through perspiration, helps to lubricate joints and tissues, and allows our bodies to transport nutrients and eliminate waste products. Dehydrating yourself can lead to a greater load of work on your heart, muscle cramping, dizziness, and fatigue. Your body can even go through heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Should I Keep Hydrated With Water or Sports Drinks?

When looking at hydration during exercise it is important to consider the duration of your activity. If you are exerting yourself for a long period of time, say for a half-marathon or Ironman/woman competition, you may need something more than just water. This is because when you work your body that intensely for that long, you are going to use more of your body's sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes. For intense activities over an hour, you may still want to use a sports drink too since you'll need some calories to continue activity.

Let's be realistic. Not everyone exercises that intensely for that long. For most of us plain old water will do. This is, of course, assuming that we replenish our lost electrolytes through proper diet and nutrition following exercise.

About Electrolytes and Hydration

So why are electrolytes so important? Electrolytes are substances that work as electrically conductive mediums. Muscles contract and expand to do work by use of electric impulses passing through our muscles. When we have the proper level of electrolytes in our bodies, our muscles are able to contract and expand properly. A balanced diet will replenish missing electrolytes on its own while our bodies will simply excrete any excess as waste.

So sure, sports drinks have their place in a workout routine, but they don't have to be a part of everyone's regimen. During shorter, less extreme workouts you can remain hydrated and lubricated by clean water alone.

For some people with cerebral palsy this problem is minor. For others it is very severe, making it difficult for them to sit still. Fortunately, sedation dentistry allows for the completion of dental work for cerebral palsy patients.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is when a dentist uses some technique to relax a patient so they can have dental work done. The dentists that perform sedation dentistry procedures are usually experts in the field and have experience working with disabled patients. Sedation dentistry is also used for able bodied patients who have a dental phobia.

Sedation Dentistry Types

There are different types of sedation dentistry techniques used when dental work for cerebral palsy patients is required. Dentists can use general anesthesia, a normal sedative, or a deep sedative. Anxiety drugs are often used to relax a patient, but these may not be the best choice for controlling the involuntary movements of those with cerebral palsy.

Most likely, a dentist would choose a deep sedative that would reduce consciousness and reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled movements. The dentist may also use general anesthesia to put the patient to sleep while performing the necessarydental work.

Procedures Done with Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry is not typically used for short procedures. It is more commonly used for dental work that requires an extensive amount of time. Check-ups and cleanings may be done without sedation, unless involuntary movements are so severe that some type of sedation is needed.

Consult a Cerebral Palsy Attorney

To find out if sedation dentistry will be of benefit to you or your child, you should speak with a dentist near you who provides this service. If the cerebral palsy was the result of medical negligence, it is of the utmost importance that you speak with a cerebral palsy attorney for a legal consultation. You or your child could be eligible to receive financial compensation to help pay for treatment for this lifelong condition.

Consult Your Physician Before Taking Any Supplements

First off, if you are planning on supplementing your exercise regimen with supplements, you should consult your physician, nutritionist, or trainer before beginning. There are a few supplements that do not interact well with pre-existing medical conditions that you may have. You should always take the dosage recommended to you by your healthcare professional and not exceed maximum dosages as listed on the packaging.

And please note that in this article we are simply discussing the more popular athletic products and seeing what they do. We are not advising anyone in the use of these supplements.

About Protein Supplements

The simplest and easiest supplement to discuss is protein. You'll see it in powder, liquid, and bar form as you walk through nutrition aisles and sporting goods stores. Simply put, protein is the building blocks for muscle tissue, and the rest of our bodies for that matter. When we exercise we are putting stress on muscles, doing damage, and rebuilding tissue during recovery. Protein is broken down into amino acids that rebuild muscle.

Where the Protein Comes From

Aside from the protein bars, you'll usually see protein in powder form. These have been acquired from two different sources; whey or soy. Soy protein comes from soy beans. Soy beans are what we get in restaurants and stores when we buy edamame, soy milk, tofu, and even miso. Whole soy protein is the most cardiologically endorsed protein out there since it is low in fat and has been linked to a healthy heart. Whey protein comes as a byproduct of the cheese making process. Whey is the most popularly used protein supplement due to its high absorption rate and high levels of essential amino acids.

Can You Take Too Much Protein?

Of course the question now arises: can you consume too much protein? Of course you can. You can have too much protein the same way that you can have too much water, prunes, or Jonas Brothers albums. What all these have in common is that the excess is turned into waste and then excreted by your body. In the case of protein, this can overwork your kidneys and liver. While a short period of this extra work for your organs isn't detrimental, a prolonged period of your kidneys and liver in overdrive is not healthy.

Protein supplementation is probably the least debated nutritional practices of athletes. This is not to say that more protein in your diet alone will lead to bigger muscle growth. Adequate amounts of protein along with a healthy diet and exercise will produce results.

Cancer Treatment and Its Effect on Women's Fertility

If a woman must undergo cancer treatment before the age of 30, she will have a much better chance of having healthy fertility to be able to conceive. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment that is used to treat cancer will generally damage eggs and can cause infertility to occur. There are some drugs that are used in chemo that are less likely to contribute to infertility, so if your fertility is a concern, you may want to discuss using one of these medications with your doctor, rather than a medication that is more likely to effect fertility.

It is typically not advisable for a woman to attempt to become pregnant for at least six months to a year after they receive their chemotherapy treatment. Since chemo can damage healthy ova, there is a risk that a pregnancy conceived with damaged eggs will result in a miscarriage or a fetus with a genetic defect. For this reason, many doctors recommend a waiting period after cancer treatment, and perform tests on ova to determine if they are healthy and suitable for conception.

Cancer Treatment and Its Effect on Men's Fertility

In cases where young boys have to undergo cancer treatment, chemotherapy can have a profoundly negative effect on their future fertility. Chemotherapy can effect the stem cells in the testicles that produce sperm. If this occurs, than the chance of the boy producing mature sperm cells as a man decreases. In cases where the boy receives both chemotherapy and radiation treatment, higher levels of damage will be done, which may cause a more severe level of infertility.

In men that have already went through puberty, the risk that cancer treatment can pose on their fertility will vary depending on which type of medication is used during the chemo. Chemotherapy can cause sperm production to drastically decrease or even halt completely. If the chemotherapy is completed and the cancer goes into remission in men that are otherwise healthy, normal sperm production will generally resume within four years of treatment.

How Does the Carboxytherapy Work?

The treatment lifts tissue and rebuilds collagen by increasing oxygen locally. As a reaction to the temporary local increase in carbon dioxide, the body increases circulation and shunts oxygen into the area. This causes collagen to rebuild from the inside out and underlying fat to shrink.

What Areas of the Face Can Carboxytherapy Treat?

In the eye area, carboxytherapy diminishes the appearance of protruding fat pads and crepiness on the lower lids.

On the lip and mouth area, the treatment is ideally suited to vertical lip lines, or smokers' lines, which are difficult to treat with BOTOX® injections or dermal fillers. Carboxytherapy rebuilds the area safely over a period of a few weeks, with no downtime or that slight stretching sensation.

Carboxytherapy also rebuilds the thinned tissue over the lateral upper lip, as well as the marionette area of the lower mouth.

When injected into the fat, carboxytherapy also shrinks the prominent fat pads that increase the depth of the fold between the mouth and nose (nasolablial fold), jowls, and fat in the upper neck.

By injecting carbon dioxide below the skin, fat is reduced on the face and neck as it is on cellulite on the lower body. Jowls, lower cheek fat, and double chin fat can all be gradually reduced over a series of weekly sessions. Patients only experience temporary slight discomfort and no aftercare necessary.

Is Carboxytherapy Safe?

The carboxytherapy facelift is a safe, cost-effective treatment that offers an alternative to more costly treatments such as surgery or ablative carbon dioxide laser treatments. Patients remain awake for the treatment, which only takes a few minutes and has no risk of scarring, scabbing, protracted redness, or infection as laser resurfacing and other treatments do. Rather than treating wrinkles from the outside, carboxytherapy treats the wrinkles and signs of aging from the inside of the skin with the body's oxygen supply and renewed local circulation.

Morris Westfried, MD, has more than 25 years of experience in the aesthetic dermatology field and offers laser tattoo removal, acne treatment, and other skin care treatments from his Brooklyn, New York office.

The Seven Day Diet

For many teens, the Seven Day Diet sounds like a dream come true. Eat all you want of each day's chosen food group and you can shed your unwanted pounds. However, the Seven Day Diet is a nutritional disaster. It limits dieting teens to one or two foods each day. Although a teen may look or act similar to an adult, their bodies are still growing and any diet that is not nutritionally balanced is no good for them.

The Lemonade Diet

The Lemonade Diet, or the Master Cleanse, is not a sound diet for anyone let alone a dieting teen. It is severely restrictive and it can be dangerous. Furthermore, the Lemonade Diet does cause the intestines to empty, which can lead to dehydration or intestinal distress.

The diet restricts teens to an extremely low amount of calories. Teens are active and need calories to function at an optimal pace. Plus, like the Seven Day Diet, the Lemonade Diet is not nutritionally sound. Teens on this diet may lose a few pounds, but they will likely feel very sick and fatigued while doing it.

Starvation Diet

There are many different names used to label this diet, including the Russian Gymnast Diet, the 2468 Diet, Kimkins Diet, and many more. These diets restrict the calorie count of the participants in an either obvious or deceptive way. This severe calorie restriction cause a drastic drop in weight at first, but it doesn't maintain in most cases. The diet is not recommended because it is too low in calories and it is not nutritionally sound.

Tips for Spotting a Fad Diet

The best way to avoid fad diets is to know what to look for. Here are some sure ways to figure out of a diet is a fad diet:

• The diet promotes quick results
• The diet limits you to one food
• The diet uses one food as its primary component
• The diet eliminates a food group
• The diet has limited testimonials
• The diet has no supportive research
• The diet requires you to skip a meal or multiple meals

Stay Away From Fast Food

Yes, it can be tempting to join your friends at the local burger joint for a bite to eat, but fast food often means fast fat. If you are going to eat at a fast food place, look for healthy diet foods. Ask for nutrition information and never assume something is good for you because it looks the part.

Set Goals and Keep Working Toward Them

Never start with the entire amount of weight you want to lose. Start with small attainable goals. For instance, if you want to lose 20 pounds set your first goal at five pounds. Or, your goal could be to be more physically active.

Don't Skip Breakfast

This is one of the most important diet tips for teens to embrace. Breakfast is the foundation of your day. It gets your metabolism started and gives you the energy to start your day. If you don't have time for a big breakfast try a nutritious shake, fruit, and yogurt. You can always throw a piece of toast in there too.

Get Moving

Exercise will boost your weight loss efforts and help get you in better shape. Plus, exercise can even make you feel better emotionally. Start off with some light low-impact exercises like walking or swimming. If you have been sedentary for awhile, 10 to 15 minutes is enough time to start with. Try to eventually build up to working out at three days a week for 30 minutes a session. There are many fun ways for teens to exercise: hiking, swimming, walking through the mall, Dance Dance Revolution, Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, football, hockey, ice skating, roller skating, and martial arts are just a few.

Portion Control

Read labels and educate yourself. Find out how much ice cream is in a serving before you scoop it into your bowl. Many people are surprised when they find out how easy it is to shed pounds just by eating the correct portion sizes of their favorite foods.

Exercising doesn't have to be a dreaded chore or something to be avoided. There are many ways that exercising can be made fun, especially for teenagers! Ideally, both teenagers and adults alike should exercise at least 60 minutes a day, five days a week. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't take very much time out of your day to do these exercises that will keep you healthy and fit.

Setting Exercise Goals

The first step in setting up a healthy exercise routine is to set goals for yourself. Setting goals is also easy and does not have to be a complicated ordeal. Just remember to keep your goals simple, and try not to set unrealistic goals. If you are overweight, set a goal to exercise a few days a week at a scheduled time. Set your goal to lose a few pounds a month, rather than high goals of many pounds in a short period of time. Once you have set your exercise goals, it is time to start exercising.

Exercise Tips

Here are some fun and interesting exercise tips that teens can use that will help to not only keep them in shape, but keep them motivated to continue exercising as well.

Find an Exercise Buddy

Exercising is always more fun with a friend, so find a friend that is dedicated to being healthy like you are, and set up your exercise routine together.

Activity is Exercise

Remember that exercise doesn't have to consist of jumping jacks and lifting weights. Any activity that gets your body moving and your blood pumping can make a good work out. Dancing, roller skating, or playing your favorite sports can all be good forms of exercise that are also fun.

Vary Your Routine

Don't forget to change your routine to keep from getting bored. Instead of aerobics, play basketball once in a while... even if you're not good at the game! Rather than doing cardio exercises, head to the mall and power walk. Keep things interesting and you'll find you are less likely to get bored with exercise.

A Wii Bit of Exercise

While sitting on the couch playing video games all day is certainly not a good form of healthy living, video games do have their advantages. If you have an interactive gaming system such as the Nintendo Wii, you can utilize that to play the games that will get you up and moving, or even better pick up one of the games that are specifically geared toward fitness.

These are just a few of the ways that teens can incorporate good exercise habits into their lives to help stay healthy and fit. The more accustomed you become to maintaining your fitness, the easier it will be to discover new ways to keep exercising.

Natural Cleaning Products

One of the first steps that a person should take when attempting to reduce air pollutants is to change the type of cleaning products that they use. One of the number one causes of home air pollutants are the chemicals found in most home cleaners. These days, it is very easy to find "green" cleaning products that are not full of these chemicals and will help to remove harmful air pollution.

No Smoking

If there are smokers in your home, you should make sure the house remains a smoke-free environment. Tobacco smoke is extremely toxic and dangerous to you and your family, and making your home smoke free is one of the best ways to reduce air pollutants. This includes all forms of tobacco smoke including cigarettes, cigars, and tobacco smoked out of pipes.

Air Filters

Even after you have removed many of the sources of air pollutants that are in your home, there are still everyday air pollutants that will find their way indoor. So the next step in reducing the level of air pollutants is to buy a high-quality air filter. There is a large selection of air filters for you to choose from, from whole house air filters to filters that will work in a single room. Many people find that HEPA filters are the best choice and are most effective at thoroughly removing toxins from the air.

Houseplants

One easy way to reduce the amount of pollution in the air that many people may not be aware of is to put plants in your home that naturally clean the air. Plants are not only beneficial in providing us with necessary oxygen, but they are extremely effective at purifying the air as well. Some plants work better for purifying the air then others, however almost any plant can help to improve air quality. Each of the following plants can help to purify approximately 100 square feet of space.

• Gerbera Daisy
• Ficus
• Golden Pothos
• Mums
• Spider Plants
• Aloe Vera
• Chinese Evergreens
• Common English Ivy

Fresh Air at the Workplace

All of these methods for reducing the amount of air pollutants in your home can also be utilized in the work place as well. If you work in a small office, it may be easier for you to convince management to make some of these changes than if you work in a large office. If this is the case though, you still have options available to you. You can gather other co-workers that feel the same way as you and possibly petition to have these changes made, or you can simply implement some of these improvements yourself.

Even changing just one of these things will help to reduce the air pollution that you are exposed to. Of course, the more changes you are able to make, the better. All of these upgrades do not have to be made at once, but can be made over time if necessary. However, once you start making these changes you will easily begin to see the difference in your air quality and want to keep making your home and work place a healthier environment.

Homemade Sunblocks and Sunburn Remedies

One of the most common problems that people suffer from during the summer is over exposure to the sun. Spending too much time in the sun can not only lead to heat exhaustion, but can cause dry skin, sunburned skin, and a multitude of other problems. Here are a few home remedies that you can use to not only protect your body, but help treat it as well.

Natural Sunscreen

Jojoba oil is a natural sunscreen. Apply to your skin before you venture out in the morning. It will not only protect the skin from harmful UVA rays, but will help keep the skin hydrated as well.

Soothing Sunburned Skin

For sunburned skin, fill a spray bottle with equal parts of water and vinegar and mist the skin. It will help to relieve pain and reduce redness and inflammation.

Soothing Sunburn Cream

Make a sunburn cream using 1 large cucumber that has been finely grated, and about 1 cup of plain yogurt. Apply to the skin and let soak in to relieve the burn.

Homemade Moisturizers

Even if your skin does not become burned, it can still become dried out and unhealthy from the summer's harsh heat. Keeping your skin hydrated is not only essential in keeping it looking its best, but is also essential for proper skin health. These home remedies can help keep your skin moisturized and hydrated during the summer, or even during the winter months as well.

Body Moisturizer

For a whole body moisturizer, mix 1 part sweet almond oil to 3 parts cocoa butter and apply a liberally to the entire body each night.

Moisturizing Face Mask

To make a moisturizing face mask, mix together 2 tablespoons of pure honey with 2 teaspoons of whole milk until they form a paste. Generously apply to your face and neck, and leave it in place for about 20 minutes before rinsing away with warm water.

Homemade Exfoliators

Since summertime is the time of dry skin, it also helps to keep the skin exfoliated. You can easily make your own homemade body and facial scrubs, using one of these simple home remedies.

Gentle Facial Scrub

For an easy to make yet gentle facial scrub, take 3 parts of your favorite facial cleanser and add 1 part of plain baking soda. Gently scrub the face in a circular motion, and rinse away with warm water.

Sweet-Smelling Facial Scrub

Another facial scrub that can be made from household ingredients is a strawberry and brown sugar scrub that will not only slough away dead skin, but make your skin smell great too! Simply mash two or three large strawberries and mix with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Gently scrub your face with it, and rinse away.

Body Scrub

A great inexpensive way to make a body scrub is to simply head to the kitchen and grab some olive oil and salt. Kosher salt or sea salt does work best, but regular salt will get the job done too. Mix about 1/2 cup olive oil with 2-3 tablespoons of salt, and scrub the skin to exfoliate. The salt will remove dry skin and the oil will help to moisturize. This scrub is very effective, but should only be used a few times a week.

Relaxation

One of the primary things lavender essential oil is used for is to calm the nervous system. The scent of lavender is known to be calming. In tonics it is used to treat headaches, anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and nervous tension. The health benefits of lavender in this capacity can be gained through any type of scent release such as a diffuser, candle, perfume, tonic, or personal product.

Pain Relief

Another known health benefit of lavender is its ability to relieve pain. Lavender essential oil can ease pain from sore muscles, tension, arthritis, sprains, and pain in the joints. To take advantage of the pain relieving properties of lavender, you could use it in an oil. You can massage lavender essential oil directly on sore muscles or use it in combination with other essential oils for combined benefit.

Skin Care

Lavender essential oil is also commonly used in skin care products. The reason for that extends far beyond its fragrance. One of the lesser known health benefits of lavender is that it is a powerful antiseptic and antifungal. It is also has anti-inflammatory properties. For this reason, you will see lavender in everything from acne and wrinkle treatment to psoriasis and sunburn salve. In addition, it is also excellent for promoting the healing of cuts, burns, and other wounds.

Promoting Internal Health

Some believe that lavender can help a number of internal health problems. It is said to calm digestive problems and lavender essential oils are used to promote the mobility of the intestines and stimulate the production of bile and gastric juices. It is also used to treat symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, gas, colic, stomach pain, and indigestion. Lavender essential oil also helps improve blood circulation, which can help relieve high blood pressure.

Exercise Caution When Using Lavender

As with any essential oil or natural supplement, caution should be used when you are using lavender essential oil medicinally. Certain groups within the population should avoid using lavender for its health benefits. This includes those who are diabetic and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Additionally, those who have sensitive skin should use lavender essential oil with increased caution.