Archive for January, 2010

Bikini Hair Removal – Explore the Possibilities

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

For decades, women have been seeking to rid themselves of unwanted bikini area hair via a variety of methods. Right now there are more options for bikini hair removal than ever before and you owe it to yourself to check them out to determine which is best for you!

The most common way for the affluent modern woman to care for her bikini area is to have it professionally waxed at a salon. Many salons offer a variety of options for this procedure, with everything from just the removal of anything outside the most basic bikini line to the complete Brazillian wax.

Unfortunately, routine salon visits can end up costing a lot over time. In addition, in order to have your bikini area cared for by another individual is something you must be comfortable enough with yourself and your practitioner in order to undergo.

You can also wax your bikini area with at-home kits available at drugstores. One type of kit involves a pot of wax you heat in your microwave, tongue-depressor-like applicators, and strips of specially-treated paper that you then apply to the wax once it is on your skin. You then tear the strip of paper off of your body, and in theory, the wax and hair comes off with it. As you can imagine, there is a lot of pain involved in the waxing process, whether done at home or at the salon, and even after the worst of it is over, many women have skin reactions to the wax and will remain red and tender in the area for days.

The other type of at-home wax kit includes strips that already have the wax on them. The disadvantage to these, as well as to those mentioned above, is the accuracy factor. Having another person apply the wax provides an important vantage point, as it is difficult to see exactly where you are placing the wax and/or wax strips when you are applying it to yourself.

The other at-home remedy available at drugstores is the cream hair remover specially-designed for the hair around the bikini area region. Although this sounds a lot less painful, negative skin reactions are actually more common with these creams than with waxes. They are also messy and smell rather bad.

Now, however, there is a solution that is becoming more affordable and available to women across America every day: laser hair removal. This is a process which has been approved by the FDA since 1997, and which is widely used around the world for permanent hair removal.

These are the main options available when deciding how to go about dealing with unwanted bikini hair. Now that you are more informed about the different methods of bikini hair removal, you are sure to find the right one for you and have the experience be as pain and hassle-free as possible.

Asian Men Who Smoke May Have Increased Risk For Hair Loss

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

“Androgenetic alopecia, a hereditary androgen-dependent disorder, is characterized by progressive thinning of the scalp hair defined by various patterns,” the authors write as background information in the article. “It is the most common type of hair loss in men.” Although risk for the condition is largely genetic, some environmental factors also may play a role.

Lin-Hui Su, M.D., M.Sc., of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., of National Taiwan University, Taipei, surveyed 740 Taiwanese men age 40 to 91 (average age 65) in 2005.

At an in-person interview, the men reported information about smoking, other risk factors for hair loss and if they had alopecia, the age at which they began losing their hair. Clinical classifications were used to assess their degree of hair loss, their height and weight were measured and blood samples were provided for analysis.

The men's risk for hair loss increased with advancing age, but remained lower than the average risk among white men. “After controlling for age and family history, statistically significant positive associations were noted between moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia and smoking status, current cigarette smoking of 20 cigarettes or more per day and smoking intensity,” the authors write.

This association could be caused by several mechanisms, they note. Smoking may destroy hair follicles, damage the papilla that circulate blood and hormones to stimulate hair growth or increase production of the hormone estrogen, which may counter the effects of androgen.

“Patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia should receive advice early to prevent more advanced progression,” the authors conclude.

Journal reference: Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(11):1401-1406.

Relevant Content articles: Permanent Hair Removal Products

Asian Men Who Smoke May Have Increased Risk For Hair Loss

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

“Androgenetic alopecia, a hereditary androgen-dependent disorder, is characterized by progressive thinning of the scalp hair defined by various patterns,” the authors write as background information in the article. “It is the most common type of hair loss in men.” Although risk for the condition is largely genetic, some environmental factors also may play a role.

Lin-Hui Su, M.D., M.Sc., of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., of National Taiwan University, Taipei, surveyed 740 Taiwanese men age 40 to 91 (average age 65) in 2005.

At an in-person interview, the men reported information about smoking, other risk factors for hair loss and if they had alopecia, the age at which they began losing their hair. Clinical classifications were used to assess their degree of hair loss, their height and weight were measured and blood samples were provided for analysis.

The men's risk for hair loss increased with advancing age, but remained lower than the average risk among white men. “After controlling for age and family history, statistically significant positive associations were noted between moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia and smoking status, current cigarette smoking of 20 cigarettes or more per day and smoking intensity,” the authors write.

This association could be caused by several mechanisms, they note. Smoking may destroy hair follicles, damage the papilla that circulate blood and hormones to stimulate hair growth or increase production of the hormone estrogen, which may counter the effects of androgen.

“Patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia should receive advice early to prevent more advanced progression,” the authors conclude.

Journal reference: Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(11):1401-1406.

Asian Men Who Smoke May Have Increased Risk For Hair Loss

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

“Androgenetic alopecia, a hereditary androgen-dependent disorder, is characterized by progressive thinning of the scalp hair defined by various patterns,” the authors write as background information in the article. “It is the most common type of hair loss in men.” Although risk for the condition is largely genetic, some environmental factors also may play a role.

Lin-Hui Su, M.D., M.Sc., of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., of National Taiwan University, Taipei, surveyed 740 Taiwanese men age 40 to 91 (average age 65) in 2005.

At an in-person interview, the men reported information about smoking, other risk factors for hair loss and if they had alopecia, the age at which they began losing their hair. Clinical classifications were used to assess their degree of hair loss, their height and weight were measured and blood samples were provided for analysis.

The men's risk for hair loss increased with advancing age, but remained lower than the average risk among white men. “After controlling for age and family history, statistically significant positive associations were noted between moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia and smoking status, current cigarette smoking of 20 cigarettes or more per day and smoking intensity,” the authors write.

This association could be caused by several mechanisms, they note. Smoking may destroy hair follicles, damage the papilla that circulate blood and hormones to stimulate hair growth or increase production of the hormone estrogen, which may counter the effects of androgen.

“Patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia should receive advice early to prevent more advanced progression,” the authors conclude.

Journal reference: Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(11):1401-1406.

Fatigued or Full Throttle: Is Your Thyroid to Blame?

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Feeling all revved up, even at bedtime? Or maybe your throttle's on idle
with symptoms of depression,
fatigue, and weight gain. In both cases, the root cause may be your
thyroid.

The thyroid — a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck — makes
hormones that control the way your body uses energy. Your thyroid controls your
metabolism, which is how your body turns food into energy, and also affects
your heart, muscles, bones, and cholesterol.

While thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged
gland) to life-threatening cancer, the most common thyroid problems involve an
abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much of these vital body chemicals
results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Too little hormone production
leads to hypothyroidism.

Although the effects of thyroid problems are unpleasant or uncomfortable,
most thyroid conditions can be managed well if properly diagnosed and
treated.


What is an overactive thyroid?

Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid becomes overactive and produces too
much of its hormones. Hyperthyroidism affects women five times to 10 times
more often than men, and is most common in people younger than 40. People with
hyperthyroidism have problems that reflect overactivity of the organs of the
body, resulting in symptoms such as sweating, feeling hot, rapid heartbeats,
weight loss, and sometimes eye problems.

Hyperthyroidism can occur in several ways:


Graves'
disease
: The release of excess hormones is triggered by an autoimmune
disorder. For some unknown reason, the body attacks the thyroid, causing it to
spill out too much hormone.


Toxic adenomas: Nodules (abnormal growths or lumps) develop in the
thyroid gland and begin to secrete thyroid hormones, upsetting the body's
chemical balance; some goiters may contain several of these nodules.


Subacute thyroiditis: Painful inflammation of the thyroid causes the
gland to enlarge and “leak” excess hormones, resulting in temporary
hyperthyroidism, which resolves spontaneously. Subacute thyroiditis generally
lasts a few weeks but may persist for months.


Pituitary gland malfunctions or cancerous growths in the thyroid
gland
: Although rare, hyperthyroidism can also develop from these
causes.


Silent thyroiditis: Usually a temporary state of excess thyroid
hormone release causing mild hyperthyroidism. In some cases it can result in
permanent damage to the thyroid and low thyroid hormone production by the
gland.


Postpartum thyroiditis: A type of hyperthyroidism that occurs in a
small percentage of women within months of delivery. It last only a few months,
followed by a several months of reduced amounts of thyroid hormone production
by the gland. Typically these women fully recover normal thyroid function.


Ingestion of excess thyroid hormone can result in
hyperthyroidism.


What is an underactive thyroid?

Hypothyroidism, by contrast, stems from an underproduction of thyroid
hormones. Since your body's energy production requires certain amounts of
thyroid hormones, a drop in hormone production leads to lower energy levels,
causing you to feel weak and tired.