When Clear Skin becomes an Obsession

Billions of people around the world experience acne over their lifetimes. In fact, acne is the single most common skin disorder, and more common than all other skin disorders combined.

With this being the case, it is not surprising to see literally thousands of different acne treatments available on the market today. There are prescription medications, such as accutane, and Retin-A. These work well on severe cystic acne. There are also over the counter medications, such as Benzoyl peroxide and Salicylic acid. For light to moderate acne, these can be a godsend. And of course, there are herbal acne treatments like tea tree oil and green tea cream. These both are proven to work well as alternatives to benzoyl peroxide.

This is just to name a very few of the most effective acne treatments available. There are then hundreds of brands that repackages these treatments under thousands of names, and sell them to acne suffers the world over.

However, there is one acne symptom that none of these medications can treat? Acne Dysmorphia.

Acne Dysmorphia is really more of it's own disorder altogether. It is similar to anorexia nervosa, in that the person suffering from acne dysmorphia becomes completely obsessed with a physical condition of their body. With Anorexia, it is their weight, and with acne dysmorphia, it is their clear complexion.

The truth of the matter is, Acne Dysmorphia is not strongly related to acne at all. The acne is just a catalyst for the problem. With Acne Dysmorphia, a person will become completely fixated on their skin, whether or not they are suffering from acne at all! They may pick at an area of skin until it bleeds, or becomes infected. Also, depression often results from their frustration with their skin complexion.

The sad fact is, many times these people may only have a few very small breakouts. Therefore, no amount of "acne treatment" will help reduce the fixation on the skin. It is not uncommon for someone with Acne Dysmorphia to check their face in a mirror dozens, even hundreds of times a day. And each look in a mirror reflects only a distorted image, one with a much larger acne problem than exists.

The cure for this disorder does not come from any form of acne care, but from healing within. Behavioral therapy, can be an amazing aid in curing acne dysmorphia. In many cases, this is all that is needed to help reduce the symptoms. In extreme cases, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor may be needed. Also, some people find hypnosis can be an effective form of treatment.

The most important thing to understand with acne dysmorphia is that it is not due to the acne breakouts, but to a mental disorder that needs to be treated completely independently of any acne. Furthermore, it is very important to treat acne dysmorphia, because the resulting depression can create many problems for a person, including suicide.

Acne is never pleasant for anyone, but acne dysmorphia can truly be a crippling disorder. Seek treatment for the mental aspects first, and then you may find that the acne you have will suddenly become an easily manageable aspect of your life!

Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and the editor of <a target="_new" href="http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com">http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com</a>

Detox - Does it Improve Your Skin?

The answer is yes, especially if you have problem skin. The skin is one of the body's main organs and can eliminate around 10% of all waste from the body. It does this mainly through sweating, we loose moisture through the skin 24/7 even though we're not aware of it. It's a natural process and of course your facial skin is included in this.

So what is detoxification (detox)? To put it very simply it's "getting the garbage (toxins) out of your body without putting any more in". Toxins can be heavy metals, pesticides, too much vitamin A or chemical residues from the polluted air we breathe or the junk food we eat, which contains sugar salt, artificial colors and flavors.

All these are stored mainly in the fatty tissues of the body and can play havoc with your health if they build up to excess or if you have a sensitivity.

If you suffer with acne, or if your skin is dull, rough or blotchy, a detox could be exactly what you need. Other symptoms of toxic overload can be lethargy and frequent headaches or simply feeling below par. Detoxing will not only help your skin but the other major elimination organ, the liver. In fact your whole system will benefit!

There are as many detox methods as weight loss diets and some of them can be quite expensive! But we don't need to spend a lot of money on detox, it's something we can do ourselves if we know how. So to that end, I'll give you a really simple (& cheap!) detox that you can try.

Detox a la Wendy!

We are aiming here to rid the body of garbage therefore it's important to make the diet as light and healthy as possible but to have something you can live with for at least 2 weeks. It's no good going on a herbal tea and brown rice diet if you can only do it for two days!

So, to give you some ideas, substitute fish for meat, cut out alcohol, substitute herbal tea for coffee and tea, Cut out rich sauces and all fatty foods, eliminate salt and cut out all foods made with white flour. Yes it sounds painful but put your imagination to work, there are a lot of healthy foods you can substitute with.

Keep up the vegies, try serving them sprinkled with herbs or baking them in a quiche without pastry. Try pumpkin seeds as a snack, they're lovely sprinkled over cereal. Go to a health food shop or even the health section of your supermarket and do some research.

If you have digestive problems, a good detox for you may be cutting out all dairy and wheat products. Try soy milk or rice milk and breads made out of other flours such as rye, rice and soy flours.

Always take in some form of fiber to help elimination. Psyllium is great as it does not cause any food allergies. Start with just one teaspoon and if that causes no bloating or discomfort, increase it gradually.

Think water. It can be spring water, bottled water, filtered or rain water. If your domestic supply is ok, tap water is fine too. Herbal teas are great but read the label, some of them can be quite potent! Fruit and vegetable juices are fantastic but have them instead of a meal, not as an extra. Some of them are quite high in kilojoules.

Some people take supplements when they are detoxing, others don't. I like to take a herb called "milk thistle". It helps the liver to cleanse and heal.

Rapid detoxification can make you feel quite sick and can happen if you jump too quickly into detox from a bad diet loaded with fat sugar and chemical colors and flavors. Try to eliminate the bad foods first and go onto a healthier diet before attempting detox. However if you get mild headaches or experience drowsiness, try to stick with it. It's a sign that you body is eliminating those toxins.

Skin brushing (or dry brushing) can aid the detox process, use a loofah or natural bristle brush and starting from the hands brush the skin gently. Always start from the extremities and work towards the heart or centre of your body. Skin brushing will aid your circulation, remove dead skin cells and make you feel rejuvenated.

Exercise will also help. Exercising will make the body sweat, speeding up the elimination of toxic wastes. No need to run a marathon, do what you enjoy but do it regularly.

You may find your skin will get worse before it gets better, but soon you'll see a clearer more radiant complexion. Acne will improve, your eyes will look clearer and, as a bonus, you may find your appetite decreases and sugar cravings diminish. Pregnant women should consult their doctor before attempting detox. Young children or sick people should not radically alter their diet in any way. Seek medical advice first.

Just as a thought. It's better to be on a healthy diet most of the time than be on a bad diet and detoxing regularly. It's what we do every day that counts the most. Try to use this detox time to re think your eating habits and lifestyle choices.

Like to have better looking skin? <a target="_new" href="http://www.holistic-facial-skin-care.com">http://www.holistic-facial-skin-care.com</a> will give you detailed information on all facets of skin care. The author, Wendy Owen has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health and skin care.

The Swan on the Chopping Block

When Anderson wrote &quot;The Ugly Duckling&quot;, he was imagining a natural transformation from awkward youth to mature beauty. His vision did not include a meat cleaver. The new network show, &quot;The Swan&quot; is a travesty on so many levels that it is difficult to know where to begin. There is nothing wrong with using cosmetic surgery to correct a definitive flaw but to turn yourself over to megalomaniacs with scalpels is cause for more therapy than these women are receiving.

It is unconscionable that television should even consider anything so potentially damaging. However, the women who allow themselves to be the golden goose (to mix metaphors) are equally to blame. What sane women would with good conscience turn herself over to strangers without having any input into what is being done.

The Swan reflects society's superficial attitude towards cosmetic surgery as a cure all for everything from natural aging to an unhealthy lifestyle. It is not enough that millions of baby boomers are already flocking to cosmetic surgeons to graft an artificial spring over a natural winter, now they are fiercely promoting the idea to much younger women even in those in their 20s who admittedly should look far better than they do but could substitute restraint for butchery to improve themselves without outside help. Taking individual responsibility is a far healthier solution to the problem

A healthy person always looks 10 to 20 years younger than her peers. While many women would give anything for beauty, there is one thing that should never be sacrificed --health. Health and beauty are connected vessels: if you steal from one, you steal from the other.

Your inner and outer body are two sides of the same coin. If the colors and forms of your body are changing outwardly, do not be mistaken, for they are also changing inwardly. If surgery is needed on the outside, it might be an indication that surgery will soon be needed on the organs inside as well. Often, the exterior flaws that can be corrected by cosmetic surgery are the result of much more serious internal problems. If the cause is not addressed, the problem will recur.

Cosmetic surgery will not make you younger. Any surgery drastically ages your body. In fact, biologically, you will get older. Facelifts and associated procedures do take years off your face temporarily but add years to your body permanently. Is it worth undergoing 10 to 12 hours of consecutive procedures, exhausting your body, and endangering your life for superficial changes that can largely be obtained through a healthy, disciplined lifestyle?

Think about the images of how the skin was separated from the underlying tissue; how it was lifted back and tightened; how excess skin was trimmed away; and the ear-to-ear incision was closed with surgical staples. Once seen, it is impossible to forget the sight of how the skin was torn or burned, how fat was sucked up, and how foreign materials were implanted.

Since beauty in its natural state requires no force or coercion, the procedures are so gross that it's difficult to perceive the final result as artistic. Beauty is incompatible with pain and horror. No matter how widely accepted cosmetic surgery is, it will never be separated from the terrible ordeal the subject endured.

Facelifts do not last forever and the negative effects cannot be completely undone. I am asking you to give a new lifestyle a try. You might be surprised how few faults you see in yourself that you are willing to allow someone else to correct. The results will be so astonishing, you just might like yourself the way you are about to become. Beauty, health, and youthfulness are all connected. Your guide for deciding if you are doing the right thing should be--when you gain one, are the others victims?

There is no natural beauty without 100% natural food. The lack of beauty, especially in people over forty, is the result of the consumption of devitalized and denatured foods. Cooked food depletes the body's enzyme reserves and damages its rejuvenating power. On the hand, the Rawsome Diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in their raw state will help your body to make the most of its revitalizing abilities. By restoring the integrity of every cell and by facilitating the operation of every organ, it will bring your weight to its ideal mark, refine your features and add delicacy to your face.

? 2004 Tonya Zavasta

About The Author

Tonya Zavasta is the author of the book &quot;Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You&quot; and of the soon to be published its sequel &quot;Beautiful on Raw&quot;. In these books Tonya comes across as an ambassador for plain looking women in their quest for physical beauty. Tonya knows firsthand what it is to be humiliated, face adversity and meet the complex obstacles of daily living with a congenital disability. In her forties facing several reconstructive hip surgeries to enable her to walk, she sought a way to offset the devastating effects of anesthetics on her health and appearance. She became convinced that the solution to her quest for health and beauty was to be found in the raw food lifestyle or the Rawsome Diet as she calls it.

To learn more about how you can uncover your Rawsome beauty, visit: <a href="http://www.beautifulonraw.com" target="_new">www.beautifulonraw.com</a>

<a href="mailto:Tonyazavasta@hotmail.com">Tonyazavasta@hotmail.com</a>

The Advantages of Sunless Tanning Booths

While many people recall seemingly endless hours outdoors soaking up the sun's rays, sunbathing isn't as carefree an activity as it used to be. These days, there's more to worry about, such as premature aging, scarring, blemishes, and skin cancer. There are three types of ultraviolet or UV radiation: UVC, at 100 to 290 nm, UVB, at 290 to 320 nm, and UVA, at 320 to 400 nm. It is the UVA and UVB rays that are the most harmful to our skin. UVB is easier to protect against than UVA, but both cause very real damage.

There are also those who desire quicker results than what natural sunlight offers. For such people, sunless tanning is an alternative. Sunless tanning refers to the process of attaining the appearance of a tan by using such products as lotions, sprays, powders, pills, and tanning beds. The efficacy and results of these methods vary.

The body has its own way of protecting us from UV radiation. Our skin protects us from UV damage by producing melanin, a substance that absorbs the harmful rays in order to protect our DNA. When the body produces melanin, our skin darkens, taking on a darker appearance. This is how we tan.

A sunless tanning booth is a small room where the client tans by either receiving a spray tan or by using a tanning bed. Tanning beds are controversial, particularly for their use among teens, because of concerns about the risk of developing skin cancer from their use. While the tanning beds used to work using UVB rays, salon owners switched to using beds that emit UVA rays, believing them to be safer. Sadly, it is UVA rays that are associated with development of skin cancer.

Another kind of sunless tanning booth is much safer: The tanning spray booth. Currently, spray tans are found at high-end salons and can run up to $100 for a few one-hour sessions. A sunless tanning booth that uses spray instead of a tanning bed works via use of a spray containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA.)

DHA is applied in a fine mist to the entire body of the customer. DHA reacts with dead skin cells on the surface of the body, causing them to turn brown. Most tanners who use the spray method report good, realistic results and excellent coverage. The spray-on tans last five to seven days, typically.

A good sunless tanning booth can be found by calling local day spas and in particular, tanning parlors. Prices will vary, but many salons offer packages, which might include multiple tan sessions, tanning products, and follow up advice.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.e-sunlesstanning.com">Sunless Tanning Info</a> provides detailed information about sunless tanning lotion, booths, sprays, salons, and pills, as well as reviews of best sunless tanning products and methods. Sunless Tanning Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.i-tanningbeds.com">Tanning Beds Web</a>.

Tips on Using a Hair Iron

The hair iron is coming more and more popular. It is used by women of all ages and for various purposes. We have gathered a few tips and guideline by women who use or used hair iron or other products to straighten their hair. We strongly advise to read it before you start using hair iron or other hair straightening tool

1. Use the hair iron only after you have cleaned your hair. Actually, it can be dangerous to use it before you clean your hair because dirt or grease left in the hair will be cooked by the heat of the hair iron and the damage made is inevitable.

2. Do not iron your hair with a clothes iron. If you will use it without taking the necessary safety measures, your hair will singe. The singed hair can not be cut out or covered up. Use a hair iron produced for this purpose instead

3. A short straightening method using a hair flat iron : First dry your hair for about 15 minutes using a dryer, then continue drying your hair and at the same time comb it with your fingers. Comb it carefully so that you will get the curl out. Then, for a short time (no more than five minutes) use the hair iron at the ends of your hair. This is a proven and safe way to straighten and keep your hair shiny.

4. Following blowing dry your hair with heat, We advise you to switch to cold hair (Most products have this option). It makes your hair shiny and it is healthier for your hair.

5. Always use a brush while blowing dry your hair. It makes your hair straight and saves time.

6. Blow hair dry at night for a great and straight look in the next morning.

7. Try putting some gel after dividing your hair into three sections while blow drying your hair with a comb for straightening your hair.

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Eyelid Plastic Surgery

Blepharoplasty, commonly known as eyelid surgery, is a cosmetic procedure that removes excess fat, skin and muscle from the area around the eyes. As people age, their skin loses elasticity, they accumulate more fat and their muscles lose tone. This aging process can make the arms or stomach or breasts sag, but on the face this loss of tone and elasticity can make you look tired, angry, upset, sick and much older and can even impair vision. Eyelid surgery can be frightening because complication risks, like infection, involve the eyes and your vision. However, a vast majority of people who have undergone eyelid surgery are happy that they did so.

As with most cosmetic procedures, patients undergoing eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) are given either general anesthesia, which will require a longer stay at the medical facility and a person to take care of the patient for 24 hours following surgery, or they are given local anesthesia and a sedative, so they are awake but they cannot feel the area being operated on and they are much calmer about the procedure because of the sedative.

Blepharoplasty can be done on either the upper or lower eyelids or all four. The variation will determine the length of the surgery. In eyelid surgery, tiny incisions are made along natural creases in the upper eyelid and below the lash line on the lower eyelids. The skin of the eyelid is then separated from the fat deposits and muscle so the fat can be removed. Depending upon the patient, the skin and muscle can then be trimmed as well before they are sewn back together. Recovery can be uncomfortable because of the swelling associated with any surgical procedure which will, in this case, dry out the eyes and sometimes prevent them from comfortably closing fully before the swelling goes down.

Blepharoplasty does not remove wrinkles, dark circles or a sagging brow. For this reason, eyelid surgery is commonly performed in conjunction with other facial cosmetic procedures such as brow lifts.

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Create a Spa Retreat at Home!

In today's high-stress world, a visit to a spa can provide a much needed renewal for your mind, body and soul. If you don't have the time and/or money to head to the nearest spa or resort, consider creating your own. Experience the benefits of a day at the spa by creating a near-professional spa in your own home. Here are some ideas for transforming you bathroom into a relaxing spa retreat.

SPA TREATMENTS
Widely used in spas, bath salts or salt scrubs made with sea salts are wonderful for their detoxifying properties. The Romans, Greeks and other European cultures have long believed in the benefits of healing through bathing in hotsprings.

SPA TOOLS
If you're giving yourself a body treatment, have a body brush, loofah or sponge within easy reach. One of the best ways to revive skin is to exfoliate before you get in the shower. The ancient spas of Japan were known for their dry brushing techniques. Gently brush your body using circular motions with a soft body brush, starting at the feet and working your way up. This light brushing technique removes dead skin cells while stimulating circulation.

DRY OFF
Pamper yourself with classic and elegant spa garb ? a luxuriously thick white terrycloth robe. If you don't have a robe handy, find your fluffiest, softest towel. For an unmatched toasty treat, heat your robe or towel in the dryer before using.

MOISTURIZE
Water from the bath has a drying effect on the skin. To make the most of your skin replenishment, keep a special body lotion for spa days ? one with an aroma that you enjoy.

Chere Deshayes is the president of Bath Plantation, a company that specializes in handcrafted bath and spa products. Subscribe to her FREE newsletter at <a target="_new" href="http://www.bathplantation.com/newsletter.html">http://www.bathplantation.com/newsletter.html</a> or visit her site at <a target="_new" href="http://www.bathplantation.com">http://www.bathplantation.com</a>.