Over the last 4 years a new type of hair straightening has crept into the USA. Called Japanese hair straightening it also falls under other names including; Thermal Reconditioning, Magic Straight, Bio Ionic Straightening, Yuko System (named after the Japanese stylist who is meant to have popularised the treatment), Liscio, and Rebonding. The Liscio process is the original and the one you are most likely to see in salons.

As the name suggests it originated in Japan and the process will give you permanently straight hair as opposed to the temporary straight hair provided by in-home straighteners like the excellent Sedu flat iron. In reality it lasts about 6 months when your hair will need re-touching because of the hair growth.

This form of treatment is not recommended for:

• more delicate African hair
• hair that has been heavily treated or damaged
• hair that is quickly thinning and falling out

The treatment is very expensive, $300-$800 in top salons and depending on which process you opt for can take between 4-6 hours to complete. This is a far cry from using your own hair straightener at home for a fraction of the cost and only taking a matter of minutes. Given the cost you should expect a free consultation on how well (or if) the treatment will work on your hair.

As the treatment is very expensive you should do your homework. Here are a few tips:

• Visit the websites of salons close to you for more details about which Japanese hair straightening treatment they use.
• Visit the salon and speak with their straightening specialist about the process
• Make sure the specialist has sufficient experience in the process. Don’t forget you are paying lots of money so you don’t want to end up with damaged hair because of an inexperienced stylist.
• Ask for some “before and after” pictures of previous customers results.
• If possible ask to speak with a previous customer to get some detailed insight into how long it took and to find out if there are any things they didn’t like about the process.

If you do decide to go ahead with the treatment then here is a summary of the whole process.

• A protein conditioner is applied to your hair.
• A cream based thio relaxor is then applied. This will soften your hair and disassociate the sulfur bonds inside the hair shaft.
• After a period of time the stylist will do a test to see if the hair has broken down to the right degree.
• Once the proper amount of Sulfur bonds have been disassociated the stylist will rinse your hair.
• Your hair is dried into the style you normally wear it in.
• The stylist will take small sections and apply some degree of tension to get your hair as straight as possible.
• Once the neutralizer has been on the hair for the proper amount of time it will be rinsed from the hair.
• After the hair is rinsed it will be dried again and ironed into the style you wish to wear.
• The neutralizing chemical only begins to re-associate the sulfur bonds. The hair still needs to absorb more oxygen and will do so naturally through the air.
• The hair designer will instruct you not to shampoo, wet or style your hair for 24-72 hours, this is to allow it to completely neutralize into the current shape.

The results from the process are amazing, considering your hair is subjected to nearly 6 hours of chemical and heat treatment. You will probably be advised to use special after care products. You should take the stylists advice but make sure and shop round for the products online, as they can be very expensive in salons.

However, all the time and effort is worth it, as your hair will not need to be treated for at least 6 months. So twice a year should be enough for curl free hair all year.

Andrea Simpson is a self confessed hair straightener fan. She runs her own website, http://www.a1-hair-straighteners.com/hairstraightener.shtml, devoted to hair straightening devices including Sedu Flat Irons and other hair straightening processes.

Ever wonder how stage actors or movie characters get that eerily captivating look in their eyes? Sure, there is always the CG and special effects route in the movies. Certain lighting schemes can invoke various feelings on the stage. However, the majority of the time, that intrinsic look is a result of theatrical contact lenses.

Given the right situation and storyline, theatrical contacts can transform your viewing experience from observer to active participant. In suspenseful thrillers, theatrical contacts can just flat out scare you. In the world outside of theatrics, they also do a pretty great job of terrifying children of all ages around Halloween as well.

Theatrical contact lenses come in a wide assortment of themes and colors. Many rock musicians wear theatrical contacts that black out the pupil making the eye appear to shun light. The white out theatrical lens gives off that angry look popularized by the Hulk in the old television series. Other popular themes include bloodshot contacts and various animal associations such as zebra, jaguar, and the always popular cat pupil.

If you are trying to find the particular contact used by your favorite monster in the latest horror movie, you may be out of luck. Most movies have special effect contacts specially designed to fit the character’s needs. However, if you search around deep enough, you may stumble across a generic knockoff that generates the same effect.

Although there are a variety of companies that manufacture and sell theatrical contacts, the two most popular brands carried by most opticians are CooperVision’s Crazy Lenses and CIBA Vision’s WildEyes. CIBA Vision also makes the immensely popular FreshLook line of color contacts.

It is important to note that the same rules for purchasing, wearing, replacing, and caring for regular contact lenses also apply for theatrical contact lenses and cosmetic lenses. This means that you must have a prescription to purchase them. Even if you don’t need vision correction, you must still go to an optometrist to be examined, prescribed, and fitted for all styles of contact lenses including special effects contacts.

If you are looking for a fun way to breathe new life into a character, transform your production without costly cg effects or simply terrify kids this Halloween season, look into purchasing a pair of theatrical contact lenses. There are numerous varieties to choose from. Talk to your optometrist about ordering your new pair of special effect contact lenses today.

Mike Schwartz is the owner of the popular web site Best Contact Lenses Online His site provides useful tips, resources, and reviews to help you make the best decision when purchasing contact lenses on the Internet.

Stretch marks are lines on the skin, which usually happens when the skin is stretch a lot over a short period. This can be seen especially during pregnancy. The medical term for stretch mark is stria.

Stretch marks starts as red lines on the skin that are slightly lifted. The color of the stretch marks depend on the color of the skin of the person has it. They may sometimes look pink, reddish brown or dark brown.

They are usually similar in lines. The appearance of the skin is lean and grey and sometime appears like a scar. They are usually pale and happen to be less obvious.

Stretch marks can come out anywhere on skin that has been stiffed. They normally take place on parts of the skin where fat is stocked, like the tummy, breasts, thighs and buttocks.

It is a wrong notion that only woman can have stretch marks since they are the only ones capable of conceiving. Even men can have stretch marks themselves.

What causes stretch marks is that when the skin is suddenly stretched. The outer layer of the skin is not really affected by this, but the dermis becomes thinner and develops insignificant tears.

There is an appearance of stretch marks in the body because of the following conditions:

1. Pregnancy – Almost 90 percent of women who got pregnant develop stretch mark on the areas of tummy, legs or thighs, breast and shoulders. Normally, this stretch mark appears on the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy.

2. Development of adolescence – Boys often get stretch marks on their shoulder while girls get them on their hips, thighs and breast since they tend to grow quickly.

3. Athletes – Athletes who train or go to the gym to become bigger and stronger sometimes get stretch marks.

4. Weight loss/weight gain – Putting on a lot of weight over a short time can also cause stretch marks. And if you are on a diet and intended to lose weight, there is a possibility in the appearance of stretch marks.

On relieving stretch marks, nothing is known as an exact treatment for stretch marks. But the following initial treatments might help you to slightly fade stretch marks.

Moisturizers and creams – Creams containing alpha hydroxyl acid (AHAs) can help reduce stretch marks. Creams are not yet proven to prevent stretch marks but they may lessen the ugly appearance of stretch marks.

Laser surgery – this does not remove stretch marks, but it can help them not be noticeable.

Surgery – this is a very expensive and extreme option but it can remove stretch marks bellow the belly button.

Now, in order to avoid stretch marks it is important to maintain a healthy weight. Diets that can cause your weight to change quickly can cause stretch marks.

You also have to massage your skin everyday with a moisturizer in order to improve the blood circulation that encourages new tissue to appear. It is also important to eat healthy foods, which help to keep healthy skin.

Lastly, if you are a pregnant woman and do not want to have stretch mark, eat healthy and advisable foods. It is not really recommended for you to eat a lot of food. You just need to take extra calories in order to nourish you unborn child. But take note, these calories should come from a well balanced diet.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides stretch mark resources on http://www.aboutstretchmarks.info

Choosing the perfect colored contact lens can be a daunting task. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. With improved colors and a wider variety of tints to choose from, you will have the most spectacular eyes in the house in no time at all.

In order to pick the perfect colored contact, you must first have an idea of the look you are going for. Do you want to enhance your natural color, give a subtle change to your color or are you looking to completely change your eye color altogether?

If enhancing your natural eye color is what you are looking for, then you will want to purchase a colored contact that has an enhancement tint. By using a tint that is slightly darker than your natural color, enhancement lenses intensify the eye color making the eye more vibrant. Enhancement contacts are generally used for people with lighter-colored eyes.

Maybe you want just a subtle change in color. If so, choose a colored contact that is close to your natural color. For instance, if you’re eyes are blue, a gray tint will give you the type of color that has people whispering and wondering what is it that’s different about you today.

If you want to completely change your color, pick a contact lens that is a dramatic change from your natural color. This change doesn’t necessarily have to be something that is picked by chance. Find a contact lens color that is a contrast from your skin tone, hair, or makeup.

Most importantly, pick a colored contact that makes you feel comfortable and attractive. There are so many possibilities that if you get tired of a certain color one day, you can realistically have a completely different color the next day without breaking the bank. Whether it’s to enhance, give a subtle change, or to complete a new look, purchase your new colored contacts today!

Mike Schwartz is the owner of the popular web site Best Contact Lenses Online His site provides useful tips, resources, and reviews to help you make the best decision when purchasing contact lenses on the Internet.

It is really important to have a healthy-looking skin because it sometimes serves as an outlet to what we really are. People would think that if you have a healthy skin, you take good care of yourself properly but if you have a skin as rough as a tree, then do not expect people would think nice about you.

Our skin is the largest organ of our body. And since it is on the external, scars from pimples and other wounds would be very visible.

Now, how would you feel if you have a blemish skin and somebody keeps on staring at you, teasing your skin? Would you be proud of your skin? Would you have the courage to stare back to that person?

Definitely the answer is no. If I we’re you I will possibly run and hide my skin so people will not say something negative about me. But if you have the kind of a skin that is soothing in the eye and wanted to be touch, then be proud. Let the people known how beautiful your skin is.

Now, if you want to have a more beautiful skin, here is a tip that will help you with the hundred percent guarantees:

1. Do not over due your skin with so many cosmetics. Different cosmetics, definitely contains different ingredients which is really not good for your skin. Stick with one line of products which are formulated to work together.

2. Take a 30-minute exercise. This will increase your blood flow, which brings more nutrients to the skin.

3. Eat healthy foods. What I mean with healthy are the fruits, vegetables and juices. Avoid too much fats and carbohydrates.

4. Cleanse after make up. Use a mild non-soap cleanser to remove your make up.

5. Pimple hands-free. Do not poke, prod, and pop your pimples. It might make your problem worst. It may cause scar and spreading of infection can also be possible.

6. Give yourself a break. Sleep for at least eight to nine hours.

7. Drink a lot of water. Drink at least six to eight ounces glasses of water everyday.

Now, if you are not contented with the above guidelines and doubted if it will really work for you, you can also try the following skin care tips. This tip is suitable for people with sensitive skin and to busy working people.

The simplest factor to a beautiful skin is to keep your skin clean. Find a good cleanser that will respond well to your skin and stick wit it. If possible avoid using soap as your cleanser. Splash yourself with lukewarm water. Do not use hot or cold water.

The most important in making your skin glow is to gently exfoliate it. If you have an oily skin or combination, you will need to exfoliate four to five times a week after you cleanse. But if you have a dry and sensitive skin. It is recommended that you exfoliate once or twice a week.

Use a moisturizer. It attracts moisture and draws it into the skin.

And lastly, apply sunscreen. The number one cause of wrinkles is sun damage. So, in order to avoid this use a sunscreen on your early years. Use one for night time and another in the morning which has UV protection.

The above guidelines and tips can be very helpful so please use it properly.

Remember, once you take care, nourish and pampered your skin, it will react in gratitude and an instant you will collect the benefits it will give you.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides skin care resources on http://www.just-skin-care.info

You’ve seen them before either in music videos, in theatre, or maybe even while out shopping. They always get a second and third look. People don’t know what to make of them. Small children either love them or are terrified by them. But that is part of their appeal. They are meant to generate attention and interest. Why else buy crazy contact lenses if you can’t freak a few people out with them?

Crazy contact lenses are contacts that have designs or unique colors imprinted in them to make the eye stand out or mimic other creatures. There are countless designs of crazy contacts including everything from sport teams’ logos to eyes that appear engulfed in flames. One of the more popular designs is a cat eye with a black pupil.

Though crazy contacts are fun at parties and for special effects, they are still contact lenses and need to be cared for in the same manner as you would care for other styles of contacts. This means that they are cleansed regularly with the proper cleaning solution. They shouldn’t ever be shared with others. They are not meant to be slept in. And because they should be fitted for the specific shape of your eye, crazy contacts should only be acquired via prescription from an eye care practitioner.

This doesn’t mean that you have to wear glasses in order to wear crazy contacts. Like traditional colored contact lenses, crazy contacts can come in both novelty and visual correction prescription form. However, in the United States, the FDA requires that you possess a valid prescription in order to purchase contact lens of any style including crazy contacts.

Crazy contacts are extremely fun. If you are into theatrics, crazy contacts can add an intriguing effect and element of mystery to your project. If you are just looking for some fun, try walking around the mall with a pair of crazy contact lenses in and watch all of the heads turn. Keep in mind though that they are still regular contact lenses and require the same care as any other contact lens. As always, talk to your eye care practitioner today about ordering your new pair of crazy contacts.

Mike Schwartz is the owner of the popular web site Best Contact Lenses Online His site provides useful tips, resources, and reviews to help you make the best decision when purchasing contact lenses on the Internet.

Who wouldn’t want to look and feel young and healthy for just a few years longer? From moisturizing creams to nail polish the list of beauty products is long. Tooth whitening is just a small piece of the puzzle. At-home whitening products make a whiter smile possible for many of us. People who otherwise cannot afford expensive dentist visits can whiten their teeth for a little more than a haircut.

But there is a big difference between tooth bleaching kits and other cosmetic products. Teeth don’t heal. No matter how many times we hear - “Teeth whitening is safe” - we remain cautious. That is why health conscious men and women spend more time learning about different teeth whitening options. The reward is a brighter smile; the tools are powerful bleaching chemicals. However more whitening power usually means higher risks. Life is a balancing act and tooth bleaching is no different.

The goal is to find a happy compromise; a product that provides sufficient whitening power and ensures safety at the same time. Balancing whitening power with safety is not an easy task. There are many things to consider. Oral health is the first and probably the most important factor. Individuals with less than perfect dental health should take less risk. It can mean less powerful whitening gels or a visit to the dentist. Teeth whitening strips are less effective but are considered safer than tray based whitening methods.

However there is good news to those who want maximum safety. When it comes to tooth whitening time can substitute power. In other words the same whitening results can be achieved with less powerful gels and longer application times.

The following is a list of at-home teeth whitening methods starting with the safest option:

• Whitening toothpaste
• Tooth whitening strips
• Custom fit whitening trays with low concentration gel
• Thermoform whitening trays with low concentration gel
• Custom fit trays with high concentration gel
• Thermoform trays with high concentration gel

There is no single best way to teeth whitening. A short self evaluation may help with the selection.

Visit http://www.best-teeth-whitening-products.com for more tooth whitening information.

Please contact the author if you wish to republish the above article. Article reviews are welcome if you add our hyperlinked URL.

Don’t you just hate it when your eyes are dry and itchy? It is definitely one of the worst feelings for such a sensitive area. Your instincts tell you that you should rub your eyes when they are dry. However, this only leads to a drier more irritated eye. If you are tired of dealing with dry eyes, here are a few tips that will help clear up the problem for you.

First, understand what is causing your eye to become dry and then eliminate the triggering factor. One of the most common causes of dry eyes, believe it or not, is simply not blinking enough. Often when we sit in front of the TV or the computer, we are not blinking our eyes as often as we should. When we blink, we are actually coating our eyes with tears. These tears help maintain the health of the eye.

Contact lenses may also be causing your eyes to become dry. Instead of allowing tears to moisturize the eye, often soft contacts soak up the tears. Again, this results in dry irritated eyes.

Another cause of eye irritation and dryness is prescription medicine. There are certain prescriptions whose side effects include “dryness” which encompasses the tear ducts. If this is causing your eyes to be dry, talk with your medical doctor and see what options are available to counteract this side effect.

Outside of prescription medicine side effects, treatment for most cases of dry eyes consists of purchasing an over-the-counter eye lubricant (artificial tears). These lubricants can be used as many times as needed until the problem dissipates. However, if the dryness stays for an extended period of time, you may need to be tested by your optometrist to ensure that there is not a more serious underlying problem.

It is important to note that for contact wearers, it is better to try a rewetting drop specially formulated for contact lenses before trying any artificial tear solution. Again, talk to your optometrist if you are unsure about which solution will work best for your specific brand of contact lenses.

By understanding what is triggering the dryness in your eyes, you can stop it with the use of over-the-counter eye drops or the appropriate contact lens rewetting solution in most cases. As always, talk with your optician if the problem persists.

Mike Schwartz is the owner of the popular web site Best Contact Lenses Online His site provides useful tips, resources, and reviews to help you make the best decision when purchasing contact lenses on the Internet.

As a person gets old, nearly everyone go through this problem, wrinkles. Yes!! As to how wrinkles come out for each one of us, and how obviously they become, depends on heredity and on the natural aging process wherein our skin losses its flexibility, become thinner and more brittle. But it’s just too normal.

When a person is young, he or she does not easily suffer this skin problem because their skin does a great job of stretching and holding in moisture. The dermis, which is the middle skin, has an elastic quality that keeps the skin look and feel young. Protein plays a big part in preventing wrinkles in the dermis.

On the other hand, the dermis also losses both collagen (protein) and elastin (fiber), therefore, the skin gets thinner and has problem in getting enough moisture to the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. As fat gives the skin a fleshy appearance and begins to disappear, the epidermis begins to hang down, and wrinkles are formed.

The mere fact that the wrinkling of the face, neck, hands and arms rapidly grow than any other parts of the body, is just a proof that people who spend much of their lives out of doors like farmers, construction workers etc. are more expose to this kind of skin deficiency.

Here are some factors and things people may do to prevent wrinkles:

- Get some facial exercises: Facial exercises can make wrinkles go away. In fact, many dermatologists suggest these exercises can worsen wrinkles that are caused by gestures like crow’s feet and frown lines, and facial expressions. You can also help by keeping your facial muscles in the state of relaxation. These can happen only by smiling more and less squinting, be sweet instead of getting very sour.

- Dry skin causes wrinkles: Sun exposure and aging are the main cause of these. Only dry skin can make your fine lines and wrinkles more visible, still they does not cause them. Air conditioners and room heaters tend to dry the skin; therefore you should apply heavy moisturizers if you tend to be in this situation. Keeping your skin moisturized will help it look smoother and using any sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher will help you protect future sun damage.

- Do not be too exposed to the sun. This will expose you to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Incidental exposure occurs when you least expect it. Bring with you an umbrella or wear sun glasses. You can also apply sun screen lotions before stepping out of the sun.

- Avoid smoking: Smoking steal from your skin the precious moisture and causes early wrinkles.

- Do not stretch or pull delicate skin under eye or facial skin.

- Do not go to a tanning salon: Tanning is evidence that UV rays have done lots of damages in some of the skin’s cells. The UV rays penetrate the inner layers of the skin. And it is really worse because the damage from UV rays is the main cause of early aging and skin cancer.

- Drink lots of water.

At present, wrinkles are already curable. There are lots of cosmetic procedures and even medical treatment to cure you r wrinkles easily. Be sure to consult your doctor if you have experience one of these techniques. Patients should inform themselves about the risks and potential benefits of these procedures.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides wrinkle resources on http://www.aboutwrinkles.info.

If you have teenagers, then you will encounter this end-of-the-world dilemma at some point if you haven’t already. There’s a big party or concert or some other function that everyone who is anyone is going to be attending and your teenager wants to stand out and have this be their night (although they’ll never admit it).

Although it was years ago for most of us, if you think hard enough you can still remember what is was like not having the undivided attention from someone that you thought was the best thing walking the face of the earth. Times may have changed, but certain cultural habits never do. So how can you stand out in the crowd gracefully and attractively without doing something crazy that you will regret down the road?

Try wearing a pair of colored contact lenses. You will be amazed by how much influence and appeal something as simple as the color of one’s eyes can have over the masses. With so many varieties and new colors to pick from, you can find a colored contact to fit almost any occasion.

To make matters even better, you don’t even have to need vision correction to wear cosmetic contact lenses. You may even have access to a greater variety of tints because several contact lens manufacturers only produce certain colors for certain types of contact lenses.

This doesn’t mean that those who do need vision correction are limited in their choices of colored contacts. With newly developed technology, almost all types of contact lenses including toric, rigid gas permeable and soft disposable lenses can be specially ordered with your favorite color tinted in the lens.

So the next time you are in the midst of the crowd and feel yourself blending in rather than standing out, try wearing a stunning colored contact lens to intensify and add vibrancy to your eyes. Remember, it has been said that eyes are the windows to the soul. Sometimes those windows just need a little color added to them to get people to stop and take notice. Talk with your optician today about ordering a pair of colored contact lens!

Mike Schwartz is the owner of the popular web site Best Contact Lenses Online His site provides useful tips, resources, and reviews to help you make the best decision when purchasing contact lenses on the Internet.