Not everybody looks like Helen of Troy. If Mother Nature happened to be harsh on you concerning looks, you can score over her with some easy to practice makeup tips. It is guaranteed that these makeup tips will turn even a plain Jane into a woman of rare and exquisite beauty.

There are makeup tips for every beauty problem. With makeup, you can draw attention to your most beautiful feature or downplay a not particularly appealing one or even hide a scar or blemish.

Every makeup tip is unanimous on one point and that is a good skin foundation. It is essential for that “oh-so-glamorous” porcelain smooth look. A foundation also gives protection to the delicate facial skin from harmful weather forces and pollution. In conjunction with a moisturizer, it prevents the skin from ageing.

The key to sparkling eyes, as every eye makeup tip will swear by, is light colored eye shadows like brown, mauve, vanilla or beige. You can play in the subtle undertones of the skin and opt for colors like gold, olive, pale purple and gray.

The adventurous at heart can try out bronze, tan or any other shinning translucent eye shadow powder or go in for a layered look by combining two colors. Experimentation is all right, but every make up tip profess one thing, “don’t go overboard”.

Mascara is another aspect of eye makeup. In fact, there is nothing like a dash of mascara to dramatize the eyes. For a no makeup look, a brown shade or clear mascara is the best. For a wide-eyed innocent gaze, try curling your eyelashes. But curl before applying the mascara and do not curl your lower lashes for they are apt to fall off.

A makeup tip is not meant only for highlighting a facial feature. Makeup can be used as a cover for problematic zones too.

You can make your concealer or foundation stay all day by dusting it with some translucent powder and its good riddance to bad rubbish like pimples, scars and dark circles. For the real obstinate acne, just a dab of concealer, that is one shade lighter than the foundation, bordering on the green or yellow tone is ideal.

For a large nose, light colored shoulder-length voluminous hair is the ideal mask.

There also happens to be a makeup application tip that will help those unhappy with the spacing between their eyes. A medium neutral eye shadow on the inner eyelids with a thick eyeliner stroke bordering the entire length of the eyes will make the eyes appear closer.

For eyes that are too close for comfort, a good beauty makeup tip is to apply a darker tone in matte finish in upward and outward strokes on both the lids and end in a thick flourishing curve.

The essence of all makeup tips is to make you, and not the makeup, stand out in a crowd.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental skin care interests. He can be reached at http://www.bestskinpeel.com.

Wear for fun colored contacts are exactly what they sound like. Wear for fun colored contacts are cosmetic contacts and are available throughout the world. You can even get some of these wear for fun colored contacts without a prescription.

When you wear for fun colored contacts you should still make sure they are safe for your eyes. Many people think the wear for fun colored contacts do not require the same care as prescription contacts, but they are wrong.

If you use the wear for fun colored contacts you should see an eye doctor to make sure your eyes are healthy and suitable for the wear for fun colored contacts. Do this before you buy any of the wear for fun colored contacts.

You will also need to know how to insert the wear for fun colored contacts in your eyes and how to remove them safely. Do you know what to do if the wear for fun colored contacts get stuck in your eyes?

If you are considering wear for fun colored contacts, are you prepared to take care of them? Do you know how to clean them properly and are you willing to take the time to do so?

Have you thought about how you will store your wear for fun colored contact? This is important, too. Before you get the wear for fun colored contacts you should have all the contact care items ready to go.

Another thing to know about wear for fun colored contacts: do not ever share them with friends. Your wear for fun colored contacts may be super neat and your friends may want to borrow them. The answer should always be, “no.” It is not safe to share your wear for fun colored contacts and if you do so you are putting your vision and the vision of your friend at risk.

Wear for fun colored contacts are great to have and easy to obtain but please use caution and take good care of them.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com. He provides more contact lens tips and discount contact lenses that you can research and purchase in your pajamas on his website.

Solar UV radiation (UVA and UVB) produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), within both dermal and epidermal cells. The reactive oxygen resulted from a dissociation of molecular oxygen in atomic oxygen has high affinity for different organic molecules, increasing their potential for oxidation, which can affect proteins structure, causes local inflammation and initiates several unfavorable skin cell reactions.

Both layers of the skin, epidermis (the upper layer) and dermis (the lower layer) are affected by UV rays. UVB radiation easily penetrates the epidermis and stimulates melanocytes, one of the cells types on the epidermis to produce a brownish pigment called melanin. Melanin protects the skin by absorbing and scattering ultraviolet rays. UVB rays are shorter and are responsible for the sunburns we feel when our skin is unprotected. UVA goes deeper into the skin and cause major changes in the dermis. The collagenous constituents of dermis, responsible for the skin’s strength, show marked alterations in their composition. This radiation is responsible for the acceleration of the skin aging process by breaking down the collagen and elastin tissues. UVA rays cause skin tanning, age spots, and wrinkling of the skin, as well as contribute to the development of skin cancer.

Sunscreen agents with SPF of 15 or greater are considered sun blocks because they may absorb more than 92% of UVB radiation. Currently, there is no standard method to assess sunscreen agents for UVA protection.

Usually, it is recommended to use creams, lotions and mineral make-up with sunscreen capabilities to protect your skin against UVB radiation. However, sun UVB blockers constituents, such as the derivatives of cinnamon (cinnamic aldehyde, cinnamic oil, octyl methoxycinnamate), PABA ( para- aminobezoic acids) and esters or salicylates (octyl salicylates , triethanolamine salicylate) can cause allergic reactions, irritation and might photosensitizes your skin. Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide reflect radiation and reduce the chance of an allergic skin reaction. However, the researches have been shown that microscopic particles of titanium dioxide, also called nano-particles, may increase the formation of free-radicals (reactive oxygen species) onto the skin.

Topical antioxidants can be effective in protecting against and reversing photodamage of the skin. Researches have been shown that topical vitamin C and E, as well as the mineral selenium can protect against sunburn, suntan and skin cancer. Only certain forms of these antioxidants are stable and active after absorption onto the skin. For example, vitamin C must be non-esterified and has to be acidic, vitamin E must be non-esterified and has to be the isomer, D-alpha tocopherol. Selenium is active only when applied topically as L-selenomethionine. It was also shown that topical application is several times more effective than oral administration of these antioxidants.

Antioxidants found naturally in their milieu, such as herbal extracts or oils are most likely more active than the same isolated antioxidants. For example by looking for vitamin C you may find it in active form and substantial quantities in Rosehip seed extract or oil. Further Sea Buckthorn oil is extremely rich in carotenoids, vitamin E and selenium. It has been already shown the important role of carotenoids in prevention and treatment of different cancer types due to their antioxidant capabilities. There is no wonder that the Russian cosmonauts have been using Sea Buckthorn base creams to protect themselves against cosmic radiation. Grape seed extract is rich in flavonoids and phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties, which some consider are even greater than vitamin C and vitamin E. The most valuable flavonoids in grape seed extract are proanthocyanidins, commonly called PCOs. The experts compare the therapeutic qualities of grape seed extract with those of Pycnogenol, a very powerful and expensive antioxidant used as an alternative treatment for heart and cancer disease.

In conclusion, be careful when select your sun blocker creams, lotions and make-up. They might not be appropriate for your skin type and they can trigger skin damage. For highly UV protection, I recommend the usage of skin care products based on complex combination of antioxidants. Not all antioxidants act in the same way to protect your skin. The richer environment in antioxidants, the greater protection against free radicals (ROS) is expected.

Claudia Budu has a Ph.D. in cell biology and a Master in biochemistry. Everything that she has learned from elderly people and with more than 20 years of scientific expertise resulted in the creations of TelBari - Active Herbal Cosmetics (http://www.telbari.com), a revolutionary approach in natural skin care.

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The other day, I indulged in one of my many guilty pleasures. Specifically, I watched a programme called "Face Lifts From Hell."

Like many factual programmes, you can learn a little something from "Face Lifts from Hell", and tonight I took away this little nugget: It’s not immigrants or asylum seekers that are putting a drain on the national health service. It’s idiots from this country.

One woman on tonight’s programme (and I don’t want to appear misogynistic, but there were no men featured; draw your own conclusions) went on a surgery holiday. The basic premise is that you go on a package trip with a group of other desperate people, and they cart you off to Poland to have various bits of your anatomy sucked, snipped, sliced and tightened.

This woman, who, due to numerous face-lifts, looked like she was constantly hurtling forwards at about 97 miles an hour, had some sort of breast-enhancement and, after surgery, was taken to a small apartment in a block with all the other patients and left there to recuperate. She was essentially dumped in a flat in Poland and left to her own devices with a group of equally vacuous and recently-mutilated women.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, she contracted an infection.

She then came back to the UK and, at a cost of £5,000, had to have things fixed. (Her bosom was left comically lopsided, to my great amusement, but this is a serious point. Ironically, a serious point is also what one of her boobs was left with.)

If this was an isolated case I could let the matter go, but the entire programme was like a hit parade of idiots who now had bodies as defective looking as their brains almost certainly are.

One woman - I swear this is the truth - was talked into cosmetic surgery by a travelling face-lift salesman. I’m not making this up. Someone came to this woman’s door and convinced her to get a face-lift she didn’t really want. I have enough trouble figuring out how my dad always seems to end up with windows and bank accounts he didn’t have any intention of aquiring after someone knocks on the door, but how in the name of all that is holy can you even consider listening to someone who goes door to door trying to convince people to be drugged to unconsciousness so that a stranger can slice into them and pull their skins on tighter?! Am I the only one who would hear alarm bells ringing in my head if this happened to me?! Possibly, yes, as this woman leapt at the chance and was genuinely surprised when things ended in tears.

Another woman travelled from Turkey for liposuction, and woke up a week later in a different hospital with what can only be described as a seam. She now looks like you could unzip her and keep pencils in her stomach. Apparently the surgeon, who, wouldn’t you know it, had a history of this sort of thing, botched the operation, severed an artery, and had to rush her to a (stop me if you see this coming) NHS hospital for treatment.

While I’m ranting, I may as well mention the lap dancer who wanted her breasts increased from a B cup to a C. She woke up with an F (am I the only one who pictures her relatives standing around with deeply interested looks and yelling "SURPRISE!" as she comes to?) and as a result could no longer lap-dance. Not to fear. She’s since become a teacher. Perhaps this goes some way to explaining the state of the education system, too, but that’s another story.

Our penultimate contestant tonight was a heavy smoker with a heart condition (who, funnily enough, was starting to look a little aged.) She was, to be charitable, nothing special to look at anyway. She also happened to neglect to mention her heavy smoking and heart problems to her surgeon, and ended up having a stroke from the stress of the procedure. What a shocker.

However, our prize winner tonight was a woman who had two children and put on weight (she actually put on the equivalent amount of weight of two ten-year-old children, by my calculation) and was offered a stomach reduction and lyposuction on (just the girls! People on the left! All together!) the NHS. Her operation wound became infected, and she contracted gangrene. But this isn’t the end of the story. Oh no. After three days, she was allowed home, and was, in her own words, in agony. She then suffered several fits. This, I’m sure you’ll agree, is where most of us would plan a return to the hospital. Instead, without going into the exquisite and mind-numbingly sickening detail she indulged in, she waited a further five days (with her condition becoming progressively worse) and nearly died.

Now, is it me, or is there a pattern, here? From what I can see, the sort of people who have cosmetic surgery are the same sort of people who travel to a Polish ghetto for operations, accept advice from travelling facelift salesmen, who don’t think that mentioning your liability to have a heart attack mid-operation is anything to trouble your doctor with, and decide that having a series of fits following an operation should be considered a "wait and see" sort of situation.

People who go in for cosmetic surgery, by and large, are stupid.

Now, I’m not for a moment suggesting that there aren’t good reasons. If you’ve been burned or damaged in some severe way that wasn’t your fault, or if your body really does look terrible for whatever reason, I can understand the desire to do something about it. Otherwise, here’s a pretty solid, iron-clad law of physics from someone who was a straight C student in science: People get older!! Believe it or not (you probably will, I’m quite dull) you’ve aged since you started reading this. Yeah, you. You, there, in the chair, looking at the screen with the slightly slack-jawed expression you didn’t realise you adopted when you read things.

Most people just accept it and move on with things.

If you can’t, here’s the first of my tips: Stop smoking. Without exception, every single woman of 50-something I’ve ever seen cram her flabby, drooping body into an outfit far too low, high, tight and stretchy for her has also had a cigarette in her mouth. And too much makeup, but one thing at a time. If you want to stay young-looking, stop poisoning your lungs and skin with nicotine. It’ll do you wonders.

Secondly, here’s my tip for losing weight without having to have a vacuum cleaner inserted into any orifices or incisions. It’s a simple equation: Less food, more exercise. Or, even, equal it out. Exercise proportionate to how much you’re eating. Keep an eye out for this, you’d be surprised how many fat people seem oblivious to this law.

As soon as people start to accept that shit (and age) happens, and begin to look after themselves, they’ll stop being a drain on the NHS from their botched face-lifts ("Who knew ‘Crazy Achmed’ wasn’t a reputable surgeon?!") and everyone else with real injuries might get some frigging treatment.

This, more than anything else, is the problem with the world today. Years of increased convenience (remember when you had to walk to a certain part of the house just to make a phone call?!) has left western humanity softer than an impotent marshmallow and just desperate for someone or something to blame, and for someone or something else to fix it. "I’m 50 and don’t look as good as I did at 19! There must be someone to blame and some procedure I can have!" It’s just going to happen, people, and until we all start to face up to the simple and oft-overlooked fact that life has a habit of sucking, we’ll never get anywhere. And the people who can’t accept that, of course, also can’t accept it when their desperate, sad attempts to beat the cosmic house fail, and so they complain about that. I guess, at the end of the day, I’m trying to get across a simple message: You were the one who chose to have that operation, madam, and if it doesn’t turn out well, there’s nobody to blame but yourself.

Incidentally, I have another weight loss tip. If you can’t bear to exercise and cut back on what you eat, just smoke yourself thin. You’ll look old, but I can give you the number of a really good plastic surgery salesman. Honest. He’s just knocking on the door, now…

Luke Haines

For most women, a healthy head of hair is a fleeting pleasure–a not-so-cheap thrill that seems to end the moment we tip our hairdressers. Even if we can prolong our post-salon glow, within a few weeks, it’s inevitably replaced by multiplying mobs of split ends and shower caddies resembling hair rehab clinics.

According to a recent Pantene survey, more than 70 percent of women believe their hair is damaged–a problem their stylists are all too familiar with. “When hair is shoulder length or longer, it’s usually split or dry,” says Gil Ferrer of the Gil Ferrer Salon in New York City. The good news is, you can get your strands into shape by replacing a few bad habits with Beauty Addict’s 12-step healthy routine.

Breaking the Cycle
Ironically, the same tricks and tools we use to improve our hair’s appearance often lead to lasting damage. According to Ferrer, “color, perms and straighteners are all harmful, especially when they’re combined.” To create the desired effect, these chemicals disrupt the cuticle–the hair’s delicate outer coating. When that layer is permeated or frayed, hair becomes dull, dry and brittle.

Even so, an estimated 60 percent of U.S. women color their hair, and 40 percent of them opt to go blonde. Sadly, “products that create double-processed, lighter-blonde shades are particularly hazardous,” explains hairstylist Matt Yeandle. If you’re determined to dye, Yeandle suggests sticking with a single-process color and avoiding re-coloring the same strands, which “can cause serious damage.” In addition, many stylists recommend staying within two shades of the hair’s natural hue or using gentler, semipermanent products.

But the chemically dependent aren’t the only ones at risk; friction and hot tools can be equally unsafe. “Going to bed with wet hair leaves strands more vulnerable to friction,” says Yeandle. After showering, he recommends lightly squeezing hair with a towel, using a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles and, once it’s dry, brushing gently, rather than vigorously. Alicia Trani, of New York City’s Mudhoney salon, also warns against overwashing, as well as potentially harmful accessories: “Uncoated rubber bands and tight ponytails worn every day are going to cause damage,” she notes.

The 12 Step Program
As with most things, the road to hair recovery is paved with care, caution and self-control. Follow the experts’ advice to get your tresses on the right track.
1. Cut and Run
To prevent split ends, experts stress the importance of trimming your hair every three to four weeks.
2. Beware the Razor
Be mindful of the tools your stylist is using. “Although razors can create beautiful styles, they can compromise the hair’s cuticle,” says Yeandle.
3. Keep in Condition
According to colorist Erika Szabo, of New York City’s Louis Licari Salon, generous conditioning is crucial to maintaining a healthy mane.
4. Go Deep
Rather than relying solely on standard rinse-outs, Szabo also suggests “saturating dry hair with conditioner, covering it with a shower cap, and keeping the cap on when showering, to let the steam activate the conditioner.”
5. Make an Investment
Poor-quality accessories can undermine even the best hair-care regimen. For best results, invest in an extra-gentle boar’s-hair brush and fabric-covered elastics, which create stress-free styles.
6. Choose the Right Tools
If you insist on heat-styling, stick with ceramic tools, which ultimately cause less damage than the metal variety.
7. Fight the Elements
Sun, wind, salt water, and chlorine can all damage the hair’s cuticle. Szabo recommends using UV-protective products, which also keep color from fading.
8. Beat the Heat
Blow-dryers, flatirons, and curling irons can all take a heavy toll on hair. If you’re unwilling to forgo the heat, limit yourself to weekly usage.
9. Hold Back
When blow-drying, use a diffuser or nozzle, and always keep the dryer at least six inches from the hair.
10. Keep It Moving
Flatirons should be kept in constant motion to prevent singeing, and curling irons should be carefully timed, following manufacturers’ instructions.
11. Get a High-Pro Glow
Nourish your hair at home, but leave heavy-duty chemical processes to the professionals.
12.Shop Around
Remember that perhaps the most important step in preventing damage is choosing the right hairdresser: “Make sure your stylist is knowledgeable, understands your hair, and won’t use damaging methods,” says Ferrer.

Happy Endings
Drugstores and salons are teeming with products that claim to restore, rejuvenate, and repair. According to Ferrer, “there’s really no way to reverse damage; the hair has to grow back.” Fortunately, the following products can help improve the look of battered locks and prevent new growth from suffering the same fate.

Mild shampoos such as Bumble and Bumble Gentle, Jean-Marc Maniatis Anti-Frizz, and Garnier Fructis Fortifying are specially formulated to protect and nourish. Daily conditioners like Paul Mitchell Super Charged and June Jacobs Citrus Clarifying leave hair silky and manageable. For weekly hydration, try deep conditioners such as Kérastase Masqueintense or L’Oréal Color Care Dry Defense 3-Minute Treatment. For heat-activated help, V05’s Hot Oil Treatments offer first-class moisture, while Nutriol’s Hair Fitness contains 12 vials of patented strengthening serum. Clinique Quick Detangle gets wet tresses tangle-free; Infusium 28 Heat-Activated Leave-In Treatment fortifies strands while you blow-dry; and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum is a premium polisher, improving the appearance of split ends.

Tara Mattarazzo is the editor-in-chief of Beauty Addict Magazine http://beautyaddictmag.com. For more articles on beauty, hair care, skin care, makeup, fashion, shopping, fitness, women’s health, and more, visit the Beauty Addict Magazine features page at: http://beautyaddictmag.com/thescoop/features/featureindex.html

She was so upset that day. She could not concentrate on her work in office. Her friends started asking her what happened to her. Anything amiss? They wondered.

It was a conversation during breakfast when her husband remarked “Honey, my friend introduced his wife yesterday.” “How does she look?” “She is slim and a bit fairer than you.” Now she has started pondering on how can she can make her skin fairer and make it glow.

Beauty is an obsession of women of all ages for many centuries but how many women realise that beauty is skin deep?. External beauty does matter but the beauty of the inner soul obtains that extra glow in the skin. A not-so-looking-good violin produces wonderful music than a flashy new violin. Similar is the case of a beautiful woman who looks extremely beautiful with a make over.

Not all know that women who participate in beauty pageants have to pamper themselves for many number of days with creams and lotions and also be strict on diet and live on warm water and lemon juice most of the time. The make-up artists do an excellent work on the faces of the contestants by carving and chiseling a work of art on their faces to make their skin glow. But only when the show is over, and the artificial “everything” is removed from them do they realise how naturally beautiful they are.

The natural glow just happens if a woman has a beautiful smile, a kind heart, maintaining a good body and eat a proper diet and keep the inner soul beautiful and clean.

“If you’re lookin’ for a lover
don’t judge a book by its cover
She may be fine on the outside
but so untrue on the inside."

Or it might be vice versa where she might not be fine on the outside but can be wonderful inside!

Not only women. Even men are becoming more conscious of their looks because women these days consider external beauty as one of the characteristics of a lover. The increase in the number of family saloons worldwide proves that the entire family wishes to appear good.

At the same time a value education on inner beauty is also needed to make them realise that a beautiful soul glows more than a beautiful skin!

HPriya Sivan

Which wrinkles and lines bother you the most? Are these lines and wrinkles the type that are best eliminated using Botox?

If you choose to eliminate only the wrinkles that can be treated with Botox, will any of the remaining ones still leave you unsatisfied with your appearance? For example, if you want both your frown lines and marionette lines removed, you will likely need a different cosmetic procedure to have the marionette lines eliminated.

From the top of your face down, bothersome facial wrin­kles have the following names and locations. Notice that Botox is not the best choice for all types of wrinkles and lines.

So what are the types of wrinkles and lines on our faces? It can be classified as:

Forehead lines: horizontal lines, often called worry lines. These lines form mainly because the underlying frontalis muscle, which stretches across the forehead, moves when you make facial expressions. When you lift your brow—sometimes referred to as the "aha" or surprised look—the muscle contracts, which causes the skin that is covering the muscle to pull, wrinkle, and then return to its original position when you relax the muscle. Now consider the countless number of times you’ve used these muscles. As you age, your skin be­gins to lose its elasticity, it suffers from sun damage, and the constant contracting and relaxing of the muscle results in forehead lines. These can be eliminated using Botox or filler injections such as collagen or fat.

Frown lines: vertical lines, also known as glabellar lines, that appear between the eyebrows. These linescan make you appear serious, angry, or stressed even when you’re not. It is for the removal of these lines that the Food and Drug Administration gave approval for Botox in April 2002. These lines are best removed with Botox. If you’ve frowned a lot over the years and the lines are very deeply etched, you may also need wrinkle fillers (e.g., collagen, fat) to eliminate these lines. Your doctor will discuss your options with you.

Crow’s-feet: lines that radiate from the outside corners of the eyes. They’re also known as periorbital lines. If you have these lines, they’re most likely the result of smiling and squinting. If you look in the mirror ands mile or squint, notice how your muscles contract and cause your eyelids to nearly cover your eyes and how the muscles contract at the corners of your eyes where the lines appear. Crow’s-feet are best eliminated with Botox, plus adjunctive treatment such as collagen, chemical peels, or laser resurfacing.

Laugh lines: also known as smile lines or nasolabial lines, they are the two vertical lines that run from the out­side corners of the nose down to the top of the outside of the upper lip. Even though they are called laugh lines, gravity and aging are also factors in their development. They can best be eliminated using wrinkle fillers (e.g., collagen, fat, AlloDerm, Cymetra, Gore-Tex, or SoftForm).

Lipstick or smoker’s lines: the tiny radiating lines that appear above the upper lip and below the lower one. It seems as though everyone has a different name for these annoying wrinkles, which are best removed using laser resurfacing, chemical peel, microdermabrasion, or wrinkle fillers—tissue augmentation (e.g., collagen in­jections, AlloDerm, fat)—in addition to Botox.

Marionette lines: the often deep lines that run down from the outside corners of the mouth toward the chin. These lines develop from a combination of factors, in­cluding gravity (the cheeks tend to sag from the force of gravity) and thinning of the supporting tissue that comes with age. These wrinkles are best eliminated using wrinkle fillers or laser resurfacing. Another option is a face-lift, a complex surgical procedure.

It should point out that Botox injections work best on crow’s-feet (wrinkles radiating from the outside corners of the eyes), worry lines (horizontal forehead lines), and frown lines (vertical lines, also called glabellar lines, that appear be­tween the eyebrows). These are wrinkles that are typically caused by chronic contractions of the muscles under or adja­cent to these areas of the face. Laughing, smiling, frowning, and squinting are some of the common facial expressions that can cause these lines. If you have lines and wrinkles on other parts of your face that concern you, you may need other types of cosmetic procedures to eliminate them. With that in mind, consider these questions:

You should ask yourself, which wrinkles and lines bother you the most? Is it suitable for Botox treatment? Your cosmetic doctors will be able to advise you.

If you choose to eliminate only the wrinkles that can be treated with Botox, will any of the remaining ones still leave you unsatisfied with your appearance?

If you’ll still be bothered by the remaining lines and wrinkles, are you willing to have other cosmetic procedures done to correct them? Naturally, you will need to discuss all your options and prices with your doctor, but you should be aware that other procedures may be needed for you to get the look you desire. You also should know that while Botox injections don’t involve any recovery time, some other cosmetic procedures do.

Ito Nakamura is a Internet Health Enterprenuer specialising in marketing Contact Lenses; health supplements; health exercise equipments & beauty products. http://www.detoxprofessor.com/

Spf or sun protection factor, is the amount of increased protection a sunscreen provides. If you are like most people, you will begin burning after 15 minutes without protection. An SPF helps protect against sunburn, and does not "stop" the tanning process completely!!! It’s the burning that you want to omit, that is what causes skin damage! it’s not the tan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Determine your protected sunning time by multiplying the SPF number by the amount of time it normally takes you to show signs of burning if unprotected.

For example: Spf 8: 8 x 15 = 2 hours of increased protection.

Spf 15: 15 x 15 = 3 3/4 hours protection.

If you burn in 5 minutes (usually very sensitive skin) with an spf 15: 15 x 5 = l h 15 increased protection.

Most common sunscreen ingredients are: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone (also called parsol 1789) and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane.

Avobenzone (also called Parsol) is less pore clogging than titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, but some people do experience irritation (rash or little red bumps) from avobenzone. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc oxide are natural products but can be more pore clogging as they sit on the skin’s surface and deflect back the UV rays, rather than absorbing into the dead layer of the epidermis.

A combination of Avobenzone and titanium dioxide or zinc oxide may be less clogging then td or zinc alone for some people. But in the end they all block the pores to a certain degree because of there texture.

Remember the lesser the spf in your cream or lotion the less chances your skin will react!! for example an spf 8 in your cream will give you minimal to no skin irritations or pore clogging!!! So it comes down to choose what works or is best for your skin or what you feel more comfortable with!

spf 2 blocks: 50%
spf 8 blocks: 86%
spf 15 blocks: 92%
spf 30 blocks: 96%

Spf 8-15: Is sufficient to give your skin ideal protection against the harmful effects of light for normal exposure to the sun like at home, at the office, in the city, day to day errands,. but the more sun you are exposed to (an entire day at the beach, for instance) the higher the SPF should be to give your skin optimal protection.

Sunscreen: Is usually a cream or lotion. It is a chemical protective product works by absorbing a minimal amount of the uv rays and filtering them. Many people have allergic reactions to the chemicals in sunscreen seen as a rash…

Sunblock: Is usually an opaque cream or paste. Provides a physical block that functions by reflecting rays. sunblocks contain natural minerals. Sunblock protects you by reflecting the uv rays before they penetrate your skin. Makeup with spf in it do not offer enough protection against the sun you are better to skip those entirely and splurge on a good moisturizer with sunscreen or a sunblock.

One should never go to bed with sunscreen on your face, not to mention all the chemicals that will sit there causing irritation and blocking your pores. At night your skin heals and renews itself taking in nutrients from the air and your treatment creams. The skin’s optimal renewal action takes place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. this is a time to nourish the skin not block the pores…… Please wash off your sunscreens as soon as you can.

Again I stress my view on spfs use - apply them when you need them do not abuse there use…… they are meant to be used when you are outside….

When you need protection from the sun especially during summer time, or whenever you are out in the open, for day to day use in the summer while doing errands, in and out of the home/car all day then an SPF 8 to 15 is sufficient… You can apply 30 when you will be outside for a longer period of time. In my opinion high spf lotions are not to be used daily all year round if you are not working outside or if you will be inside most of the day…..

If you really feel the need to wear a cream with spf daily stick with the ones that have a low spf… like an spf 8 and use an spf of 30 on areas (spot treat) where you need extra protection such as discolorations spots….. In my opinion if you are inside most of the day you do not need a cream with an spf in it!!!

Best protection is to wear a hat whenever possible and stay out of the sun during the peak hours of 10/11 a.m. - 3/4 p.m.

Note: If you have pigmentation spots (discoloration) and are worried about them you can spot treat them with an spf 15-30 if you wish!!! instead of putting an high spf all over the face.

Did you know that Vitamin C,Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Carrot Oil and Vitamin E help support the skin’s natural defences against uva/uvb! Vitamin E protects the cells against the adverse effect of free radicals, it protects skin during sun exposure!

Many studies have shown that antioxidants may be a very important strategy for preventing skin cancer.!

Aloe Vera was used 1000s of years ago as an essential protection against the rays of the sun.!

If you will be spending time out in the sun please always apply a sun block/sunscreen over your serums or creams containg vitamin A or C.!!!!!!!!!!

My tips for this summer!!

- First time you go out in the sun, go for no longer then 30 minutes - fairer skin less time and find a shade place you can go too after the initial 30 minutes then increase gradually through the summer always protecting the skin!

- Go out between the times of 9-11 am and after 3-4 p.m.

- Prepare the skin properly and treat the skin after being out in the sun!

To prepare the skin properly apply your moisturiser under your sunscreen or sunblock, the layers help to protect the skin! After your time in the sun wash off your sunscreen or sunblock and apply a moisturiser or product designed for after sun!!

Please try and stay away from tanning beds, in my opinion they are not safe for your skin!

Professional Esthetician
Elle’s Esthetic Studio
http://www.ellesestheticstudio.com

Injections of Botox, one of the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures on the market today, are used for the reduction or elimination of facial wrinkles caused by dynamic, or hyper-functional, muscles (muscles that get a lot of use). Those are the wrinkles that form when you contract your facial muscles to form a frown, squint, grimace, smile, or other type of expression, resulting in those tell-tale lines around your eyes, mouth, or nose, and across your forehead. Botox can be very effective in temporarily getting rid of some, but not all, of your facial wrinkles. But before we talk about which wrin­kles Botox can banish, let’s find out more about this popular substance.

How Botox Can Help?

Every year in the United States, millions of men and women undergo one or more cosmetic procedures that in some way enhance or change their ap­pearance. From chemical peels to nose reconstruction to eyelid tucks, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and other cos­metic surgeons across the country are reshaping the way Americans look, and as a result, how they feel about them­selves.

What is Botox?

Quite simply, Botox is a type of toxin produced by the bac­terium Clostridium botulinum. If you’re thinking that some­thing sounds familiar about this substance, that’s because this bacterium is the same one that causes botulism, or food poi­soning. It’s also the same bacterium that some countries stockpile as a bacterial weapon. You might be wondering if this is a substance you would want injected into your face.

Thanks to the wonders of medical technology, injecting Botox into the face isn’t only possible, it’s being done thou­sands of times a day, and safely. In the late 1970s, scientists discovered that botulinum toxin, when it was diluted to a great degree, had some very positive characteristics, proper­ties that could bring significant relief to thousands of people who had specific neuromuscular problems throughout the body. And after years of science and serendipity, experts discovered that botulinum toxin A (the bacterium has eight different toxins, or serotypes, each named for a letter of the alphabet) has cosmetic uses as well, especially when it comes to getting rid of wrinkles in the upper third of the face—that is, along the forehead and at the outer corners of the eyes. If you’re familiar with the concept of homeopathy, you’ll see a similarity with Botox.

In homeopathy, a substance— sometimes one that is poisonous when taken at regular strength, such as arsenic—is diluted to such a tremendous de­gree that when it is finally ingested, it is completely safe. Bot­ulinum toxin is extremely potent, but Botox injections contain a greatly diluted form of the toxin, rendering the in­jection safe yet effective.

The Desire to look young

Own up to it: you may believe the old adage that wrinkles add character to a face . . . but you don’t want it to be your face, at least not just now when you’re thirty or forty or fifty. You want to look as young as you feel. And why shouldn’t you?

The desire to look young and beautiful is far from new. Since ancient times, both men and women have searched for ways and concocted formulas to look more youthful. Eye and face cosmetics were used by the ancient Egyptians, the most famous of whom is Cleopatra, who was known to use lactic acid to peel her skin to look more beautiful. Archaeologists have found formulas, written on papyrus, that explain how to prepare mixtures of plants and honey for women to use as facials. Archaeological digs have also uncovered many con­tainers that once held green malachite, black antimony powder, and lead sulfide, all types of minerals that were ground up and used as cosmetics.

Ancient people even performed crude cosmetic procedures to improve—in their opinion—people’s appearance. In west­ern Russia, for example, a broad, flat nose was considered beautiful, so parents would bind the nose of a child to achieve this result. Because the Chinese believed that dainty feet were a sign of wealth and beauty, the practice of binding the feet of girls to prevent foot growth existed for thousands of years. Among some African tribes, an elongated neck is considered a thing of beauty, so some women keep adding rings around their necks to gradually stretch it to a desirable length.

Modern-Day Cosmetic Procedures

As we’ve seen, there have always been people who are willing to undergo different procedures or use various products to help them look young and beautiful. Apparently many people still feel similarly. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, 623,588 Botox procedures were performed in 1999, two years before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even approved Botox injections for cosmetic use. These procedures, which were done to reduce or eliminate wrinkles on various sites on the face and neck, are known as "off-label" uses (once a drug has been approved for one use, it can legally and ethically be used for other purposes, at the discre­tion of the practitioner). Botox has been approved for various medical (that is, noncosmetic) uses since 1989. And its off-label uses for cosmetic purposes continue to grow: in 2000, the number of procedures was 730,787; in 2001, it ballooned to 913,484.

FDA-Approved for Cosmetic Use

With the new FDA approval of Botox on April 15, 2002, for removal of frown lines—also known as glabellar lines— on the forehead, experts believe the number of procedures will greatly surpass the million mark. Right now, only one other cosmetic procedure—chemical peels—is performed more often: more than two million people undergo them each year. And some combine a chemical peel with Botox injec­tions to get rid of wrinkles and improve skin texture. It’s important to note that the only cosmetic use the FDA has approved Botox for is the removal of glabellar lines. However, doctors have been using Botox for cosmetic reasons in this and other areas of the face for about ten years. Some of the wrinkle sites, like smile lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth and down the sides of the mouth, do not respond as well to Botox be­cause the facial lines that form there are not as strongly muscle-driven as those in the other regions. However, Botox can be used along with other cosmetic procedures to get the look you desire.

But overall, the risks of Botox, when administered by a knowledgeable professional, have been very low. And this safety factor has fueled a growing interest in Botox among people of all ages.

Botox injections have become all the rage, and not just among aging baby boomers. Approximately 17 percent of the people who underwent Botox injections in 2000 were be­tween the ages of nineteen and thirty-four, hardly an agegroup one usually associates with bothersome wrinkles and aging skin problems. By far the largest percentage of Botox users was the 35 to 50 age group, at 41 percent. Those in the 51 to 64 age group counted for 29 percent, with men and women 65-plus rounding out the total at 13 percent.

As of spring 2001, about 12 percent of those getting Botox injections were men. And the number of men seeking Botox injections is expected to grow. Botox is an easy, convenient way to accomplish the look they want. And it’s not just actors, jet-setters, and chief executive of­ficers who are lining up for their injections. Even construction workers, police officers, social workers, and others from all walks of life are looking to get rid of their wrinkles.

Why is everyone doing it? You may want to look younger to help advance your career. For some industry, pleasant looking is a must, and you’d better look young and vital to stay in the game.

Ito Nakamura is a Internet Health Enterprenuer specialising in marketing Contact Lenses; health supplements; health exercise equipments & beauty products. http://www.detoxprofessor.com

You have long hair and you are ready for an updo or “long hair” service and you go to a full service salon and what – they don’t offer “long hair” service. Guess its not so full service after all. So you go to another beautician and they don’t know what to do either. Why is that? Some of the reasons hairstylists don’t offer “long hair” or updo service is because:

None of their clients have long hair
Never learned how
Takes too long
Learned, tried it, but got out of practice and forgot
Too confusing

To the hairstylist, watching is easy. But when you are actually doing the work, it becomes confusing. It’s hard for a hairstylist to get and keep clients. If you are able to offer total hair services, including long hair, then you’ll be keeping new clients instead of sending them away. One way to help you get over some of the points listed above is to practice on a wig or mannequin. When you are in-between appointments, this will offer you practice to gain confidence and allows you to display your work to your customers.

If you are good at long hair, then you need to be the hairstylist that your competitors send their customers to. Advertise that you do long hair. There are plenty that don’t do long hair and this approach may get you the client list you need.

Let the bridal shops know you are available, along with the formal dress shops. Girls going to prom always want fancy hairstyles. Offer your services free to the bridal show as a promotion for your business. This helps you gain more updo customers and helps the bridal shop. Win-win.

You can also create a photo album of the mannequins you have been practicing on, or on customers. This will give prospective customers your ability and creativity level. Another idea is to work with a clothing store on their special event or sale days – and offer your services to attract customers. You can make these books up inexpensively with a digital camera and color copies. Have them bound with some of your business cards and ask if you can display them at the bridal shops.

Complimentary cards are very good, too. You can offer a discount on the back of the card. When a client gets their hair done, then give them some cards to hand out when they are asked where they got such a cute hairstyle. This works especially well at high schools before proms and dances. As always, if they don’t need long hair services, they will probably pass the card onto a friend.

How much should you charge or expect to pay for long hair or updo services? Well, its different all over the country, but in general, the price should be at least $5 over the normal hairstyle whether it’s a shampoo and blowdry. Be prudent in your pricing as if you get a client that will only require 15 minutes for a braid or a quick updo, then you may not want to charge more.

Stuart Simpson
Pictures of Updo hairstyles at:
http://www.formal-tuxedo.com