Health, sanitarian

Hair loss treatments are usually divided into two groups: natural hair loss treatments and all the other hair loss remedies. Unfortunately, many people that experience hair loss are not aware of the natural hair loss remedies. They usually get frustrated after having side effects of the hair loss remedies or spend too much money on ineffective hair loss remedies.

Herbal hair loss treatments have been proven effective for decades and in some cases even centuries. They cause no side effects, cost less than any other hair loss treatment and bring good results in preventing hair loss, stopping hair loss and regrowing hair.

Here are some of the most common herbs for hair loss:

1. Rosmary (Rosmarinus in Latin) – known for stimulating hair growth and for enhancing dark hair.

2. Dong Quai – A Traditional Chinese herb that contains phytoestrogens that reduces the formation of DHT. Hence, Dong Quai is beleieved to stop hair loss and even regrow hair.

3. Saw Palmetto – A small creeping palm – Also known as Serenoa repens. It contains free fatty acids and phytosterols, which block the formation of DHT and by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that contributes to androgenetic alopecia. and has shown to be more effective than Finasteride in some cases.

4. Aloe Vera – Taken from the inner leaves of plants, it is a substance in a gel formation that is known for its ability to calm irritated skin. It protects the scalp and hair and also known as a good remedy against Alopecia.

5. Capsicum – A type of hot peppers which stimulates hair growth by at least half and increases blood flow to the scalp. This herb is good for regrowing hair.

6. Lemongrass – A pale green stalk about 18 inches long. This herb stables oil product in the scalp. It also increases fullness and body to the hair.

If you suffer from hair loss or thinning hair or just want to keep your hair healthy and strong, it is recommended to use herbal hair loss treatments.

Most times, hair loss is explained in the context of genetics and a change in the hormonal balance of one’s body. However, hair loss can also be a symptom of an underlying disease or a result from a surgery.

Skin diseases that affect the scalp form one disorder that can result in hair loss. The nutrients, minerals and supplements are lost rapidly in the hair and scalp. With any of these skin diseases, it will usually cause hair loss either because of the effects from the immune system or because of the lack of nutrients that are not available from the disease.

Cancer, lupus or diabetes are other conditions that can cause your hair to fall out. Because the nutrients are not balanced in the body from these diseases, it may cause side effects or problems with hair loss. This is known as a side effect of an underlying problem that is more severe.

When you are losing hair from a surgery, it is usually either a side effect of the disease, or from excess stress that occurs from the surgery. This is especially known to be a problem if the surgery is major. In other instances, the hair loss may be a result of part of the surgical procedure, such as chemotherapy, which will cause temporary hair loss.

Knowing how your disease or the aftermath of a surgery can result in hair loss is important as it can mean that your falling hair may just be a temporary situation as you recover from a weakened immune system and body.

Once your body hormones begin to balance again and your organs are working optimally, hair will begin to grow back at a normal rate. Don’t worry excessively if your hair takes some time to grow. It takes time for the proteins and nutrients to take effect on your scalp and hair.  In fact, a period of between four to six months is usually the case before you have a good amount of hair back on your head again.

If you are losing your hair because of a disease, then you can expect that the hair will grow back. In order to make sure that your hair grows back, you will need to take proper specific steps in order to remove toxins from your body and rebalance the hormones internally. In effect, your scalp and hair area will gain more nutrients and will have the ability to become healthy again. Over time, your hair loss will diminish and will grow back, despite the effects from any type of disease that has affected your body.

So your losing your hair? Feels like its the end of the world does it? Well I’m here to give you some good news and some bad news. We will start with the bad first and that is unfortunately hair loss isn’t the only annoying change that goes with breaking into the golden years. Other changes include erectile dysfunction, swelling prostates, urinary symptoms that go with large prostates, decreasing time in stage 4 sleep, and the list goes on and on. The way I see it going bald is the least of your concerns.

Ok so the good news is that in today’s age of pharmacy, there are several great options to solve many of the above mentioned problems, including hair loss. So you don’t have to just accept your genetically determined fate. Not only are there good pharmalogical options but the semi surgical options of hair implants are always improving.

So what causes hair loss otherwise known as male pattern baldness? Well it is in the genes as mentioned above. The rumor is that it runs through the maternal line. So if your mom’s dad is bald than you’d better start getting ready. That isn’t the whole story though. It turns out that there is an enzyme that changes testosterone to dihyroxytestosterone or DHT. DHT which is produced in greater amounts and for which some are more sensitive to acts in many different ways including the root of the hair and actually acts as a toxin to the hair permanently ending the ability of the hair producing proginator cells to continue growing hair.

One of the best treatments is a drug called finasteride or propecia which inhibits the enzyme, alpha 1 reductase, that catalyzes the reduction of testosterone to DHT. If begun early enough it can prevent (or signigicantly slow) hair loss. This drug has been shown to be wonderfully efficacious at relatively low doses, which limits the side effects to a tolerable minimum. One problem with the drug that has recently been made much of in the media is the olympic ban on propecia. It turns out that it can and has been used as a coverup for anabolic steroid performance enhancing drugs. So a significant issue that fortunately effects only a very small minority of balding men.

As mentioned there is also the implant option which for a while seemed like it made you look worse than just having no hair. The corn rows weren’t what most guys were going for and were any thing but natural. Now however you really have a hard time noticing the difference unless you are around a guy and all of a sudden they have a head of hair that didn’t use to be there. So like I said, compared to the other problems that will eventually crop up, hair loss is tame. But lest we suffer in the looks department fortunately there are good options to stem the “disease.”

Have you ever read the label on your shampoo bottle? You’ll be shocked to learn that the ingredients found in many shampoos may pose a threat to your health.

Research has shown that various chemicals lurking inside shampoo may induce serious health risks, like memory loss, eye and skin irritation, hair follicle damage that can lead to hair loss, and even cancer.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies personal care products, it does not regulate them. Therefore, there are no legal guidelines or boundaries for shampoo manufacturers to follow.

The descriptive “all-natural” has become a buzzword in the beauty world for environmental friendliness. What some shampoo makers leave out, however, is they still use the lathering agents, emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances that contain hundreds of harmful chemicals.

According to a company called Blinc Inc., it is very likely that the list of ingredients in a bottle of shampoo will contain some of the following additives:

* Propylene glycol, known as the main ingredient in antifreeze, is also found in makeup, toothpaste and in your shampoo. It can cause allergic reactions.

* Sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are common causes of eye irritation. They can also damage hair follicles. When absorbed into the body from continuous contact, they can bring on asthma attacks.

* Synthetic fragrances contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which have been known to cause headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, coughing and vomiting.

*The National Toxicology Program found that applying diethanolamine to a mouse’s skin induced liver and kidney cancer. DEA is readily absorbed through the skin and can also be toxic to the brain.

But before you decide to never wash your hair again, Blinc Inc. is simplifying consumer education by consolidating official government research on questionable ingredients found in many shampoos, conditioners and body washes.

The company’s philosophy of “Why take a chance?” means there are no controversial ingredients in its haircare products. They are 99.8 percent vegetable derived and as close to natural as possible while effectively cleansing without causing irritation to eyes or skin or damaging hair.

During the months of November to February, the days start getting shorter and colder, and the nights longer and darker.  Climate changes seem to affect many people and they just can’t understand why they tend to feel gloomy and miserable.  This mood disorder is called winter depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
According to Norman E. Rosenthal, the doctor who coined the term SAD in 1984, winter depression has a sound medical basis that involves changes in the body’s mood centers brought on by shorter daylight hours and a lack of sunlight.  Most depressive illness sufferers experience a sense of utter isolation and loneliness. But the fact that many people go through the same grumpiness during this time of the year provides a sense of comfort and assurance that they are not alone.  As the cliché goes “misery loves company.”
Based on statistics of SAD Association, 500,000 people in the United Kingdom experience some form of winter depression, while doctors have estimated that 20% of the population, or almost 2 million people, are affected in Sweden by this condition.
One of the most effective and clinically proven treatment for SAD is “light therapy”, which has been shown to benefit some 80-85 percent of SAD cases.  Simple as it may sound, the treatment actually involves more than just turning on a light and sitting beside it while twiddling your thumbs as you wait for that renewed energy to “power up” your whole well-being.
The average domestic or office light emits a paltry 200-500 lux (a lux is a unit of illuminance,) whereas a minimum of 2,500 lux is required to alleviate the symptoms of SAD.  In comparison, a clear summer’s day can reach an intensity of 100,000 lux.
Based on these specs, a number of specially designed light boxes have been invented that emit precisely the right amount of illumination. Symptoms of SAD gradually subside by sitting in front of one for about 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the severity of the condition.
Light therapy may be the best treatment for SAD as far as symptoms are concerned. However, addressing the root causes of the condition may involve both anti-depressant drugs and psychotherapy treatments especially for those with severe symptoms.

Studies have shown that the incidence of SAD increases dramatically as you go 30 degrees of latitude further north or south, as the condition is virtually unheard of in the tropical countries.  A movement or vacation trip to these countries in the equator may sound impractical but can definitely improve ones mood and well-being.
Watching movies that feature warm, sunny, summery climates show demonstrable improvements in mood. Research shows that any film with clear blue cloudless skies, palm trees and an absence of snow should qualify for a movie therapy.
The same mood-enhancing effect may result by simply watching outdoor sports like cricket or golf.  However, over-exposure to snooker, darts, and indoor bowling has been found to bring on a state of depressive, trance-like catatonia that, in severe cases, culminates in complete mental health breakdown.

Drink More Water

The skin stores around 12% water. It is important to maintain this amount with the correct amount of good fat to keep your skin from getting acne. You need to drink around 2 quarts of distilled water every day. If you are not drinking this amount, just start increasing the amount that you do drink.

Drinking water helps you get rid of toxins in the blood and around your cells. By drinking water, you will urinate more and more toxins will be eliminated. You will sweat more and toxins will be eliminated.

The cleaner your blood the healthier your skin will be and your will not have a problem with acne.

Use glass containers when buying distilled or reverse osmosis water. Try to avoid using plastic containers for water since plastic containers contain chemicals, left in the container walls during manufacturing, which leaches out into the water.

If you are drinking fresh juices, you will also be getting water from these juices. Drinking sodas is not drinking water.  If you are eating fresh vegetables you are getting distilled water.  So the more fruits and vegetables you eat the less water you need to drink.

Here’s a few things you do to help you drink more water or to make the water healthier. Find a 16 or 32 oz glass container and add distilled water. Then add one of the following nutrients:

* A few drops of Alkalife. This solution changes the pH of the water from 7 to 8 and also activates the water with its electrolytes – sodium and potassium.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water. Do not add sugar. A few drops of honey may be ok.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water and add up to one teaspoon of powdered MSM. MSM is excellent for the skin disorders such as acne. It makes the skin cells more flexible, allowing more nutrients to go into and out of the cells, and its anti-inflammatory. MSM is also excellent in activating peristaltic action and will prevent constipation.

* Put 2 oz of mangosteen into the water. Mangosteen is an over all body tonic. It works on all parts of the body and will help keep you regular.

You can also choose to add your favorite nutritional flavor to give water an additional value.

Chose one of these natural additives for your water and drink this water little by little all day long. This is one more thing you can do to get rid of acne, improve your skin texture or to keep the nice skin you already have.

Get Some Sunshine

One more thing you can do for your skin is to get more natural light.

Expose your face to plenty of sun and air. This helps your skin to heal faster. But don’t purposely place your face in the sun, but remaining in the shade and open outdoors gives you plenty of sun and air.

At least 20 – 40 minutes a day in the outdoors is necessary for you to get sufficient vitamin D for you daily needs.

Let’s face it, you are engaged in an ongoing battle when you are afflicted with acne. While acne treatments for a mild case of acne are usually successful, moderate acne is a greater problem. Even dermatologists cannot cure a severe case of acne but can only provide an acne treatment regimen.

However, you can support your acne treatment efforts with proper acne skin care in order to reduce the recurrence of acne flare-ups and not aggravate existing acne.

Knowing What You’re Doing

One of the first pieces of advice is to make sure that you understand and follow the directions for any acne remedy that you are using. If you are taking a prescription acne medicine, read the patient leaflet that accompanies the medication carefully. Typically for moderate to severe acne a dermatologist may prescribe several acne medicines, each with its own treatment protocol and directions.

In order to achieve the acne free skin that you desire, it is important to use all the acne treatments properly and in the correct order. Consider bringing a tablet of paper, a pen, and a friend or relative with you to your appointment with your dermatologist.  Simply jot down some notes about the order and time of day for applying each acne medicine and what its purpose is.

Remember, just because the acne clears with the use of your acne medicines doesn’t necessarily mean that you have succeeded in curing acne. Most people with moderate to severe acne must continue to use their acne medicine long-term to prevent any recurrence of their acne problem. Using the acne treatments properly should translate to clear skin and freedom from acne scars.

What About Over-the-Counter Remedies?

Besides using medications prescribed by a doctor, there are a large number of products on the market labeled as skin cleansers, facial cleansers, pore cleansers, and facial pore cleaners that can be used in curing acne.

When cleansing skin that is afflicted with acne, an important point to remember is not to scrub the skin; never scrub your face with a washcloth. It is a misconception that acne is caused by dirt clogging the pores of the skin. You don’t scrub away the offending dirt; you can’t scrub away the offensive acne and achieve acne free skin.

Over-washing or scrubbing skin afflicted with acne only serves to aggravate the condition. Rather use only a gentle skin cleanser, lukewarm water, and a gentle motion with your fingertips as your primary acne skin care regime. When you wash your face with your hands, be sure to first thoroughly wash your hands.

Do Natural Treatments Really Work?

Look for gentle cleansers that are sold as acne solutions. When you’re evaluating skin cleansers for acne, include natural acne treatments in your search as well. For example, a soap made from Echinacea and other herbal ingredients is an effective antibiotic facial cleanser that helps fight acne and restore clear skin. Tea tree oil also has known antibiotic properties and serves as a mild anesthetic that will soothe the irritated skin.

Oily skin is implicated as a one of the causes of acne. It doesn’t necessarily make sense to use a moisturizer on oily skin as a means of achieving clear skin. But many of the acne treatments, whether they are prescribed or available as over-the-counter products, have a tendency to irritate the skin while curing acne.

A moisturizer is a boost to irritated skin and keeps skin from becoming overly dry due to the acne treatments that have been applied. Look for a moisturizer with the following properties:

- oil-free
- won’t clog pores (non-comodogenic)
- containing a sun-screen

Besides a great desire to just scrub away the acne, many people try to remove the acne pimples by hand as a way to get clear skin. People who are afflicted with acne should avoid touching their face except to gently wash it with mild cleanser as already discussed.

By trying to remove pimples by hand you run the risk of creating acne scars that will last for a lifetime. Instead, have patience and rely on your prescription or over-the-counter acne treatment to work. Acne remedies usually take 6 to 8 weeks before curing acne.

For male acne sufferers, the daily ritual of shaving can be a problem. One acne sufferer has recommended the Gillette Sensor Excel as a gentle and effective razor to use. Other males prefer to try an electric razor. The advice is to shave delicately to avoid nicking the skin and to shave only as often as necessary. Finding a moisturizing shave gel may be one way to enhance your acne skin care program.

Female acne sufferers have their unique problems too, in finding the right cosmetic products to use. Females who are accustomed to using a foundation product may find that the foundation is difficult to apply smoothly if the facial skin becomes irritated due to the acne treatments being applied.

You may have to abandon the use of some cosmetics during the acne treatment period. Be sure to select only oil-free cosmetics and ones that are labeled as non-comodogenic (won’t clog pores) to use on your road to clear skin.

Proper acne skin care is a necessary addition to your arsenal for fighting your battle with acne and achieving clear skin once again.

Acne is one of the most common skin diseases that a person usually experience. Acne is defined as an inflammatory skin eruption that commonly occurs in or near the sebaceous glands of the different parts of the body including the neck, face, shoulders, and upper back.

Though acne is a common problem, it is also one skin disease that is very easy to treat and prevent. There are many products that a person could consider as the best acne treatment. The best acne treatment for a person could be not the best acne treatment for another. This is because the best acne treatment is determined by the type of skin a person has and the skin reaction on that treatment. The best acne treatment could also range from the medical ones which are proven best acne treatments that modern medicine has to offer up to herbal medicines that are also accepted as the best acne treatment to some people.

Another thing that a person must consider before deciding on what could be their best acne treatment would be assessment of toxicity which excess of it could lead to harmful risks in the health of the customer. Here are some of the best acne treatments that have been tested and contain a low level of toxicity in it (meaning there is minimal or even no health risk in using it).

First on the list of the best acne treatment would be Australian Tea Tree Oil. In the review conducted about this product, it was given a rating of .01 with a score range of 0 to 10, 0 as harmless and 10 as potentially harmful. In using this product, just add one or two drops of the product in cotton and apply it to the affected area. Do not use this product on the whole face because the results would not be good (curiosity killed the cat). So far, this has the number one spot as the best acne treatment. Next on the list of best acne treatments would be Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick with Eco-Harvest Tea Tree Oil with a rating of 3.8. This best acne treatment consists of Witch Hazel Extract, grain alcohol, and different kinds of extracted oils (Eco-harvest Tea Tree Oil, Blue Chamomile, Rosemary, and others). In using this best acne treatment, a person must apply this to the blemishes and to even other skin irritations five to six times a day, which should be used daily. It is also recommended to use it with a clean facial wash. The third spot for the best acne treatment would be Burt’s Bees Doctor Burt’s Herbal Blemish Stick with Tea Tree Oil. This acne treatment was rated a 3.9 score. For the application of this product, one must apply this to the affected area and the good news about it is that there is no minimum application limit for this medication, which means it could be applied as many times as desired. The next best acne treatment is also similar with last one that I mentioned. It is known as Burt’s Bees Healthy Treatment Parsley Blemish Stick with Willowbark. This best acne treatment apparently has the same rating with the latter one (3.9). The only difference in this product is the willowbark element. The procedure for applying this treatment is also the same as stated above.

These are just some recommended best acne treatment that underwent a lot of research and study before they were declared as such. Though there are many other considered good acne treatments in the market, prevention is still the best way to overcome the acne issue.

Having depression can be quite… well… depressing. Pardon the lack of an appropriate expression, but the main thing is that we all know that depression can be pretty devastating. It is a hindrance to our social advancement as well as to our personal happiness.

There are some cases that people find a relief for depression by eating food or diet supplements that boost up the level of tryptophan.  Tryptophan is a kind of amino acid that is responsible in producing serotonin.

There is also a study that proves that carbohydrates is an anti depression supplements. It lessens the premenstrual syndrome for about three hours.

Simply by eating a high density of carbohydrates can diminished the effect of depression in the body. Carbohydrates repair the imbalance in the ration of the specific fatty acid. Imbalances of fatty acids can affect the risk of depression.

There is also a study that shows an association between moderate consumption of caffeine drinks which lower the symptoms of depression; any excess can heighten the risk.   Proper diet also helps to lower the tendency of committing suicide, in which depression is one of the primary causes. In this study, the doctors have formulated that by drinking coffee or tea, you can reduce the effect of depression.

There are also certain habits that contain harmful substances that may trigger the symptoms of depression, like drinking alcoholic beverages, too much cigarette smoking, and drug overdose.

Vitamins and other food nutrients such as Vitamin B, Iodine, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Amino complex have been associated with some protection against depression.

Niacin is also a very important in the production of tryptophan that helps promotes Vitamin B3 and it has been found out that it regulates blood flow in order to avoid mental depression.

Vitamin B12 and calcium ingredients may help in depression that take place during the monthly menstrual period. In the year 2001, there was a study that proves that this vitamin can prevent postpartum depression.

Those kinds of food supplements and vitamins may enhance the effectiveness of SSRI and other antidepressant.

In order to avoid depression you must choose your food wisely and have a proper diet.

Sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are completely recognized, but this represents a practical problem of managing to physicians. Erectile dysfunction, diminished libido and delayed/attenuated or absent orgasm (dysorgasmia or anorgasmia) are the most common sexual side effects reported because of antidepressant treatment.

However, sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are also a very challenge to clinicians, since they have to distinguish between sexual dysfunction (SD) associated with depression, treatment-emergent SD and pre-existing SD exacerbated by treatment.

Making the difference between these situations is quite important, since treatment strategies are not the same for the above mentioned SDs. Sexual dysfunction associated with depression may be treated raising the antidepressant dose, however, this would be particularly inappropriate for a treatment-emergent SD, in which case the appropriate thing is to lower the dose.

For managing appropriately antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction, experts recommend that clinicians may attempt to alleviate the sexual side effects of a drug though a reduction of the dose and/or a change to an alternative therapy that may be less likely to cause sexual side effects. These strategies are more likely to be used in patients who are not responding fully to treatment and also risk sacrificing the therapeutic benefit of treatment.

Nonpharmacologic interventions are also recommended by experts. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques employed by sex therapists are the most common, although there are no studies evaluating their success in patients taking antidepressants.

There exist a number of medications quite useful in the treatment of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressants. Under experts’ opinion, the most common medications for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction fall into three categories:

Dopaminergic agents, such as amantadine and pramipexole.

a2-adrenergic receptor antagonists such as yohimbine.

Serotonin 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, including granisetron, nefazodone and cyproheptadine.