Tips for healthy hair

How you wash your hair and the products you use can go a long way toward maintaining smooth, shiny hair. Follow these simple tips from dermatologists to maintain healthy hair.

1. Wash oily hair more frequently. How often you wash your hair should be based on how much oil your scalp produces.

• If your scalp is oily, you may need to wash it as often as once a day.
• If you have chemically treated hair, your hair may be drier, so you may want to wash it less frequently. 
• As you get older, your scalp makes less oil, so you may not need to shampoo as often. But if you see flakes in your hair, you may not be shampooing enough. This can lead to dandruff and other scalp diseases.

2. Concentrate shampoo on the scalp. When washing your hair, concentrate on cleaning primarily the scalp, rather than washing the entire length of hair. Washing only your hair can create flyaway hair that is dull and coarse.
3. Use conditioner after every shampoo unless you use a “2-in-1” shampoo, which cleans and conditions hair. Using a conditioner can significantly improve the look of damaged or weathered hair by increasing shine, decreasing static electricity, improving strength and offering some protection from harmful UV rays.
4. Concentrate conditioner on the tips of the hair. Because conditioners can make fine hair look limp, they only should be used on the tips of the hair and not on the scalp or length of the hair.
5. Choose a shampoo and conditioner formulated specifically for your hair type. For example, if you color your hair, use a shampoo designed for color-treated hair. If your hair is damaged or chemically treated, consider a “2-in-1” shampoo. Regardless of cost, many shampoo and conditioner brands provide the same benefits.
6. Protect hair when swimming. Protect your hair from the damaging effects of chlorine by wetting and conditioning your hair before swimming. Wear a tight-fitting swim cap and use a specially formulated swimmers shampoo and deep conditioner after swimming to replace lost moisture.

Maintaining Good Eye Health

Don't take your eye health for granted. Protect your eyesight with these six tips:

1. Eat for Good Vision

Protecting your eyes starts with the food on your plate. Studies have shown that nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E may help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Regularly eating these foods can help lead to good eye health:

• Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collards
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources
• Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices

Eating a well-balanced diet also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which makes you less likely to get obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

2. Quit Smoking for Better Eyesight

Smoking makes you more likely to get cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration. If you've tried to quit smoking before and started smoking again, keep trying. Studies show that the more times you try to quit smoking, the more likely you are to succeed.  

3. Wear Sunglasses for Good Vision

The right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Too much UV exposure makes you more likely to get cataracts and macular degeneration.

Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side. Polarized lenses reduce glare when driving.

If you wear contact lenses, some offer UV protection. It's still a good idea to wear sunglasses for more protection.

4. Use Safety Eyewear at Home, at Work, and While Playing Sports

If you work with hazardous or airborne materials at work or home, wear safety glasses or protective goggles every time.

Certain sports such as ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse can also lead to eye injury. Wear eye protection (such as helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses) to shield your eyes.

5. Look Away From the Computer for Good Eye Health

Staring at a computer screen can cause:

• Eyestrain
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty focusing at a distance
• Dry eyes
• Headaches
• Neck, back, and shoulder pain

Protect your eye health by taking the following steps:

• Make sure your glasses or contact lens prescription is up-to-date and adequate for computer use. 
• Some people may need glasses to help with contrast, glare, and eye strain when using a computer.
• Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. This allows you to look slightly down at the screen.
• Try to avoid glare on your computer from windows and lights. Use an anti-glare screen if needed.
• Choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Position it so that your feet are flat on the floor.
• If your eyes are dry, blink more.
• Every 20 minutes, rest your eyes by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds. At least every two hours, get up and take a 15-minute break.

How Often Should You Wash?

 

To wash or not to wash?

It seems simple, right? Take a shower and wash your hair daily. Wrong! Washing your hair may seem like a simple task, but you would be surprised how many curlies are doing it wrong.
Washing your hair incorrectly can lead to scalp irritation, dandruff, lice and other scalp issues. Certain hair types and textures only require washing once a week, where others work well washing 2 - 3 times a week.

What makes your hair feel dirty?

Sebaceous glands are to blame! Sebaceous glands are glands in our skin that secrete an oily/waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate our skin and hair. These glands are connected to an individual hair follicle. They are responsible for secreting sebum, the natural oils that moisturize and waterproof your skin and hair. This is why our hair can feel or look dirty.
Now, let's talk about how often you should cleanse for each hair type.

Thick hair or tight curls and kinks

Shampooing can be the last thing on your mind, since you only need to wash your hair about once a week (and sometimes less)! Your hair doesn’t feel dirty easily, so you don’t need to cleanse it until it feels dirty. Daily washing is a bad idea because your hair would be way too dry.
You have the luxury of waiting a number of days until you feel like it needs washing again. To refresh in between washes, try a dry shampoo or conditioner. Co-washing is a great option for those with thick, coarse hair.

Medium curls, kinks and waves

You can afford to shampoo every few days. If you skip a day, no need to worry because your curls will look great with a little refreshing! Curls look great and the texture will work well with a small amount of oil in your hair. Low shampoos or a shampoo bar is great for you.
Make sure to pineapple to help you achieve better second day hair. If you work out a lot, you may need to co-wash in between shampoos. You can also water wash between co-washes. Water washing means that you massage your scalp using just water, no shampoo, cleanser or conditioner. Some people do this in between their co-washes/shampoos.

Fine curls and waves

You have a fine hair texture; by the evening your hair seems oily and you use styling products daily.
Your curly locks will look their best if you shampoo every day. Your wave or fine hair will sparkle with daily washed hair. It’s not your style to have oily texture, so it’s best to keep it clean. To avoid drying out your locks, make sure to moisturize with a good conditioner! Think about how much this is going to cut down on your bathroom time!
Although curlies may have one of the hair types listed above we don’t all have the same exact hair types, porosity, water qualities and hair care needs. Wash and condition your hair based on how greasy or dry your hair feels use the above as guidelines.

Ways to Get Rid of Acne

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Skin Problems Image Gallery

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Your skin is your largest organ, and it does a lot more than simply prevent you from spilling out all over the place. Skin cells are constantly replacing themselves, making a journey from the inner edge of your epidermis (your skin's outermost layer) to the outside of your skin. As a skin cell ages and approaches the skin's surface, the dying cell flattens out. Once on the surface, it joins countless other dead skin cells and forms a protective layer that helps protect you from bacteria and viruses.

Inside your hair follicles, there are small glands producing oil called sebum. This oil mixes with skin cells in the follicle and joins them on the journey outward. But when there's too much sebum, too many dead skin cells or something on the surface that blocks their exit from the follicle, a blockage can occur. Bacteria joins the party, and the result is acne vulgaris, the most common form of acne.

While acne usually affects teenagers and 20somethings the most, anyone of any age can get acne, even babies. Our instinctual response -- picking at it, rubbing it and canceling our social engagements -- doesn't help in the least, but fortunately, there are some treatments available that can.

Skin Problems Image Gallery

Great. Now what? See more pictures of skin problems.

©iStockphoto.com/soupstock

Your skin is your largest organ, and it does a lot more than simply prevent you from spilling out all over the place. Skin cells are constantly replacing themselves, making a journey from the inner edge of your epidermis (your skin's outermost layer) to the outside of your skin. As a skin cell ages and approaches the skin's surface, the dying cell flattens out. Once on the surface, it joins countless other dead skin cells and forms a protective layer that helps protect you from bacteria and viruses.
Inside your hair follicles, there are small glands producing oil called sebum. This oil mixes with skin cells in the follicle and joins them on the journey outward. But when there's too much sebum, too many dead skin cells or something on the surface that blocks their exit from the follicle, a blockage can occur. Bacteria joins the party, and the result is acne vulgaris, the most common form of acne.
While acne usually affects teenagers and 20somethings the most, anyone of any age can get acne, even babies. Our instinctual response -- picking at it, rubbing it and canceling our social engagements -- doesn't help in the least, but fortunately, there are some treatments available that can.
So what can we do to get rid of acne? Let's talk more that instinctual response next.

Take the acne quiz!

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Here's a simple tip: If you want the skin on your face to look lovely, stop touching it.
Sounds easy, right? Well, good luck with that. Most of us aren't aware of how often we touch our faces. We relieve itches, wipe our lips and scratch our ears. Once you pay attention to how often you paw at your face, you may feel downright feral.
Hands are the body's primary tool to interact directly with the world around us. There's plenty of blame to go around, but the world is pretty dirty. Sweat, grime and oil (not to mention bacteria and viruses) spread from person to person through use of frequently touched surfaces like door knobs, store counters and gas station pump handles.
Needlessly touching your face at some point in the day is inevitable, so try to wash your hands throughout the day as well.
Speaking of washing, let's move on to our next tip.

Easy does it -- a gentle cleanser, twice a day.

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Taking a moment to thoroughly (but gently) wash your face is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent breakouts. Grime and grease build up on your face all day, and residue from cigarette smoke, air pollution and daily living winds up there, too.
Don't go overboard with the washing, however. Twice a day should do it -- once in the morning, and once at the end of your day. Use a clean washcloth, warm water and a mild soap or cleanser. This simple regimen will be effective at ridding your skin of dust, dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria. You don't want to dry out your face by stripping away all of its oil, and you can do more harm than good by agitating or weakening your skin by scrubbing too hard.

Ways to Take Care of Your Feet Every Day

Wash Your Feet Every Day

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All your feet need us a little tender loving care to stay healthy.

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Your feet are probably the last part of your body you think about -- until they start hurting. They're too important to overlook, though: With some 26 bones and a complex framework of muscles, tendons and ligaments, your feet absorb the impact of your full body weight with every step, keeping you balanced and upright in the process.
The problems that can afflict your feet are numerous. Foot odor, cracked skin, fallen arches, corns, ingrown toenails, fungal infections and even damaged bones can cause discomfort and reduced mobility. While some of these problems are congenital, you can avoid many of them with a little TLC. If that wasn't enough of an incentive, all of these problems tend to worsen as we age, so if foot care doesn't seem important now, it will be.
The best way to keep your feet healthy is a simple regimen of daily care that will help keep the skin, bones and muscles of your feet functioning properly. Here are five foot care steps you can use every day.

Those heels are fine for the office, but you may want to try some flats after work.

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Wearing the wrong shoes can affect many aspects of foot health. First, your shoes must fit. Shoes that fit too tightly can cause hammer toe, corns, ingrown toenails and general foot pain. Overly large shoes prevent your heel from settling in the proper place as you walk, causing blisters and calluses, sore heels and excessive shoe wear. Remember that your feet "stretch out" late in the day, so go shoe shopping after work, when your feet are at their largest. You might gain a half size as you age as well, so your usual size from 10 years ago might not be your correct size today.
Some shoes are bad for your feet even if they fit properly. Wearing high heels frequently can cause damage to the bones of the foot. They're fine every once in a while, but you should find a comfortable pair of flat-soled sneakers for everyday wear.
You should also look for the right materials. Synthetics tend not to breathe well, trapping heat and moisture. Natural materials like leather and cotton will keep your feet cooler and release moisture; athletic shoes with special materials or mesh work even better. At the same time, though, you can't really avoid foot sweat. However, you can try to alternate your shoes, so that the pair you wore yesterday has a chance to dry out completely before you wear them again.

Exercise your foot muscles by taking a relaxing walk like this one.

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This might seem counterintuitive, since walking puts stress on your feet. The muscles in your feet are just like any other muscles -- they need exercise to stay strong. You can't really lift weights with your foot muscles, so the best way to exercise them is to just take a walk. It doesn't have to be a long walk, but taking one every day will keep those muscles firm and keep your tendons and ligaments flexible. That can prevent fallen arches later in life. And your dog will thank you for it.

If walking causes sore legs or feet, there are a couple of extra steps you can take to improve the problem. Arch support inserts can keep your feet in the proper position to support your weight during walking. Many stores have special measurement devices that will tell you which type of support is right for your foot. If you've been doing a lot of walking on pavement, your feet might not be up to the impact. Try walking on grass, dirt or a soft cinder track for added cushioning.

Of course, make sure you wear those breathable, well-fitted shoes when you walk.

Forgetting to wash your feet in the shower can lead to a host of other foot problems.

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Even the most conscientious and clean person among us skips washing his or her feet in the shower every now and then. It can be a pain. It's really important to the health of your feet, though.
Your feet spend most of every day trapped inside a pair of shoes. All the moisture and sweat provides fertile ground for bacteria to grow, and the spaces between your toes are even more hospitable for bacteria and fungi. When you don't wash your feet, you're letting that stuff accumulate from day to day. That leads to unpleasant foot odor -- and eventually to fungal infections and other skin problems.
You don't need a special foot wash to clean your feet. Just make sure you give them a thorough soaping, especially between your toes. After your shower, it's equally important to dry your feet (between the toes again) to prevent trapped moisture from letting all that bacteria hang around. Foot powder can keep them dryer longer, too.