Health Tips & Info For Women : Manicure

Manus Cura (manicure) is the latin word for Manicure. Manus means hands and Cura means care. This has become an essential for today's mordern women. If you are doing it for the first time its adviced to get it doen from a pofessional. 

Any manicure starts with the removal of old polish and trimming of nails. Regular manicures can do wonders for your hands. Gently push and trim your cuticles. Wash your hands with soap and water. Apply lotion and rub it in. Hand lotion is applied to the hands and massaged. 

Blood circulation is boosted and the muscles are relaxed too. Wipe nails once more with polish remover to eliminate residual lotion. Apply Nail polish. A base coat is applied on the nails. This works as a perfect layer for the polish to be applied. Once the base coat of nail polish is dry, its time for your favorite nail color. It must be applied with just 3 strokes and allowed to set before a second coat is applied. Nevert overwork the brush strokes.

An important routine in the manicure process is to soak the nails in a bowl of warm water to which is added some scented oil or nail cleanser. When the hands are thoroughly soaked, the nails are soft and ready to be cleaned and polished.

One can choose to pick up a home manicure kit and do it at home also. Ensure you get good quality set. Ensure sterilisation of the set after use. The best time to give yourself a manicure is after you have taken a shower or a warm bath. Your nails would be clean then and the skin would be well soaked.

A manicure done in a SPA can be reviving. The hands are exfoliated with essential salt and dipped in hot paraffin. The hands are hydrated with essential oils. This treatment would leave the hands relaexed and smooth.

Health Tips & Info For Women : Here's How to Prepare Your Child About The Arrival of Another Baby

Telling your child about the new baby?

There are no real rules about how your break the news to your child about the new baby. If your first child is still very young, he or she might not quite understand the concept of waiting for a few months till the baby arrives. You might wake up every day to be bombarded by the same question, “Has the baby come yet”

How your child handles the news also depends on the age of the child and the size of the extended family. If the child has been the centre of attention in a small nuclear family, he may find it hard to give up his place. Sibling jealousy and rivalry is a fact of life. By preparing your child, you may be able to lessen it even if you cannot do away with it completely.

The age of the child

If your child is 2-3 years old he might tend to be more possessive of your affections and might find it hard to share you. A 4-5 year old child might find it easier to share because he has already learnt to deal with other children in school. If the child is 6 or older, he might want to be informed about all that is happening and might be very interested in helping out with the new arrival. Regardless of the age, parents have to be realistic and need to know that each child will react differently to the arrival of a new baby.

Involve your child during pregnancy

If your child is small but old enough to understand the concept of another baby, tell him around the third month of your pregnancy. Of course, if your child is older and understands your conversations, then tell him as early as possible so that he does not feel left out. Take your child with you to the antenatal checkups so that he can be involved in the process right from the beginning. Let your child help in picking stuff for the new arrival. Encourage your child to come up with names for his sibling. Either directly or by suggestion, does not influence the child to say that he specifically wants a sister (or a brother). Encourage him to stay that he wants a baby and it does not matter whether it is a boy or a girl. When your keep stressing that you want the baby to be of the opposite sex of your child, he might feel that you don’t appreciate him or that he was a disappointment. He will then resent the new baby.

Involve your child in the hospital

Make arrangements for your child to be take care of when you are in the hospital. You must also prepare the child for the separation and let him know that he is being very helpful to you by being mature and staying at home. Let your first child come and visit you as soon as possible. Your child will want to touch and fell the baby. Do not get agitated and angry. Let him gently touch the baby while you are holding it. Calmly explain that the new baby is very fragile and needs gentle handling. Do not be surprised if your first child regresses and wants to be held and cuddled by you. Give him all the hugs and reassurances he needs.

After bringing the baby home.

When you come, reserve some special time for your first child. Have someone handle the baby for a while and give all your attention to the first one. If your child sulks and throws a tantrum, be patient and calm. Do not lose your temper or tell him that he is a bad brother. Be firm and allow the child to calm down. If the child continues to be aggressive, make sure that you do not leave him alone with the baby. The aggression will lessen eventually. You just have to be patient.

The Hindu the Wellness dated June 12 2008

Health Tips & Info For Women : Skin Care - How to Have Beautiful Hands

Beautiful hands are an essential part of one’s body. Hands cannot be kept hidden and they are exposed to all kinds of weather conditions. However much one may try to do so, they constantly come in contact with water which contains such powerful chemical solutions as washing powder, bleach and washing liquids. Therefore hands can easily show signs of neglect and ageing.

Protect your Hands

Proper care of the hands should be taken by drying it with a towel everytime you come in contact with water. A pair of gloves should be worn during all household chores like washing, cleaning and cutting vegetables. One will feel uncomfortable but will get used to it.

Cleansing

Every night, hands should be washed with a mild soap and scrubbed thoroughly with a face brush. In case of hard skin, it should be whizzed over with a pumice stone. If the fingers are stained due to vegetables, they should be rubbed with a piece of lime, this will help bleach the stain.

They should then be rinsed well and dried thoroughly, the hands should be treated over or twice a week to a massage with a real rich cream. This should be preceded by soaking them in warm oil preferably olive oil or almond for 15 to 20 minutes. A useful remedy for keeping the hands young and beautiful is to dip them up to the wrist in a bowl of milk. If the hands are too tired, soak them for a few minutes in warm water to which two or three tablespoons of salt is added, this will soothe the hands. As for the nails, soak them in a little vegetable oil and rub them with a herbal shampoo.

TO KEEP THE HANDS BEAUTIFUL DIP THEM IN A BOWL OF MILK. IF THE HANDS ARE TOO TIRED, SOAK THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES IN WARM WATER TO WHICH TWO TO THREE TABLESPOON OF SALT IS ADDED.

Courtesy: Indian Express, Health Supplement, December 13 2005

Health Tips & Info For Women : Women and Exercise.

There is no doubt that exercise is the only salvation for the health problems that are overwhelming Indians. Women hold the key to their family’s health. By exercising regularly, they can set an example and get their family members to follow a healthy life style.

Reading about the advantages of exercise is not enough. We all know that exercise tones our body and adds flexibility and balance, but many women do not realize that exercise has long-lasting effects. Chronic aches and pains disappear.

Women can avoid osteoporosis in the long run. Regular, moderate exercise also reduces the chances of developing diabetes, hypertension and ischemic heart disease. For those who already have these conditions, exercise helps control the disease and prevents further complications.

Get up and get going
Set the date when you are going to start exercising, and stick to it. Let your family and friends know the date so that you will be embarrassed if you are going to do so don’t treat it as a chore: look at as a gift to yourself.

Make it easier to exercise
Keep your exercise shoes in a bag that you take to work. On your way back from work, you can go to a park nearby. Or leave them near the door so that you can set out for a walk whenever you feel like.

Good shoes matter. Make sure your shoes have good cushioning and arch support. This will make exercising fun for your feet. Badly fitting shoes can actually cause heel and calf pain.

Set yourself sensible goals
If you start off on the first day wanting to walk, run or jog for an hour, you might get disheartened if you get exhausted in the first 15 minutes.

Begin with 10-15 minutes of activity, several times daily. Just fit it in whenever you can. Plan to go for a 20-minute walk three times a week and then increase it gradually to at least 45 minutes a day, five days a week.

Make it a group activity
Except for professional athletes, most of us do not have the mental discipline to keep exercising by our- selves. Join a group, a gym or get your husband to go with you. If a bunch of your friends get together to exercise you will be motivators and conscience-keepers for each other.

Exercising with your husband is not only a great bonding experience but also gives you both time together to discuss the day’s events or plan the next day.

Exercise does not have to be high-tech
Many people believe that they need expensive equipment such as treadmills and stationery bicycles to exercise. It is a well-known truth that in many homes, these machines quickly get converted into clothes hangers or storage areas! More and more professional trainers are turning away from elaborate exercise machines and getting back to basic exercises such as aerobics, weight training and gym balls.

The staircase at home is a great way to exercise. Walking briskly up and down the stairs will burn up those calories. Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes of stair-climbling in a day. You will have to build up your stamina by starting with 10 to 15 minutes, and then gradually increasing the duration.

“Exercise is boring!”
It doesn’t have to be. Turn on the music and exercise. If you like to dance, play your favourite songs and dance! It is all about being active, using various muscles and burning calories. Mix and match various forms of exercise.

Walk three times a week and do aerobics on three days. Strength training is particularly good as you grow older, to prevent your muscle mass from turning into fat. Exercising regularly will make you a happier person. Start today!

The Hindu, Monday, November, 29, 2010.Metro Plus.

Health Tips & Info For Women : How to Treat Open Pores and Reduce Pimples

Though you have been taking much care of your skin, one day, you get out of bed early morning and you see a pimple staring at you from your reflection. Hush!... What did I not do?, you wonder. You ate the right food, drank water, cleaned your face regularly, and despite everything this PIMPLE.

The reason is, its just that many of us have a problem of open pores. Open pores are a result of excess sebum production or sun damage, where the skin loses its elasticity around the pore.

What's the best solution to deal with open pores?

Unfortunately, there's no magic cure for open pores. Anything that exfoliates the skin can help to quite an extent. This includes creams containing alpha or beta-hydroxy acids or vitamin A, as well as treatments such as microdermabrasion (skin polishing), peels or intense pulsed light.

Any vegetable or fruit with astringent properties will help smoothen uneven skin texture and reduce open pores. Tomato juice to which a few drops of lime juice has been added can be applied on open pores for 20 minutes. Then wash with cold water.

The juice or pulp of pineapple, peaches and papaya are very good. Always wash your face with cold water after steaming. In humid weather, wash your face at least two to three times with cold water. If you have powdered orange peel, use this in place of soap.

Sometimes, the pore structure is also genetically determined. Simple measures like using an astringent or toner at night or splashing the face with cold water after washing your face or before going out in the sun will go a long way in keeping eruptions our of sight.

Foot Care for Women - Pamper Your Feet

One should not forget caring for the feet because they are hidden, they need regular care not only to make them look good but also avoid crippling conditions like corus and calluses which can lead to painful feet. Besides, the strain of tired and aching feet will adversely affect even the most beautiful face. 

Foot care is the in the TO-DO list of people who have time. The negligence we show gets reflected as the years go by and when age catches up. Foot problems mainly arise due to wrong foot ware, obesity, lack of foot care, calcium deficiency and prolongled usage of high heeled foot wear. One can prevent foot related problems by following certain simple routine pedicures.

It will also cause a loss of balance while walking and promote tension and irritability. Like the hands, the feet also should be kept in good shape with a few exercises. Useful exercise for the feet is to arch the ankles, bend the toes and flex the whole foot first thing in the morning. 

Feet that are sore and swollen after a long day, should be relaxed by placing them higher than the head and gently massaging them with some olive oil. An ancient remedy for the tired feet is to soak the feet alternatively in hot and cold water. Soaking the feet in warm water to which Epsom salt or special footsalts (available in the market) have been added can be very soothing. 

To avoid fungal or bacterial infections, wash your feet in warm water and be sure to dry between the toes using talcum powder. To keep the feet smelling fresh a deodorizing talcum powder should be applied each morning after washing, avoid wearing plastic or vinyl shoes as they do not allow the feet to breathe freely.

The toe nails should be given as much as attention as the nails of the hands, an orange stick tipped with cotton wool should be used to clean around the nails. Particular attention should be paid to the sides of the nails where dirt tends to collect. Next comes the shoes, when buying shoes look for fit and comfort just as much as fancy design. Ill fitting footwear can cause corns caused by friction when the bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes. 

Shoes should always be comfortable to your wider and longer feet. Make sure that your heel fits snugly in each shoes and does not slip out of the back while walking. Walking, dancing, swimming and cycling are good exercise to develop leg muscles. 

Dry skin can cause itching and burning of the feet so rub a thin coat of skin lotion cream or petroleum jelly on the affected areas. The heels should be made wet thoroughly and then it should be rubbed with two tablespoon of ground nut mixed with a tablespoon of salt, after a few minutes they should be rinsed and sesame oil mixed with a few drops of vinegar should be applied.

Soak the feet in warm water for about ten to fifteen minutes. you can either add shampoo or liquid soap to the water. Use a soft bristle bursh to rub the edges and the between the toes and ankles.Rub a pumice stome on the sides of the feet to remove the dead skin. Apply a scrub which contains the peel of babana or papaya with sugar crystals sprinkled on it. Once done, Remove the feet and dry it with a towel. Nails have to be trimmed before pedicure and cuticle creams can be applied to remove the cuticles.

Avoid wearing tight foot wear, socks etc., If prolonged usage of shoes is done then do not forget to dust some talcum powder on the feet before wearing your socks. This will help to absorb sweat and prevent odour. Never wear bear foot on the floor. Nail trimming should be made a regular practice to avoid dirt and germs accumulating in the gaps.

Health Tips & Info For Women : Hair Care! How to manage SPLIT ENDS?

Split Ends, (or trichoptlosis), could be a curse. This happens when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibres. 

Dry brittle hair could result in split ends. Causes of damage include excessive drying or vigorous brushing. It is impossible to replace once the hair cuticle is removed. The hair splits into two or three strands, and this could be as long or two to three centimeters in length. What one can do is cutt off the split end of the damage fibre.

One can take small sections of hair and twist them in a downward motion. All split ends will stick out. Then you can snip into the twist with scissors.

Cut into the thickness to remove the damaged cuticles and this gives a natural layered effect. Split ends will stick out, then you can remove the damaged cuticles and this gives a natural layered effect. Split ends usually travel up the roots of the hair and keep on damaging it until they are cut off. Shower conditioners can temporarily glue them back together. Same could be said of conditioners and hair oils.

Split ends are formed on growing hair because the inside of the hair, also know as the cortex, splits at the ends, thereby getting the name ‘split ends’. Curling irons can cause split ends because the hair is overstretched or damaged. Split ends can be avoided by keeping off intense heat on hair. One should use a conditioner that protects hair during heat if you can’t naturally dry your hair, and throw away bobby pins.

Make a regular appointment with yourself or someone else to do trim your split ends as much as often as necessary. If you have very healthy hair and rarely get split ends, then you can do this less than every five to eight weeks.

Health Tips & Info For Women : How to Prevent Dry skin?

A woman’s body undergoes changes in every stage of her life. Her hormones undergo changes in a phased manner. The color and the texture of the skin depends upon the diet and the environmental conditions. Diet plays a vital role as far as the skin is concerned. Avoid consumption of salty and sour food. Always add ghee to your food. It is recommended to take purgatives periodically.

If your skin is dry do not use much of soap as this drains the skin of all the essential oils. Instead of soap one can use a paste of green gram flour and milk. Honey is a natural moisturiser. Apply honey on the face and leave it for 10 minutes and wash of with plenty of cold water. This helps retain the moisture in the skin and leaves the skin soft and supple. Application of fresh Aloe Vera gel before a bath is also very helpful to prevent dryness.

One can practice the below given home facial method to keep dryness at bay. Use a mixture of glycerin, rose and sandal wood to open up the seat pores and bring the dirt to the skin surface and follow up with steaming, this also helps to increase blood circulation. 

After exfoliate the skin using a gentle scrub made of lentil powder, almond powder, tulsi mixed with fresh aloe Vera juice. Gently scrub the same in circular motion and wash off with plenty of cold water. Follow up with a pack made with mutant mitt with fresh aloe Vera juice. Keep the pack for about 15-20 mins and wash off with cold water. For toning up of the skin use a pulp of banana or apple. This toner makes the skin softer and supple.

Consume plenty of water to avoid dryness. Consumption of seasonal fruits and high fiber diet is also recommended. One can use rosewater to refresh the skin from tiredness.