Making the Most of It

Some people who weren’t blessed with good hair are actually envious of those people who have the luxury of being able to wear their hair long and keep it that way in spite of whatever hassles that long hair may bring to a person. From taking a longer time in taking a bath as well as having to deal with all sorts of monthly hair treatments just to keep that long hair in tip, top, shape.

Fortunately, for those who are at times in the mood for longer hair, there are actually hair extensions that are proven to be a safe and fast way for people to be able to have longer hair. Through hair extensions, people will be able to have the length of hair that they want whichever time they want their hair to be long and for only several days (which means people who have hair extensions need not to worry about the hair extensions upkeep in the long run). Hair extensions are actually great for people who are thinking of growing out their hair into a long, luxurious mop from a short, boyish style hair cut.

Have you even noticed that a lot of celebrities nowadays tend to sometimes have longer hair then shorter hair the next? Well, it certainly is not a work of magic but a breakthrough in the field of both beauty and fashion wherein top hairstylists nowadays are doing these hair extensions on people who do not have the patience nor time to grow their hair long. When it comes to growing one’s hair, there are certainly a lot of things that a person needs to do in order to keep it looking beautiful. Of course, when it comes to growing one’s hair, it is highly important that you actually maintain it in a good condition otherwise long hair will just make you look untidy.

Through hair extensions, having long hair is really a breeze. You just come in the salon and have it made and after a few hours, you have perfectly nice long hair. Hair extensions are actually highly in demand hair treatments at the salons nowadays wherein a lot of their clients all want to have some hair extensions added to their natural mane in order to look a little more girly, sophisticated and even a bit sexy.

For most people who come to the salons for a hair extension treatment, they usually opt to have the human hair extensions in order to achieve a natural look as compared to the synthetic type of hair extensions that actually has a different texture. And since human hair extensions are highly in demand nowadays, be prepared to shell out a little more cash for these human hair extensions, because human hair extensions can actually set you back around $1,000.

If you are worried about having to spend the whole day at the salon while having your hair extension treatment, then you really need not worry about a thing since having a hair extension treatment is actually a quick and easy method wherein you will end up with a wonderfully dramatic fix for your hair and the hair extensions can actually last you for five full months (but of course, you need to be go on a little easy when you brush, style or wash your hair).

Another popular option when it comes to having hair extensions, is to have the synthetic type of hair extensions which is the less expensive choice as compared to the human hair extensions and contrary to what other people might say, synthetic hair extensions actually looks just as natural as the human hair extensions that are extremely pricey.

But how are the hair extensions actually applied to your natural hair anyway? Well, the hair extension is actually placed on a small part of your hair. Your hair and the hair extension will be sort of braided together so that the hair extension will have something to hold onto. Next, after the braiding session of the hair extension treatment comes the bonding session wherein a bonding solution for your hair extension is applied then heat will then be applied to the treated area which will secure the hair extensions to your natural hair.

For more great wig and hair extension tips and ideas check out: www.lookingforwigs.com ©Copyright 2005 Julia Brown - This article may be republished as long as this section is included and all links are left live.

Are you paying attention to your physical appearance? Since, I
may not learn the answer to this question; I will simply hope
that you are. Believe it or not your outside appearance has a
direct impact on the way others perceive you. In fact, a recent
study showed that even babies would glance for a longer period
of time at attractive people. But, that it’s not the most
important thing to me and I hope is not for you either. You
should spend sometime taking care of yourself because it will
make YOU feel better. If you do not believe me then go ahead and
spend some time pampering and fixing yourself up. I am pretty
sure you are feeling better already. Below are some simple
beauty tips that will leave you glowing. * Water glow; drink at
least eight glasses of water to keep skin hydrated, and glowing.

* Beauty rest; when a person is tired they will most likely feel
irritated, and tired, less likely to look attractive. Get plenty
of rest!

* Clothing; avoid wearing oversize clothing, and keep it well
pressed.

*Accessorize; There are so many wonderful accessories that you
can wear. You can wear a great necklace and earrings set, a nice
belt and shoes, a handbag, a great pin, nice rings, a hat etc.
Use your imagination. Just make sure you do not over
accessorize.

* Stand straight; it will help you look confident, slimmer and a
couple of inches taller.

* Wear make up; but do not over do it.

* Healthy hair gloss; wash, and condition hair regularly; use
anti- frizz hair products for instant luster.

* Maintain eye contact; look more confident and give others your
undivided attention.

* Smile; “smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” By
Charles Gordy

Most people, especially Caucasians who are prone to having dull and pasty looking complexions, envy those who have a year round tan. This is why a lot of Caucasians in the United States would want to trade in their washed-out look for something better, like a golden tan. Unfortunately, a lot of people have acquired all sorts of skin diseases or imperfections from basking under the sun too long (such as freckles), an uneven skin tone, dark spots and even skin cancer.

1. The Dangers Of Traditional Tanning

A lot of people do not realize this but tanning with the aid of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is really not healthy. Even if you apply and reapply sunscreen, even suncreen with a UV protection rating of 50 or 75, you aren’t giving yourself enough protection. It may protect you from becoming physically burnt by the sun, but the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and radiation will still go right through. This is why there has been a sudden interest for tanning salons as well as other sunless tanning techniques. From tanning beds to self tanners, there are a myriad of tanning products and services that you can look into. Now it is simply the task of finding the right one that fits your schedule and budget.

2. Regarding Tanning Machines

There are two kinds of tanning machines. The first one is where you lie on a tanning bed that is a capsule. Inside the capsule, the tanning bed client will have to lie down on a sheet of Plexiglass. Bright UVA and/or UVB bulbs will tan the client evenly without the need to move or flip. The second kind of tanning machine is not a bed but more of a tanning booth. This tanning booth is often referred to as a stand up system. The idea for this originated from the tanning bed. The tanning salon client needs to step inside the vertical chamber where an ultraviolet spectrum of rays will mimic the effects of the sun to the color of one’s skin.

- UVB bulbs emit ultraviolet rays
- Achieve a sunless tan
- UVA rays are are seen to be a lot less harmful
- UVA rays penetrate the skin’s deeper layers, without causing damage to top layers

3. Things To Note

Heavy and prolonged exposure to UVB rays from tanning beds can cause various bad effects to the skin such as burns, cancer and it may even cause damage to one’s immune system. Still, a lot of people opt to use tanning beds since they prove to be the better alternative as compared to lying out in the sun. This is because even if both tanning techniques has the UVA and UVB rays to help them achieve that golden tan, with tanning beds, you can still control the amount of UVA and UVB rays that your skin will be receiving, unlike the direct heat from the sun, you really have no choice but to soak it all up.

4. Benefits

Contrary to what most people believe using tanning beds has lot of other more important, health-related benefits. Tanning bed clients who are suffering from the skin disease called psoriasis or the back-breaking bone illness called osteoporosis can greatly benefit from using tanning beds as the tanning beds will be able to help in improving their current condition. This is why some people go on regular tanning bed appointments so as to help them improve their health and hopefully later on, they will be able to cure their disease.

For more great tanning bed related articles and resources check out tanning.skincarehq.com

The following is a true story - this interview was an assignment for my Normal Maternity course. I went into the assignment feeling like it was busy work. I came out understanding more about the empowerment women feel from having natural births.

Names in the story are fictitious to protect their privacy.

May this short true story empower women to have successful natural births.

Enjoy the story!

At 10am April Fool’s Day, Aimee had a trickster on her hands - well, rather in her belly. Little Sam wanted out as he could already imagine how popular his birthday would be among his pals. Aimee was not having it. She is not the type to allow one to fool her and her second son, who was yet to be born, was not going to pull the ultimate prank.

Alone at home, Aimee lazed around reading her books knowing that if she did absolutely nothing, then April 1st would pass without her delivering.

At 10pm, the contractions really started coming. As an experienced mother already, she knew that the contractions were not close enough. At 5 am, contractions were intense and coming right at 5 minutes apart. Phew - she made it to April 2nd.

Aimee and her husband, Scott, squeezed into their car with their first son, Spenser, a 10 year old. The car’s wheels came to rest at Swedish Hospital where they all strode up to the maternity ward. After 10 minutes in the ward, Scott was out of there taking Spenser with him. Scott had to leave in order to pick up Spenser’s ADD/ADHD meds.

The kicker is Scott and Spenser never came back. Scott ended up popping Spenser’s Ritalin leaving him on cloud 9, Spenser inattentive and his wife without him in labor.

Aimee was not alone. Her younger nagging sister, who she wished was not there, was there. Aimee’s sister was there not really for support; rather she was there as Aimee wanted her to witness a natural birth. Little sis had two prior c-sections and Aimee, damn it, was going to have a natural birth no matter the odds.

And her odds were high: no husband support, nagging sister, placenta previa, 242 pounds, full bowels and bleeding throughout pregnancy.

Fighting the odds, Aimee had strength from her girlfriend’s presence. However, her main strength arose from her prior non-participatory delivery of her first boy, Spenser. Loaded with the juice from an epidural, Aimee simply laid back while the nurses and doctors manually pushed out baby when the monitor showed peak contractions. She felt nothing. Aimee stated she simply felt like she popped out a grape.

The first birthing experience did not qualify as an experience to Aimee - at least not in terms of her participating. Doctors were in control and she was completely passive. This is not Aimee - and she knew it. She wanted to be there - in feeling, spirit, pain and pleasure.

So, with odds against her, she maintained hope for a natural delivery. Her OB told her the week before her due date, that baby may have just enough space to push through naturally. She took that as a green light.

Aimee was attended by a nurse who had been working in Swedish Maternity Ward since that October prior - making it 18 months. Remarkable is during those 18 months, her nurse had not witnessed a single natural birth. Aimee was going to be her first.

Aimee was remaining in control by breathing rhythmically. She noticed a light fixture above her with concentric rings and she used that as a breathing guide. Then nurse came in at noon and dimmed Aimee’s guiding light. She was not pleased.

To make matters a bit more interesting, Aimee told her nurse that she had the strong urge to defecate. Nurse stated that was not an option and she would have to hold it. The nurse and doctor later found out Aimee was not joking.

Aimee was started on Pitocin as she was not progressing. Her contractions became closer, stronger and more persistent. A couple hours of Pitocin led to delivery time.

The doc and nurses demanded that she push even without contractions - they wanted to go home. Aimee did not abide by their demands as she was in charge this time. Without epidural and with determination, Aimee pushed through the intense ring-o-fire.

At peak contractions, all 242 pounds of Aimee began to push with all her might. Her doc was right there ready to catch. Little did he know he would be at bat three separate times before baby Sam arrived. Pitch 1, he caught a complete shower of amniotic fluid. Pitch 2, Aimee completely evacuated her bowels from baby’s pressure. Pitch 3, the doctor almost struck out but managed to catch the fast pitch thrown by Aimee. Little Sam shot out so fast that the doc caught him only by his tiny ankle.

A quick wipe down and then Aimee’s beautiful 8lb 6oz, 21″ baby boy was laid down on her chest at 2pm, April 2nd. A natural birth was Aimee’s desire and she did it through all odds.

Emotions were everywhere for Aimee. While she was immensely pleased with her new boy and her awesome achievement, she was immensely saddened and angered by the absence of her husband. He had failed to witness his wife’s strongest and most validating moment. This was their biggest fallout and her husband found himself in a drug rehabilitation center a couple months after the birth of his second son. It was the treatment center or the door. Happily, the treatment center was successful.

Aimee succeeded through the toughest experience in her life and she could not revel in the moment. She went home the next morning with her new baby boy, breast fed, iced her huge vaginal hematoma and cooked dinner for the family.

It was not long after delivery that she had to head back to the hospital with a bout of pancreatitis and inflamed gall bladder. She managed to breastfeed through her hospital stay despite the nurses desires for her to stop. Aimee went home with no gall bladder, a scar the width of her belly and discovered 18 loads of laundry needing to be sorted and washed.

Aimee now tells her story to pregnant women empowering them to do achieve a natural birth. She is quoted as saying:

“I am very thankful for having done it as now I know how powerful I am - it was a very validating experience for me.”

Thank you, Aimee. You supported and encouraged my wife through her fears of a natural birth. May you continue to spread confidence to pregnant women so that they may to realize their most powerful day.

(c) 2005 Benjamin Lynch of HealthE Goods

Benjamin Lynch has a BS degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. Currently, he is obtaining his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. Visit Ben’s natural health product store, HealthE Goods where one can use our free health information service where one may ask specific health questions. We provide physician-grade non-prescription natural health products. Wholesale spa products are available to all that qualify. Do visit our Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Blog. We are here to help serve the public with proper health information and effective products. Products described in the article are available at HealthE Goods.