Head Lice (Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment)

HEAD LICE

* Head lice are tiny, flat, wingless insects which often find their way
   into the scalp as parasites.
* They suck the blood by biting the skin, this results in an irritation.
   It causes thickening and pigmentation of the skin.
* Head lice occur more frequently in children than in adults.

SYMPTOMS

* Itching is the main symptom of head louse infection
* The adult female louse lays eggs, known as nits, close to the
   surface of the scalp.
* They hatch eggs before the hair has grown more than few
   millimeters (they are difficult to see).
* Their favorite haunts are on the scalp, around the ears
   or underneath hair grown at the back of the head.

CAUSES

* Head lice are very infectious and can be easily acquired by
   head-to-head contact with a person harboring the parasite.
* They are common in person who are crowded together and live
   in poor sanitary condition.
* They spread rapidly during disasters.

TREATMENT

* The first step towards treatment of head is thorough cleanliness.
* You should not share towels, pillows, combs, and hair-brushes.
* A special comb with close-knit, teeth, which is easily available
   should be used. This will help remove the lice from the hair.

EFFECTIVE METHOD TO DESTROY LICE

 Thoroughly cleanse the whole body from the scalp to the toes,
using pleanty of soap and water.  Next, five percent
benzyl benzoate emulsion should be applied to all the itching
areas.  This should be rubbed well into the scalp at night,
especially if the hair has been invaded by the parasites. 

PREVENTION

The condition can be prevented by the maintenance of personal cleanliness. The clothing of individuals suffering from pediculosis should be soaked in boiling water and washed. As children are more likely to suffer from this problem, it would be advisable to keep their hair short.

Tips For Overcoming The Effects Of Cold Weather

Action Plan For Overcoming The Effects Of Cold Weather:

* If you wash your face, do so at least half an hour before
   you go outdoors. This gives your skin a change to dry
   thoroughly. If your face is slightly damp, the wind has
   an extra-drying effect.  

* Wear a richer moisturizer.

* Apply night cream to replenish moisture lost from the
   skin during the day.

* If your skin is flaking, avoid abrasive scrubs. Use a very
   gentle complexion exfoliator.

* Remember to take care for your hands and nails, too,
   as the skin here can also suffer in cold weather.

* Always apply waxy lip salves or balms to your lips which
   are especially vulnerable to dehyration.

* Add oils and moisturizing gels to your bath and apply
   body-lotions every day.

* Never come in from ice cold weather and immediately
   roast yourself in front of a hot fire, as you will dry your
   skin excessively;  the rapid contrast in temperature can
   also break capillaries, leading to red thread veins.

* If you are skiing or are outside in sunny, but cold weather,
   apply protective lotions on every part of exposed skin.

Top 10 Healthiest Fruits

Fruits provide lots of vitamins and carbohydrates to nourish
the body and also add variety to the diet.
 
* Apples are a great source of vitamin C, they prevent the
   growth of harmful bacteria and help fight cancer.

* Bananas are handy for problems like constipation and diarrhea.
 
* Blueberries have a number of health benefits including
  anti-cancerous, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
 
* Mangoes are other sources of vitamin C. Research has also
   indicated that these fruits are beneficial for arthritis
   and other anti-inflammatory conditions because they have a
   cooling affect on the body.

Here are top ten healthiest fruits to keep you fresh, healthy
and full of life:

* Strawberries have high levels of ellagic acid and anthocyanins,
   and are rich in vitamin C (95 mg per cup) and fiber
   (3.8 g per cup).

* An apple’s 3 g of fiber help you meet your fiber goal of 20 g
   to 30 g daily. High-fiber diets can lower heart disease risk

* Bananas are a great source of potassium, which plays a key role
   in heart health and muscle function. Plus each one has 2 g of fiber.

* Cherries: A good source of perillyl alcohol, which helps prevent cancer
  in animals. Heart-protective anthocyanins give cherries their color.

* Blueberries help prevent and treat bladder infections by making it
  hard for bacteria to stick to urinary tract walls.

* A single mango has enough beta-carotene to cover your RDA for
  vitamin A while racking up 57 mg of vitamin C.

* One orange provides an impressive 50 mg to 70 mg of vitamin C,
  40 mcg of folic acid and 52 mg of calcium.

* Purple grapes offer three heart-guarding compounds: flavonoids,
  anthocyanins and resveratrol (green grapes are not rich in them).
 
* Raspberries: Teeming with 8 g of fiber per cup, they also boost
  vitamin C, ellagic acid and anthocyanins.

Falling of Hair - Causes and Treatment

Falling of Hair

* Loss of hair at a very tender age has become a common

   disorder these days. It causes a great deal of concern to
   persons affected by loss of hair.

* The average growth rate is about 1.2 cm per month, growing
   fastest on women between the ages of 15 and 30.

Causes

* The most important cause of loss of hair is inadequate nutrition.

* Persons lacking vitamin B6 lose their hair and those deficient in
   folic acid often become completely bald.

* Another important cause of falling of hair is stress such as worry,
   anxiety, and sudden shock.

* General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like
   typhoid, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anemia, also gives
   rise to hair fall because it weakens the hair roots.

*  Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair.

* Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause
   hair to fall.

Treatment

* Intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet.

* Protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60 grams,
   men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein.

* Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with
   his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver,
   and molasses.

* Seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits provide adequate
   amounts of all the essential nutrients.  

Home Remedies For Hair

* Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil,
   is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth.
   A mixture of equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice
   used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents
   hair loss.

* Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater
  and lime juice on the hair prevents loss of hair and
  lengthens them.

* Application of green coriander (leaves) juice is beneficial
  on the hair.

* Mustard oil boiled with henna leaves is useful in healthy
   growth of hair.

* Another effective home remedy is application of coconut milk
   all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair roots nourishes
   the hair and promotes hair growth.

* A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram can also be
  applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patches.

* The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a
   fine paste, is one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied
   on the patches has mildly irritant action. This increases
   blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth.
   The paste should be applied twice a day for few weeks.

Make-Up Tips For Perfect Complexion

Foundation

This has several beauty benefits. It evens out skin tones,

smoothens the skin’s texture, provides a base for other

make-up, and keeps colors true.

Color Check

* Do not use the back of your hand to check the color
   because it is darker. Apply a little on your jaw-line
   and check.

* Check this in daylight.

Foundation Mixes

Foundation and powder in one handy ready-mixed compact
are the short-cut to a natural-looking complexion. They are
smoothed on with a sponge and suit most skin types, except
very dry skins.

FOUNDATION TIPS

* Keep in mind your skin type and needs when buying your
   foundation. It should not look uncomfortable.

* If you have dry skin, look for a creamy, moisturizing
   formula.   

* For oily and combination skin, an oil-free or water-based
   make-up is best.

* Water-based foundations give a matte finish.

EYESHADOW TIPS

* Pressed powder eyeshadows give excellent coverage and are
  useful for building up color intensity; the colors also keep true
  during wear.

* Loose eyeshadow powders tend to be pearly and slightly finer
   textures than pressed and are best used as highlights or for a
   soft sheen.

* Cream eyeshadowis by far the most difficult to use and it tends
   to sink into the crease of the socker-line after few hours.

How To Maintain Beautiful Hand Nails

Hand Nails

Due to poor digestion or doing heavy work without taking proper care
of the nails, they develop problems like Hang nails and Stained nails.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR NAILS HEALTHY AND SHINING

* Soaking your nails in lukewarm water and then applying white iodine
   makes them firm and shining.

* Castor oil and glycerine application on your nails in even quantity also
   make your nails glowing and sturdy.

* You can prepare your home made cuticle creams for proper nail care.
   Heat up two big spoon of pure petroleum jelly and then add up half
   a spoonful of glycerine and coll it. Noe your cuticle cream is ready.

   Apply it on your nails.

* Always use glycerine mixed remover to remove nail polish from
   your nails. This would avoid making them stained.

SOME EXERCISES TO KEEP YOUR HAND AND FEET MUSCLES FIRM

* Close your fist and move the fist side ways and in every possible
   direction.

* Standing erect flex your fingers repeatedly till you feel tired.

* Occasional crackling of your fingers is also a good exercise.

* Stand erect and touch your toes with your hands. This will
   strengthen your legs and feet while making your hand-muscles
   also firm.

* Lie as before and try to touch your both raised up feet with your
   hands while keeping your back straight and pressed on the floor.
   Hold it as much as you can and then relax.