The Sun And Your Skin

By Deborah Baker

When you spend too much time in the sun or in any other kind of ultraviolet rays, your skin cannot make enough of the protective pigments that protect your skin and the skin becomes inflamed because of the overexposure. For those with fair skin or light sensitive skin, as little as fifteen minutes in the sun could be enough to burn.
The results of sunburn are not always immediate, you may feel the symptoms within minutes or it may take a few hours and could cause vomiting, headache, fever or even collapse in severe cases. Regular excessive exposure to the sun can cause the skin to become rough, wrinkled and leather like which also makes you look older.
In some cases, excess exposure to the sun can cause damage to the epidermis (the outer skin layer) and damage the blood vessels under this layer which can prevent the production of protein in the skin and cause damage to the DNA leading to skin cancer.

So, does that mean you should avoid the sun altogether? Well, no, because as already mentioned, the sun provides essential vitamin D. The answer of course, is to get the balance right and treat your skin properly with additional moisturiser, drinking plenty of water and wearing sunscreen.
In order to prevent yourself from getting sunburnt and damaging your skin, which is after all the body's barrier between the internal organs and the external environment, remember the following points:
Try to keep your skin well moisturised at all times, preferably using natural skin care products, this can help to prevent the skin for tightening up and drying out, particularly in the salty wind by the sea.
When you go out in the sun for the first time (either on holiday or just at home in the summer) limit the amount of time you spend exposed to the sun to fifteen minutes then increase the time daily.
Apply sunscreen approximately 15-30 minutes before going out into the sun and re-apply sunscreen every two hours. If you are sweating or swimming a lot, apply more often, and don't forget that you can burn through water so apply waterproof sunscreen before you go into the pool or sea. Also bear in mind that reflected sun rays can be more intense so you might need to wear a shirt in the water.
Avoid being in direct sunlight between 10a.m. and 3p.m. whenever possible.

Should you get burnt, even mildly, try paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen for the pain, antibacterial soaps or antiseptics will help prevent infection and after sun products which contain aloe can help to cool the overheated, painful skin.
Good skin care these days has become a natural and essential part of keeping healthy because of the health threats to the body's largest organ, such as sunburn. Taking care of the skin can help to prevent the development of skin ailments like psoriasis as well as skin cancer. Learning what type of skin you have, what the best skin care products to use are and what is an appropriate amount of exposure to the sun for you is an essential part of maintaining healthy and young looking skin.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Sun-And-Your-Skin&id=8935550

Inflammation - The Different Ways It Can Affect Your Health

By Parthasarathy Rengaswami

Inflammation is a term often used both by medical professionals and by laymen to refer to a condition on some part of the body. It results from the body's immune system's efforts to protect the body from stress, infection or toxins. The inflammatory condition is created by the activation of certain proteins that can protect the cells and tissues. In this sense, inflammation can be beneficial to your health.
When the inflammatory condition is visible, as it is when you have a sore throat, fever or swelling of the glands, it is good for your health because it protects your body by fighting infection. An inflammatory response can also help you when you sense danger by releasing adrenaline to prepare you to fight or flee away from the danger depending on your perception of the best course open to you.

But there is another kind that can result from harmful bacteria, fatty foods etc. that can be harmful. It can affect your health in several ways.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) results when your digestive track is attacked by the immune cells clustering around your intestine. This manifests as diarrhea, ulcers or cramps. A serious condition may even require your intestine to be removed surgically. Several factors like stress, antibiotics, environment and genetics may cause this.
Inflammatory conditions may occur in the joints resulting in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA may be caused by factors like Vitamin D deficiency, Salty Diets and Smoking. While RA causes stiffness and pain in the inflamed joints, there is a risk of a patient's other organs including the eyes getting affected.
An injury on any part of your body can lead to an inflammatory condition. A bruise on the walls of the blood vessels or the formation of plaque in the arteries due to accumulation of fat can result in blood clots and can even lead to the development of a heart disease. The protein Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been identified as the culprit causing these problems.
People who have excess fat due to unhealthy eating habits as well as people enjoying robust health can be attacked by inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, celiac disease etc, diseases which often trigger heart diseases and cancer of the lung, esophagus, cervix and digestive tract and colorectal cancer. Since inflammation results in the slackening of immune regulation by the cells of the body, cancer cells begin to grow unchecked.

If several organs of the body are inflamed, it will affect the growth of bones and may lead to loss of bones by preventing the replacement of damaged parts of the bone through growth of new bones. Inflammatory conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and bowels and rheumatoid arthritis, can affect the bone growth.
This chronic condition can affect your skin in the form of Psoriasis, by causing skin cells to grow too fast. Losing weight has been found to provide relief against psoriasis since excess weight is conducive to inflammatory conditions.
Depression can cause inflammatory conditions in the brain.

Losing weight can fight inflammation but this is made difficult by the increased levels proteins generated by inflammation.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Inflammation---The-Different-Ways-It-Can-Affect-Your-Health&id=8921216

Benefits of a Day Spa

By Jamie Osteen

We all like and deserved to be pampered. With our stressful lifestyle and hectic schedules, it has become almost impossible to make time to pamper ourselves at home. But with the rise of salons and day spas, you can now get several medical and beauty benefits under one roof. A couple of visits to a day spa can leave you feeling rejuvenated, from inside and out.
The origin of a spa came from Ancient cultures like the Egyptian, Romans and Greeks, who used spa therapy for relaxation and rejuvenation. But today, day spas do a lot more than just soak you in a tub. Along with medical benefits, you also get beauty treatments that make you feel better, refreshed and more beautiful.

Following are just some of the facilities you can benefit of:
Body massage: You could discover several health benefits you never knew before with a body massage at a day spa. A body massage alleviates back pain, arthritis, muscle soreness and helps you shake off the distractions of daily life. A spa session could also result in improved sleep and subtle weight loss.
A CyberRelax chair massage is a great way to experience an invigorating body massage in total privacy. The CyberRelax chair can decrease stress by releasing your body's natural endorphins and decrease muscle tension while increasing circulation all while indulging yourself in ultimate comfort.
Spray tan: Many spas offer spray tans that give you a sun-kissed look in a few minutes. We all know the harmful effects of exposing ourselves to the sun's UV rays for a natural tan. But airbrush tanning is completely safe and lasts longer than a natural tan. Done manually by a tanning expert, a spray tan gives quick results minus the tan lines. So you get a completely natural looking glow to your skin even in winter, when your skin tends to lose moisture and sheen.
Facials: If you've so far only had the regular facials, then a spa could give you something more with a red light facial. Red light treatment has proven benefits for the skin. While a facial will help your face shed a few years along with the wrinkles and fine lines and other problems, red light body therapy will repair damaged cells, stimulate collagen, and tighten the skin. Anti-aging, reduction of scars and a cure of psoriasis are just some of the benefits of red light treatment.

A day or two at a spa can do wonders for your skin, health and mind. If you haven't tried it yet, then you're missing out on an incredible way to de-stress and rejuvenate yourself. Get in touch with the nearest day spa and take advantage of the numerous benefits on offer.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-a-Day-Spa&id=8900288