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Archive for Fountain of Youth
Reclaiming your Lost Crowning Glory
Don’t fret about losing your hair, coconut oil and aloe vera will give you the answers
Text by Karen T. Campos
NOTHING is more stressful than seeing your shower drain clogged with your own hair. You can blame your hair loss problem on the nerve-wracking society, on your hormonal troubles, or on your heavy workload.
But there is no room for wallowing once your hair starts falling. It is time to reclaim your lost crowning glory.
I had my first stress-caused alopecia, or partial baldness, when I was 18 and it literally crushed my self-esteem. I had to apply different topical solutions prescribed by my dermatologist. After a month, my hair grew back, but a year after that, I had another bald spot again. The smooth spot which shone brightly against my black hair was indeed horrendous.
What I did not know then was that the answers to my problem were just in my grandma’s backyard and cupboard—coconut oil and aloe vera. When the oldies say that natural remedies are still the best in perking up your beauty factor, believe them. There is a reason why our grandparents all looked stunning in their sepia photos when they were young.
Coconut wonder
Many have testified on the efficacy of coconut oil in promoting hair growth. Widely abundant in our country, coconut oil provides natural protein to stimulate hair follicles to produce new and healthy hair. It also has anti-oxidant properties which prevents premature falling of hair.
Coconut oil is also the protector of your scalp. It prevents dandruff, lice and other protein-feeding fungi to damage your hair and scalp. Its low molecular weight allows it to penetrate through the hair shaft, therefore increasing lubrication and relieving dryness. If your scalp is healthy, then thick, shiny hair will surely emerge.
To extract natural coconut oil, squeeze coconut gratings into a bowl. Let it stand for 24 hours and the oil will separate from the milk. If you wish to take advantage of technology, bottled virgin coconut oil is widely available in the market.
Directions: Simply massage coconut oil into your hair two hours before taking a shower. For better results, leave it on overnight.
Aloe vera to the rescue
The oldies call it gugo and they used it to keep their hair clean and fresh when they were young. However, this natural practice must not be forgotten for it does not only prevent hair from falling, but also promotes the growth of new ones.
The medicinal properties of aloe vera has been proven for ages and it has always been known for its nourishing, moisturizing and revitalizing effects. This wonder herb contains aloenin and superoxide dismutane which promote rapid hair growth. The regular application of its gel produces nitric oxide which can speed up the process.
Extracts of aloe vera also balances the pH level of the scalp by normalizing its biological process. It also reduces seborrhea (mixture of dirt and sebaceous secretion) which is the cause for dandruff, infected scalp and damaged hair follicles. These positive effects of aloe vera have made it one of the favorite ingredients in skin and hair care products which are widely available in the market.
Directions: Cut a stalk of aloe vera and peel off its covering. Spread its gel over the affected area and leave it on overnight.
10 DOs and DON’Ts to prevent hair loss
Hair loss or alopecia is often caused by too much stress, high fever, insufficient iron, severe infection, recent surgery, thyroid disease and medication. Here are 10 helpful tips to prevent it:
· DO eat food with high protein, high calcium, low in carbohydrates and low in saturated fat. Soybean-based products are highly recommended.
· DON’T eat too much food containing vitamin A.
· DO eat iron-rich food especially if you are anemic, since oxygen deficiency can cause drying of scalp and eventual hair loss.
· DON’T shampoo too much since it may remove the natural oil which protects the scalp from dust and other harmful elements.
· DO use natural-based shampoo since it contains fewer chemicals which may harm your scalp.
· DON’T drink too much alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. They decrease the level of potassium, zinc and vitamins B and C which are essential in maintaining healthy hair.
· DO let down your hair often. Ponytails and clips pull the hair from the scalp and this might trigger it to completely fall.
· DON’T color your hair too often.
· DO some exercise routines at least 30 minutes a day.
· DON’T use hair gels, hair wax or hair sprays every day.
Live Your Age
5 relevant facts to know about your liver and aged skin
Text by Francesca Manalo
THE heightened publicity on the perils of ageing has greatly affected the consciousness of the consumers on trying to reverse or delay the process. In these times when nearly everyone gets heedful to their skin’s requirements for it to look younger and healthier, beauty products and cosmetic treatments have taken a spot in the hierarchy of needs. This leads people to believe that the secret to having younger looking skin is through surgeries and cosmetics.
Contrary to this paradigm is the idea of Dr. Irene Lim from Bio-Safe Center, who strongly believes that in achieving both healthy and younger-looking skin, one should first pay attention inside the body. And she stressed that the liver is one of the organs that must be taken care of and get cleaned.
Believe it or not, a clean liver equates to a healthy, glowing skin. If you want to learn more about fighting skin ageing, it is a must that you also learn more about your liver, including its primary functions, why and when it becomes unhealthy, and how to maintain its health.
Science explains that the liver filters the waste that enters the body. As the liver gets dirty while doing its task, it is very important to keep it clean and nourished, for it to function well.
According to Dr. Lim, what people lack is not just control on their lifestyle, but also knowledge about the common causes of liver diseases. She shares some liver facts that all have to be aware of in taking care of the body inside and out:
1. Too much dirt makes the liver unhealthy and a dirty liver is not just caused by alcohol or poor diet, but also by microorganisms. These microorganisms include bacteria, virus, fungus, protozoans and parasites.
Parasites are what we get from the food we eat and from our pets, which are mostly dogs and cats. Millions of parasites’ eggs are present when we hug or sometimes kiss our pets since they use their tongues to make their anuses clean. The eggs may enter into our inner body and unconsciously, we let these parasites grow within.
2. Not all medicines and drugs that we take can be good for our health. Some may ease the pain or illness for a while, but may also cause another complication within the body that will lead us to suffer longer. Medicines to lower cholesterol, pain relievers and paracetamols can cause various side effects which may affect the patient’s liver.
3. The liver and the colon are both significant organs that filter the body wastes. These two should be given importance by allowing them to rest as we sleep. The colon should rest from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., and the liver, from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. During these hours, people must be asleep, to let their organs recharge for the following day.
4. It is good to have the colon be cleansed first before the liver. Clearing the dirt from the liver will be useless if the colon is dirty, since the colon serves as the `”trash can’’ inside the body, which absorbs all the waste, when the liver is fully occupied.
5. Both cleansing and nourishing should be done for the inner body. There are a lot of medicines prescribed to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and uric acid, all only for nourishment. But Dr. Lim stressed that “No matter how you nourish, if your body is dirty, its useless.”
One of the options in reviving a healthy liver and colon is through a 14-day process of detoxification, which includes cleansing procedure, laser and protocol. When you are clean within, it will automatically reflect outside, resulting to a healthier and younger-looking skin. Dr. Lim ended, “If your liver and colon are clean, everything else will follow.”
Reshape your Face Naturally
Text by Lucci C. Coral
DELAYING the ageing process has brought about the development of different technologies to substitute the fountain of youth. Cosmetic surgeries have removed itself from the taboo list and gained the favor of the fad through celebrities broadcasting their treatments.
However, after some horror images of failed facial cosmetic surgery, people started to look for a more natural way to have a more natural look. Research has yielded positive results and the technologies of Natural Facelift and Facial Contouring came to the country through one of the participants of the international research team—Dr. Mary Jane “MJ” Valdecañas of the Zen Institute.
“Zen Institute is really a believer of non-invasive procedure to attain permanent results so we try to allot research and studies, which are usually European based. We try to attain them if they really give natural effects and non-invasive way of producing results. Like this technology, it originated in Spain,” Dr. Valdecanas said.
Science of the natural facelift
Instead of a “cut and sew” method, which is often used in conventional surgical facelifts, the Natural Facelift and Facial Contouring promotes cell regeneration through three easy steps, which would take 30 minutes per session. First, the blood is extracted from the patient. Second, it would be centrifuged for 20 minutes to separate the platelets from the plasma. And third, these platelets will be injected back into the patient’s face on areas needed.
“It is natural because there is a re-growth of your own cells caused by your own blood. We’re not using anything artificial. The lifting happens because of skin tightening. It’s non-invasive, it’s non-surgical and it’s more or less permanent because it is your own,” Dr. Valdecañas added.
To catalyze the lifting, treatment under the Zen Institute’s miracle machine, Resonax, is done. Resonax is a multi-spectrum machine from Italy with quantum resonance technology that is higher than radio frequency but is not hot and painful. Also, the risk is lower because the patient does not have to be placed under anesthesia, so there is no downtime.
Ageing signs such as wrinkles, eye bags, and permanent creases are removed by continuous sessions of the natural facelift. Though this procedure is oftentimes mistaken from the controversial stem cell treatment, the natural facelift is distinguished with having a more natural effect through injecting platelets, which are the host’s own.
Though filler stem cells can also promote cellular regeneration, using the host’s own platelets to trigger a natural cell growth reaction is more accepted by the society and makes the process faster. “The theory behind it is the inflammatory response of the tissue to the platelets. When you inject the platelets into the area, the tissue responds to the platelets with inflammation or swelling. On a cellular level, when there is inflammation or swelling, there is an increase growth of the cell,” Dr. Valdecañas explained.
Art of face reshaping
According to Dr. Valdecañas, in doing facial contouring and lifting, the dermatologist has to have an artistic eye more than a clinical eye. This is why the natural facelift is recommended to be accompanied by facial contouring to make it look more natural.
Also, this technology helps correct some adverse marks left by unsuccessful cosmetic surgeries, such as scars. The Zen Institute carries out post operation procedures for clients who have undergone a surgery and would not want another one to correct these. And when placed under Resonax, the healing and removing of unevenness is faster.
However, the key in maintaining the natural lift and contour is still maintenance. The institute offers treatments such as facial toning which clients can avail once or twice a month.
The art of Natural Face Lifting and Facial Contouring was pioneered in the Philippines by Dr. Valdecañas and the Zen Institute but the knowledge is shared with more practitioners in the field. She trains doctors with this acquired technique since the center could not accommodate all clients.
“I’m in constant search of the best tool in creating the art of face and body contouring and obtaining a more permanent result. What can be the best today may not be the best next year. What’s important is that at this moment, it works,” Dr. Valdecañas concluded.
