Archive for November, 2007

Amazing New Relief For Eczema Patients

An evolution of the cold compress, wet wraps are a new way to help alleviate the inflammation, itching, and pain associated with eczema.

Studies have shown that skin is hydrated and calmed through wet wrap therapy and children with severe atopic dermatitis (commonly referred to as eczema) showed significant improvement when other therapies had failed to provide much needed relief.

One week after the start of therapy, these children experienced a decrease in itch by 74%, leading to better sleep and less overall stress. These improvements lasted for quite some time after the treatment in the study was ended (for study purposes, the treatment lasted two weeks). Hand eczema has also shown considerable improvement through wet wrap therapy. Your dermatologist may feel like this form of therapy is appropriate for you or your child, so you may want to ask about it.

Wet wrap therapy is a process of wrapping wet bandages around areas affected by eczema symptoms. There are sometimes differences in treatment, so your dermatologist may not repeat the exact steps to the basic technique given here:

The patient will soak in a warm (not hot) bath with unscented, dye free bath oil.

A good moisturizer is applied to the wet skin over the whole body. Moisturizers need to be cream or petroleum jelly based and preferably dyes and fragrance free. If you cannot find a moisturizer that lacks fragrance, test in on a small area of the skin before you apply for large areas of skin, allergic reactions can cause further severity of the flare up. Do not use lotions as most lotions have an alcohol based that actually dries the skin, rather than hydrating it.

Medication is applied to the affected areas. Bandages which have been wet with either warm water or a warmed moisturizing agent are wrapped around the affected area. The can be used on any part of the body as long as the patient is not unduly bothered by them. The face is sometimes a problem in young children, but older patients will usually tolerate the inconvenience in order to alleviate the suffering.

Dry bandages are then wrapped over the wet bandages as a way to seal in moisture.

After about two weeks of doing this every day, you can cut applications back to every other day and sometimes every two days, but the therapy should be continued in order to continue to see the results.

Wet wrap therapy is not only an unobtrusive way to provide a number of benefits to eczema sufferers. These include: Better sleep (due to decrease in irritating symptoms), less itching, reduced inflammation, reduced redness, reduction in the overall amount of staph bacteria found on the skin’s surface, and more moisturized skin.

Cons to wet wrap therapy are as true as the benefits. Like any type of medication or therapy, there are things that people have not liked about it. Some of these include:

Children have trouble sitting still while the bandages are applied.

Many children, especially younger ones, tend to remove the bandages, not giving the treatment enough time to help with deep moisturizing of the skin, which is the basis of the entire therapy and the reason the symptoms are so well controlled.

Much patience is necessary for the application of bandages on children with eczema.

It is not a fast process. You will have to plan the time to accomplish the therapy each day.

In treatment of very young children cotton pajamas are recommended rather than actually bandages for both the wet part of the wrap and the dry part. Keep in mind that you or your child may get chilly while the process is happening. You may want to keep a warm blanket close at hand.

Something to consider is that this therapy not only works for the dry skin of eczema patients, but can also relive rough, dry feet and hands (and any other part of the body that is dry and/or rough. You may want to wrap you child, then wrap your own feet. Your child will feel more comfortable if you two can share this experience, forming a common bond between you.

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Baby’s Skin Care

Contrary to popular thought, most babies may only need to be bathed two or three times a week or every other day. Baths can be given any time of day.

A newborn’s skin is soft and delicate. Proper skin care and bathing can help maintain the health and texture of the baby’s skin. It is important to understand that to take care of Baby’s skin the most natural way is often best. Newborn baby may have some skin conditions that seem unusual to you. Most are fairly common such as Baby acne is a red, pimply rash on the face. Generally, it disappears over time. Cutis marmorata is a condition where the skin looks like pinkish-blue marble when exposed to cold temperatures. Erythema toxicum is a common, splotchy red rash that can affect newborns. Some have firm yellow or white bumps surrounded by a flare of red. The rash tends to come and go on different parts of the body. Vernix is a greasy white substance that coats and protects baby’s skin in the mother’s uterus. Some babies are born with lots of vernix still on their skin.

Milia are tiny whiteheads on your baby’s face. It is harmless and can be washed or wiped off. Crusty patches on scalp. Overactive glands in your baby’s scalp can cause cradle cap. If so, use a mild soap containing olive, coconut, or palm oil and possibly herbal extracts such as calendula. Bathing before a feeding often works well. Sponge baths are required at first. Bathing in a tub of water should wait until the baby’s umbilical cord falls off, and a baby boy’s circumcision heals, to prevent infection. Contact dermatitis can develop after your baby’s skin comes into contact with something irritating or that she’s allergic to. Keep your child’s skin moist. After bathing, apply moisturizer within three minutes to retain the moisture in the skin. Avoid sudden temperature changes.

Avoid using soap if possible and do not scrub skin with washcloth. If soap is needed, use mild, moisturizing, unscented soap. Heat rash also problem baby skin and causes little bumps on the skin that can show up when your baby overheats. Keep your baby comfortably cool by dressing him in loose-fitting, light cotton clothing, especially in warm, humid weather. Massaging lotions and oils into your baby’s skin can relieve irritation. But anything you use should be free of petrochemicals , which are themselves irritants. Premature babies skin is even more delicate, so it is important to withhold all products until their approximate due date, as their skin takes longer to mature. If your baby is overdue, his/her skin may well be dry and cracked. Don’t be tempted to use any creams or lotions. If night-time itching is a problem, use a cold, damp washcloth to soothe the child’s skin.

Baby Skin Care Tips

1. Babies’ skin needs cleaning and cares for a healthy function during their growth.

2. Humidity causes macerations. Don’t use talc. It is abrasive and irritates the skin.

3. Protect baby skin from sunburn as well as associated problems such as freckles and premature wrinkles.

4. Avoid frequent baths for eczema.

5. Keep baby’s skin from becoming dry and itchy by adding non-allergenic oil to the bathwater.

6. If your baby has seborrheic dermatitis, a mild hydrocortisone cream (0.5%) is safe and usually effective.

7. Apply unscented petroleum jelly or a cream with zinc oxide to the skin of the diaper area to protect and lubricate for diaper rash.

8. Avoid using baby powder or talc.

About the Author

Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthnbeautytips.org/, http://www.healthnbeautyadvice.com/ and http://www.onlinebeautytips.org/ .
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Hair Care Basics

Avoid damaging your hair with too much heat. Avoid using a brush on wet hair because it is subject to breakage.

Hair is important. Hair is your crowning glory. The way you style your hair is one of the most eloquent aspects of our body vocabulary. The better you treat your hair, the easier it will be to grow and the better it will look. Some women favor very long hair and resist the idea of frequent cuts, but skipping hair cuts in order to grow your hair out is actually self-defeating. If you take good care of your hair, you may not need to get it cut more than twice a year. Sleep with a satin scarf or sleep cap on your head or with a satin pillow case. This helps avoid split ends caused by the rubbing of your hair against a “rough” cotton pillow case. It also avoids moisture being wicked out of your hair into your cotton pillow case.

Wash your hair no more often than every week to week and a half. After shampooing, rinse your hair with cool water to seal moisture in the hair shafts. Coloring you hair can be very damaging. To distribute the natural oils in your hair, bend over and brush your scalp and hair from back to front until the scalp tingles; then massage the scalp with your fingertips. Towel-dry your hair thoroughly before using a blow dryer. Comb out snarls. Do a deep conditioner or hot oil treatment once a month. Massage your scalp on a regular basis to promote circulation and oil production. Avoid overuse of products with mineral oil or petroleum.

Always use a leave-in conditioner after washing your hair. Use a coated rubber band or a soft hair tie to secure ponytails and the ends of a braid to reduce the stress on the hair. If your hair is prone to buildup from conditioners, styling gel, or hair spray, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with your regular shampoo once a week. Rinse and dry as usual. Eat a proper diet. Vitamins and protein are essential for proper hair growth. Use gel after a braid is finished to smooth down loose or uncontrolled hairs. Apply it to your fingertip or to the end of a hairpin. Use gel to control hair when you want a “wet” affect. Apply gel sparingly to your hair once styled. If you want a soft finish but need to control the hair. Use hair spray.

Hair Care Tips

1. Protect your hair with hair care products that contain sunscreen.

2. Use regular hair rollers, winding hair loosely around them.

3. Avoid pulling back your hair tightly.

4. For shiny hair apply besan in the hair and wash it with water drained from the cooked rice.

5. Add a lemon peel to a ‘shikakai’ and ‘amla’ mixture while washing your hair.

6. Wash hair with tea once in a week.

7. Eat a proper diet.

8. Always use a wide tooth comb and try to gently detangle your hair.

About the Author

Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthnbeautytips.org/, http://www.healthnbeautyadvice.com/ and http://www.onlinebeautytips.org/ .
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Coping with workplace stress – Plan your work day to conquer workplace stress

To succesfully conquer stress at work, you need to plan out your work day

In order to cope with workplace stress, you simply need to plan your work day. I am very surprised that some people do not plan their work day and allow circumstances to dictate their work situation. Some of us tend to place more effort into planning what we want to eat for lunch, the things we want to do on the weekend and the quickest way to get home to avoid peak hour traffic, rather than plan the tasks we want to achieve at work. It is no wonder why alot of us suffer from workplace stress. By not planning your work day, you’re simply allowing things to go wrong such as major delays and errors with a work project, missing important appointments or meetings and not completing your work tasks by their deadline. This will be followed by arguments with your boss and co-workers, dealing with angry customers, lost revenue, an unsettled work environment and you feeling upset and extremely stressed. There will be times when things will be out of your control and you will be suddenly thrown off your feet with a major work delay or problem. As you know, the workplace will never be the perfect place. However, like an army general, it is best to be prepared with some form of game plan than not having a game plan at all. The great thing about planning your work day is that it only takes a few minutes of your time. The results that you will achieve from your work plan and the reduction in workplace stress you will experience will be simply amazing. Here are valuable tips for planning your work day:

  • Create a daily “to do” list. This list involves the tasks you want to achieve and complete on a given day. With this list, priorities the most important tasks to the least important, factoring in time delays and room for error. The great thing about the “to do” list is that they’re easy to prepare and it gives you a sense of accomplishment, once you start crossing items off your list as you complete them. The best time to prepare your “to do” list is at the end of the working day, so you are well prepared for the next day. This will help you to start work fresh each day, knowing precisely what you want to accomplish.
  • Set SMART goals and objectives. Set goals and objectives that are realistic and can be completed in a timely manner.

Set SMART goals which are an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Here are the steps for planning your goals and objectives using SMART:

Step 1: Specific
Be clear about what you want to achieve with your goal.
Step 2: Measurable
It must be quantitative. The goal must have some form of measurement i.e. time, number and percentage. This becomes the goal post to aim for.
Step 3: Achievable
The goal must be both realistic and challenging. If the goal isn’t realistic you are likely to fail before you get started.
Step 4: Relevant
It must relate to your overall goal or the bigger picture you’re aiming for.
Step 5: Timely

It must have a time frame or deadline to achieve your objective.

  • Always carry a diary. To keep on track with your work tasks, always write appointments and deadlines in your diary. There is no excuse for you to not have a diary. Diaries come in all shapes and sizes and are very cheap to buy. Some workplaces even supply diaries to their workers at no charge. Sometimes we get caught up with several work tasks and a diary reminds us of the tasks we need to focus on.

Coping with workplace stress is about being in control of your work situation and not allowing it to control you.


About the Author

Gareth Selby is an entrepreneur, author and a recognized authority on work stress management. His website http://www.work-stress-management.com/ provides a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything you’ll ever need to know about managing stress at work.

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Personal Development And The Art Of Success

If you want to be successful at anything you must first eliminate self doubt, rid yourself of your personal demons and be committed to the development of your confidence.

If you wish to experience more success in your life you must remove the biggest success killer that exists! Self-doubt is the biggest mountain that must be removed by faith and diligence. To become successful in life you must first cast out the inner demon of doubt and replace it with unshakable faith in yourself and your abilities.

Through the development of your Self and a personal committment to your ideals and dreams you can become more successful than you ever thought possible.

Unfortunately it seems to be a natural state on planet Earth to steer towards the negative. I am sure that you find yourself thinking negative thoughts throughout your day. Are you are truly aware of just how damaging these thoughts are to your life? Negativity is a state of mind that is cultivated in our society which, when embraced, gradually strips away your self confidence and erodes your self-esteem.

The only real alternative to negative thinking is positive thinking. Keeping an open mind about subjects tends to leave you in a sort of no-man’s land where it is all too easy to get sucked back into a negative mindset. Now by positive thinking I do not mean magical thinking where you believe everything will just magically work itself out. Neither am I referring to unrealistic thought processes. I do not mean that you hold on to the unrealistic view that regardless of your actions, or lack of action, you will reach your goal. Your choices and actions are an integral part of any goal-achievement program or plan. I am talking about a positive mental attitude!

You must begin to look for the positive in every situation. The old adage “every cloud has a silver lining” should become your motto. Did you know that some of the most successful people on the planet hold the same belief that “everything happens for a reason”?

Please be aware that wherever you are in life, no matter how good or how bad you think it is, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Let me illustrate this concept a little better for you.

On the morning of 9/11 a terrible tragedy occurred when, many innocent people needlessly lost their lives. However, there were those who escaped the terror that was experienced by far too many others. Did you know that one woman soiled her work clothes with food and had to remain at home longer than usual to get changed? Another woman slept in because her alarm never went off! There was one person who could not get a taxi and another’s car would not start. Now normally these incidents would make you feel annoyed, irritated or even angry however, how many of those people do you think were annoyed, irritated or angry that day?

If you hold a vision of where you want to be in life and take small steps towards it everyday, then you should know that everyday is bringing you closer to your dream. And, if you are getting closer to your dream then you are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment, doing exactly what you are meant to be doing, with the exact right people you should be doing it with.

If your current situation is in anyway distasteful to you, take heart. Keep in mind that this is just a stage, a stepping-stone, from where you are to where you are going to be. Here are some key tips to follow to eliminate self-doubt and achieve your goals.

1. Stay in the present moment at all times and be grateful for what you already have in your life. Practise gratitude and never moan or complain about where you currently are!

2. Decide what you want to be, do or have and make it a goal. Make it an affirmation of fact! In other words, state your intention as though it were already an established reality. Read this statement to yourself every morning and every night.

3. Visualize your ideal scene. Picture yourself already in possession of your goal. Make it real and see it through your own eyes! Create strong emotion with the picture – this is vitally important!

4. Look for the positive in every situation, circumstance and person. By focusing on what is good about a thing you will attract more of that into your life.

If you follow the advice outlined in this article you will begin to eliminate all your self-doubt and gradually see the life of your dreams unfold before your very eyes.

About the Author

Free reviews of the best Personal Development products we tested. Find out what really works! Self Improvement products tested and then reviewed for free. We find out what works so you don’t have to!

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Images, Emotions, and the Law of Attraction

Here are some thoughts on how images and emotions can help you attain what you desire through the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction has gained a lot of exposure since the release last year of the movie, The Secret. Since this increase in Law of Attraction awareness, Oprah’s endorsement hasn’t hurt any, many people have begun to explore this universal law for themselves, hoping to attain all they desire in their lives. Knowing the core principles of the Law of Attraction will help you understand and implement this universal law, and will manifest a life exactly as you have always wanted it to be.

Images and emotions are the crux of the Law of Attraction. Being able to focus and hold an image in your mind of exactly what you desire is a great start. This appears easy, but it does take practice to be able to focus on an image without your mind wandering. Mind chatter is another culprit that distracts you from focusing; but, with a little practice and some quiet time to yourself, you can master the “mind monkeys.”

Having exact images or thoughts of your life desires are just part of the process. What directs the image to become reality is by how you feel. You can have a great dream, and perhaps you have pictured it exactly as you want it to be, but if you are imaging while feeling a bored feeling, or the drudgery feelings of I have to visualize, the Universe will see the image while delivering what you were feeling back to you. By contrast, if you are experiencing a great visualization, and you are feeling how wonderful it is to have exactly what you are imaging, then the Universe will attract to you exactly or something better than your desire. But be anxious and impatient during your visualizations, and you will attract a situation similar to of your desire, except that it will arrive in a cloak of anxiety and impatience.

Your visualization time should be spent well, by focusing on your goals and feelings as if both are already accomplished in your life. Thank the Universe for the attainment of your dreams, and feel grateful and thankful now. When you use the combination of a clear, focused image or thought, coupled with a feeling that you already have what you want, and have thanked the Universe for it, this will become your future. How quick will it be? As quick as you will let it be. By thanking the Universe before your desire has physically manifested tells the Universe that you know it is already happening.

It is true that if you genuinely feel joyous and grateful most of the time, that you will have joy and gratitude returning to you a lot of the time. And even if you have no specific images or thoughts attached to your feelings, the Universe will fill in the blanks and give you joy, people who are grateful, and the situations that accompany good feelings.

When you add an exact image of what you want, along with the joyous feelings, the Universe collects that image and moves people and situations into your life, giving you back either your exact image, or better. The people and situations that attract to you usually are unconscious of how they pertain to you; they have become a part of what you have been vibrating, and they will tend to match that vibration, just like you are matching theirs. And you help each other without even knowing it; that is how the Universe works.

The dance of the Universe is always in sync, and the pieces of the puzzle fit together nicely because the Universe always knows the right timing. You may not agree immediately, but usually, in hindsight, you will realize that the Universe knows exactly the moment, and what to do. Just offer up a great feeling, truly see the image, and then let it go to the Universe. Let the Universe take care of the how, and just continue to take care of maintaining the wonderful feelings and the clear image. You will find that you will soon succeed in having what it is that you desire.

Imaging and emotions, the core of the Law of Attraction.

About the Author

Beth and Lee McCain are full time instructors and lecturers in applying the Law of Attraction, or better known as the Secret, in your life to attain whatever you desire. They have a great radio show on Youtube that is both entertaining as well as informative on the subject of the Law of Attraction. Beth and Lee are real people with real answers. For more information, please visit: www.bethandleemccain.com

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How to Improve Your Memory with Memorization Techniques

Article reveals useful memorization techniques to improve a person’s memory. Discuss that as modern people have become more reliant on on computers and electronic diaries, the more forgetful we have come, and most people find it difficult to remember basic things such as names and phone numbers.

As we have become more reliant on on computers and electronic diaries, the more forgetful we have come, and most people find it difficult to remember basic things such as names and phone numbers.

If you want to start remembering things without relying on electronic devices and improve your memory, then it is possible to learn some memorization techniques. It is possible to train yourself to remember names, phone numbers and more. Memorization techniques will teach you ways of storing information so that you don’t have to write things down in order to remember them.

Memorization techniques utilize methods such as thinking in pictures, repeating information and creating songs or stories about the information. Those few mention are just a few of the ways available and there is a lot more methods and techniques out there to help you improve your memory.

Repetition – Constantly saying the same thing again and again or jotting information down is a common way for most people. However, this method for memorization can be used for any type of knowledge and is not restricted to mere numbers.

When meeting a new face for the first time, try repeating their name silently for a while until it is a part of your memory. This technique can help you recall almost anything, from names to birthdays. To be certain that the knowledge is part of your memory, constantly say it to yourself mentally until you know it well.

Thinking In Pictures – Thinking in pictures is a great way to remember details, and it is the way that most people with photographic memories recall details. It is common to use the image of a candle to symbolize number one, and the hand to symbolize the number five as a hand commonly has five fingers. Visualization is a useful way to help you recall finer points and this is a good memorization technique to help you recall numbers and addresses.

Create A Story – Creating a story is a great memorization technique that can help you to recall difficult information. To aid you in these methods, visualize a man going to the local grocer to buy a loaf of bread. He replays the word bread continuously in his mind but upon reaching the store, he cannp0t recall the specific aisle to locate the bread. He shows one of the shop assistants a picture of bread, and then proceeds to tell them a story about the first loaf of bread ever made. Though this example doesn’t contain any difficult information, this memorization technique can be used for difficult or hard to remember details, as it engages your brain, and therefore, your memory.

About the Author
Moses Wright understands the importance of a good memory training at work places. He sets up a site to help people with memory improvement training.


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