Find fabulous gifts on the festival of the skin

Pleasant atmosphere of the festival, happy and is Urgapuarn. Children, old, young, women, men, all are in the mood to celebrate by wearing new clothes and exchange gifts with each other, bound together with live worship do.

Always sitting in the corner of their minds because of which it seems to be gazing of their festival.

Yes! If your skin is not shining or it is callousness will persecute you also always the fear that it was a reduction in your beauty, not values ​​are calculated. This will lessen your Atmbiswas. While the fabulous four moon will put your beauty skin.So if you glow in the skin of domestic measures to achieve the shortest possible time, so please follow the steps below.

Domestic use

1. To clean your skin regularly oats, oats in the English say, make a slurry mixed with milk or yogurt and rub it on your face. After about 10 minutes, rinse it and dry it with a soft towels please.
2. Whose skin is dry milk or yogurt, and almond powder mixed with glycerin and honey should be applied. Moiscraijhr almonds and honey are excellent.
3. Take advantage of seasonal fruits. Narngiya are gentle bleaching agent and Strabarry keep skin oil control.
4. This shrink and tighten skin pores will open. And finer facial hair will disappear.

Professional Treatment

If you want to seek the assistance of an expert to refine the form, you can do that, too.

• Nowadays many spas in the four moon to find your beauty and natural materials such as 24 carat gold consumed the milk, lemon and chocolate or roses use.
• The new sparkling beauty of your skin to maintain, you should use sunscreen. Keep your skin moist, so making long-term effects of beauty treatments.
• To create beautiful and gentle whole body turmeric, sandalwood powder and milk mixture making good on a stool and let your whole body wrap with a towel after a shower and take approximately one hour.

This body wrap not only provides your skin tone, but also clears the pores. After this you make guava pulp and yogurt mixture to shit on your face and rinse after a while. This turmeric stains left on your face will disappear. Or by making a slurry of carrot pulp and yogurt to shit all over the body. It also uncovered traces of turmeric on your body will be erased.

Stay healthy with popcorn

Okay, wait a minute. There’s got to be something wrong with that headline. Everyone knows that munching popcorn during a movie is BAD for health. Isn’t it? Oh, don’t get us wrong, it’s not that kind of popcorn we’re plugging here –poured with butter, tossed in salt kinds is not, repeat not, a health food. But air popped popcorn is a good, healthy snack that is, wait for it, doctor recommended!

Yes. The humble popcorn is a healthy snack like few others. A standard mixing bowl-full of popcorn contains only about 93 calories and less than 2 grams of fat (a small slice of pound cake – of about 30 grams – contains about 120 calories!). But that is, of course, if the popcorn is actually air popped. The supermarket variety of packaged popcorn, even if it is labelled ‘air popped’ may not be telling you the whole truth. While the corn may not have been cooked with fat, it may have been sprayed with fat later on in order to preserve it in packaging. And don’t even begin to compare this to the movie theatre popcorn, a ‘medium’ labelled packet of which has 720 calories. So, we recommend home popped popcorn for those in-between-meal-time cravings that are the bane of any health food regime.

Experts have it that popcorn actually has large quantities of antioxidants known as polyphenols. These good-for-health antioxidants are also found in fruits and vegetables; and are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and several other diseases.One of the main reasons for popcorn to have such good qualities is because the processing involved in it is really less. It’s almost straight from the plant – and as any dietician will tell you, the less the processing involved in an eatable, the better it is for health. 

The twentieth century introduced us to packaged food, and the twenty first is looking at a worldwide domination of such foodstuff. Even traditional Indian meals (matar paneer and malai kofta for a few examples) that our grandparents slogged over now come in a ready-to-eat format. This is bound to spell disaster for our health. And this packaged food frenzy has reduced the intake of natural foods in our diet. In India, it is still relatively easy to buy unprocessed food, and it’s becoming more and more important to our lives to take advantage of this. Popcorn is one of those things that can help us still retain some of the old good habits of traditional India. In winters, popcorn vendors are a common sight even in the heart of our bustling metropolises. This winter, you may want to give him a second look...

If you’re popping your own corn, remember to toss in just a dash of olive oil. Avoid butter, caramel and salt (okay, just a little bit, if you must). This will keep your corn healthy and make for a great snack that you can munch on throughout the movie. It won’t add to the luxury of your waistline, and will keep you full after, unlike most other movie-time snacks. It may be a bit low on flavour for the first few bites, but trust us- it tends to grow on you.

Easy to Follow Nutrition Resolutions

Are you someone who always resolves for including betternutrition in his diet but never follows? One or the other reason makes you slip up and you are back to your old ways. One of the main reasons for this is setting the nutrition goals too high. It would be advisable to chalk out a plan which has some simple steps first and gradually leads you towards better fitness. It’s all about getting yourself used to a good state of health, brought about by eating nutritious food, so that you naturally do not go back to your wasteful eating habits.

Tips for Easy Nutrition Resolutions

• Do not diet a lot – Dieting a lot is not going to help you lose weight. On the contrary, too much dieting can lead to putting on more weight than earlier after the dieting is stopped. It is much better to make some changes in your lifestyle that help you lose weight healthily.

• According to Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, people looking to lose weight should try to find out the habits that make them eat more, and try to work out a solution. For example some people have the habit of eating unhealthy foods because they keep a stock full of it in their home. There are some who are social eaters, i.e. eat in the company of their friends. These people would be benefitted if they stacked their home with healthy food stuffs every week and planned events with friends where eating is not involved.

• Have fruits and vegetables with every meal – Having a dark green vegetable along with orange daily is most beneficial as a nutritive meal. This has been suggested by Health Canada. They reason that green leafy vegetables have folate which is good for your heart and helpful in preventing birth defects, and orange has vitamin A which is important for protection from infection.

• Make interesting recipes to include the fruits and vegetables in your meals. Your breakfast can consist of a concoction made from frozen mangoes, papaya, melons and orange juice. Make salads with green leafy veggies like spinach or soup with Swiss chard. Combinations or solo recipes of broccoli, sweet potatoes or Brussels sprout should also be tried.

• Having whole grains full of fibre is very helpful in maintaining a balanced weight. Brown rice, buckwheat, millet, amarnath, bulgur, whole oats, whole grain of wheat, quinoa and whole rye are some fibrous whole grain that you should try. They keep you full without increasing your weight.

• Health Canada has recommended that one should strictly try to be vegetarian for at least one day a week. You can try some meat alternatives as much as possible. Nuts, beans, tofu, lentils and seeds are protein rich, inexpensive substitute of meat.

• People who have lost weight once know how to do it again if they happen to gain it later. So you just need to do it once and with a regular schedule of exercise with health diets, you can get back in shape. This is the opinion of Anne Fletcher, MS, RD who is the author of Thin for Life series of books.

• Susan Moores, MS, RD is a nutrition consultant in Minnesota. She says that getting adequate sleep has a positive impact on your eating habits. So, get proper rest, sleep well and stay fit !

How Organic is your Organic Food?

The demand for organic food has risen of late thanks to the spate of diseases new lifestyle and harmful farming practices have brought upon us. Organic food, even at a higher price, promises to bring back the days when certain diseases like high blood pressure was unheard of, in young people at least. But there is always a risk of unscrupulous shopkeepers or suppliers selling us a dummy. In other words, how to make sure that an edible item labeled “organic” in a store or available for sale online is really organic.

Organic foods are those that have been grown without the modern day methods of using chemical fertilisers, pesticides and no genetic modification in the process. Since only organic ingredients are used without very limited or no exposure to non-organic products, one can expect them to be free from the harmful effects.

According to Neelima Sikka, the CEO of goindiaorganic.com, an online store for organic food products in India, "Organic Certification from a reputed authority is the most important thing, which customers should look for." The organic certification is given after verifying that the food has been grown and processed in those farms that are known as organic farms and have been certified as such.

A nutrition expert, Dr. Vidya has advised that one should look for the logo of the certification body that has granted the organic label. The store keeper should be able to explain in detail about the certification body and how it goes about certifying food products as organic. Organic products are always sold with the organic label.

There are different levels of organic labelling. Label that says 100% organic is for food products that have organically grown ingredients. Those that have the label of 95% organic, other than salt and water, should not have sulphites in them. There is another level of organic foods that bears the label “Made with organic ingredients”. Such food items have up to 70% organic ingredients.

Looking for organic food may be good if you are looking for healthy eating options but it is not a good idea to bring such products from thousands of miles away. The best thing to do is to get in touch with the farmers nearest to your city and encourage them to grow organic food, and buy directly from them.

Nuts Lower Cholesterol Levels

Your heart might actually benefit from nuts. You think we’re kidding. Well, not really. We have reasons to back this claim! Nuts can dramatically reduce risk of heart disease by dilating blood vessels and preventing any sort of hardening of blood vessels.

Recently, there was research being conducted in order to identify potential reason behind how nuts help in reducing coronary disease and lower cholesterol levels.  The conclusions are quite healthy and revolutionary. The Nurses’ Health Study, for instance, found out that those people who ate five or more ounces of nuts per week cut down risk of developing heart diseases by 35 percent in comparison to those who didn’t.

So, while you try and decide which nuts are healthy for you keep in mind that ideally, they must be high on monounsaturated fats and have lower amounts of saturated fats. High monounsaturated fats actually lower the low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterols levels in the blood. You would be quite happy to know that almonds, pistachios and walnuts contain high amounts of unsaturated fats! So, won’t you grab your share?

Why nuts are heart healthy?

Researchers say that nuts contain heart-healthy substances that lower cholesterol levels. These include:

• Unsaturated fats: Apparently, and as mentioned above unsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol levels.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids help our heart by preventing dangerous heart rhythms which can cause heart attacks. Other than nuts, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fish.
• L-Arginine: Nuts contain lots of l-arginine that improves health of the artery walls and make them more flexible and less prone to blood clots that block rhythmic flow blood flow.
• Fiber: Nuts are high in fiber content and once we eat nuts we feel much fuller and eat lesser thereafter. Nuts can in this way help in preventing diabetes.
• Vitamin E: It is widely believed, although researchers aren’t still very sure, that vitamin E helps stop plaque sedimentation on our arteries that later constrict them, interrupt the rhythm of blood flow and cause coronary heart disease (CAD)or heart attack. In short, it helps in improving health line of the arteries.

Thus, include nuts which are powerhouse of good nutrition in your diet. In fact, we’d ask you to go nuts!

Health benefits of Eating nuts

Nuts are nutritious snacks — particularly raw tree nuts, such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, and more, which have been linked to lower cholesterol, better heart health, weight control, and even a lower cancer risk.  A small handful can pack your diet with filling protein, fiber, unsaturated fats, and important vitamins and minerals.” Here’s how your health benefits each time you bite on a handful of nuts.

1.Walnuts: Inflammation Fighters

In addition to containing the most antioxidants of all nuts, which help protect your body from the cellular damage that contributes to heart disease, cancer, and premature aging, “walnuts are also the richest in omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation.

They’re an especially great way to get these healthy unsaturated fats if you’re not a fan of fish, where these types of fats are predominantly found. A walnut snack may also turn around a bad day during that time of the month: The manganese they contain may reduce PMS symptoms.

A 2006 Spanish study suggested that walnuts were as effective as olive oil at reducing inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after eating a fatty meal.

Serving info: About 14 walnut halves = 185 calories, 18 grams fat

2.Almonds: Best nuts for disease protection

Relatively low in calories, almonds have more calcium than any other nut, making them a great food for overall health. Plus, they are rich in fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight dangerous inflammation and possibly health conditions such as lung cancer and age-related cognitive decline.

In one International Journal of Obesity study, when two groups of obese adults followed low-calorie diets for six months, those who included almonds in their weight loss plans lost more weight than those who ate more complex carbohydrates. Other research shows that almonds are especially healthy for people worried about their blood sugar: Those who ate about 20 percent of their calories from almonds for four months saw their bad LDL cholesterol drop and their insulin resistance decrease compared to a control group who didn’t eat them.

Serving info: About 23 nuts = 170 calories, 15 grams fat

3.Cashews: Brainpower Boosters

Cashews are particularly rich in iron and zinc. “Iron helps deliver oxygen to all of your cells, which can prevent anemia, and zinc is critical to immune health and healthy vision. Cashews are also a good source of magnesium: 28 gram provides almost 25 percent of your daily need. Magnesium may help improve memory and protect against age-related memory loss, according to a study in the journalNeuron.

Avoid nuts packaged or roasted in oil; instead, eat them raw or dry roasted. Roasted nuts may have been heated in hydrogenated or omega-6 unhealthy fats,  or to high temperatures that can destroy their nutrients

Serving info: about 18 nuts = 165 calories, 13 grams fat

4.Pecans: Artery Defenders

Pecans are among the most antioxidant-rich nuts. “They may help prevent plaque formation in your arteries.” In fact, a Journal of Nutrition study found that consuming pecans can help lower LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 33 percent. Pecans may also buffer your brain health, according to an animal study from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The vitamin E found in the nuts could delay progression of degenerative neurological diseases like amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Serving info: About 18 halves = 200 calories, 21 grams fat

5.Brazil Nuts: Potent Cancer Protector

Just one Brazil nut packs more than 100 percent of the daily value for the mineral selenium, which may help prevent certain cancers, including bone, prostate, and breast cancer. A recent study in the Journal of Medicinal Food suggests that the selenium found in Brazil nuts, along with soy, may help fight prostate cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancerous cells. However, don’t overdo it on Brazil nuts: High levels of selenium can be harmful, so stick to a serving or less.

Serving info: 5 to 6 nuts = 185 cals, 18 grams fat

6.Pistachios: The Skinniest Nut

Pistachios are the most slimming nuts, with less than four calories each. Their shells make them especially dieting-friendly: “Eating them in the shell automatically slows down your pace so the snack lasts longer and you eat less overall. They may also help you breathe easier: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center researchers found that eating 56 grams of pistachios daily may reduce lung cancer risk. Pistachios are rich in the antioxidant gamma-tocopherol, a form of cancer-fighting vitamin E. Pistachios are also packed with potassium, a mineral essential for a healthy nervous system and muscles, and are a good source of vitamin B6, which can lift your mood, fortify your immune system, and more.

Serving info: About 50 nuts = 160 cals, 14 grams fat

Top iron high foods – Foods with rich iron content

Food offers two kinds of iron — heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron can be found in meat, fish and chicken, and would be the form of iron that is quickly absorbed in your body and taken on into the body after you consume it. Non-heme iron can be found in vegetables as well as meat. Foods using non-heme iron are nevertheless good to eat, but the iron found in these ingredients won’t end up being absorbed completely because of heme iron. You absorb approximately 30 % of heme iron, found simply in food like meat, chicken, and fish. A person can absorb 2-10 % of non-heme iron, found in vegetables and meat. Eating beef generally raise your iron levels considerably more than feeding on non-heme iron. When you consume heme iron along with non-heme iron, the flat iron is more completely absorbed. Foods rich in vitamin C, like tomatoes, citrus fruits and crimson, yellow and orange peppers may help in the absorption of non-heme iron.

It was once called “iron-poor blood, ” although now we know it as anemia. One strategy to help address it is to enjoy foods rich in iron (most doctors recommend going for a supplement, too).

To boost the level of iron content in your diet, try these food:

• Red meat

• Egg Yolks

• Green leafy green vegetables like spinach, collards etc

• Dry fruits like prunes, raisins etc

• Iron-rich cereals and grains (check the label of the food packet before purchasing it)

• Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops)

• Egypr or poultry giblets

• Pinto and black beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans

• Liver

• Artichokes

And here is a tip: In the event you eat iron-rich foods in addition to foods that include vitamin D, your body can absorb the iron faster than otherwise.

5 tips to control diarrhea in children

Diarrhea is one of the most common gastro-intestinal infections that are easily transmitted through contaminated food or water. Dr Maiya PP, Consultant Paediatrician, Agadi Hospital, Bangalore says, ‘In about 88% of cases, the children who die due to diarrhea, contract this infection due to sub-standard living, poor sanitary conditions and consumption of unsafe drinking water.’  Considering how grave this condition can be, here are 5 tips that will help you to manage diarrhea in your children:

Maintain proper hygiene and sanitation

It is very important for parents and care-takers to maintain high levels of hygiene and sanitation in the house. Always wash your hands with soap or sanitizer before feeding the child, after touching any unwashed or unclean objects and after visiting washroom. Read more about the right way to wash your hands. 

Ensure your kids drink pure water

It is also essential that you take the proper precautions when it comes to purifying drinking water. Make sure the drinking water is properly boiled, filtered and stored in a hygienic place. You can also add chlorine tablets to make the water fit for consumption. Read more about tips to ensure pure drinking water.

Always keep your child hydrated

Dehydration caused due to watery stools or vomiting is common in children suffering from diarrhea. It flushes out essential minerals and nutrients from the body disturbing the body’s electrolyte balance.Severe dehydration may cause serious health complications like brain damage, organ failure and seizures. Hence, it is important to prevent the kid’s body from dehydration by replenishing his/her body with sufficient electrolytes and water. Read more about how to stay hydrated.

Provide electrolyte supplementation

Re-hydrating your child’s body with only water is not sufficient as diarrhea often tends sap your baby’s body of nutrients. Hence, it is recommended that you give your child sufficient electrolytes for the proper functioning of his/her body. This includes oral re-hydration therapy (mix the contents of pre-packaged ORS packets in water and give it to your child) and supplementation of zinc, folate and vitamin A along with continued feeding.

Put children on a light and easy-to-digest diet

In case of infants, breastfeed your child more often to replenish the lost fluid and nutrients. For children eating solid foods, put then on non-spicy and easily digestible foods like idli, rice kanji, moong dal khichri or rice kheer.

8 Ayurvedic treatments to treat joint pain

Joint pain can be absolutely excruciating, to such an extent that it can be debilitating. While there are medications that can help manage the pain, they often tend to have a rather temporary effect and in some cases may even leave you with severe side-effects. Not surprisingly, there are more natural and less harmful ways to relieve  pain like with Ayurveda. In this post Dr Gauthaman, Ayurvedacharya and CEO of rVita tells you about the top 8 Ayurvedic remedies to relieve joint pain. 

Abhyanga: This involves a full body massage with Ayurvedic oil for 45 minutes. The oil is selected after understanding the patient’s body nature, the season, and disease condition, if any. The number of strokes and pressure vary with the condition of the individual.

Benefits: Its rhythmic motion helps to relieve joints and muscles from stiffness and makes all body movements free. This treatment increases blood circulation, which in turn encourages quick removal of metabolic wastes and toxins. Indications: It is used in cases of anxiety, fatigue, circulatory disorders, rheumatism, arthritis, backache and injuries. It also prevents wrinkles, helps in treatment of spondylosis, sleep disorders, paralysis, improves physical consistency, induces sound sleep, increase a general sense of well being and life span. It also helps improve complexion and the texture of the skin, prevents obesity and diabetic gangrene

Pizhichil: Pizhichil, which literally means squeezing, a cloth dipped in warm medicated oil is squeezed over the patient’s body. The patient should be made to adopt the seven standard positions so that no area of the body is left uncovered.

Benefits: Relieves body pain and muscle spasms, helps preserve and promote optimum health, helps in the healing of fractured bones, increases immunity and prolongs life span, promotes development of muscles, improves skin complexion, anti-aging and rejuvenating, ensures better blood circulation, alleviates the burning sensation in the body. A soothing and relaxing procedure, prescribed in clinical conditions like paraplegia, hemiplegia and other degenerative conditions. This treatment is very useful for rheumatic diseases, arthritis, paralysis, sexual weakness, neurological disorders, blood pressure, nervous weakness, diabetes, blood pressure, fits, convulsions, paralysis and helps to arrest the aging process. It is very effective in asthma and even in tuberculosis in early stages.

Navara Kizhi: It involves fomentation of the body with bolus of cooked rice. The rice is first cooked with milk and a herbal decoction. Four boluses are made of the cooked rice and are tied up in linen bags. This therapy is done in seven standard positions. This is a strengthening fomentation employed in all kinds of neurological disorders, rheumatism, arthritis congenital deformity of the limbs, dislocation of bones and joints etc.

Benefits: Strengthens the body, rejuvenates the tissues, improves muscle tone, improves blood supply by cleansing the channels of circulation, effective in curing diseases of the nervous system and others such as chronic rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gout, emaciation of muscles, numbness and diseases caused by vitiation of blood, makes the body strong and sturdy, nourishes the body and increases immunity, promotes sharpness of vision and functions of other sense organs, slows down aging, premature graying of hair, baldness, appearance of wrinkles over the body, gives softness to the body by improving the health of the skin.

Ela Kizhi/ Podi Kizhi: Leaves and powders of medicinal herbs are fried in medicated oil and applied over the body in rhythmic massage. Good for arthritic conditions, lumbago, cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, sciatica, pain and stiffness of joints, post paralytic spasm, other spastic and inflammatory conditions etc.

Benefits: Relieves pain, numbness and edema, controls vitiated Vata, improves peripheral blood supply, cures diseases like arthritis, paralysis and convulsions, stimulates the nerve endings, treatment for spondlitis and sports injuries.

Kati Vasti: Lukewarm Ayurvedic / herbal oils are poured into a artificial bridge created around the affected area (Knee, Lower back, Neck etc). The healing properties of herbal oils used for this massage enriches the blood and builds and maintains strong muscle and connective tissues.

Benefits: Loosens stiff joints, helps to cure cervical spondlitis, neck pain, paralysis and numbness of hands, Stimulates and nourishes nerves relieving pain and numbness, This treatment is very effective in treating different conditions of the knee joints like arthritis, degenerative conditions etc.

Pichu: A thick layer of cotton soaked with warm medicated oil is applied over the affected area. The oil is recycled periodically to make it warm.

Benefits: Very effective for degenerative and painful problems like back pain, osteo-arthritis, spondlitis, injuries, etc. Recommended for neurological disorders like paralysis, facial palsy etc.

Ksheera Dhoomam: A fomentation process, medicated milk is heated and the steam is passed over the entire body. It is effective for numbness, headache, allergies, nervous disorder and paralysis.

Benefits: Helps relieve nervous disorders of the face, speech disorders, cervical spondylosis, spastic disorders and neurological problems

Vasti: This is a treatment in which prescribed medicated oils, decoctions, herbal preparations, extracts are applied through the rectum. It purifies the body, maintains health and longevity.

Benefits: Good for arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, numbness and constant constipation, degenerative, neurological problems, chronic back pain, infertility, sciatica, obesity, digestive disorders, ulcer. 

Why eating with your hands is good for health

Most Indians eat with their hands. But today as we adopt more traditions of the western world, it is common to see people using spoons and forks to eat. But did you know that eating with your hands has a number of health benefits? Here are the top 4 reasons you should start eating with your hands.

Keeps all your vital life energies in balance: According to Ayurvedic texts, we are all made up of five main pranas or life energies and these five elements correspond to each finger on our hand (your thumb indicates fire, index finger correlates with air, middle finger indicates sky, ring finger stands for earth and little finger indicates water). An imbalance of any one of these  elements can lead to diseases. When we eat with our hands we usually join our fingers and thumb to eat, this is actually a mudra that is a form of mudra vigyan, or the study of mudras and their healing power on the body. Therefore when we eat we are putting together all the five elements and energizing the food we eat so it helps us become healthy and keep all our pranas in balance. 

Improves digestion: Touch is one of the most strong and often used sensation in the body. When we touch our food with our hands, the brain signals our stomach that we are about to eat. This in turn, readies the stomach to digest the food it will receive, aiding in better digestion.

Promotes mindful eating: Eating with your hands requires you to pay attention to what you are eating. You often need to look at the food and focus on what you are putting into your mouth. Also known as mindful eating, this practice is much more healthier than eating with a fork and spoon that can be done mechanically. Mindful eating has a large number of benefits for your health and one of the most important benefits is the fact that it  improves the assimilation of nutrients from the food you eat, enhances digestion and makes you healthier.

Protects your mouth from getting burnt: Your hands also act as a very effective temperature sensor. When you touch food it is easy for you to gauge how hot it actually is, and you are less likely to put food that is too hot into your mouth – effectively preventing you from scalding your tongue.

Effective ways to get rid of acne scars

The good news is that the irritating pimple on your cheek has gone away. The bad news is that it has left a pesky scar that just won’t disappear.  What to do?  lists out the various options that you can choose depending on the severity of your acne scars.

The fact is that acne scars or acne will affect almost 85% of men and women in their lifetime. And, the scars will take a lot longer to go away than the pimples themselves.  But do not fear, dermatological technologies have advanced leaps and bounds, giving dermatologists many tools to get rid of those scars.

Below are the details on the most effective options – from gentlest to strongest – to help eradicate your acne marks.

 Topical retinoids

Retinoids are derived from vitamin A, and include tretinoin, retinol, adapalene and retinyl palmitate. These are applied on the skin nightly and work to treat and prevent acne, scars and marks. Typically, these retinoids begin showing results after 3 months, requiring lots of patience. And, the fact is that retinoids will not help with deeper scars. But, they are very effective and are good medications to continue long-term to prevent new acne from occurring.

Chemical peels

Chemical peels involve using strengthened ingredients that cause a chemical exfoliation of the top layers of the skin. The only real side effects are a little redness and a little skin scaling. Now, while this procedure is very gentle, superficial peels are less effective than other treatments because superficial chemical peels typically only hit the topmost layers, while the scars tend to be deeper than that. To counteract that, go to an experienced dermatologist who knows how to do medium-depth peels to ensure those scars get treated. Overall, peels are the least expensive option of treatment, but many sessions and a lot of time will be required to get those desired results.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a mechanical exfoliation done by a dermatologist using either a diamond tip or aluminum oxide crystals along with suction. It acts by removing the top layer of dead skin cells, but with varying levels of suction, you can get a deeper level of exfoliation. This procedure can really help get rid of shallow scars, but you will need at least 10-12 sessions to really get the full results.

Lasers

Fractional ablative lasers are the most effective option available. They essentially act by delivering a laser beam that is divided into tiny columns and goes deep into the skin. In each of these columns, old skin cells are removed, while new skin cells and collagen synthesis is increased. So, the skin is stimulated to naturally heal itself, revealing less marked, tighter and fresher skin. These treatments are typically given once a month, for one to four sessions, depending on the severity and depth of the scars.

Overall, a good dermatologist will be able to guide you on the best-suited option for you, and will also be able to combine the treatments so that you get the results faster. Make sure you get your treatment done by a professional so that you too can have clear and scar-free skin.

How to get rid of tanning and uneven skin tone

Exposing your skin to the sun can cause damage to it. The summer heat can not only dehydrate you but also soak in the moisture from your skin, making it dry and frail. Our expert gives tips to remove tanning and rectify uneven skin tone caused due to the sun.

Tanning

Tanning of the skin due to sun exposure is quite common and there are a few home remedies that you can employ to get rid of it. However, one needs to keep in mind that there is nothing that can help remove a tan overnight. It will take at least a week.

In order to get rid of their tan, some people opt for the harshest method available – they bleach their skin. But by doing so, they cause dryness, burning and further darkening. Bleaching also reduces the smoothness of your skin to a large extent.

Remedies for removing tan

Soak saffron in milk cream and steep overnight. Blend this in the morning with your fingers and apply on the affected area. This will lighten your tan effectively. It has the added benefit of adding a glow to your skin as well. If you also want to sanitise your skin, add a few drops of lime juice to this mix.

You can also exfoliate your skin to get rid of the dehydrated layer as this will give the illusion that the tan has lightened. Exfoliating your skin strips it off the dead skin cells that are on the topmost layer. This action stimulates cell growth and regeneration which results in a smoother, clearer and an even skin tone.

Another trick to hide your tan is by covering it up with light make-up. But note that this is just a temporary solution and should be used when you are in a fix and have no other option.

Uneven skin tone

Many a times, we suffer from uneven skin tone where some parts are lighter than the others. This is due to the overproduction of melanin.Sun exposure can aggravate this condition with its harmful UV rays. Here are some ways which can help get rid of uneven skin tone.

Microdermabrasion

The skin complexion can be evened out through the mechanical action of tiny beads. This procedure is called microdermabrasion. The scrubbing action not only acts on the surface but also cleanses and moisturises the skin.

Chemical peels

Chemical peels may be a little daunting considering that they can be a bit harsh when not applied properly. But under the right conditions, chemical peels can remove stubborn dirt and dry skin bringing out that fresh and rejuvenated appearance with a complexion that is evened out.

A word of caution with chemical peels is that you have to protect yourself better from sun exposure because the skin becomes more sensitive after use. Put on sunscreen that has a broad spectrum and an SPF of at least 30. You should also moisturise regularly to make so that your skin gets enough hydration after a chemical peel. A lack of it can result in breakouts which could create dark spots.

Laser

An aggressive approach to fixing uneven skin tone is through laser therapy. It basically works the same way as your other hyperpigmentation treatments – by removing the outer layer of dead and dry cells revealing a more even skin underneath.

The advantage of laser therapy is that it acts more precisely on the problem areas. There are different kinds of laser therapy, and the good thing about it is that the instrument can be programmed specifically by the doctor to get a therapeutic dose of the laser energy.

Tips

Wearing sunscreen every day will significantly cut back on accumulated sun damage. Load up on antioxidants, both topically and internally to avoid uneven skin tone. To nourish your skin internally, drink three to four liters of water daily, eat fruits rich in vitamins and minerals like citrus fruits, melons, and moisturise heavily at night.