To cure age spot, you need the help of natural treatments. Surgical treatments are so popular today but it does not mean you have to follow this insane bandwagon. If you want to keep your money in your pockets, try effective natural treatments.

Age spots are caused by over exposure to sun. The sun’s UV rays cause dark pigmentations to develop. If you are a sun-loving person when you are younger, you will surely experience age spots when you get older.

Good thing we have abundant natural sources to help us out. You can try making homemade facial masks. Papaya is a good treatment. You can puree ripe papaya and apply it on your face. It actually has a natural whitening ingredient that prevents dark pigmentations.

Cucumber is also a soothing whitening ingredient. It helps reduce dark pigmentations like age spots, dark scars, and dark undereye. It can also help reduce skin puffiness, just stick it in your refrigerator and apply it on your face for a refreshing effect.

Slices of raw potato also help. The juice of potato can lessen pigmentation and can promote even-toned skin.

These treatments can be used once or twice a week for better effects. For the rest of the week, you can always go for a moisturizer with natural ingredients. You need only to choose a moisturizer that has potent and gentle ingredients.

Extrapone Nutgrass is an ingredient worth looking for. Unlike other whitening agents that can leave a burning sensation in your skin, Extrapone Nutgrass can cure age spot in a very gentle way. It also helps soothe redness and irritation.

Phytessence Wakame should also be present. Studies say that younger people have more abundant supply of hyaluronic acid. But as we get older, harmful enzymes attack it causing a rapid aging process. Phytessence Wakame is just the right ingredient that can protect our hyaluronic acid.

Cure age spots using very natural methods and you can see the effects you have been longing for.

And to help you get clearer and younger looking skin, I would like to share with you one anti aging skin care range of products that I discovered. They contain more active ingredients than any other cream on the market. These ingredients are effective moisturizers, because they penetrate deeply to “nourish” the skin. So, they never feel greasy.

I have never seen any other natural products that are as good and report no negative or adverse effects. They are hypo-allergenic, fragrance free and can be used on any skin-type. If you want to see and discover similar results, you should visit http://www.goodhealthyskin.com to find out more.

The fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine promotes a list of 50 basic herbs. The typical, initial impression, is that the remedies associated with them, or combinations of them, are ingested rather than topical. With further knowledge of TCM, you find that many of the basic 50 have both topical and ingested actions.

This article describes several TCM herbs (not all on the list of 50) that have gained appeal for both topical and ingested value. The goal was to identify and define those herbs, that when combined as a topical cream, would have the healing benefits of prescribed anti bacterial, anti biotic and anti inflammatory creams of Western Medicine. The top herbs with those topical attributes are listed below:

Ginseng – It grows in the Northern Hemisphere in eastern Asia (mostly northern China, Korea, and eastern Siberia). Ginseng is adaptogenic which is a term used by herbalists to refer to a natural herb product that is said to increase the body’s resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. Additionally, a study at the University of Hong Kong suggests Ginseng has anti-inflammatory effects.

Codonopsis – a perennial species of flowering plant native to Northeast Asia and Korea typically found growing around stream banks and forest openings under the shade of trees. Medicinally, it is used to lower blood pressure, increase red and white blood cell count, cure appetite loss, and strengthen the immune system.

Artemisiae – native to temperate Europe, Asia and Northern Africa, and parts of North America. It is used for heat stroke symptoms, a wide variety of inflammatory conditions, including all kinds of fevers and for treating and preventing malaria. Can be used both topically and internally for bacterial and fungal infections.

Commelinae – Common to Europe, Eastern North America,Southeast Asia and Africa. Used as a anti-inflammatory balm to treat muscular pain, sore bones, and swellings.

Scufellariae – Native to E. Asia – China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia. Used as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic (with documented testing results), antihypertensive, and a calmative.

Houttuyniae – Grown in the Hubei, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China. Actions are to remove toxic heat, to promote the drainage of pus, to relieve dysuria (painful urination), treat acute urinary infection and open sores/wounds.

Psoraleae – Mainly grown in Henan, Sichuan and Shanxi provinces of China. External application treats leukoderma (loss of skin pigmentation) and psoriasis.

Salviae Miltiorrhizae – Native to both China and Japan, growing between 90-1,200 meters elevation, preferring grassy places in forests, hillsides, and along stream banks. Decreases the growth of fibrous scar tissue by increasing blood flow to the area applied.

In summary, Ginseng used topically is and anti-inflammatory that fights infection and promotes healing. Codonopsis increases the red and white blood cell count that aids in healing rashes, sores and open wounds while strengthening the immune system to fight infection. Artemisiae is noted for success as an anti bacterial and fungal treatment. Commelinae is an anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce swelling. Scufellariae has documented success as an antibiotic topical cream. Houttuyniae heals open sores and wounds and is also known for its capability to dry infection and drain pus. Psoraleae treats loss of skin pigmentation and psoriasis. Salviae Miltorrhizae is used to reduce scar tissue during the healing process.

The combination of these natural herbal ingredients, combined in the right amounts to form a topical solution, should help to heal wounds, cuts, lesions, sores and rashes. The inclusion of Psoraleae should also make the combination effective on skin disorders like athletes foot, psoriasis, skin infections, nail infections, eczema and warts.

Try the all natural alternatives to prescription healing aids. LANLAY’s Magic Cream blends 8 well known herbal ingredients into a healing aid for open wounds, cuts, lesions, athletes foot, psoriasis, infection, warts and eczema. Make sure you look at the rest of the LANLAY Natural Products after purchasing Magic Cream.

Tanning as become popular after the famous Coco Chanel introduced darker skin color and made it the stylish thing to do. Ever since then women have been trying to get the cherished dusk skin color and dermatologist have been trying to figure out a way to bring paleness back into fashion. Is summer sun really harmful, can tanning be dangerous, who should stay away from sun tanning, & what is the right way to tan to avoid skin problems? We set on a quest to answer all of these questions and here is what we found out.

Let’s start with what tan is. Tan is the skin’s defense reaction to the harmful effects of ultraviolet. The radiation goes through a large number of skin layers and not only heats up the skin but also influences the cells’ DNA, causing mutations. That is the reason why the skin protects itself. The epidermis, top skin layer, contains the cells called melanocytes that become activated in response to sunrays’ impact and produce the pigment called melanin thus creating the dusk interlayer which serves as a filter. This interlayer is what absorbs most of the ultraviolet, preventing its penetration into deeper skin layers. Figuratively speaking tan is the “umbrella” opened by the skin to protect itself from ultraviolet rays.

The tan itself or the dusk skin color is the final product. The beginning stage is the inflammation. Before becoming dusk the skin turns pink or red. The inflammation of higher degree causes sunburn along with blisters and pigment spots. Doctors have actually linked sunburns to cancer. Sunburns received in childhood increase the chances of development of melanoma, one of the most dangerous malignant tumors. Sunburns received at adult age increase the chances of skin cancer development. The tan itself is not harmful but it has to go through the sunburn stage, and sunburns are actually very dangerous. Besides tan has the tendency to accumulate, which means that all sunburns stay in the skin cells’ DNA. Burns received in childhood can surface and affect you even if you never tanned as an adult.

There are several types of skin based on its ability to suntan. People with the first skin type never get a tan but actually receive sunburn after being in the sun for only half an hour. People with the second skin type hardly ever get a tan and easily get sunburns. For people with the third skin type staying in the sun causes a slight burn, which then turns into tan, which can be pretty intense a lot of times. People with the fourth skin type suntan easily without getting sunburns. People with the fifth and sixth skin types have an increase level of melanin and can bear sun in any quantity without getting sunburned. Usually the Caucasians have their skin sensitivity anywhere from the first up to the fourth skin types.

There are people who should never tan. These are the people who have first and second skin types, or people with cancer, or those who have a history of melanomas in their family. You are not allowed to be tanning during chemo therapy or while on antibiotics, since it can cause skin’s hyper pigmentation. People suffering with psoriasis, chronic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin, usually in the form of thick, red, scaly patches, should be extremely careful about tanning, in some cases sun can treat the outbursts but in some cases it can make them even worse. Pregnant women should stay away from the sun as well.

So what is the right way to tan? Preferably you should start tanning in early spring so that by the time summer rolls around you already have a safe tan. If that is not something you can realistically accomplish then at least stay away from the sun from 10am till 4pm when the sun rays are the strongest. You can prepare your skin by going to the tanning salon, which is still harmful but as the saying goes you should choose the lesser of two evils.

Keep in mind that your skin suntans faster in the water, which serves as the lens and amplifies the sun’s strength. The sunrays go into the water up to the depth of 3 feet. It is especially easy to burn if you stay in the sun right after swimming. In this case the water creates little lenses all over your skin which increases the chances of getting sunburn.

In case you do get sunburned here are a few things you can do. Soak a cloth in equal parts cold water and milk and apply to the burned area. You can also take a cold shower or a cold bath, just make sure to avoid soap. Use the aloe vera gel or aloe vera ice cubes to soothe your skin. Make sure to wear loose-fitting cotton clothes so that it doesn’t irritate the affected skin. Also drink a lot of water, if you are sunburned you get dehydrated easily. Finally, try to avoid getting sunburned next time by following the tips you’ve learned so far and using lots of sunscreen.

A common question is do sunscreens with SPF protect your skin. They do protect your skin from inflammation or burns, but not from the harmful impact of ultraviolet rays. If you tan and at the same time don’t burn the risk of developing a melanoma does not actually decrease. In this case the best defense is light cotton clothes that are not snug at all. Although you will not get tan wearing that.

Usually you chose the sunscreen based on your skin type and what exactly you are trying to achieve. The sunscreen with SPF 100 protects your skin a 100% but this protection acts only for a short while after the cream’s application. In this case you will not get a tan. If your goal is to actually get tan you are better off with sunscreen with SPF 15-20.

A lot of people nowadays use auto tanning lotions. We recommend using them in cases of extreme necessity. Anything that’s applied to skin especially on a large area gets inside your body – these auto tanning lotions get absorbed, go through liver and get deactivated. It’s not worth it to put your body through additional burdens.

Another popular concern is the sun aging your skin. The negative impact of the sun is very apparent when demonstrated on the grape. The ripe berries get dried out in the sun and turn into raisins. The same thing happens to the skin of those people who tan in excessive amounts. The advocates and opponents of tanning will look very different. There actually has been an experiment conducted on two twin sisters, one of which lived in California and the other one in the north of the USA. The latter one looked way younger than the one living in California and being exposed to sun all the time.

Of course it is impossible to stay away from the sun completely, but following the tips mentioned above will ensure better and safer tanning.

Julian Sagan is the CEO and owner of a Penis Enlargement Products company. Dedicated to providing factual information about various penis enlargement products available on the market today. Copyright 2007 Julian Sagan of Penis Enlargement Products. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Weakness of blood vessels is often seen during the aging process when blood vessels become fragile. Dark bilberry fruit has been shown to reduce blood vessel permeability, improve capillary resistance, and provide antioxidant properties, to scavenge free radicals. One way to fight the aging process of the body is to promote health in the vascular system by eating nourishing foods, exercising, and learning how to handle stress. Evidence shows that eating five servings or more a day of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and some other disorders that related to blood vessel health. The dark pigment in fruits and vegetables has many health advantages.

A lot of people think that the only way to improve blood vessel health is to reduce blood cholesterol, minimizing the risk of a heart attack. That is an essential goal, but blood vessels should also have strength and integrity to maintain their health in order to carry nutrients and oxygen through the body to feed the tissues. As we age, eye function begins to diminish and causes a lot of people to fear that they are losing their eyesight.

The blood vessels decline in function, but there are other factors such as the reduction of arrestin and rhodopsin. Arrestin is a protein while rhodopsin is the light sensitive pigment that can be found in the retina. The dark pigment of fruits and vegetables is extremely important to blood vessels and the health of the structures and proteins of the eyes. Brilliant colored fruits and vegetables may prevent strokes, heart disease, and help long-term vision because they improve integrity of blood vessels.

Bilberry fruit has been studied for over 40 years for its supportive effects on blood vessel health, blood circulation, and lymph flow. Blood vessels in the brain, heart, eyes, stomach, veins in the legs, and actually anywhere in the body have the potential to leak. In many regions bilberry extract has been used to support individuals with microcirculatory disorders including varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and degenerative retinal conditions including macular degeneration and cataracts. Diabetes, atherosclerosis, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol and an inability to handle stress can all contribute to blood vessel disorders and cause the capillary’s membrane to thicken, therefore, increasing capillary permeability causing edema and leaking of fluid.

During the aging process, oxidative damage occurs by free radicals in the eyes, which then causes a loss in the transparency of the lens. Symptoms that occur because of this are blurred vision, increased sensitivity to glare, reduced visual acuity, color perception, and light sensitivity. When the eye structure begins to break down, vision impairment and cataract formation result. Bilberry extract has been shown to improve vision and twilight vision, helping the retina adapt to darkness and glare.

With aging, a gradual degenerative process is experienced which is caused by free radical damage to our body’s genetic material, cell membranes, and tissues. Free radicals attack blood vessel endothelial cells, and they begin to rupture. Antioxidants help to prevent AMD and reduce the damage of the retina’s photo receptors. In summary, blood vessel health is an important part of age management. By improving diet, managing stress, exercising, and supplementing with bilberry extract, one can promote the health of blood vessels throughout the body, and therefore, support the eyes.

Research has shown that nearly half of those between the ages of 18 and 40 have a tattoo or several tattoos. The problem here is that a majority of those who have tattoos have later decided that they don’t want them anymore. The biggest complaint to tattoos is dissatisfaction, which has led to a recent increase in tattoo removal. It’s been proven in the past that women research their removal options more than men — due to the fact that men have less of a stigma when it comes to tattoos.Often times, the ink that is used during tattoos can lead to infection, simply because the type of ink being used isn’t regulation for tattoo parlors. Clean equipment is also essential with tattoo parlors; otherwise someone can end up with hepatitis B, C, and various other infections. There are many serious diseases and other sicknesses that can occur if a tattoo parlor doesn’t keep their materials and parlor clean.In the event of infection or if someone just doesn’t like their tattoo, there are ways to get them removed. Skin grafting and dermabrasion are good examples of tattoo removal, although the most popular and most common these days is laser removal. Laser removal is the fastest and by far the most preferred. With this surgery, the laser being used will zap the metal ions that are found in the pigment of the tattoo, fracturing the ink into very small pieces that the body can easily dispose of.There are several great things about laser tattoo removal, although there are some bad things as well. In some cases, where infection is involved, the surgery will be a bit different. First, you’ll need to get the infection out of the area before the tattoo can be removed. Depending on how bad the infection is, you may end up staying in the hospital for a few days. For this very reason — you should always make sure that the equipment is clean and sterile before you ever get a tattoo.Laser tattoo removal can be very painful, depending on the area that you have the tattoo on. Almost all surgeons will use numbing ointment and local anesthetics before they do the removal, so you experience little to no pain. Even though you may think that you have a high tolerance for pain and can deal with the treatment, you may still want to take any type of numbing that you can get.Before you decide to get a tattoo removed with laser removal, you should always make sure that you choose a surgeon you can trust. Lasers can be very dangerous, and there are always side effects and risks involved. Although laser tattoo removal is certainly an option for getting rid of a tattoo — the best thing to do is think long and hard before you get one to begin with.

Al Dawson is a 25 year + collector of Tattoos and runs the company http://www.ultimatetattookits.com.
For the best prices and fast service check out his store now: http://www.ultimatetattookits.com.

The Author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article as long as its contents remain unchanged and the Author’s byline remains in place.

Laser hair removal is a new cosmetic technique aimed to remove unwanted body or facial hair permanently using light energy. It is a new and improved alternative to shaving, tweezing, waxing and using all sorts of chemicals to remove hair. Laser hair removal is also a less time consuming procedure than other techniques, such as electrolysis. It can remove hair from several areas at the same time. Permanent hair removal can be used on legs, chest or back, as well as some facial areas, such as eyebrows or lips.
Laser Hair Removal Candidates
The best candidates for permanent hair removal are individuals with fair skin and dark hair. Laser hair removal is less effective on red or blond hair and has better effects on coarse rather than fine hair. Several treatments are required and patients have to be willing to spend a lot of time on this procedure. Treatments are performed within a period of several months. The number of treatments required for facial hair removal varies from one patient to another. The best candidates have to be both mentally and physically healthy and share realistic expectations on the probable results of laser hair removal.
Permanent Laser Hair Removal Procedure
Doctors use one of several laser types for a permanent hair removal procedure, including the diode laser and the Q-switched Nd: Yag. For patients who have dark-colored skin, they often apply a bleaching cream to increase the chances of high effectiveness. An anesthetic cream is applied to the skin surface after it is shaved and cleaned. Then pulses of laser light send energy into the pigment of the hair shaft, thus damaging the surrounding follicle. Some surgeons use a carbon lotion, which responds to the laser wavelength and helps with stopping the hair from growing.
The Risks of Laser Hair Removal
Even though permanent hair removal is usually safe, there are some side effects that might occur in some cases. Among these side effects there is the darkening or lightening of the skin surface that has been treated. Darker skin is associated with a higher risk of changing its pigment, so tanning before the laser treatment should be avoided. Another possible side effect is burning and blistering. The risk of these side effects can be decreased by following carefully the cosmetic surgeon’s advices and instructions.
Length of Permanent Hair Removal Treatment
Your hairs are probably not all in the same growth stage at a given time. Generally, two-thirds of all hairs are growing, while the others are in a resting phase. Therefore, several laser hair removal treatments are required in order to get the desired effects. On average, three sessions are needed in order to remove all the hair from one area. Treatment sessions are usually scheduled at least one month apart to ensure the remaining hair will be back in the growth phase and can be removed during the next procedure. The length of one session depends on whether it is performed for body or facial hair removal and the size of the area that will be treated. The necessary amount of time for one session ranges between five minutes and one hour.
Permanent laser hair removal is a revolutionary cosmetic procedure that provides a lot of benefits and releases you from worrying about unaesthetic body hair and depilation. However, in order to reduce the probability of unwanted side effects, you have to make sure you choose a high-qualified cosmetic surgeon to perform the procedure.
Sue Taylor is the webmaster of several sites dedicated to removing unwanted hair permanently. Refer to http://www.permanenthairremovalsite.com and http://www.laserhairremovalpage.com

In this article I will tell you exactly what skin pigmentation is and how to treat it. I will also tell you different types of skin pigmentation disorder that are very common. Before I start explaining about skin pigmentation let me tell you how pigmentation actually takes place on our skin. We all know melanin is the pigment determining factor in our skin.

In fact melanin level in our skin not only decides the pigment of our skin it also gives color to the iris of our eyes. But what determines the level of melanin our skin? Well it depends on our genes and race. It also depends on the level of sun exposure. The level of melanin in our skin increases when skin is exposed to the sun. This is a biological process to protect the skin from the damaging UV rays.

Reasons for Skin Pigmentation

So what factors cause skin pigmentation disorder in the first place? Many factors have been declared as culprit for causing skin pigmentation problem. Sometimes it is due to allergic reaction of some kind of medication and at other times it is due to hormonal imbalance or change in the body. Over exposure to the harsh ultra violet ray of the sun is a mostly common causative factor in skin pigmentation disorder.

Different Types of Skin Pigmentation

Now that you know what is skin pigmentation disorder is and what causes it, let us have a look at most commonly found skin disorder type according to the intensity of pigmentation.

Hyper pigmentation:

This skin condition results when our body produces too much melanin. The result is darker skin tone. This normally happens due to prolonged over exposure to the sun ray. It can also happen as a reaction to any kind of medication.

Hypo pigmentation:

When the body does not produce sufficient melanin the result is hypo pigmentation. A typical example is when a wound heals sometimes the affected area loses pigmentation and the result is white patch on the skin.

Lichen Simplex Chronicus:

This is a skin condition that results in severe itching and this in turn turns the skin dark and thick in patches.

Vitiligo:

Vitiligo can be said to be another case of hypo pigmentation. Only in this case it is a kind of skin disease. This happens when the skin loses the pigment producing cells resulting in white patches. The peculiarity of this skin disorder is that it is more common in people with dark skin.

Albinism:

When a person has albinism his complexion is pale and his hair is white or yellow and eyes are usually light gray. There is no cure for albinism. A person with albinism has special need for sunscreen lotion to protect against sun burn and skin cancer.

Melasma:

This is a hyper pigmentation disorder. It is most commonly due to hormonal imbalance and sun exposure. It is also known as chloasma. It appears as dark patches on upper lip, cheeks, forehead and sometimes on arms and necks too. This skin condition can be treated with over the counter or prescription medicines. The treatment actually depends on the severity of pigmentation.

Solar Lentigo:

This is commonly known as sun spot, age spot and also as liver spot. They usually appear on the body parts exposed to sun like face and arms. By the way liver spot has nothing to do with liver. But yes, these are called age spots for a reason. These appear mostly on elderly people who have been exposed to the sun a lot without the protection of sunscreen lotion.

But whatever may be the type of skin pigment disorder it is really a beauty concern. There are many treatments for this disorder. Some go for cosmetic products while others look for solution in prescription medicines. Some out of desperation look for surgical procedures to treat these skin pigment problems. But do you know some simple cost effective natural way for skin pigmentation treatment? If your answer is negative you must check out this article on melasma treatment for some really stunning and revealing ways to treat skin pigment disorder.

Is this watercolor? I am often asked. It looks like oils it is so rich!

I am often asked what colors I use to create my luminous and transparent reality. It is not a straightforward answer. But one of the main reasons my work looks as if the subject has a presence is because I use a multi-layered technique using transparent or semi-transparent watercolor.

Why?

Because they allow our paintings to glow. Think of several fine layers of color, laid one on top of the other. Each one will be influenced by those laid beneath them. The final color glows like a jewel because the colors are unsullied by opaque pigment.

I will share my magical palette of hues below. But first – let me explain a very important factor when choosing pigments: Not all hues are equal! The same names are often used by the color houses for very different colors. They are not interchangeable. For instance Indian Yellow in one brand is very opaque – but in the brand I use – it is very transparent. Transparent colors are crucial in the success of unsullied color using my methods.

These are Schmincke colors and are available at many of the large art supply stores:

1. 208 Aureolin Modern

2. 220 Indian Yellow

3. 218 Translucent Orange

4. 363 Scarlet Red

5. 357 Alizarin Crimson

6. 351 Ruby Red

7. 367 Purple Magenta

8. 484 Phthalo blue

9. 494 Ultramarine Finest

10. 519 Phthalo Green

11. 530 Sap Green

12. 787 Paynes Grey Bluish

These can be bought individually or in a set that should be available in November 2009.

I have a few favorite mixes that I like to share on my DVDs and also with those on my workshops:

To create a gorgeous Sap Green:

Mix Sap Green with Translucent Orange = fabulous, clean, fresh and very transparent green.

To create a brilliant purple:

Thalo Green and Purple Magenta = stunning clean purple ideal for floral studies

To create a rich dark luminous transparent black:

Mix Alizarin Crimson with Thalo Green – add a touch of Thalo Blue

If your color is too strident or you simply wish to grey if off slightly – just mix a touch of the complementary color to it and voila – you have the perfect subdued color – that juxtaposed to other bright colors, will allow them to really sing.

You can dull a colour down to create beautiful grey – by simply adding more of the complementary color to a hue.

Complementary colors:

-Blue/Orange

-Orange/Blue

-Red/Green

-Green/Red

-Purple/Yellow

-Yellow/Purple

By using transparent colors you will not create mud. You can create browns and earth colors that will resemble mud in hue – but they will always glow beautifully from within.

Try my palette and you will see what I mean.

Have fun!

UPDATE: Because so many people want to purchase the transparent hues I love to paint with – I have been working with Schmincke to produce a “Susan Harrison-Tustain” signature set of my specific palette of hues. The colors will come in a very practical and useful tin presentation box that has flip sides which can be used for mixing! My signature set will become available at selected art supply stores by the end of November 2009.

BIO: Susan Harrison-Tustain is an internationally acclaimed watercolor artist and teacher. For more information you can visit her website at http://www.susanart.com or take a look at her best-selling watercolor lessons on DVD at http://www.susanart.com/pennyfarthing

The world is a big place and there are many different cultures, Europeans, Scandinavians, Asians, Africans, Hispanics and many, many more. Each of these cultures tends to have certain characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, etc,. Inherent with cultural backgrounds is a difference in skin types. For example, western cultures such as the central and northern Europeans have a tendency to fair complexions, hair and eye colour, while southern Europeans dent to have darker hair, brown eyes and darker, olive skin tones.

Africans and African Americans, have very dark or almost black skin, usually dark or black hair and brown eyes. Genetically, this skin type is less susceptible to the UV rays, although their skin can still get burned.

Asians on the other hand have a yellowish skin tone and can have brown or blue eyes but have mostly dark or black hair. Yes, genetics does have its opinion on how we look. The cultural differences are reflected in the skin and the genetic factors play an important role in how well our skin looks, how ‘tough’ it is and how vulnerable it is to certain skin problems.

For example, cultures that have a tendency to body hair, also have a tendency to oily skin and therefore have a potential problem with blocked secretory glands resulting in pimples and other skin problems. On the other hand, the Irish, who have a tendency to red hair and very fair skin, have less of a problem with oily skin, but they do tend to get burned easily and thus stand a greater risk to skin cancers. Similarly the Scandinavians and other central and northern Europeans and Americans.

Below are some generalised characteristics of various skin types from different cultural backgrounds:

Skin Characteristics of people with Anglo-Saxon origins

• Fair, dry thin-skinned
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear earlier
• Burn easily in the sun
• Bruising more obvious
• Increased chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern Mediterranean origins

• Oily, olive dark complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Cartilage tends to droop
• Darker, thicker scars more common
• Wrinkles appear later and in more localized areas
• Skin cancer is rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European origins / German and Scandinavian

• Fair, blue-eyed, blonde
• Thin skin
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear early
• Bruising more obvious
• Greater chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with African/African-American origins

• Signs of aging appear very late
• Very little fine wrinkling
• Formation of keloids is possible
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Thicker cartilage hard to change
• Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European/Irish and northern England

• Ruddy freckled complexion
• Red hair
• Scars usually thin
• Signs of aging appear later
• Bruises easily
• Pigmentation problems
• Skin cancers are most common in this type

Skin Characteristics of people with Asian origins

• Signs of aging appear late
• Fine wrinkling does not usually occur
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern European origins

• Dark, oily brunette complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Fine wrinkling less common
• Bruising lasts longer
• Scars may be thicker and darker
• Skin cancers are less common

Identifying the correct, natural skin care system for your skin’s characteristics is essential and may need to be adjusted depending on your specific genetic influences, as within each of these groups, there is a wide range in skin tones, which tend to overlap from group to group.

Each of the different categories of skin characteristics has various advantages and disadvantages specific to that group. However, the overall structures and functions of our skin are very similar and are therefore cared for in very similar ways. Knowing your skin’s particular strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor your skin care approach to your particular skin-characteristics.

When a newer technology is introduced, we try to utilize it to the maximum without even realizing the after effects of the same. The trend is occurring all throughout the generations. In this brief article, I will try to outline certain well-known disadvantages of laser hair removal procedures. Keeping in tune with the paradigm, the hair removal process with the aid of laser is a recent innovation. Research is still being conducted in the niche and researchers are now realizing the long-term side effects of laser hair removal. Whether to or not to opt for this procedure – this is purely dependent upon your judgment.

a) The procedure is easy. However, you will have to visit the skin specialist every week or so. In other words, the treatment is going to take some time. Multiple visits can be reduced by augmenting the nature of the laser beam that is induced on the surface of the skin. Nevertheless, this in turn might prove to be detrimental to the skin. Recent research is proving that certain wavelengths of laser beams are competent enough to induce various skin diseases like skin cancer.

b) Those who have a fair skin must resort to the procedure. The technology works as follows – when the laser beam is subjected to the skin, it will react with the melanin pigment present on the hair (the dark color of the hair is imparted by the melanin pigment). Similar dark coloring of the skin is also due to the presence of melanin. Instead of acting on the melanin that is present on the hair, the laser beam will act on the melanin pigments present on the surface of the skin. This will alter the chemical composition of the skin – the after effects of the same are worse.

c) The color of the hair must be black – this is one of the criteria for the laser hair removal treatment to be effective. In certain cultures, people are known to die their body hair with other colors. For them, the laser hair removal treatment will never work to be feasible. The skin specialist will state this when you express your desire for the treatment.

d) As I had mentioned earlier, the probabilities of the occurrence of various types of skin conditions are manifold when this treatment procedure is opted for. The conditions might not develop immediately after the procedure – the chemical breakdown of the skin will take some time to materialize. Since the skin happens to be the largest organ of the body, the effects of this breakdown are fatal.

e) We should also consider the cost of laser hair removal. A single session can cost $500 to $2000. Hence, only the rich could afford for the same process. The eyes are very sensitive to the laser rays – always ensure that ample protection is imparted to the eye when the treatment procedure is conducted. Many people suffer from premature blindness when they do not opt for laser skin treatment procedures.

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