Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Our face isn’t all white and radiant as always but sometimes it annoys us to see something black on our face. Sometimes we also can see something which is in white color instate of black. So what are these two things that are on our face? One thing I can tell you that it is called blackhead and whitehead.
Blackhead is named black due to its appearance on your face which is black but it is not dirt stuck to our face. It composes of melanin, skin particle and excess skin debris that is accumulated which also can be called dark pigments; blackhead is also one of the types of acne. Generally, blackhead is formed due to excess sebum produced by glands that are trapped in the pores of out skin. A plug is formed when sebum oxidize and hardens close to the upper layer of the skin which clogs the pores.
Whitehead is formed when the hair follicle does not open to air, so it’s clogged with sebum and dead skin cells. Due to its lack exposure to air, the air does not oxidize the melanin thus leaving it white in color. Whitehead plugs are embedded deeper than blackhead which makes it hard to be removed.
An infection on the plug starts when the white blood cells overproduce to battle against bacteria that are destroying our skin. Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes bacteria can cause inflammation of acne formed then it becomes reddish in color.
Removing acne, blackhead or whitehead needs time, patient and the right medium. Some people speculate that it might be the cause by food intake and some are not. Therefore, we don’t need to go on a diet to remove it but just avoid any food that can cause inflammation of acne. Blackhead doesn’t mean our face is dirty and constantly washing it. The more hard you scrub and more frequent you wash, it will definitely do more damage to the face. Thus, the advice is to wash twice a day with facial scrub or suitable soap to reduce the amount of oil contained on the skin.
Also, antibacterial products that contain benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin can be used to treat blackhead and whitehead. Benzoyl peroxide usually works with mild cases of acne cases to none where it acts to reduce clogging by treating hair follicle. Trentinion acts the opposite way from benzoyl peroxide where it forces whitehead to open up and easily plugged out.
In conclusion, removing blackheads and whitehead manually is not a wise choice to do and it’s better to rely on facial wash or cream to remove it.
For more information on Tips to Get Rid of Blackheads or visit http://www.myacnetreatments.com/how-to-get-rid-of-blackheads-and-whiteheads/, a popular website that offers information on Acne Treatments, Acne Solutions, and Acne Medications. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article.
How To Self Examine Your Breast?
Breast self-examination is a very simple procedure which women can perform in the confines of the bedrooms or bathrooms. This test is a very important self diagnostic tool to determine the risks of breast cancer. Nowadays, doctors are emphasizing on the point that each woman should perform breast self-examinations regularly so that they can find out if there are any abnormalities in their breasts.
One important factor that is in favor of breast self-examination is that no one will know her breasts as accurately as the woman herself. Doctors are encouraging women to become more familiarized with their own breasts so that they can immediately find out any abnormalities. Women should know the contours, the feel, the texture and the color of their breasts perfectly. This is an important part of the breast self-examination technique.
How to Self-Examine the Breasts
The first part of self-examination of the breasts is pure observation. The woman must remove her upper body garment and stand in front of a mirror. Then she should place her hands by her sides. The next step is observation of the breasts. For this, the woman must first observe her breasts in their frontal positions, then turn to the left and right sides and observe the breasts from those sides in the mirror. This observation must be repeated with the hands on the hips and finally with the hands placed over the head. Any abnormality in the breast must be noted.
The next stage of breast self-examination is actually touching the breast to find out any abnormalities. There are two methods to carry out this part of the self-examination.
(i) Circular Sweep Method
For this method, the left hand is to be placed behind the head and the right hand is used to touch different parts of the breasts. Women who are more comfortable with the right hand behind the head and the left hand touching the breasts may do so. The free hand must be kept on the top of the breast region, just where the bulge begins. Then the hand is to be moved gradually in a clockwise manner, feeling the breast carefully at each point for lumps or any other kind of deformities. When one circle is completed, the hand must be taken a little inside the breast and the circular sweep must be done again. In this way, the circle must be progressively decreased until the hand reaches the nipple area. At every point gentle but steady pressure must be applied to check that there are no anomalies in the breasts. Finally, when the hand reached the nipple tissue, the fingers must be used to squeeze the nipple in both vertical and horizontal positions to check if there is any secretion.
(ii) Pie Chart Method
Here too, the woman self-examining her breasts needs to keep one hand behind her head and examine the breasts with the other hand. The hand is to be placed on the top region of the breast and then swept downwards, towards the protuberance of the nipple. Along the way, the fingers must be used to check if there are any lumps in the breast. When the hand reaches the nipple after one sweep, then it must be taken to the top again, placed a little to the left and swept downwards again. In this manner, the whole breast must be covered, even from the lower region, checking every point. If a firmer touch is required, then the fingers can be moved in a walking type of motion over the breast. Again, this examination must be ended with a pinching of the nipples in both vertical and horizontal directions to check for any abnormal secretion.
Age to Begin Breast Self-Examination
Hormonal changes begin occurring from the onset of puberty, i.e. when the girl reaches twelve years of age in normal circumstances. When the girl is in her post-puberty, which is roughly twenty years, the estrogen amounts have generally built up to their maturity levels. This is when breast self-examination must begin.
The breast self-examination must be carried out as a routine procedure. In fact every woman who has crossed the age of twenty years must carry out the examination once a month while in the shower. When the woman has crossed the age of forty years, then only breast self-examination is not enough. At that time, the woman must have a mammogram taken at least once a year.
The Best Time to Self-Examine the Breasts
Breasts are prone to undergo several changes within the menstrual cycle of the woman. At some times during the cycle, the breasts are soft; while at some other times, they may be firm. This happens generally in the later days of the menstrual cycle. When the breasts are firm, it is more difficult to check them for any lumpy growths. Therefore, the ideal time for carrying out breast self-examination would be one week after the menstrual flow has occurred.
Read more about the How to Self Examine Breast Type and other breast care issues at http://www.mysecrethealth.com
Also read more about the Benefits of Herbal Breast Products for Natural Breast Enlargement.
What Are The Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a largely unknown disease until today, despite the fact that it affects almost ten percent of the women above the age of forty years all over the world. The causes of this killer cancer are not known even after decades of research into it. Similarly it is unknown why some women have higher chances of getting breast cancers than others.
Though the causative factors are not known, some risk factors have been identified. There is no medical proof why these factors make the disease more probable, but this is a study of observation. In a vast cross-section of women with the observed risk factors, it has been found that the chances of getting breast cancers are very high.
The various risk factors for breast cancer are as follows:-
(1) Family History of Breast Cancer
If a near relative like a mother or a sister has had breast cancer, then there is a very high chance that the cancer will occur sometime in life. This propensity is observed even if far relatives such as cousins and aunts have had breast cancer, though the chances are lesser as the relatives are more removed. Even if a male relative has had breast cancer or prostate cancer, then there is a chance of getting breast cancer. This clearly indicates that breast cancer runs through family lines through inheritance. Certainly the chances are very high if more than one family member has had breast cancer.
(2) Personal History of Breast Cancer
If a woman has had breast cancer in the past, then there is a great chance that the breast cancer may recur. This is true even if the cancer had been removed in its benign stage itself. Sometimes the cancer cells spread into the nearby lymph. This makes a possibility that the cancer will occur in the opposite breast. In fact, women who have had cancer in one breast have 50 to 75% more chances of developing the cancer in the other breast.
(3) Diseases of the Breast
Several breast diseases can increase the chances of having breast cancer. Changes in the cells of the breasts can lead to atypical hyperplasia. This condition can cause a three to fourfold increase in the possibility of getting breast cancer in the later years. This risk also exists if the atypical hyperplasia has occurred in other women of the family. Another such condition is the benign breast tumor condition known as fibro adenoma. However, women with fibrocystic breasts generally do not have any added vulnerability to breast cancer. Yet, such conditions could make the breasts lumpy and hide the real tumors (if any) during mammography.
(4) Lifestyle
In today’s world, lifestyle is the single largest contributing factor for the proliferation of breast cancer among women. Several elements of the lifestyle have been found to be directly accordant with the prevalence of breast cancer. Smoking and alcoholism in women are among the chief factors. Even diet has been pointed out as an important risk factor. Women who consume a diet with more high-cholesterol fats in them have higher chances of breast cancer. At the same time leading a sedentary lifestyle without indulging much in physical activity are also potentially dangerous.
(5) Radiation
It has been found that women who undergo radiation therapies in their chest region at a young age have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in their later lives. Radiation therapy is generally prescribed for women with conditions like Hodgkin’s disease or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So women who have undergone such treatments may get breast cancer in their later years.
(6) Hormonal Imbalances There are several factors that can change the hormone balance of the body. Some of them are:- a) Beginning the menstrual cycle early, i.e. before the age of twelve years, b) Having the first pregnancy after the age of thirty years, c) Having no pregnancy at all, d) Having a late menopause. All these conditions can increase the level of estrogen in the body. This increases the risk of getting breast cancer to a mild extent. Apart from that women who take regular birth control pills, breast enhancement supplements, antidepressants and antihistamines and hormone modifying supplements stand at a higher risk to get breast cancers.
The above are the major risk factors for breast cancers. But since the study on breast cancers is not yet complete, the above is by no means a complete list. There are several other indications of breast cancers, like breast implant operations; but these have not yet been confirmed. The implants used in the earlier days were made of silicone gels. These were riskier in terms of breast cancer. However, nowadays the silicone gel implants have been replaced by saline implants. This has reduced the risk to a great extent.
It must be also noted that women have much higher chances of getting breast cancer than men. In fact, most people think that breast cancer is a disease that affects only women. This is not true. Men also get breast cancers, but to a much lesser degree than women. Also, age is a very important factor. The chances of getting breast cancer are much higher when the woman has crossed the age of 50 years.
Read more about the Breast Cancer Information and other breast care issues at http://www.mysecrethealth.com
Also read more about the Benefits of Herbal Breast Products for Natural Breast Enlargement.
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