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Friday, August 31, 2007

Hair Removal Information & Techniques

For decades now, women have been removing unwanted body hair, using different techniques. Not only does it add to the woman's beauty but it is better for her personal hygiene as well. Today getting rid of unwanted hair has become easier than ever. There are a number of easy techniques that you can use at home or you can visit a beauty parlor for professional treatment. Given below in some information about the different techniques that are available today.

  • Shaving: Shaving is a popular technique as it can be done at short notice and gives you instant results without much effort. Most women still continue to shave inspite of alternate techniques being available. This method is quick and cheap, though the hair grows back rapidly and when the hair grows back it is very coarse. You should soften the hair by washing the area with warm soapy water. Use light gentle strokes in the direction of the hair growth, to remove the hair. After you finish moisturize the skin. There are different kinds of razors, electrical, disposable, with twin blades and moisturizing strips. Choose one that suits you the best.
  • Hair Removal Creams: These creams are manufactured in such a way that they dissolve the hair. These creams have an ingredient called keratolytic that will damage the skin if it is left on for a long time. Use a patch test the first time you are using a cream. But there is no doubt that they make the skin hair free, smooth and soft.
  • Waxing: Though this method is a little painful, it is good to remove hair from the arms, legs and bikini line. Hair re-growth after waxing is slow and may take as much as two months. It is best to do a patch test for waxing as well. For best results one should continue waxing on a regular basis. Hair is removed from its root and when it re-grows it is finer. The problem with waxing is that the hair has to grow a little for waxing to be efficient. It helps to dust a little talcum powder on the area before waxing.
  • Sugaring: This technique is similar to waxing. Here the removal solution is warmed and then applied on the area required with the help of a palette knife. The solution is applied in the direction of the hair growth. Then a cotton strip is used to cover the solution and torn away in the opposite direction and thus the hair is removed. Hair re-growth takes about six to eight weeks and it is fine.
  • Electrolysis: This is a salon treatment and is expensive, but last longer and could be permanent as well. This requires a series of sittings if the results are to be good. A fine needle passes a very low electrical current into the hair follicle. After a session there will be slight swelling, redness and scarring which will take a few days to disappear.
  • Laser treatment: This is another salon-based treatment that is expensive too. You need a few sessions for good results. Black activating lotion is applied over the area, to enable the hair follicle to absorb the laser energy. In this technique the best results are got from people with thick body hair.
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Pleural Mesothelioma



Malignant pleural mesotheliomaPleural Mesothelioma as compared to a healthy lung. is the most common type of mesothelioma, making up over two-thirds of all cases. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lung and chest cavity known as the pleura.

The pleura is made up of the parietal and visceral pleura. The parietal pleura lines the chest wall and diaphragm while the visceral pleura lines the lungs.

Asbestos fibers work their way into the smallest passageways of the lungs and then into the pleura. Once there, an unknown chemical reaction causes cancerous cell development. As the cells begin to divide abnormally, the pleural lining thickens and excess fluid may accumulate. Pleural thickening gradually contracts the breathing space, causing shortness of breath—often the first symptom for pleural mesothelioma. The fluid, once carefully measured to allow smooth movement between the lungs and other organs, now causes increased pressure, further hindering breathing. This excess fluid is often seen on X-rays, and is referred to as a pleural effusion.

Pleural mesothelioma, like all kinds of mesothelioma, can be difficult to diagnose or easily misdiagnosed. If you are aware of prior asbestos exposure, it is important to inform your physician so that mesothelioma symptoms can be correctly identified.

While a diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma is certainly serious, it is not without options. A variety of new and novel mesothelioma treatments are available, as are a variety of clinical trials.

How does asbestos cause asbestosis?

Asbestos fibers inhaled into the lungs become imbedded in the delicate lining of the lungs. The fibers are so small and thin that they are able to beat the body's natural defenses. They accumulate in the lower portion of the lungs, becoming lodged into narrow airways. This causes scarring and inflammation, leading to a chronic cough and chest pain, the first symptoms of Asbestosis.

Asbestos, cancer, and smoking

While smoking increases your risk for a variety of other cancers, it does not by itself create a predisposition for pleural mesothelioma. In conjunction with asbestos exposure, however, smoking does increase the risk of developing pleural mesothelioma. The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure also increases the risk of developing lung cancer, as does prolonged exposure to asbestos.
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Information

Peritoneal Mesothelioma -Cancer of the Stomach Lining

Peritoneum mesothelioma or Peritoneal mesothelioma is mesothelioma cancer in the lining that surrounds the abdomen (stomach).

Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is mesothelioma cancer in the lining that surrounds the abdomen (stomach).
Diffuse means that is the cancer is spread out.

Peritoneal or Peritoneum is a smooth membrane, which lines the cavity of the abdomen (stomach).
It helps to protect the contents of the abdomen. It also produces a lubricating fluid.
This helps the organs to move smoothly inside the abdomen as we move around.

Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for approximately 10% of mesothelioma cases.


Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

When the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma appear, they typically include abdominal pains,abdominal weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling.

Fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space, a condition known as ascites. Over time the wasting symptoms can become more and more severe.

The growing peritoneal mesothelioma tumor can exert increasing pressure on the organs in the abdomen, leading to bowel obstruction and distention.

If the peritoneal mesothelioma tumor presses upward, it can impair breathing capacity.

If the peritoneal mesothelioma tumor pushes against areas with many nerve fibers, and the bowel distends, the amount of pain can increase.
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Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Truth About LASIK Risks

While LASIK outcomes are overwhelmingly favorable, remember that there is still that fraction of less than 1% of people who do experience sometimes serious and ongoing vision problems following LASIK.

These are likely the people who operate anti-LASIK web sites filled with chilling warnings regarding dangers of the procedure, with nothing positive ever said.

You should rationally consider what unhappy LASIK patients have to say in light of your own needs and the fact that it is absolutely true that no surgical procedure is ever risk-free.

A very small number of LASIK patients with excellent vision based on eye chart testing still can have bothersome side effects.

For example, it is rare but possible that a patient may see 20/20 or better with uncorrected vision while at the same time having symptoms such as double vision (diplopia), unresolved dry eye, or difficulty seeing at night because of glare or halos around lights.

When you sign the LASIK consent form provided by your eye surgeon, you should do so with a full understanding that, even in the best of circumstances, there is a slight chance that something unintended could occur.

Even so, most problems eventually can be resolved
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LASIK Complication Rates Are Decreasing

Complications generally were more common in the early years of LASIK, when studies in the late 1990s indicated that up to 5% of people undergoing the procedure experienced some type of problem.

Experienced LASIK surgeons now report in trade journals that serious complication rates can be held well below 1%, but only if surgical candidates are selected very carefully.

You may be eliminated as a LASIK candidate, for example, if you have certain conditions such as pregnancy or diabetes that affect how well your eye heals.

Any health condition you have that might hamper your ability to heal should be mentioned and discussed in detail with your eye surgeon.

Large pupil sizes also might be risk factors for LASIK complications, because pupils in dark conditions could expand beyond the area of the eye that was treated.

Again, make sure you discuss any concerns about these or other matters with your eye surgeon.
[See a list of conditions that might contribute to adverse LASIK outcomes, or try taking our LASIK screening quiz.]
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How Common Are LASIK Complications?

Public confidence in the LASIK procedure has grown in recent years because of a solid success rate involving millions of successful procedures in the United States.

With increasingly sophisticated technology used for the procedure, most LASIK outcomes these days are very favorable.

The U.S. military also has adopted widespread use of refractive surgery including LASIK to decrease reliance of troops on artificial lenses or eyewear as evidenced by the more than 16,000 U.S. Army personnel who underwent refractive surgery from 2000 through 2003.

Studies of these outcomes showed that 86% achieved 20/20 or better uncorrected vision and 98% achieved 20/40 or better, which legally is considered good enough for driving without eyewear or contact lenses.

"Reports of night vision difficulties, LASIK flap dislocation, and dry eye are infrequent, and do not seem to have a significant negative impact on military operations or individual readiness," researchers who studied these outcomes concluded in the February 2005 issue of Ophthalmology journal.
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Lasik risks

If you are considering LASIK and worried that something could go wrong, you might take comfort in knowing that it's extremely rare for complications from this procedure to cause permanent, significant vision loss.

Also, many complications can be resolved through re-treatment or enhancements of the eye.

Selecting the right eye surgeon probably is the single most important step you can take to decrease any risks associated with LASIK.

An experienced, reputable surgeon will make sure you are properly screened to let you know up front if you aren't a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery.

Even if you are not qualified for LASIK, you might still be able to undergo vision correction through other means such as PRK, LASEK, or implantable lenses (phakic IOLs).

If you do decide to undergo LASIK, a responsible eye surgeon will work closely with you to resolve problems if they do develop
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