Archive for December, 2011

3 Common Reasons for Stretch Marks

If you have never had stretch marks and want to avoid them, it may be of some help to know about the most common causes. From there, if certain factors wind up in your life, at least you can take steps to mitigate the development of stretch marks as much as possible. This may involve using special ointments or even slowing down your progress on a fitness goal until the deeper layers of skin have a chance to accommodate the changes.

Pregnancy

As you may be aware, the vast majority of women that suffer from stretch marks get them during pregnancy. Typically, these marks will develop along the lower abdomen and thighs. If you want to avoid or reduce these marks during pregnancy, you will need to make use of skin moisturizers. As long as your skin in these areas remains elastic, you will have a better chance of preventing the dermal layer from tearing. Unfortunately, if creams don’t work, you may wind up with these marks that turn into permanent scars before the baby is delivered.

Rapid Weight Gain and Loss

Regardless of your age, putting on excess weight too fast will also lead to stretch marks. In fact, this is the main reason why children and teens wind up with these kinds of scars. Aside from using stretch mark creams if you are gaining weight too quickly, you should also make it your business to try and control weight gain as much as possible. At the very least, you can talk to your doctor in order to find out why you are gaining weight. For example, if you have a thyroid condition, or need to obtain access to a sensible diet, your doctor can easily direct you to appropriate sources of information.

Muscle or Body Building

Oddly enough, many people fail to realize that expanding muscles will also require rapid expansion of skin to cover them. Even if you are overweight, trading fat for muscle will put stress on regions where muscles are increasing in size. Therefore, if you are planning to take up a body building regimen, you should ask about methods for reducing stretch marks. Without a question, if you want to look good on the beach, or in any other location, preventing stretch marks is bound to be very important.

Many people who have these marks find themselves wishing they could have found a way to avoid getting them. While these same people would not give up their children or a muscular physique, they would most likely take advantage of creams, massages, and other methods to help make the skin more elastic. Therefore, if you are thinking about having a child, increasing muscle mass, or find you are gaining weight too fast, you should consider using stretch mark creams that have good comments and feedbacks from users. At the very least, if you can prevent larger skin tears from occurring, you will have a better chance of getting rid of the scars later on with other treatment methods.

Posted by on December 14th, 2011 No Comments

Best Treatment for Nail Fungus

If you have a toe nail fungus you are probably already aware of how difficult it is to treat. It can be a exceedingly obstinate type of fungal infection and, depending upon the severity of your nail infection, will necessitate a thorough treatment method, and a substantial amount of time and patience on your part. The following article will outline the top treatment method for curing your nail fungus once and for all. There will be a number of measures involved in a comprehensive, successful toe fungus remedy. These will consist of medication from your doctor, topical solutions, preventive actions to keep the fungus from coming back, and in a few severe cases, it may possibly include removal of the nail itself. Using this treatment regimen has almost a 75-80% success ratio. 1. Antifungal drugs (oral medication) will,in most cases, provide the greatest possibility of doing away with the fungal infection. There are a few drawbacks to taking this medication however. One is that it is really costly and is often not covered with insurance, because in most cases the insurance company will view it as a cosmetic treatment and not cover it. Terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole are the most commonly used oral medications. The added concern with taking antifungal drugs is that they can have serious side effects. Your physician will want to carefully monitor you so you don’t endure from some of these possible side effects. There is a chance of liver damage and heart problems. Because of these concerns, physicians will usually prescribe oral medications in only the most severe and hard to treat fungal infections. 2. The use of topical medication is often used in conjunction with oral medication, or if the fungal infection is not severe, can be used on their own as an effective nail fungus treatment. Often times these topical solutions will be used for a considerable amount of time after the nail has healed to make sure the fungus does not return. Terbinafine and ciclopirox are two better known compounds that are used in these creams or ointments. You need to remember that these types of applications do a good job of clearing up the less severe forms of nail fungus, but do not perform as well in cases where there is a severe fungal infection. 3. Removal of the affected nail is reserved for very severe cases or in situations to where the nail fungus is causing a great deal of discomfort and pain. In most situations removing the nail is a last resort. Even with the nail gone, you still have to be sure to use a combination of medication and topical applications to ensure that the fungus does not return. Once you have stopped the infection and you have a healthy nail again, it is critical that you take steps to make sure it never returns. This would include: 1. Wash and dry your feet thoroughly after bathing and make sure you put powder on your feet. 2. Apply the recommended topical gel, ointment, or cream for a minimum of year afterwards. 3. Try to wear cotton socks as much as possible. If necessary change them a couple of times a day. 4. Wear shoes that “breathe” and avoid any footwear that does not ventilate your feet. 5. If you use a public shower or swim at the local pool, be sure to wear flip-flops or shower shoes of some kind. These places are notorious for picking up any number of fungal infections. 6. Use your own socks, shoes, clippers, and files and don’t share them with others. 7. If you should happen to injure or damage a nail, be sure it gets proper treatment. A nail injury is a very common predecessor of a nail fungus infection. An important thought to keep in mind is that when it comes to fighting nail fungus, you have to be patient. It can take months and some cases a year or longer before the fungus is completely eliminated. It will require persistence on your part to follow the practices listed above and not give up. With time, in most cases you will see a positive result. Last but certainly not least, be sure to consult your physician. He or she will be able to answer all your questions and put you on a treatment plan that will work best for you.

Posted by on December 7th, 2011 No Comments