Do you have big pores? Many women (and sometimes men, too) will spend hours in front of their magnifying mirror fretting over them, and will often waste their money on the latest purported pore-reducing gizmo at the drug store. What are these tiny holes that can drive you nuts? Pores are tiny openings in your skin that allow the sweat glands and oil glands access to your skin’s surface. At the bottom of the pore sits the oil gland. Then a microscopic “tunnel” rises to the surface of your skin. The opening of that “tunnel” is the visible part of the pore. Why can they look so big? Oil, sweat, dirt, makeup, dead skin, all can accumulate inside that tiny opening and essentially stretch it into a bigger opening.

How do you shrink them? Here are four suggestions:

1. Cleanse and Exfoliate - You need to keep your pores clean in order to keep them small. More specifically, you need to keep your pores “cleaned out”. If you pores are getting bigger, then you are not effectively cleaning out the oil, sweat, dirt, makeup, and dead skin. Get this debris out of the “tunnel” and it will shrink back down to its normal size. In order to do this, you should use an effective cleanser and wash your face twice daily. Soap is too harsh. It will dry and irritate your skin. Use a gentle cleanser specifically designed for facial skin.

But using a cleanser alone generally isn’t enough. You also need to regularly exfoliate your skin. Think of exfoliation as the second cleansing step, and the step that provides your pores with a deeper more penetrating cleaning. My preferred exfoliaters are the alpha and beta-hydroxy acids including salicylic, lactic, and glycolic acid. Acids are so-called because they dissolve things. Skin acids are safe to put on your skin, but they are very effective at “dissolving” the “stuff” in your pores that you don’t want. Follow your cleansing step with a mild salicylic acid wash once a day. Or use a low concentration glycolic acid gel a few nights each week. These will give your pores the deep clean they currently aren’t getting.

2. Home Devices? - There are a lot of devices for sale in department stores that purport to help shrink your pores. I believe most of them are a waste of your money. Follow the cleansing and exfoliating recommendations above and your pores will improve more effectively than they would by using most of these devices. The single exception is the Clarisonic Brush. Its sonic technology literally shakes some of the hard to get debris out of your pores, and many of my clients have found it very effective. Its available at many department stores or through various online merchandisers. And while not technically a “device”, Biore Strips are also a useful and inexpensive method to help keep the pores clean in the nose area (where they are always the largest anyway).

3. Visit an Esthetician - I recommend that you visit an esthetician on a regular basis. An aestheticism will help you maintain your skin’s health. Regular facials will help keep your pores clean, healthy, and smaller. Aestheticians can also perform more aggressive pore-reducing exfoliating treatments than you can perform yourself at home - including microdermabrasion and mild chemical peels. These will help maintain good pore health.

4. Get a Laser Treatment - Lasers are the most aggressive and the fastest method for reducing pore size. Laser treatments are performed at doctor’s offices specializing in aesthetic medicine. Different lasers have different effects on the pores. Some offer aggressive exfoliation and cleansing, while others use their heat to actually shrink the wall of the pore. Fractionated CO2 lasers such as the Active FX laser treatment offer the greatest pore-reducing effect. Erbium and Yag lasers can also help. Your aesthetic medical doctor can help guide you towards the most effective laser treatment according to your own unique concerns

People who have a flabby appearance should not worry as there are ways through which you can get rid of the cellulite which is the main culprit of your flabby body shape.

The changes in the metabolism and physiology in the human body are the contributing factors in the development of the cellulite and the first signs of cellulite start to appear after puberty in male and female. The Estrogen hormone plays a very important role in the development of cellulite as it can aggravate cellulite. Your genes, diet and the exercise routines are also determining factors of Cellulite so you should eat and live healthy.Getting rid of cellulite should be your main concern if you want a well shaped and toned body.

Cellulite appears as ripples in the skin and it is caused when fat is pushed in the skin and makes your skin hang loosely with a dimpled surface. Cellulite causes people to loose their self confidence so we should use the best creams and lotions that help us in getting rid of cellulite.

Eating a balanced diet that contains all the healthy ingredients like fresh fruits and vegetables plus drinking adequate amount of water will help reduce the appearance of Cellulite and will give you a healthy body.

Wearing high heeled shoes and tight clothing increases the effect of cellulite so we should avoid them as much as we can and instead wear loose fitted clothes and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise can also help you to reduce the effect of cellulite as it is actually the fat that is broken through the cell wall. So exercise helps to burn body fat and decreases the concentration of cellulite in the body and is the best way of getting rid of cellulite. There are specific exercises for certain body parts like the thigh and hip area and when these exercises are done regularly they help in getting rid of cellulite.

Women who have cellulite on their thighs and around their butt area should try to jog or walk according to their healthy conditions because if you have cellulite on your stomach area then you can reduce the cellulite by doing sit -ups,swimming and rowing exercises as these exercises will help getting rid of cellulite permanently.

Using skin tightening creams and cellulite lotions also give positive and healthy results that make your skin healthy and smooth. These cellulite creams and lotions are massaged in the skin on a regular basis to make your skin cellulite free and smooth. Plus they are highly effective in keeping the body toned and firm.

There are many medical procedures that are developed to reduce the effect of cellulose and they work on the fat inside to make the appearance more toned. There are also different kinds of massages that are performed by special medical officer using Ultrasound and Thermotherapy which help them to move the body fat around to give a smoother effect.

So we can say that the best way of getting rid of Cellulite is by following a specific exercise pattern, diet alteration and by using cellulite creams and lotions.

Harsh cold weather and dry indoor heat can take its toll on skin this time of year - wind chaps skin & lips, cold temps flush the skin, dilates capillaries and your skin looks red. For the hyper-sensitive complexion it’s never ending eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea. Sound familiar?

Why does this happen?

The oils and waters in and around your skin’s basal cells make up your lipid barrier. A healthy lipid barrier limits the possibility of bacterial infections thanks to its acidity. The skin also prevents many chemicals from entering the body, keeping irritants out and moisture in.

But when environmental aggressors attack the outer most layer of skin, it’s like a sledge hammer going right through a roof. This creates fissures or openings through which skin irritants can enter and also, moisture can escape.

So what’s the solution? Here are a few tips:

1) Moisture is your friend! Add a humidifier to your bedroom, but avoid hot showers, steam rooms, and sauna baths which dry the skin out. Also avoid skin care products that contain alcohol, propylene glycol, and glycolic acids. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize the skin daily, especially after bath or shower, and every time you wash your face or your hands.

2) Use skin products for sensitive skin, specifically designed to repair the lipid barrier - ingredients like dimethicone and allantoin are FDA recognized as over the counter skin protectants. Use an intense moisturizer at night - look for products with soothing ingredients like Shea and murumuru butter. Products that contain aloe vera and chamomile, further de-stress red and irritated skin

3) Use sunscreen daily to protect skin from sun as well as more water loss. Avoid harsh physical or chemical exfoliants, but do use a gentle exfoliant that also conditions the skin to slough off dry, dead skin.

4) Keep temperatures moderate indoors. Avoid using washcloths or loofahs, and use only a smooth sponge on your skin.

5) Substitute a soap-free gentle cleanser for your daily cleanser. For extremely irritated red patches, apply a skin lotion containing hydrocortisone to treat the underlying inflammation of the skin.

6) Whatever skin treatment you are using on your face, also apply to your hands. When the barrier is broken on your hands there is a huge opportunity for bacteria to enter the skin causing severe inflammation and redness.

7) Instead of frequently washing your face in the winter, blot away oil with blotting papers. The skin around the eyes is the most delicate, so be sure to use plenty of eye cream at night on the orbital bone above the eye (never on the eyelid) and on the sides of the eyes over the crows feet to hydrate and protect.

Look for skin care products that contain a new ingredient called RFp3. It’s a new peptide technology which actually shields the skin against biological and environmental aggressors that trigger inflammation, breakouts and aging. Peptides are revolutionary ingredients with amazing results.

Baby eczema seems to be becoming more and more widespread. It causes a lot of distress for the baby and especially for a new parent. Nothing is worse than seeing your lovely baby covered with red, dry, or scaly skin that he or she can’t stop scratching. When you have eczema one of the most difficult things to do is to stop scratching.

Trying to stop your baby from scratching her eczema is a real problem. A major concern is that the constant scratching can make the condition worse and an infection could develop. There is some good news though. Baby eczema is easy to treat and there are several steps you can take to help. Here are six tips that will help you reduce the itching, improve the condition of your baby’s skin and even help avoid further flare-ups.

1. Keep the baby’s skin moist by applying a generous amount of moisturizer several times a day, especially after the bath. This helps a lot to prevent the skin from becoming dry and itchy.
2. Avoid using soaps, shampoos or other skin products that contain perfumes since they may irritate the skin. Look for products that are fragrance-free and/or hypoallergenic.
3. Use a non-biological liquid laundry detergent because these do not contain bleaches or enzymes which can cause skin irritation.
4. Make sure your baby wears loose clothing that allows the skin to breathe. Ideally the clothing should be 100% cotton.
5. Using cotton bedding will stop your baby from overheating. Overheating aggravates eczema. Make sure that you wash the bedding often, and use hot water (55 degrees C / 130 degrees F or more) since this will kill dust mites, which are a common eczema trigger factor.
6. Keep your baby’s nursery as dust free as possible by minimizing the amount of furniture and soft toys. Vacuum the carpet as often as possible. Better yet, get rid of the carpet and have wooden or ceramic floors. Wash down furniture with a damp cloth rather than a dry one and avoid using any strong, harmful cleaners.

It is very distressing to see your baby suffer with eczema. The good news is that most babies will grow out of it by the time they are two or three years old. Baby eczema is easy to treat, but it takes a lot of hard work and patience on the part of the parent. By following some of these tips you should be able to avoid severe baby eczema and have a happy, healthy child.

Eczema is a definitely not an easy disorder to deal with. It can cause local swelling, redness, itching and major aesthetic problems. The factors that lead to this disease remain largely unknown, but some of the possible triggers include: exposure to chemicals, irritants and allergens and hormonal imbalances. There also seems to be a strong genetic predisposition to eczema, as it seems that many times it’s hereditary. Also excessive stress can worsen the condition. Some of the areas it can affect are the face, the elbows, the knees and the hands.
Here are some tips that can help you beat eczema:

• Try to keep away from pollen, dust, plastic gloves, jewelry made of nickel and certain household cleaners. Also you need to pick your cosmetics and skin care products carefully and make sure they are fragrance-free.
• Limit your intake of dairy products, eggs and citrus foods.
• Use a moisturizer (without fragrance) to keep your skin hydrated and prevent it from forming cracks. A good idea would be to use some coconut oil, which is completely natural and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. This will help you soften your skin and stop it from getting dry and itchy.
• Make a juice using the following vegetables: cucumber, celery and carrot. Make about 750ml of this juice every day and drink half in the morning and half in the afternoon.
• Try using primrose oil due to its content in C-linoleic acid. It has great anti-inflammatory properties, which can help in the treatment of dry skin.
• Take a vitamin C supplement daily, which can help healing.
• Mix one cup of oatmeal with some water and apply it on the affected areas.
• Use Calendula to treat inflammation and infection of the skin.
• Aromatherapy can also have very good results, especially if you use essential oils like lavender and chamomile.
• Many people have tried acupuncture with excellent results. Acupuncture is an ancient method known for at least 4000 years. It can have a very powerful therapeutic effect and can be used in dermatology, gynecology and even psychology.
• Lipotherapy is also a method that can help you find a solution to your problem. It uses various minerals with therapeutic properties that can help your body detoxify. It aims at restoring the normal functions of the body and can be extremely helpful to patients who suffer from eczema.
• Garlic can also help a lot. Just boil a clove of garlic into some water and allow the water to cool down a bit. After that, dip a towel into the mixture and apply it on all the areas that have been affected.