But how much really can your teeth become whiter? Some tooth whitening products claim that your teeth can become nine shades whiter. This is exaggerating. A whitening of two or three shades is more possible and can already provide a significant change in a person’s smile.

It is important to note at this point that our teeth have no uniform whiteness. Usually, the whitest teeth are the two front teeth while molars are generally two shades darker. A realistic goal for anyone wishing to have a whiter set of teeth is for the process to achieve its optimum level while retaining the natural look of white teeth.

Besides, the whitening results vary from patient to patient depending on the teeth structure and procedure type.

But first, what causes tooth discoloration? Remember that aging, chemical damage and staining are factors that contribute to discoloration as are medications, tea, coffee, cola soft drinks and cigarette.

There are also other factors that affect the color of teeth like genetics and disease. Some people have naturally whiter teeth enamel and their children can acquire this gene trait. But if you suspect that there’s a physiological factor behind the color of your teeth, it is best to consult your physician too so you can better inform your dentist.

Teeth whitening corrects the discoloration in your teeth by removing the staining on your teeth. And there are a number of methods or techniques that can be used to achieve this such as the following: mild acid whitening, chemical whitening, abrasive teeth whitening and the latest one: laser teeth whitening.

Teeth bleaching is a chemical process that a dentist can use to lighten up the color of the teeth of his patient. The process can be administered right in the dentist’s clinic, at the patient’s home or a combination of clinic first-finish at home. Home teeth bleaching procedures are more common nowadays these afford patients the convenience of their own homes.

The cosmetic dentist first molds a custom mouth tray or mouth guard for his patient. Creating the mouth tray is critical because this controls the amount of whitening agent to be used and holds the entire teeth for even whitening. Other material requirements for the home procedure are fairly easy to handle. The dentists should make sure that the patient is well-instructed and well-equipped. While treating at home, never hesitate to call your dentist if you have questions or is not sure of what you’re doing.

Typically, the mouthguard containing the whitening solution must be worn overnight or as instructed by your dentist and/or recommended by the product literature. The session could also last for as short as 2 or 3 hours. This really depends in the product and your own whitening need.

Body alignment

When the body is perfectly aligned, muscles and fat deposits tend to be dispersed more equally. Think how perfectly the body of a baby or toddler is formed.   As we grow older, environmental stress, sleep patterns, posture, injury and disease can cause the body to go out of alignment. This results in over or under development of muscles, and uneven distribution of fluids and fat.

Right or left hand dominance

Most women will find that the larger breast is on the side of their dominant hand.  This is due to the muscles of the arm and pectoralis majors and minors getting a larger share of the work load.  Lifting, pushing, pulling, think of all you do in a day’s work.  I knew of a young lady that worked at my favorite ice cream establishment that had to quit her job because of  extreme over development from scooping the cold, hard ice cream.

Breast Feeding

No matter how hard we try to feed evenly on both sides either junior or mom tends to prefer one side over another. This can result in uneven breasts even long after the  breast feeding has ceased.
And sometimes it just happens.

If you suspect alignment issues, visit a chiropractor and find an exercise program that carefully balances the whole body.  If you believe that a dominant side is to blame, try doing more with the opposite side to balance the muscle development.  Sometimes uneven breasts will balance out with time.  If it is something else, you can either try enlarging the smaller breast or reducing the larger breast.  This can be done effectively without surgery and for a minimal price.

Enlarging the smaller breast without surgery may take several weeks.  You will see faster results with reducing the larger breast, which can be done in just a couple of weeks.  This is done by doing a body wrap on the larger breast only. You can get it professionally done from an experienced esthetician or you can do it on your own at home.

There are several excellent body wraps available for home use . There are the oil based wraps that use essential oils as detoxifiers and  are very effective.  One that I recommend is an aloe based gel with herbs.

To use, the skin should be clean with no residue from bar soaps or moisturizers to interfere with the absorption.  Warm the area to be treated to open the pores and allow the gel to penetrate faster.  This can be done in a warm shower or you can use a warm moist towel. Apply the gel and wrap the breast loosely with  plastic wrap.  This is to hold in the heat and keep the gel moist.  You can put on your clothing and go about your business or just relax for 45 to 60 minutes.

Then remove the plastic and rub any still moist gel into the skin. What this does is to help detoxify the tissues, and move fluid into the lymph system.  Drinking plenty of water after the treatment will help to flush out the toxins.

After only a couple treatments to the larger breast you should be able to see significant difference in size.  The breast are very responsive to this type of wrap so be careful.  Sometimes the results aren’t noticed for a day or two so never do more than two treatments a week so as to carefully monitor inch loss.

To make your nails look beautiful, you can apply nail polish or use art nails. Art nails are basically fake nails that you can stick on your nail. Art nails are available in hundreds of designs and colors.

You can choose from a floral design to a silvery tattoo design. You can even wear art nails that match with different dresses. As for nail polish, they are available in hundreds of colors and great shades. You can find every color from red to navy blue to even black. You can also find nail polish in glossy colors or with matte finish. One of the salient points of nail polish is that it can hide any flaw in your nail and at the same time provide a protective cover.

One of the most common types of nail polish is the base coat, which will prepare your nails for the actual solid color nail polish. The base coat will also protect your nails from getting discolored due to a color nail polish. The top coat of a nail polish also known as the clear coat is normally used on dry nail polish for protecting and hardening the color. It will protect the color from chipping off.

Tips for keeping your nails in great condition

How do you get really stunning nails? Well! There is no magic involved. Here are a few tips that will help you to keep your nails in good shape and they will look great too:

• You can apply some nail varnish remover just prior to coloring your nails. You can use the varnish even if you don’t need to remove your old polish. The main function of the varnish is that it will make your nails look better by removing any kind of dirt or grease. This will also help the nail polish to last longer and not ship off.

• French manicure is considered as the best treatment for your nails. There are times when you might have problems in achieving the right and the most perfect type of French manicure. In such a scenario what you can really do is use a white nail pencil just underneath your nail tip instead of the white polish you have been using so far. This will make your French manicure much easier.

• Always ensure that the waiting time after application of a nail varnish is long so that each layer gets enough time to dry. This will also ensure that you get a lasting finish.

• To remove excess nail varnish, always use a cotton bud to remove it from the top of the bottle. This will basically prevent the nail varnish bottle from getting glued shut

• There is several beauty and cosmetic companies that sell nail polish with matching lip stick colors too. Using the same color on your nails as is the color of your lipstick will definitely enhance your overall appearance. Alternatively, you can even use nail colors that are in contrast with the lip stick colors.

• It is always better to apply numerous thin color coats as compared to a single coat of thick color. Numerous thin coats mean that the nail polish will last longer.

• Avoid removing and then reapplying nail polish more than twice a week. If you remove and apply nail polish thrice or 4 times a week then it will make your nails dry. You can get a remover that has a built-in moisturizer so that you can protect your nails from drying.

• You should give your hand and fingers a little massage from time to time so that the blood circulation is maintained. Good blood circulation means that there will be good nail growth.

• The simplest is the solid color manicure. It employs the use of mild solid nail colors and basic neutrals.

The most important thing is that you should eat healthy so that the color of your nails doesn’t become yellowish. As long as you maintain a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruits, your nails will look beautiful, healthy and will have a pink tinge to it. To make your style statement bolder, you can wear a different color on your finger nails as compared to your toe nails. At the end of the day, coloring your nails is just another way of pampering your self.

Women experience growth of unwanted facial hair during certain times of their life, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Regardless, there is a large population of women who want a safe, long lasting, and effective way to remove facial hair.

One way to remove facial hair is through shaving. Although the old wives tale that this will cause the hair it grow back thicker and faster is not true, many woman feel this is too masculine a way to remove facial hair. Plus, it only eliminates the problem for a short amount of time and may irritate sensitive skin.

One of the most common ways for women to remove facial hair is by plucking. They are probably already familiar with this due to plucking their eyebrows with a process. If they see a darker hair on their lip or chin, it is easy enough to pluck out.

Plucking the hair removes it longer than shaving, but is still not the permanent solution for which many women are looking. Waxing is similar to plucking, but it can be more painful and is more likely to irritate sensitive skin.

The same is true for creams that remove hair plus many of them have a bad smell. There is a skin cream called Vaniqa that decreases facial hair growth, but it is also only temporary and requires a prescription from a doctor.

You can purchase epilators with tweezers at most beauty stores, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that that is no statistically significant data to prove that tweezer epilators provide permanent hair removal. It may for some, and not for others. One factor may be the coarseness of your hair.

If you are looking for a method to remove facial hair permanently, try electrolysis. Electrolysis is the process by which facial hair is removed using electrical currents. A trained professional, often referred to as an electrologist or electrolysist, must perform this procedure. They take a metal probe and insert it into an individual hair follicle. The electrical current is then delivered to the follicle, destroying it. Once the procedure is complete; the hair is removed with sterile forceps. Each hair follicle must be treated individually.

The discomfort of this process varies among clients. Some have reported feeling a slight pinprick and some have reported a more painful feeling. As with many medical procedures, there is a chance of scarring, although it is minimal if you are using a well-trained electrologist. But, immediately after a hair follicle is treated, there may be a small, red lesion, much like an insect bite for a short time.

While electrolysis will permanently remove the hair, it may not be instantaneous. You may have to have several electrolysis treatments to the same hair follicle before the hair is completely removed. This is because your hair cells grow in cycles and electrolysis only works if the hair is in its growth phase. Many electrologists charge by the amount of time it takes to remove the hair. Ten minutes runs about $18 and 30 minutes costs about $34.

Another form of permanent facial hair removal is laser treatments. This is a new technology, only being offered commercially since the mid 1990s. This may also be referred to as phototricholysis or photoepilation. Like electrolysis, this may require several treatments before the hair is removed permanently. The laser light also feels like a pinprick to most patients. However, the laser treatments will not work on blonde, red, or white hairs. It will however work on areas that electrolysis will not, such as the ears and nose.

Laser hair treatments for the upper lip normally run about $50 per session as does the chin treatments. If you have facial hair on your cheeks, those treatments are a little more expensive – around $75 per treatment.

If you decide to do electrolysis or laser treatments for your unwanted facial hair, you should always talk to your doctor first about any pre-existing conditions you might have that would make you an unlikely candidate for these treatments.

There is no need to be ashamed of having your unwanted facial hair treated. Do some research on the Internet to find the best way for you to have the hair removed. There is no doubt it will make you feel better about yourself.

Here are 3 Things to Look for in Tanning Beds:

The Style of the Bed

You basically have two choices in the style of your bed: a traditional horizontal bed and a standing booth. Unless you have a room or large space to devote to a horizontal bed, you may want to consider a standing booth. These take up less space in your home and can be placed in a corner. Basically, your preference and the amount of space you have available will dictate this choice.

The Bulbs Used in the Bed

The type of tanning bed bulbs used in a bed are the most important feature. Beds use either UVA and UVB rays or UVA only. There is controversy over which bulbs are safer for your skin. There really is no safe way to tan, and you should take precautions to protect yourself from damage to your skin, regardless of the bulbs used.

You need to know exactly which kinds of bulbs are used in your bed when it is time to replace them. Bulbs aren’t interchangeable and you need to be sure to buy the right ones. Also, look at the placement of the bulbs. How easy will they be to replace? You will most likely be performing this task yourself and you want to be sure it will be easy to do.

Extra Features

The best extra features to look for include a face tanner and a cooling system. The face tanner will help you get the ultimate tan all over your body. These have specially placed bulbs in the facial area that direct light to this area, which is difficult to tan for some people.

A cooling system is important if you get easily over heated inside a bed. The cooling fan will keep your skin from getting too hot. Make sure you don’t overdo it in the bed with this feature. Just because you don’t feel the heat, doesn’t mean you aren’t tanning. Staying in the bed too long contributes to over exposure and can be dangerous for your skin.

Choices in Home Tanning Beds

Most home beds are traditional tan beds. These use typical bulbs that resemble fluorescent tubes. Another choice in beds are known as High Pressure Beds. These use high pressure quartz bulbs, rather than the traditional lamps. They are called high pressure because the gas in the bulb is slightly higher than the pressure in the atmosphere.

These beds allow you to tan on only one side at a time. You will need to turn over half way through your session. Many people find these to be more comfortable than traditional beds. These are normally found in salons, but you may come across one if you shop for used equipment.

Purchasing Used Tanning Beds

A used bed can be an affordable option to an expensive new home bed. In many cases, you can find a high quality bed at the price of a cheap bed. There are some things you should consider before purchasing a new bed:

• Make sure the bed you are considering meets the current federal and state safety regulations. These change often and you want to make sure the bed you buy is safe. A tanning salon owner is a good source of information regarding safety regulations. The internet is another good source of information, as most states post regulations for salon owners.

• Find out how often the bed was used. If it was originally used in a salon, it has probably gotten quite a bit of use. Sometimes beds that have been purchased for home use end up getting very little use. These can be great, giving you a little used bed at a substantially reduced price.

• Compare the price difference of the used bed with a brand new bed. The bigger the difference, the better for you.

• Ask about the working condition and any repairs that have been done. Also ask when the bulbs were last replaced and about the maintenance that has been done. You want a bed that has been properly maintained.

• Ask if there is any time left on the warranty.

According to Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D, a Seattle-based nutritionist, eating foods rich in antioxidants is best. “There’s no substitute for getting nutrients through food. The body absorbs and assimilates them far better than in supplement form.”

Kleiner suggests following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid, and eating three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit each day. Choose at least one citrus fruit, such as an orange, a tangerine, or a grapefruit, for vitamin C. To increase beta-carotene intake, eat at least two orange-yellow or leafy green vegetables each day.

Eat Right for Younger Looking Skin

Eating healthy equals younger looking skin. Drinking a cup of orange juice and eating one raw carrot provides twice the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and beta-carotene. The RDA for vitamin E is harder to meet, especially for those on a low-fat diet.

“Don’t be afraid to add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your diet, or to eat some nuts or seeds,” advises Dr. Kleiner.

The following guideline can be used for RDAs for three of the most common antioxidant nutrients, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene; good sources and how best to maximize benefits of each are included.

Vitamin C: RDA at least 60 mg. (1/2 cup orange juice = 70 mg.) Citrus fruits and juices and tomatoes are good sources of vitamin C. Eat whole fruit for extra fiber. Avoid juice in glass containers, and heat-pasteurized juice. Light and heat destroy some of the vitamin C.

Vitamin E: RDA 8 mg for women / 10 mg. for men (1 tablespoon of canola oil = 9 mg.) Good sources include nuts, seeds and their oils, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and trout, and wheat germ. Use canola, olive, or another vegetable oil in place of butter or margarine when cooking.

Beta-carotene: no established RDA. Expert Dr. Kleiner, however, recommends 5-6 mg. ( One carrot = 12 mg.) Orange and yellow vegetables, and leafy green vegetables, including broccoli, are all good sources. Instead of potato chips or popcorn for an evening snack while watching television, opt for prepackaged, washed and peeled baby carrots.

If you feel you are unable to meet the RDAs through diet alone, by all means take an all-in-one antioxidant vitamin supplement a day, but continue to pay attention to rich food sources.

Summary

Because many over-the-counter cosmetics containing antioxidants don’t have enough to be totally affective by themselves, it is best to ‘feed’ them to your skin in combination with a healthy, antioxidant rich diet for younger looking skin.

With proper skin care, a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and ample amounts of water, you can enjoy a more fit body, improved quality of life, increased stamina, and a glowing complexion!