Skin Irritation Due To Stress

Stress and anxiety can cause irritation due to skin such as skin itching and rashes and can also worsen existing skin conditions. Stress also can trigger certain types of skin outbreaks such as acne. It can be hard to avoid stress at times, but people can ease the effects through various health-oriented methods. Some stress-induced skin irritation can be relieved with topical treatment

Symptoms

• There are various symptoms of skin irritation due to stress. People with stress-induced skin irritation may have dryness, itchy skin or an outbreak of spots or a rash. These symptoms can go hand-in-hand with an unusually hectic work schedule, personal difficulties, a poor diet, lack of sleep or environmental stress factors.

Effects

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  Skin irritation due to stress has various effects. Stress raises hormone levels, which can create acne, and it can also worsen rosacea, which is characterized by dilated blood vessels and facial redness. Cold sores also can occur as a result of stress. Stress can trigger or worsen episodes of psoriasis, which causes red scaly patches. It also can lead to outbreaks of atopic dermatitis, or eczema, with symptoms of extremely dry and itchy skin. Stress can trigger an incidence of hives, a skin rash that may occur with a fever and general malaise. In addition, stress aggravates certain conditions that cause rashes, such as gluten sensitivity.

Further Symptoms

• There are many more symptoms of skin irritation due to stress. Since stress and anxiety can make skin more sensitive and dry, this can lead to negative reactions, such as a rash, to skin care products that never caused problems before. Temporarily discontinuing use of the product should solve the problem.

Stress Treatment

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  Stress can cause other physical and mental issues as well, such as weight gain or weight loss, depression, sleep deprivation and problems with relationships. At the least, people undergoing stress should eat a well-balanced diet and take a vitamin and mineral supplement. A daily walk or some other physical activity is beneficial, too. Aromatherapy is soothing, as is listening to favorite music. Massage, hugs, talking with somebody--all can help.

Immediate Solutions

• A more immediate solution to stress-induced skin irritation is to apply topical treatments. An over-the-counter 1 percent hydrocortisone cream can work very well for some problems, and if not, a 2.5 percent prescription treatment may do the trick. calamine lotion, with the active ingredient zinc oxide, works for some people. Other anti-itch gels are available as well. Taking baths with 2 cups of finely-ground oatmeal, like Aveeno or home-ground oatmeal, added to the water can reduce symptoms. Adding 1 cup of baking soda to bath water also may reduce itching. 

7 Skin Care Tips for Men

Nearly half of the men questioned said they would shave more often if the process were less irritating to their skin. Read on to find out what Rick Ricci, owner of Truefitt and Hill Spa for Men in Toronto, has to say about caring for your skin comfortably this season.

Find out how to keep your skin from drying out this winter. Skin care tips for men are as follows:

1. Cleanse Your Skin

For most men, skin tends to get oily throughout the day in certain areas, even in winter. Excess oil can stick to the skin and block the pores, preventing your razor from gliding along the skin smoothly. So before you shave, wash your face with water and facial soap to make sure there is no blockage.

2. Get Ready for Shaving

Before you pull out the razor, Ricci suggests splashing your face with warm water after you cleanse it, which will open up the pores. Then apply a light layer of pre-shaving cream, gel or mousse to keep the skin moist and warm. The smoother the skin, the closer the shave.

3. Multitask for a Better Shave

Another way to simplify shaving is to do it in the shower. Not only is it a time-saver, the humidity of your shower will keep your skin moist and your pores open and even make the hair softer and easier to remove.

4. Follow Your Hair Growth

According to Ricci, the popular belief that shaving against the direction of hair growth is better is not necessarily true. Shaving in this way can actually cause irritation and can also damage the hair. For a more comfortable shave, move in the same direction as the growth of the hair.

5. Choose the Right Razor

The fifth point in Skin care tips for men is about Razors. Razors can be single- or multi-blade. If you like to spend as little time as possible shaving, you can go for a razor with three or five blades. The important thing to remember is that you should be comfortable with your razor and not apply too much pressure, as this can cause irritation.

6. Take Your Time

Skin gets damaged more easily if you make swift movements with your razor or apply your creams too quickly. Give yourself enough time to shave in the morning and allow a few minutes between washing, applying pre-shaving cream and shaving.

7. Use Moisturizer Day and Night

Applying cream to your skin day and night will keep it hydrated, allowing for a smoother shave. Moisturizing will also help prevent cuts and irritation. Look for moisturizers with natural hydrating ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter or essential oils.

How To Control Hair Fall

Hair fall is very common these days and it affects men and women alike. Women are inclined to think that using expensive products advertised on TV can help them prevent hair loss, but that is hardly the case. Research has shown that even after using expensive hair care products, people still lose hair. You need to identify the factor which is causing hair loss and follow the hair fall control advice specific to your problem.

Tips to Control Hair Loss:

·         Avoid harmful chemicals – This may involve staying away from well advertised products for hair. Apart from those, fancy hair-dos such as streaking, colouring, permanent serums, straightening and rebonding break the hair down. These can easily cause hair loss as the procedures require your hair to be applied with several fancy chemicals and your hair is also pulled and messed around a lot by the hair stylists, which weakens them from the root.

• Do not stress –   This is one of the prominent reasons for hair fall now-a-days, and it is the major reason for premature   greying as well as hair fall. You need to avoid stress from any source and take other steps of hair care. Giving yourself a relaxing massage or a champi that includes the oils of Jojoba, almond and coconut has dual benefits. Not only do you relieve your stress, the nourishing ingredients of the oil strengthen them from the root. 15 minutes of mild   champi (so that you do not pull at the roots) daily can work wonders to relieve stress.

   ·    Ayurvedic treatment – The Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss includes regulation of diet, medicated massaging and application of herbs. There is always emphasis on leading a balanced life for providing a remedy for the condition. This would involve giving up alcohol and smoking or any other addictive substances.   Ayurvedic treatment involves -  

   ·   Massaging – Rubbing the soles of feet and the scalp with almond oil or coconut oil and using vitamin E rich oil for massaging has great benefits in controlling hair fall.

•           Diet – White sesame seeds, yoghurt, buttermilk, whole grains, sprouts, milk and green leafy vegetables are some healthy nutrients that should form part of your diet.

·         Ayurvedic Herbs – Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar and apply sage tea on it. Licorice extracts and a massage with horsetail, stinging nettle, rosemary and birch for stimulation of hair re-growth. 

You can contact an Ayurvedic practitioner for some specialised treatment for hair loss and stress. Shirodhara or draining medicated oil on the forehead is one such procedure.

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Investing In Art

Today there is a lot of hype surrounding investment in art and returns expected. The word itself signifies many things, but we humans immediately look it as a monetary means to bettering our lives.  

Art is an investment that requires patience. That’s why for women who can make the initial venture, it is a good option. Art as a holistic approach means an investment in exposing the human mind to color, space, the evolution of man and woman and the history of the world among other things. This investment of enriching ourselves through art is forgotten today by many. It has become commerce.   

We have investors, collectors, lovers of art and the lay person who feels shy to express her reaction to art, being most sentences on the subject with ‘I don’t know much about art’. Investors buy for the signature and the rising status of the artist. Promotion of the artist would either be through the gallery, or the media. If a well-known personality picks up the painting everyone else wants it too. The investor may not even enjoy the work, but hopes to gain a blue chip artist as part of his portfolio.  

The collector is more discerning. He or she would buy works to enjoy, but also with the vision that this particular artist would ‘appreciate’ over time. Collectors love the world of art, have some background knowledge of it, and when they interact with artists, there is always a healthy exchange of thoughts.  

The art lover buys for the love having a work of art that they would enjoy giving a good home to. Not for the signature and not the blue chip perception, but just for pure pleasure. This person has no reason to defend the work as serious art or boarding on craft or whatever may be the etymology. To the lay person shy about expressing feelings towards art, I would say, be brave. Be yourself.   

If you already have art, how do you go about selling it?

Paintings don’t translate into easy or immediate money. There is no stock market to play with. No brokers as such, listed to handle one’s portfolio. No question of buying and selling over the telephone in seconds. So what do you choose? Auction houses? Galleries? Private investors or Collectors? It takes time to find the right source with the right price as perceived by the market. And, what are market prices to start with? One yardstick is auctions.  

When buying art you should look for the following thing:

1. Check out the basic guide to art available in India (web search)
2. Zero in on art that relates to your aesthetic senses
3. Check the history of the artists
4. Check the price range
5. Assure the durability of the work
6. Find out how best to take care of the same
7. Make regular gallery visits to get a feel of art face to face

After all this, make the decision. Take your time, and remember, finally, you have to live with the art you choose.