Archive for May, 2010

I purchased a TRIA Hair Removal System a few months ago and just finished my third and fourth course of treatments. I am excited to see that my body hair is becoming lighter and finer, especially on my bikini line and underarms. I am looking forward to eventual freedom from the hassle and expense of shaving and waxing.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the TRIA system, please see my other articles or visit

www.TRIAbeauty.com for more information. In this article, rather than going into the details of how TRIA works, I would like to share some tips and tricks for current or prospective TRIA users that I have discovered from my own use.

#1. Always charge the TRIA laser after every use.

One of the only drawbacks of the TRIA system is that the laser doesn’t hold its charge for that long. When working on a large area, such as your legs, you may have to stop in the middle to charge the laser. However, because treating large areas can become tedious, this is often a welcome break. To help ensure that your laser doesn’t power off while treating smaller areas, make sure to charge it after each use so that it is ready to go the next time around.

#2. Prepare the area well.

Part of the TRIA laser hair removal process includes shaving the area before treatment. I have found that the more carefully I shave, the less discomfort I experience during treatment. Take the time to get a close and complete shave and dry the area well before applying the laser and you should experience minimal discomfort.

#3. Experiment with the different energy levels.

If you are experiencing any discomfort, don’t be afraid to select a lower energy level. While I was surprised to find that the pain involved was much less significant than I expected, I have found that certain areas (such as the bikini line) are more sensitive than others. I may be able to use the highest energy level on my legs or arms, but will go back to level one or two when treating my bikini line or underarms. The benefit of using the highest level is that it is most effective, but I would rather have to perform more treatments at a lower energy level than experience increased discomfort. Remember that some users experience no negative sensation at all and that any discomfort will decrease in future treatments along with the amount of hair.

#4. Track your treatments.

TRIA couldn’t make this step easier for you. Included with your laser will be a handy, purse-sized calendar with stickers so that you can keep track of your

If you are blessed enough to have naturally clear skin regardless of your skin type, then the best skin care to maintain this is keeping a simple skin care regimen. There are only four basic steps that you need to do religiously on regular basis.

First step to the best skin care is cleansing. You need to find a good cleanser that is suitable for your skin and stick to it. Your cleanser does not need to be the expensive brand but must be one that works for your skin type. You must also keep away from soaps as they tend to dry out skin. For dry skin, you will need to purchase a creamy cleanser and oily skin uses a clear cleanser.

The best skin care regimen does not require you to wash your face too often. Washing your face at night is best to take away the accumulated dirt from the whole day. The application of a cold cream should be considered after washing to replace the necessary oil that has been washed out especially if you have dry skin. A splash of lukewarm water is sufficient for a morning wash to help remove the excess oil build up from your overnight moisturizer.

Exfoliation is the second step to the best skin care regimen and you can choose from microdermabrasion, chemical peels or retinoids. Microdermabrasion uses gentle scrubs with tiny grains that can remove the top layer of dead skin to restore the glow to your complexion. Chemical peel is a stronger procedure of exfoliation that uses professionally prepared treatments where a single treatment can actually take off years of dead skin from your face. However, if you have the extra budget, it is recommended to have the chemical peel done by professionals as well. The last form of exfoliation on the other hand, retinoids like Retin-A or Renova can be in form of creams that also gets rid of the dead skin cells on the top layer of your skin while generating collagen at the same time.

After cleansing and peeling, your skin could be stripped off the important oils that keep your skin smooth and supple. To compensate for the lost oil is moisturizing, the third vital step to the best skin care routine. This process seals moisture into your skin, no matter what your skin type is. However moisturizers are formulated for the delicate and sensitive skin that surrounds your eye. So it is highly recommended to use eye creams especially since this is the area that is highly prone to wrinkling.

To finally complete your best skin care regimen, the last step is the use of sunscreen to protect the results of the first three steps. Some people may not see this step as important as the first three but your skin is more prone to damage when you expose your freshly cleansed, exfoliated and moisturized skin without protection. It is common knowledge that the sun or its ultra violet rays are the main cause of wrinkling on our skin.

Having the best skin care is essential to maintain you’re a clear and wrinkle-free skin. You can even develop your own regimen that you reckon would be best suited for your skin. Remember to keep it to the four simple steps: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and protect.

When it comes to skin care, most people focus on the importance of washing the skin.  And indeed, washing is very important for sloughing off oil, dirt, and dead skin.  But what sometimes gets left out of the equation is how important it is to dry skin thoroughly. 

Wet skin can actually cause acne.  One of the reasons for acne is bacteria living on the skin and clogging pores.  A wet environment fosters the growth of bacteria.  This is especially dangerous on areas like the back, where sometimes people get dressed before they are completely dry.  The wet skin trapped in clothes, especially in non-natural fibers like polyester or rayon, can not breathe and dry properly.  The skin then becomes a breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria.

In fact, if you have problems with acne on your back of the variety that are small, clustered blemishes, it is likely that at least some of it is caused by skin that hasn’t been dried properly.  This can lead to confusion; it may seem as though the acne is persistent despite regular or even increased cleaning.  But if every time the area was cleaned it wasn’t dried properly, those extra cleanings may actually be making the problem worse.

The good news is that this problem is very easy to correct.  Simply make sure to rinse all soap off of your skin before you’re done with your shower or wash, and to dry your skin thoroughly.  One danger that might not be so obvious to those who shower and dress without thinking is wet hair.  For women especially, wet hair can get your back and chest wet even after you’ve already dried them once.  This can be misleading, because you might believe you have dried your skin thoroughly only to have it dampened by the water clinging to your hair.  One way to resolve this problem is to dry and style your hair before you get dressed.  That way you will be able to give your skin one last towel-off before you put your clothes on. 

The importance of washing skin thoroughly is well-known.  But the fact is that drying skin thoroughly is just as important, even though its importance is often overlooked.  If you have problem acne, especially on your back, make sure that you are drying your skin thoroughly every time you shower, bathe, or wash.

The way in which you should care for your hair will depend on your hair type. People with greasy hair will have a different hair care regime than someone with dry or flyaway hair. You need to establish what type of hair you have before you know how best to care for it.

Dry hair: Often prone to breaking, frizzing and with a generally dull appearance. Dry hair needs moisture. When washing, use a shampoo specifically formulated for dry hair, this will help increase its much needed moisture levels. Also use a conditioner for dry hair. Wrap your hair in a towel for a couple of minutes after washing, then remove the towel and apply conditioner. This will make the effect of he conditioner more intensive. Try not to wash your hair everyday, leaving your hair for a couple of days and not washing it will give the natural oils in your hair a chance to spread around the hair a little.

When styling, use a heat protection product, this will minimise the damage that your heated styling appliances will do. Make sure anything you apply to your hair has dried before you straighten your hair. Having liquid on your wet air and then straightening it will do a lot of damage; your straighteners will basically boil any moisture that is left on your hair.

Greasy hair: Often looks lank and wet, and you may have washed it just that morning. This is caused by overproduction of sebum.

Specifically formulated shampoos are good for greasy hair, they contain ingredients that help to delay the production of oil, making the hair look fresher for longer.

You may need to wash your hair everyday, but do not use a harsh shampoo or water that is too hot. This will only cause the sebum glands to overcompensate and produce more oil. Try a dry shampoo; this will help to remove some of the oil without drying out your roots completely

You will still need heat protection so when choosing styling products, go for something light, but protective. Sprays are best, as serums and creams tend to be too heavy and drag the hair down, and make it look much greasier. Apply to the middle and ends of your hair, if you apply them too high up, you will just make your hair look even greasier.

Combination hair: Possibly the most difficult to care for, combination hair will normally have greasy roots and dry ends. There are shampoos available for combination hair, but there is not a great selection. Choose a mild shampoo, nothing too harsh, as this will damage the ends. Dry shampoo will remove the grease from the roots without drying out the ends. Choose a conditioner that is not too heavy, something designed for greasy hair; these will still condition the dry ends of your hair without making your roots look even greasier.

Apply heat protection styling products to the middle and ends of your hair, not the roots.

Normal hair: If you are lucky enough to have normal hair, then choose a shampoo and conditioner that will help to maintain the moisture levels in your hair, make sure you still use heat protection products.

Coloured hair: The lathering process when washing your hair can strip it of a lot of its colour. Choose a shampoo for coloured hair (they lather less) Choose a conditioner that is for coloured hair aswell, these will keep your colour looking fresher for longer. Try not to wash your hair everyday.

There are many styling products available for coloured hair, even specific colours such as brown, red and blonde (although I have never seen one for black hair)

These will all protect your hair and keep your colour looking vibrant at the same time.

Body hair removal can be catchy for women as no single method can be perfect for the whole body. There is a variety of hair removal options including shaving, waxing, depilatory creams and lotions, tweezing, epilators electrolysis and laser hair removal to choose from. But the main question remains is what to use for which body area. Here are some tips that will surely help you decide about the choice of body hair removal products for women.

Methods that Trim Hair from above the Skin

1. Shaving has been the mostly used and an inexpensive method for body hair removal. In this method a thick layer of shaving cream, gel or foam is applied to the area and then the hair is removed by sweeping the razor blade across the area. Although it removes hair faster yet it has some drawbacks. Firstly as shaving needs care so you have to be quite experienced in it, else you’ll get cuts and burns. Secondly the hair re-grows much faster (in 3-4 days) since it trims the hair part above the skin and doesn’t remove it from its root. So use it in for some emergency conditions and only on the legs and genitals which tend to have the thickest hair on women’s body.

2. Depilatory creams and lotions are yet another inexpensive option for hair removal that contains the chemicals that dissolve the hair cuticle thus making it loose to break off the root. Though this method takes usually 5-10 minutes to loosen the hair yet it is not a no.1 choice for hair removal. The main reason is that as these contain harsh chemicals they burn most type of skins. Secondly the hair grows back in 5-7 days. The only way to use it safely is to do a patch test before applying it to a larger area. Also, use it for urgent hair removal as a last resort and avoid using it on genitals.

Methods that Remove Hair from Root

1. Waxing is the favorite method of hair removal of women who love smooth, silky hairless skin. In this method a readymade wax or home-made sugar wax is applied on the hair in the direction of hair growth and then a piece of old jeans or a thick cloth is stick over it properly. As it sticks to all the area properly the cloth piece is pulled back in the opposite direction to let hair out of their bed. Despite its popularity it has been criticized for some reasons. Firstly this method is painful and not everyone can stand to the pain. Secondly it takes time and patience. Thirdly for the starters it can introduce cuts, redness, swelling, and in rare cases bleeding. So it is advised