Gentle, relaxing lymphatic massage can help you fight off illness and heal from injuries.  Despite its feather-light touch, it offers powerful benefits for your immune system.

If you knew that there was a gentle, safe, and relaxing technique that could

* help you heal from illness, injury and surgery;
* promote a healthy immune system;
* reduce inflammation;
* support the health of your entire body;
* and promote healthy, radiant skin

–would you do it?

I’m guessing you would!

That procedure is lymphatic massage- (also called lymphatic facilitation or manual lymphatic drainage). It increases lymph flow eight to ten times. This removes harmful substances from your tissues, nourishes tissues, reduces inflammation, and generally increases immune function.

Developed as a manual therapy in Europe, it has been well researched and used in hospitals and clinics for decades.

It can speed recovery from

* sprains, strains, and sore muscles
* acute injuries
* congestion due to allergies
* surgery
* wounds (as long as there is no infection present)
* congested sinuses
* acne
* headaches
* swollen ankles, puffy eyes, etc.
* allergies/allergic reactions
* toxic side effects of drugs administered for surgery or other medical purposes
* scarring.

It also helps people manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia and arthritis.

Skin Health
Lymphatic work to the face is a lovely, gentle, treatment that enhances skin health, thereby improving skin appearance.  Done regularly, it can keep skin looking healthier. Facial lymphatic work can also help improve acne.

Pre- and –Post-Surgical Support
More and more doctors—especially plastic surgeons–are becoming aware of the value of manual lymphatic drainage before and after surgery to help clients heal. Many plastic surgeons routinely recommend it for their cosmetic surgery patients. (Post-surgical treatment needs a doctor’s permission.)

A Light, Relaxing Touch
People are often surprised about how light lymphatic facilitation is. It doesn’t feel anything like a “normal” massage (which provides deeper pressure into the skin and muscles of the body).

That’s because this form of bodywork works with the lymphatic system, rather than the muscles, and over half of the lymph nodes and vessels are just underneath the skin.  A deep or heavy touch would close off, rather than encourage, lymphatic flow.

The feather-light strokes and soft, pumping action stimulate lymphatic flow, with powerful results both for general wellness and for specific conditions including inflammation, traumatic injuries such as strains and sprains, headaches, sinus issues, healing from surgery, osteoarthritis, skin conditions, and swelling from unresolved injuries such as ankle sprains.

Lymphatic facilitation is also deeply relaxing. This too helps boost immune function.

How It Works: the Lymph System
The lymph system is a critical part of our immune system, playing a crucial role in the body’s ability to heal from injury, ward off disease, and purify itself.  It includes a network of thin vessels, nodes, tissues, ducts, and organs (e.g. spleen, thymus, bone marrow) throughout your entire body.

The lymphatic system has three major functions:

* It removes excess fluids from body tissues.
* It defends the body against harmful micro-organisms.
* It absorbs fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive system and transports them to the circulatory system.

The lymphatic system has no pumping mechanism (such as the heart has for arterial blood flow) and depends on muscle contraction through deep, abdominal breathing and exercise to move its fluid.

A sluggish lymphatic system can contribute to many health issues, including an increase in the frequency and severity of illnesses; joint pain; headaches; arthritis; fatigue; acne; slow healing of wounds; and swelling in extremities.

When the lymphatic drainage becomes impaired for some reason, lymphatic massage, with its ultra-light touch and pumping motion performed in the correct sequence and direction, can greatly increase lymphatic flow.  This helps the body remove toxins; brings white blood cells and nutrients to cells; and decreases inflammation.

Contraindications
As with all massage therapies, there are some contraindications. These include having a bacterial infection anywhere in the body, malignant tumors, thrombosis and major heart  or circulatory problems. Your therapist should screen you for these issues before giving you a lymphatic treatment.

Conclusion
Of course, you should always consult your medical doctor if you have or think you have a medical problem. But if you are basically healthy and seeking to enhance your health and healingFree Reprint Articles, lymphatic massage can be a valuable complement to your regular wellness program.

Acne is a skin disorder which is common among the age group of 18-25. This skin disease is usually associated with a lot of pimples, scars and huge open pores. There are several treatments for acne scars. The most recent latest treatment is the laser treatment for acne scars.

This laser acne treatment is the latest technology advancement in the field of medicine to ensure the complete removal of the acne scars from the face and the back of the human body. This medical procedure is usually done by dermatologists and they are done in laser clinics in hospitals.

The acne scars laser treatments are mainly done with the help of wave lengths that are usually assorted. The laser treatments are also of several intensity levels, which is mainly due to the different levels of scars and acne in the human body.

Laser acne will not only remove the occurrence of the acne bacteria but it also helps in reducing the red skin that is usually caused by acne and its pimples. This procedure which is done in the hospitals takes a bit of procedures to be done before hand.

The dermatologist will have to first determine whether the patient is suitable for this type of acne treatment. After this, he/she determines the type of laser to be used for the laser treatment for acne scars.

The intensity of the laser treatment can also be determined between you and the doctor to ensure that you get the results that you wanted. The tissues that are not needed are completely removed with the help of the carbon dioxide laser.

For most acne patients, a single acne laser treatment is enough, but for others who have more severe acne problems, more than one treatment is required. There is another kind of laser which is known as ablative laser treatment for acne scars. This laser eliminates the outer layers of the skin along with the tissues of the scar which helps a lot in lowering the visibility of the acne scar.

Laser acne treatment cost is expensive but is the most effective way to remove acne scars fast and permanently.

Having plenty of fruits also serves the same purpose that vegetables does. Fruits that are rich of Vitamin C are very good for your skin that reduces wrinkles and fine lines. Green tea is another very effective element for skin care. It has the properties to improve your skin quality and you will notice the change within a few weeks.

Too few women ( and men as well) ex foliate their epidermis properly. Remember, your skin is constantly leaving dead cells on the surface that may be invisible to your naked eye, but are dulling your appearance is dramatic ways you can’t see. Exfoliating not only helps here, but equally as importantly, it will allow true acne treatments, creams and medications to do their job more efficiently.

Japanese skincare products have a greater natural effect and form an excellent remedy for all types of skin. All such ingredients will keep away the dryness from the epidermis. A great advantage about phytesence wakame is its ability to inhibit the advantages of hyaluronidase. This helps in breaking the important element hyaluronic in our skin. It keeps the skin glowing and free from infections by providing regular airflow into the epidermis.

Being unhappy with one’s appearance or self-loathing are among the most common causes of acne. Your body responds to your thought process, if you don’t release your negative thoughts or bottled up emotions yourself, your body finds a way to release them in the form of pain or skin diseases like acne. Therefore in order to get rid of your skin problems you must first learn to love and accept yourself and release all bottled up negative feelings.

You also might have heard of skin creams and lotions that contain collagen as their primary ingredient. The problem with these products is that the collagen molecules themselves are too big to be absorbed through the skin. The collagen will simply remain on the surface and will not interact with nor improve the quality of your skin.

To maximize the benefits of skin care products, they should be layered on in a certain order. Applying products in the wrong order will diminish their benefits. A heavy cream applied before a lighter serum will block the absorption of a lighter serum and not allow it to work on your skin. Putting your skin care products on in the correct order will go a long way towards helping the products to work.

Another great way to give your skin a boost and improve the tone and texture is to make sure your eat a healthy balanced diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables. Getting the recommended five portions a day will not only give your skin a boost but you will feel more energetic and your whole body will benefit.

Muscle tone is important, because if you want tight skin, you have to get some muscle tone and this is best done by weight-bearing exercise. Many shy away from this type of exercise, but it is one of the best natural skin tightening methods and works very well!

Potassium represents 5% percent of the total mineral content of a human body, even though only about one litre is found in the body at a time. Potassium is found in our bodies both inside and outside cells and is a very important mineral required every day to stay healthy. More than 98% of the body’s potassium is intracellular. The body easily absorbs potassium, but nearly 90% of it is excreted through the kidneys and bowels. Thus, potassium is a natural diuretic and is important for the elimination of body wastes, such as water and sodium.

Potassium is a primary electrolyte, it is a great alkalizer, and important for maintaining pH and water balance.

Benefits of potassium:

1. Along with other minerals such as sodium, chloride and calcium, potassium helps in normal cellular function, such as transmission of nerve impulses, digestion, healthy muscle contractions, proper cardiovascular functioning (heartbeat irregularities are normally a sign of potassium deficiency), and helping the body to convert glucose into glycogen (the body’s stored form of energy).

2. Potassium helps promote healthy cardiovascular health. It is strongly believed that potassium has the ability to pump sodium out of the body’s cells and reduce body fluid.

3. Potassium, along with sodium, helps to regulate blood pressure. Increasing potassium in the diet may protect against hypertension in people who are sensitive to high levels of sodium.

4. Potassium also affects blood vessel tone as well as the way blood vessels react to the flowing hormones, thus affecting pressure within blood vessels.

5. Potassium therapeutically assists in the treatment of alcoholism, acne, alleviating allergies, promoting the early healing of burns.

6. It also helps with problems such as congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome or kidney stones.

7. Potassium plays a vital role in cellular integrity by regulating the transfer of nutrients into the cell.

8. Potassium also attracts oxygen to tissues, helps correct positioning of vital organs. Potassium deficiency indicates that probably albumin, sugar, sodium, and chlorine are also in short supply or not being properly absorbed.

9. Potassium helps proper functioning of the adrenal glands. It helps support healthy sugar balance in the body.

Deficiency of potassium –

The kidneys excrete excess potassium from the body, and deficiencies are rarely found in people on a normal balanced diet. A deficiency may result in fatigue, cramping legs, muscle weakness, sluggish reflexes, acne, dry skin, mood swings and irregular heartbeat.

A shortage of potassium in body may cause a fatal condition known as hypokalemia, resulting from diarrhea, increased diuresis and vomiting. Hypokalemia can occur in people with a chronic disease or due to aging process. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, ECG abnormalities, decreased reflex response, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory paralysis.

If the fluid and electrolyte balance is not restored, the risk of heart failure increases.

Potassium deficiency increases acid levels in the body, lowers the natural pH balance, causes problems with the formation of connective tissue. Kidney diseases (such as acute renal failure), diabetes can also cause fluctuations in the levels of potassium. Many medications such as diuretics, cortisone, prolonged use of aspirin, and laxatives also cause depletion of potassium.

Dietary sources of potassium:

Eating a variety of foods that contain potassium is the best way to get the required amount. Individuals who eat a balanced diet do not need potassium supplements. Foods, which are rich sources of potassium include turnips, whole grains, molasses, fish, citrus fruit, apple cider vinegar, bananas, avocados, yoghurt, tomatoes, poultry, oranges, apricots, potatoes (especially their skins), leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce; and meat. One large orange will supply one with 250 mg of potassium, one-eighth of a person’s daily need. Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.

Steaming of foods helps to retain nutrients that are lost through other cooking techniques such as boiling (loss of about 50% of potassium content). Steaming results in only a 6% loss of potassium.

Recommended Daily Allowance of potassium:

There is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for potassium, but it is advised to get between 2,000-3,000 mg per day. The range of intake for children is 780 to 1,600 mg per day.

This is not difficult, and most people meet this requirement on their own through a normal diet. In general, nutritionists recommend reducing salt intake and ensuring adequate supply by increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet.

If one is into bodybuilding, he must increase the potassium intake, since potassium is needed to maintain muscles in good form, and also because potassium is lost from excessive sweating and urine.

Symptoms of high intake of potassium:

Excessive potassium can be toxic and will affect the heart. This is a problem especially when one is suffering from some problem such as kidney failure. Irregular heart beat and muscle fatigue is sign of toxic potassium levels. In healthy people, the kidneys in the urine excrete excess potassium.

Who requires extra potassium?

People who require potassium supplements include:

# women on oral contraceptives,

# chronic alcoholics or drug abusers,

# smokers

# people undergoing stress

# athletes

# people doing strenuous exertion,

# anyone suffering from any degree of mal-absorption syndrome

# people with eating disorders, especially bulimia and anorexia..

Lot of commercial foundations has been sold in the market and sometimes it is difficult to decide which one is the best for our skin type. Despite their ability to “cover up” many foundations contain a raft of chemical ingredients that sometimes worsen skin conditions such as acne and rosacea, irritate sensitive skin and significantly contribute to pore congestion.

There is one solution to these cosmetic issues which is known as professional mineral make up. This innovation is relatively new to the skin care market, mineral make up emerged from the US about 5 years ago. Since then, a number of Australian brands have brought out quality mineral make up ranges which have proven to be highly effective replacements to conventional liquid, powder and crème foundations.

Its purity is a key feature of professional mineral make up. Genuine mineral make up at Beauty Salon contains none of the potentially toxic or occlusive ingredients of conventional foundations such as mineral oils, fragrances, colours, preservatives and petrochemicals. For this reason mineral make up is of enormous benefit to those with skin sensitivities as well as reducing the overall toxic load for all users.

Based primarily on titanium or zinc oxide mineral make up contains less ingredients in general thereby avoiding fillers such as talc, used to “bulk” out the formulations. As an ingredient, talc it is very cheap so offers great profit margin for producers, however it offers no benefit for the skin and can in fact cause problems. The main disadvantages of talc as a cosmetic ingredient is its comedogenic effect which means it will clog skin and block pores. Those particularly affected by this will be people with acne, pimples, rosacea and anyone who has undergone cosmetic treatments. Talc can also have an occlusive effect on the skin, trapping heat and toxins and eventually interrupting the normal function of the skin.

Rather than sinking into or filling pores, mineral make up sits on the surface of the skin allowing the skin to breathe properly. The pigment in mineral make up is generally iron oxides or mica combined with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide which very effectively covers redness, sun damage and blemishes without contributing to congestion or stopping the skin from breathing. The other advantage is that the dense pigment of the minerals provide full coverage to skin conditions without looking unnatural or heavy on the skin. These features mean mineral make up provides ideal coverage for those with the above mentioned skin conditions.

Another benefit of the mineral sitting on top of the skin means that it doesn’t fill up lines and wrinkles thereby making them more noticeable. The minerals overlap like fish scales and don’t fall into fine giving a “soft-focus” look to the skin.

Professional mineral make up is generally a dry powder, either pressed or loose. This can take some getting used to after liquid foundations however, when applied correctly, that is within 5 minutes of using a moisturiser, mineral make up goes onto the skin smoothly and settles down so that any powdery look quickly disappears. Within 5 minutes of application, a professional mineral make up feels weightless and looks soft on the skin.

The key ingredients in mineral make up, Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are also commonly found in chemical-free sunscreens and offer protection from UVA/UVB rays. Use of these ingredients gives mineral make-up broad spectrum sunscreen protection. While the sunscreen protection can be quite high (up to the equivalent of 30 SPF) it is important to note that most mineral make up foundations aren’t therapeutic products which means that they haven’t been specifically tested for sun protection (unless otherwise stated). Useful as day to day protection, alternative sunscreens should be used for extended sun exposure.