Asian Skin – The Basics

There are millions of Asians now living in North America and like all other nationalities, these individuals also want to feel great, look young and appear beautiful. In general, Asians are individuals who are from the Orient from countries like China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and India. What should come as no surprise is that both Asian women and men want to have good looking skin.

The first thing to understand about Asians is that their skin is slightly darker in color compared to Caucasians. The reason for this is due to the increased amount of melanin in skin; melanin is a pigment made from skin cells and protects skin from excessive sunlight exposure. Overall, when one has more melanin, it tends to keep the skin looking younger, toned and wrinkle-free. Melanin has a superb ability to absorb harmful rays of sunlight. It acts by inactivating the dangerous UV rays which are known to promote premature aging, wrinkles and photo-aged skin.

However, Asians should also understand that once the capability of melanin has been overcome from excess sun exposure, skin blemishes can occur. In Asians, these skin blemishes from excess sun exposure usually present as pigmentation changes rather than premature wrinkles or lines. Asians are more prone to sun spots, liver spots and or patches of skin discoloration.

This difference is chiefly due to the much higher content of melanin, which predisposes Asians to a greater risk of hyper-pigmentation from sunlight exposure.

Another aspect of skin that is unique to Asians is that their skin is quite smooth in texture but is also very prone to irritation and acne. Asians in general need to work hard on their skin to maintain the aesthetic qualities.

Other causes of skin problems in Asians besides sun exposure include pregnancy and use of harmful synthetic skincare products.

During pregnancy, Asian women can develop skin discoloration which is known as melasma or cholasma. These brownish discolorations most often occur in women, but can also occur in men. The brown skin color is not painful nor does it itch. Melasma is most common on the face and may last for several months. Besides pregnancy, melasma can also occur in Asian women who take the birth control pill.

Another agonizing disorder which is quite common in Asians is acne. Why Asians are prone to disfiguring acne is not fully known but this has been attributed to life style and perhaps spicy food. Worse is that the acne in Asians often leaves residual scars.

Other skin problems that affect Asians include Keloids, ingrown hairs and Rosacea. Keloids are ugly looking scars that grow beyond the incision borders. The lesions are raised, irregular and create a very unpleasant aesthetic appearance. While there is no cure for Keloids, some recent treatments can decrease size of these lesions.

Asian facial skin also tends to have large pores which often reflect uneven texture or tone. To keep the skin looking even and young, daily exfoliation and use of mild chemical peels can help most individuals.

Like everyone else, Asians also develop fine lines and wrinkles. The cause of wrinkles and fine lines may be due to excess sun, smoking or simply age. In any cases, there are treatments to reverse the majority of skin blemishes in Asians.

Compression Stockings

There are many types, sizes and styles of compression stockings. The two basis differences are those which reach to the knee and those that go on to the thigh. Compression stockings are widely used in many health care settings and even at home. Unlike the past, the present day compression stockings are sleek, attractive and elegant. These stockings can be worn at work, at any social function or even for casual wear,

Compression stockings promote increased blood circulation in the lower legs and can prevent formation of blood clots. All the present day compression stockings are designed in such a way that they have a pressure gradient which is greatest in the foot and decreases up along the leg.

All compression stockings feel tight at the foot and do take time getting used to. The squeezing action on the muscles helps to stimulate blood flow up the leg. After wearing stockings on a daily basis, most people find that the legs do not feel achy, swollen or painful

Compression stockings are worn to treat?

– Varicose veins
– Spider veins
– Swollen legs after a previous blood clot
– Lymphedema
– Prevention of blood clots
– Before and after any major surgery
– decrease swelling of the foot
– Venous ulcer
– decrease leg fatigue during long travel

To get the maximum benefit from compression stockings, they have to be worn every day. One should wear them the first thing in the morning and remove them late in the evening. There is no need to wear stockings while sleeping.

Compression stockings can also be used to prevent blood clot formation in patients who are bed ridden and those who are not ambulatory.

While stockings are widely used in hospitals, they can also be used as daily wear. Most of the recent stockings are soft, easy to wear and have great aesthetic features.

Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe?

Well the answer to this question depends to whom you talk to. The women who take these hormones and those who sell them say that there is nothing wrong with these bioidentical hormones. However, the food and drug administration claims that bioidentical hormones are riskier and there is little evidence to show that they are any more effective.

Bioidentical hormones have gained famed in the past decade chiefly because many celebrities endorse such products. Moreover, conventional hormones have side effects and the logical belief by consumers is that perhaps by going natural, the products will be safe. Well, natural is not always safe. Lead and mercury occur naturally in the environment, but that does not mean that one can consume them safely.

The manufacturer of bioidentical hormones claim that the bioidentical products have many advantages over the conventional sex hormones.
The bioidentical hormones are derived from plants and do not contain any artificial chemicals or preservatives. However, this is not entirely true because some of the conventional hormones like estrace, climara patch and viveelle dot patch and prometrium are also derived naturally from plants.

The bioidentical hormones can be made in different dosages and be tailor made for each individual. Moreover, some bioidentical hormones do not require a prescription but this is no longer true as the FDA has introduced new rules. Today, the majority of bioidentical hormones require a prescription.

Individuals who want a specific dose of a bioidentical hormone can go to a pharmacy which can tailor make formulations. These compounded formulas may be suitable for individuals who have allergies to conventional hormones or those who are unable to swallow the pill. While this is true, compounding is an art which has no quality control. Neither the quality or quantity of product of the compounded hormones are regulated and no two pharmacies can make the same product each time.

The manufactures of bioidentical hormones claim that individual formulas can be tailor made by performing saliva tests. However, the majority of saliva tests are bogus and have no correlation with blood levels of hormones. Moreover these tests are not cheap and the cost is passed on to the consumer. Most health care plans do not even pay for saliva tests because these tests are not recognized as being valid.

There is no doubt that some women may benefit from bio-identical hormones but this is not a universal finding. To date there is very little data to support  use of bioidentical hominess over conventional hormones. While standard drugs may have side effects, at least the quality is controlled.

Moreover  consumers are aware of potential complications; whereas with bioidentical hormones no one really knows about the short or long term side effects and thus monitoring them can be very difficult. In the end it is up to the consumer to make a choice- but this choice is best made after being informed on both products.