Beauty and Personal Grooming

Dear Readers, Wishing you all a very Happy Women's Day!

Men do have a distinct advantage over women as far as skin ageing is concerned. Men’s skin, apparently being slightly thicker, ages more slowly than that of women’s. At least that’s what studies say. Do read the post Does a woman’s skin age faster than a man’s? However it’s also true that women deal with aging better than men and contrary to popular belief, are more accepting of their age and wrinkles as compared to men.

Wishing all the wonderful ladies a very Happy Women’s Day! You are a source of inspiration for the family and society as a whole! Keep shining and smiling always!

Apparently there seems to be a connection between being underweight and hitting menopause early . While perusing the articles at Washington Post and NYTimes , I came across this study, Adult adiposity and risk of early menopause , in which researchers analyzed data on 78,759 pre-menopausal women who were mostly in their mid-30s, when the study was started. This study spanned for about 22 years and in that time around 2,804 women reached menopause before the the age of 45, which is considered early. All these women reached menopause naturally and none because of hysterectomy, oophorectomy, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

M.S asks: My problem is an embarrassing one. I am a 16 year old girl, smart and attractive. But there is one feature of my physique which is bothering me a lot.  My left breast is smaller than the right one. Due to this, I always wear salwar suits with dupatta, although I long to put on shirts and blouses like my friends. Is there any cream or medicine which will help me?

Happy International Women's Day! Sharing a few inspiring quotes this Women's Day!

I am a 15 year old girl. I started my periods at the age of 14. My breasts are very heavy and hurt sometimes. Do teenage girls often have such feelings in the breast? How do I get rid of the pain? I have also some whitish patches on the sides of my breast. What are these? Please advise. Image Courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cellulite plagues millions of women each year, more common in those ages 20 and above. Men can also get cellulite but it is more uncommon than women, this is because men have thicker layers of skin so its much harder for cellulite to form on them. There are ways to lessen the cellulite or even hide it for a night out on the town, here I will discuss how! Pic Courtesy: Flickr

It's certainly not the 1950's anymore, and women are making that fact known! Though most women want to contribute to something and make money doing so, many also want to be home with their children as much as possible. This does create a dilemma, so how can the modern, successful woman find that perfect balance between work and the rest of life? Read on to find out!

How do people define "old"? Is it reaching a specific physical age, or starting to face some old age derived unhealthy problems? Unfortunately, in most of the cultures we face issues that reinforce the message that ageing is a wrong thing; this is why most of the young adults think this way. It is wise to pay a better attention in the early stages of adulthood so as to ensure a healthier old age. Current research shows that most of the contemporary diseases in women aged 50 and above, involve health factors that they might have some control over. In order to promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce the risks of diseases, it is important to take preventive care and this can be done by stabilizing blood pressure, getting periodic diabetes checkups and controlling the levels of cholesterol in the body.

The many good reasons to start strength training should have women flocking to programs that increase muscle. Health issues such as bone density can be improved with strength training, so it's not just about looking trim in this summer's revealing beach wear. But the fear of bulking up prevents many women from taking advantage of the many benefits that come with sensible strength training programs. Here are the facts for all the ladies out there who need to get started!

Rina asks: A week before I get my period, I get constipated. However it disappears when menstruation occurs. What could be the reason? And how do I tackle this?

I’ve never suffered from painful periods. Except for a little discomfort and slight abdominal pain on the first day, the rest of the days are absolutely fuss-free and I sometimes even forget that I am having a period. But I can understand the torment of some girls who go through this misery each month. I’ve seen them suffer great agonies, sometimes even rolling on the bed with excruciating cramps and severe abdominal pain. For that purpose I’ve compiled a post with effective home-remedies to relieve their symptoms and make life easy for them.

Recent studies show that the notion “estrogen is for women while testosterone is for men” no longer holds true. In fact, women also produce testosterone, a steroid hormone, in their ovaries that is essential in their overall physical and psychological health. It also contributes in the growth and maintenance of reproductive tissues and bone mass and plays a significant factor of female sexual activity and responsible for increase in sex drive. However, there are instances when testosterone levels in a woman decreases. Here are few things you need to know when testosterone levels among women are below normal.

Being pregnant is a wonderful, fulfilling, enriching experience. However, some days you feel tearful and blue, no matter how much you love and want your baby. Not even your partner’s cuddles can make it a little bit better. Some women suffer from depression during pregnancy. If that’s the case, you might need to seek for some expert advice. If instead you’re just having some pregnancy blues, it’s probably all the hormones’ fault and it’s all good, you’re going to be all right.

When you first discover that your efforts to conceive have resulted in a brand new life growing inside you, the first reaction you have may be a mixture of joy, excitement, and relief. But all too soon the worries will start to set in. Are the products you currently use going to have an effect on your baby even before he takes his first breath? When you only had your own health and well-being to worry about you might not have been unduly concerned with the inclusion of harmful, chemical ingredients in your beauty products , but now that every move you make has the potential to harm your baby you are probably a lot more interested in what you're exposing yourself to. And you're likely starting to think towards your child's future and wonder if the world will even be habitable by the time he's heading off to college, what with all the pollution and waste.

Women have a ways to go to attain parity on the pay scale but the progress is impressive. And, people are noticing! The European Union now “ tracks gender gap pay ” through its European Employment Strategy (EES). There are still imbalances but over the last ten years women have risen to the occasion and corporations are taking notice. According to the US Department of Labor, even more progress has been made in the states. According to the 2010 Census, there were 123 million women over the age of 16. 72 million of these women were employed . Impressive! 73 percent of these women had full-time jobs. The largest single classification of these jobs was management.

Pregnancy is the most beautiful period in a woman’s life. It’s the time to celebrate and rejoice your womanhood. There is so much to think about during pregnancy that you may easily overlook oral health. It is very important that you take good care of your teeth. During pregnancy there are lot of hormonal changes in the body which leads to various teeth and gum problems which in turn affects the baby. Hence it is imperative that you pay more attention to your teeth and fix an appointment with your dentist to avoid any dental problems.

Let's face it; cellulite is definitely not a very attractive trait to have on your body. Even though it isn't a serious health problem it can be embarrassing when you go to the beach or pool and you have an unattractive dimpled skin on your hips, buttocks, or thighs. This problem is usually an issue reserved for females, but men can experience this uneven fatty tissue beneath the skin too.

OK, so here's the thing: Have you ever sat and thought about what a flaw actually is? According to most dictionaries, it's defined as being a "defect", a "fault" or a "blemish". So already, in discussing the topic of women as it relates to body image, in thinking about "flaws", who really determines what those are?