Do you find yourself looking in the mirror and not liking what you see? This happens with a lot of us. It isn’t like we dislike the features of our face. It isn’t like we have an issue with that nose (Trust me, some of us don’t!) But then again, it’s the existence of those numerous blackheads that can get onto our nerves sometimes. What Causes Blackheads? They are most often caused due to a build up of skin cells that are dead. These dead skin cells have an impairing effect on the oil flow out of the pores. The oil may then get clogged in the pores; and this could result in blackheads or ‘comedones’ as they are called. What Areas Of The Skin Are Prone To Blackheads? The most commonly affected areas are the nose, chin and the forehead. Ways Of Treating Blackheads  [...] 

The entire decade of the 60s was synonymous with one phrase – hippie. The hippie culture took the world by storm. Orange clad men and women, with unkempt hair; and long chains. Smoking, drinking, living and loving. What a time it was!!! Peace was all around, and with the peace came new ways of wanting to keep the peace in. Chants of ‘HARE KRISHNA HARE RAM’ made rounds of the world. The Beatles were amongst the pioneers to this world-wide movement. They embraced the ‘transcendental meditation’ movement, when they made a trip to the famous Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1967. Transcendental Meditation (TM) - Transcendental Meditation, which got popularized as TM, was spread by the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who began what came to be seen as a world-wide movement. He  [...] 

If you’ve paid close attention to the French (well, not too close) you would have noticed that French women manage to look chic and slender with ease; and somehow, this isn’t affected by their age. They manage to look fabulous at any age. You may think that its the olive oil that’s doing the trick for them, but wait, what if we told you it goes beyond that! Quit thinking red wine Mediterranean diet and begin thinking weight-loss program. The Dukan diet is named after the man who first introduced it – French nutritionist Dr. Pierre Dukan. He wrote a book titled ‘The Dukan Diet’ which was published in French around 10 years back. It instantly rushed up to the number one spot on the French best-seller’s list; and gave rise to what was dubbed as an ‘underground  [...] 

7 year old Tara was a happy-go-lucky child, until one day her mom noticed that something was wrong. Tara would get teary-eyed over anything and everything at all. Plus, she began avoiding all her sleeveless clothes. Her mom brought up the topic one day, and Tara broke down once again, screaming that she didn’t want to speak about it. Finally, however, she did calm down and discuss things with her mother. She confessed to having hair growing in her armpits. She was shocked, because her body felt different. She craved to be like the other hairless girls in her class, but she wasn’t like them anymore. She just didn’t fit in. Tara’s mother, on the other hand, was in for a culture shock, because she hadn’t imagined discussing puberty-related issues with her daughter  [...] 

Normally, a woman’s menstrual cycle will last anywhere from 2 days to 7 days. This is the expected norm. The cycle patterns, which vary from woman to woman, will range between 21 to 35 days, depending on the genetic structuring of the woman and her lifestyle. When there is an occurrence of bleeding that is out of the normal i.e. there is a bleeding in the time between the periods, or there is an absence of the periods for a prolonged period of time; it is called irregular uterine bleeding. Many factors can play havoc for this natural phenomenon; but the most common of these are hormonal imbalance. CAUSES OF IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION Listed below are some of the causes that are seen to normally disrupt the normalcy of a menstrual cycle – Stress plays a major role here. It throws  [...] 

Understanding Zen Zen as a Japanese word is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘dhyana’, which means meditation. Zen is a school of the Mahayana Buddhism. It is a school of thought that reduces the emphasis placed on theoretical knowledge. Instead, it throws light on the realization that one can have through meditation and dharma (righteous duties). Zen focuses on integrating three aspects – body, mind and spirit. The roots of Zen lie in ancient Chinese philosophy. The concept was then borrowed by the Japanese, whose samurai masters helped perfect this school of thought. Understanding Yoga Yoga has its origins in India. The word, in itself, is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yug’ meaning to ‘direct one’s attention’. Yoga, as a practice, can get individuals to turn inwards to find  [...] 

So your precious little baby is 6 months old now. He/She has survived these 6 months with utmost care and affection from you. It is exactly this reason that leaves parents hapless when their child is in pain. Your child will begin experiencing his/her first bout of pain at around this 6 months time; because this is time when they get their first tooth. The best way to prepare for this situation is to be well informed. Keep in mind these tips to soothe teething babies, and breeze through this otherwise painful (for you and the baby) phase. COLD IS THE KEYWORD This is one of the oldest on the tips to soothe teething babies’ list. You could let your baby chew on something cold. A cold, wet washcloth is an ideal chew toy, since babies love the rough texture, as it eases their irritation; and  [...] 

Swelling of gums usually occurs due to lack in oral and dental hygiene. You cannot categorize swelling of gums as disease, but yes, it is a symptom for any other underlying ailment. This symptom can arise due to many reasons. The causes for swelling of gums are as follows: Infection of gums or the oral cavity Allergies Lack of proper nourishment Gingivitis Pyorrhea or periodontitis Leukemia Monilia When the gums get swollen, they show various abnormalities such as: Reddening of gums Yellowish patches of pus are seen in them Raised gums Severe pain in gums Shaky teeth and loosening of tooth Increase in the inter-spaces between teeth In certain severe condition, the gum may start bleeding This symptom can be cured with various medicated drugs. Well, these medicated drugs leave harsh impact  [...]