.::::::: Doctorhollic :::::::.

Hair loss that is caused by medicines, stress, lack of protein or iron, or hair care may be prevented. Avoiding certain medicines, reducing stress, getting adequate protein and iron in your diet, and using hairstyles that do not damage your hair may reduce or prevent hair loss.

You may have seen recent news reports about Sheryl Crow's advice to limit toilet paper use to one square at a time to help protect the environment.

Recent controversy about the safety of ingredients in some skin care products - hydroquinone and paraben, for instance - and their effect on the environment caused some to take a fresh look at organic skin care products.

Many of my patients choose organic products just to be on the safe side. The USDA enacted new organic standards for skin and body care in August 2005. If a product contains 95 percent organic ingredients, it can be labeled "organic."

If it only contains 75 percent to 94 percent organic ingredients, then it is labeled as "made with organic ingredients." For skin care ingredients to be labeled organic, they have to follow the same rules that foods do. These rules require manufacturers to avoid using prohibited pesticides and fertilizers, and employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management, and crop rotation practices.

I am not convinced that organic ingredients are always better for your skin, but you may be inclined to consider them for several reasons. Organic products aim to exclude or minimize any ingredients that could be considered potentially harmful to people, animals, waterways, or the environment.

Organic products often are sold in recyclable containers. If more people buy organic skin care products, then more companies will begin to supply these products. I invite you to share your favorite organic skin care products.

Have you ever carefully applied your favorite lipstick ... only to look in a mirror an hour later and discover that it's bleeding through the edges of your lips?

There are ways to slow the signs of lip aging! Time and time again, I've encountered patients and friends who invest tons of time and money in skin care - only to virtually ignore their lips. Don't make that mistake.

1. If you smoke, stop! The repeated action of pursing your lips around a cigarette creates "wrinkles in motion," that is, wrinkles caused by repeatedly moving your skin a certain way. Eventually, those wrinkles will remain even when your lips are at rest.

2. For that same reason, limit your use of drinking straws and anything else that causes you to repeatedly purse your lips.

3. When you're slathering SPF on the rest of your body, it can be easy to forget your lips. If your signature shade of lipstick isn't sun-friendly, always start with a base of SPF lip balm.

4. In fact, the lips are a very common site for skin cancer because they don't naturally secrete vitamin E-rich sebum - the oil that helps protect your skin. Pick up a bottle of vitamin E oil or lip balm with vitamin E. Not only will it help protect your pout against skin cancer, it will also prevent the signs of aging.

5. If your lips feel flaky, it's perfectly fine to exfoliate them, although there's no need to exfoliate on a regular basis. Use a fine scrub (nothing too abrasive), and be sure to follow it with a hydrating product. In addition to vitamin E, I love glycerin-based balms, which will help lips hold on to water.

6. Curious about "lip plumping" glosses? In general, they do work - by irritating the delicate skin on the lips and causing them to swell slightly. (They're not dangerous, but a word of warning: When I tried one, my lips burned for an hour, even though I'd washed it off immediately!)

7. If you're really interested in plumper lips, consider dermal fillers. Contrary to common fears, the latest dermal fillers (like Restylane, Juvederm, Hylaform, and the newly approved Perlane) can look very natural when a skilled doctor performs the procedure. Ask him or her to go easy on you - a little goes a very long way when it comes to lips.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved for the first time a drug-free product for the treatment of baldness in males with androgenetic alopecia, a progressive, diffuse, symmetric loss of scalp hair.

The Hairmax Lasercomb®, a hand-held laser device manufactured by Lexington International, is sold on the Internet for $545. According to the company, as the device is drawn through the hair, its laser beam strikes the scalp to promote new hair growth.

In light of this new product, here are a few myths about hair growth and loss to consider.

1) Shaving the hair on your face or legs makes it grow faster. This myth has caused many a young boy to delay that first shave and has struck fear into the hearts of young ladies concerned about hair on their legs.

2) Frequent brushing is good for the hair. Excessive brushing can in fact damage the hair.

3) Brushing can make thinning hair fall out more quickly. Genetic factors are the major determinants of when hair loss begins and how rapidly it progresses.

4) Tight hats cause baldness. In fact, it's a good idea to wear a hat while at the beach. A heavily sun-burned scalp can speed hair loss.

5) Taking frequent showers causes baldness.

6) A frightening experience can turn hair gray or white almost overnight.

7) Dandruff is contagious. Not true, but you can get some nasty critters from using another person's comb.

8) Split ends can be repaired without cutting them off.

9) Hair should not be washed every day.

10) Baldness is inherited from the mother's side of the family.

11) It is harmful to color your hair during pregnancy. Although most experts agree that the fetus cannot be hurt if the mother colors her hair during pregnancy, some doctors disagree - so it's best ask your obstetrician.

12) Straightening the hair can lead to breast cancer.

13) Going to sleep with wet hair can cause scalp infections.

14) Hair shouldn't be combed when it is wet.

15) For thick shiny hair, eat a diet rich in protein and iron.

Many women become depressed while they are pregnant, or shortly after the baby is born.

The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center says these factors increase the likelihood of developing depression during or after pregnancy:

* Having been depressed or had another mental illness prior to pregnancy.
* Having a family history of depression or other mental illness.
* Getting inadequate support from loved ones.
* Feeling anxious or negative about being pregnant.
* Having had problems with a prior pregnancy.
* Dealing with financial or marital problems, or other major life stresses.
* Being pregnant at a young age.
* Abusing drugs or alcohol.

Introduction

This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision-making process or rely on your doctor's recommendation.
Key points in making your decision

Insomnia can be caused by other conditions such as stress, menopause, depression, anxiety, or old age. Sleep problems like sleep apnea, addictions like alcoholism, and using too much caffeine can also cause insomnia. After you and your doctor have treated other health problems leading to your insomnia, there are many steps you can take to break the cycle of sleeping poorly and feeling tired during the day. One of these steps may be to take sleeping pills.

Consider the following when making your decision:

* Sleeping pills may quickly relieve the symptoms of insomnia.
* Sleep medicines work best and are safest as a short-term treatment combined with lifestyle changes.
* You can try sleeping pills for a short time while you work on the problems that are causing your insomnia.
* Some sleep medicines have side effects, such as daytime drowsiness and nausea.
* Sleeping pills may not work as well when your body gets used to the medicines.
* You can become addicted to some types of sleeping pills if you take them for more than a few weeks.
* You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the medicines.
* Lifestyle and behavior changes can work as well as or better than medicines in helping you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Medical Information
What is insomnia?

People with insomnia have problems falling asleep or staying asleep. You may wake up during the night or wake up too early the next morning. Without enough sleep, you may feel sleepy during the day. This can make you more likely to have an accident, and it also makes driving dangerous. You may feel grumpy from lack of sleep. Some people have trouble remembering things, don't get as much done, and don't enjoy being with family and friends. Some people use caffeine to help them get over feeling tired, but this may make their insomnia worse.

Insomnia is a common problem that affects almost everyone at some point. Having trouble sleeping from time to time is often linked to short-term stress. It can last for days to weeks. It often gets better in less than a month.

But insomnia can turn into a long-term sleep problem, especially when you worry about not sleeping well. This is called chronic insomnia. It is often a symptom of another health problem, such as depression or chronic pain. Chronic insomnia is less common than short-term sleep problems.
How can sleeping pills help?

Sleep medicines may provide fast relief from the symptoms of insomnia. They can help you break the cycle of poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue while you work on the problems that are causing your insomnia. Sleeping pills can also be helpful when you just have trouble now and then falling asleep. But they work best as a short-term treatment.

There are different types of sleeping pills. Talk to your doctor about your choices.
What are the risks of taking sleeping pills?

Sleeping pills do not work as well over time as do lifestyle and behavior changes, such as getting more exercise and changing your sleep environment, your schedule, or what and when you eat and drink. Sleeping pills can also become habit-forming. You may come to rely on them so much that you can't sleep without them.

When you take sleeping pills, you may have side effects such as feeling anxious or sick to your stomach (nauseated) or feeling sleepy or drowsy during the day.

Medicine works best and is safest as a short-term treatment combined with lifestyle changes. In the long run, lifestyle changes are the most helpful treatment for insomnia.

When so much is uncertain in the world around us, it is natural for our anxieties to rise and our emotions to fluctuate. But when your emotions run wild, the imbalance can spell trouble for your long-term health. Read on for 6 natural ways to get grounded and balance your emotions.

The Chinese healing tradition classifies emotion into five predominant states: joy, rumination (including worry), sadness, fear, and anger. Experiencing these emotions is a normal part of life, and you usually shift naturally from one to the next in reaction to events that pop up in your day. However, when one single emotion dominates, it brings your entire body out of balance and can produce illness. Learning to manage your emotions is essential for your happiness, health, and longevity.

1. A nerve-calming neurotransmitter
A healthy brain has a balanced chemistry that can cope more effectively with emotional stress. Some neurotransmitters in the brain excite the nerves, while others have a calming effect. One such neurotransmitter, GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is a chemical that is especially helpful when emotional turmoil strikes. As the primary neurotransmitter for calming nerve signals, it prevents anxiety-related messages from reaching the brain. However, over time the body's production of the chemical wanes, and when you have low levels of GABA, you may begin to feel an increase in anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression. When you take it as a dietary supplement, pair it with vitamin B6, which helps your body use the GABA.

2. Herbal therapy for balance
The liver is thought to be the seat of emotional expression according to Chinese medicine. When healthy, the liver network naturally balances your emotional state and releases suppressed emotions. A blockage of liver energy can manifest as depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Some herbs that can give the liver an added boost are:

* Dandelion cleanses the liver and helps release built-up anger.
* Milk thistle protects and restores the liver.
* Schisandra berry protects the liver and soothes emotional anxiety.
* Chrysanthemum flower is used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins.
* White peony root is a Chinese herb often used to soothe the liver and balance the mood.

These herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners. Consider trying our formula Internal Cleanse, which lifts emotional stagnation and promotes liver health.

3. Exercise releases pent-up emotions
When people do not use a healthy outlet to release emotions, they are stored in the body and can eventually result in physical pain. Common symptoms that may point to trapped feelings in your body are pains in the back, neck, shoulders, jaw area, or stomach, congestion in the ear or nose, a lump in your throat, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Often unrecognized as pent-up emotions, these blockages may cause more serious harm to your health down the road—manifesting as chronic pain or even growths. Free negative emotions and use massage therapy, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong to get your energy flowing freely.

4. Take a time-out
Every parent can pinpoint when their children are about to have an emotional breakdown—they are overtired, hungry, and hurried. Unfortunately, adults do not consider the impact of stress on their own emotional lives. Rest and relaxation are essential for emotional balance. Just as junior has restful activities scheduled like story-time or naptime, create some of your own relaxing rituals. Take a bath in Epsom salts, scent the air with lavender, or read quietly in a calm corner.

5. Keep a journal
One of the best ways to work with your emotions is also one of the simplest. Write down your feelings to release them. Try writing for at least 10 minutes a day for a month. This will give you enough time to spot some patterns in your emotions—and to note if they correspond to any physical symptoms in your body. Write from the position of observer and record your emotions without judgment or editing. The next step is to identify the source of any anger, sadness, or other unhappiness so you can begin to make changes.

6. Breathing brings balance
Use deep breathing and rest to restore your metabolic equilibrium. Sometime during your busy day find time to close your eyes and take ten deep breaths. Even better, meditate on a daily basis and head off emotional extremes before they start. Studies show that people who meditate are calm, slower to anger, and better able to see through problems to good outcomes. Try spending 10 to 15 minutes in meditative relaxation each day and watch your emotional elasticity expand! There are many meditation guides and cds that can help you learn the practice.

Ovarian cancer cannot be prevented, but you may be able to reduce some of your chances for developing it.

Studies have found that the use of a combined estrogen and progestin birth control pill for more than 5 years reduces a woman's risk of ovarian cancer.

One study showed that the low-dose combined pills are most effective for reducing risk.Another showed that the protective effect lasts for several years after the woman stops taking the combined pills. 19 Women who have a family history of ovarian cancer may also lower their risk by using birth control pills. The results are not clear from studies on the use of birth control pills in women who have BRCA gene changes.

Having surgery to close or tie off your fallopian tubes (bilateral tubal ligation) will lower your chances of developing ovarian cancer.But, you will not be able to become pregnant after having this surgery. Talk to your doctor about whether this choice is right for you.

Having one or more babies lowers your chances for ovarian cancer. Breast-feeding for at least one year also lowers your chances.

A small number of women with ovarian cancer have a first-degree female relative—such as a sister, mother, or daughter—or a second-degree female relative—such as an aunt or grandmother—who has had ovarian cancer. Changes (mutations) in two major genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are most closely related to a higher lifetime chance for ovarian cancer in these families.You may consider a BRCA gene test if you have a family history of ovarian cancer. Most experts recommend that women with known BRCA mutations have their uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes removed while these organs are still healthy, to reduce their lifetime chance of developing ovarian cancer. You will not be able to become pregnant, but studies have shown that this surgery lowers your chance of getting ovarian cancer by about 95%.

There is still a small chance of getting ovarian cancer, even after the ovaries are removed. This is because there can already be a tiny cancer growing before the ovaries are removed. Those cancer cells can remain in the body after the surgery, where they continue to grow.It is also possible to develop cancer on the smooth tissue lining the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). This type of cancer—called peritoneal cancer—looks like ovarian cancer, has similar symptoms, and is treated in the same way.

The cause of ovarian cancer is not known. Genetics are a risk factor for some women. A family history of ovarian or breast cancer is found in 10% to 20% of women with ovarian cancer.

In general, fewer than 2 in 100 women (less than 2%) will get ovarian cancer in their lifetime. That risk goes up to 4 or 5 in 100 if one family member has had ovarian cancer, and 7 in 100 if two relatives have had it. But if at least two first-degree relatives (meaning mother, sister, or daughter) have had ovarian cancer, the risk is 25 to 50 in 100 (25% to 50%).

Women who inherit changes (genetic mutations) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Women who inherit the gene change in BRCA1 have a lifetime chance of 20 to 60 out of 100 of getting ovarian cancer. For women who inherit the gene change in BRCA2, the lifetime chance is 10 to 35 out of 100.

You have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer if you:

* Are unable to become pregnant (infertility).
* Have never had a baby.
* Have not used hormonal birth control methods. Hormonal methods change the normal cycle of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, so ovulation does not occur each month.

If you have a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, you may want to talk with your doctor or a genetic counselor about having a blood test to look for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene changes. Women who inherit these changes in one or both of these genes have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or both.

Ovarian cancer does not cause many symptoms in its early stages. This is why most cases are not found until the cancer has spread. 4 Most women do have symptoms in the 6 to 12 months before ovarian cancer is found. Symptoms that occur in later stages are most likely caused by the pressure of the growing cancer. Symptoms include:

* Ongoing cramps or pain in your belly.
* Ongoing pain in your pelvis or lower back.
* Abnormal bleeding from your vagina, especially after menopause if you are not using any hormonal medicines.
* Abnormal discharge from your vagina, containing mucus that may be tinged with blood.
* Pain or bleeding during sex.
* Nausea or loss of appetite, or you cannot eat normally.
* Ongoing bloating or intestinal gas that is not relieved by home treatment measures.
* Bigger belly size or a lump that can be felt in your belly.
* Decreased energy level.
* A change in your bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea.
* A change in your bladder habits, such as urinary frequency or urgency.
* Weight loss.