Tag: energy

Basic Laser Hair Removal Terminology

It is important to understand the basic terminology used in laser hair removal techniques. This gives you a better understanding of what the procedure entails. It also helps to put many people at ease to completely understand the words used in the treatment.

Absorption is the uptake of one substance into another.

Active medium is the part of the laser that absorbs and stores energy.

American bikini wax, is a standard bikini wax in which hair is removed from either side of the panty line at the top of the thigh.

Anagen is the growth phase in the hair cycle in which a new hair is synthesized.

Brazilian bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed in the pubic region, including the hair on the buttocks and labia.

Catagen is a transitional stage of a hair’s growth cycle, occurring between the growth and resting stages.

Chromophore is a group of atoms in a molecule that produces color through selective light absorption.

Coherent light are light waves that travel in parallel, and in the same direction.

Dermal scattering is the change that occurs between the laser’s spot size at the surface of the skin and the spot size deeper in the tissue.

Dermis is the underlying or inner layer of the skin.

Electrons are stable, negatively charged elementary particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.

Energy source is the device in the laser that supplies energy to the active medium.

Epidermis is the thin outermost layer of the skin.

Excited states is the conditions of a physical system in which the energy level is higher than the lowest possible level.

Fissure is a crack or cut in the skin.

French bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed from the pubic region except for a stripe of hair on the pubis.

Hair follicle bulb is the bulbous base of the hair follicle that houses the dermal papilla.
Keloids scars are raised areas of fibrous tissue.

Melanin are grains of pigment that give hair and skin its color.

Monochromatic light is of one wavelength, and therefore appears as one color.

Nanometers are each one billionth of a meter.

Optical cavity is a part of the laser that contains the active medium.

Polychromatic light consists of light of multiple wavelengths, appearing as different colors.

Pulse duration is the duration of an individual pulse of laser light, which is usually measured in milli-seconds.

Selective photothermolysis is the selective targeting of an area using a specific wavelength to absorb light into that target area sufficient to damage the tissue of the target while allowing the surrounding area to remain relatively untouched.

Spontaneous emission is the process or an excited atom, after holding extra energy for a fraction of a second, releases its energy as another photon then falls back to its grounded state.

Spot size is the width of a laser beam.

Terminal hair is hair found on the scalp arms legs Alexa lay in pubic areas.

Vellus hair is generally fine, non-pigmented hair found on the face that is often called peach fuzz.

Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave.

An Overview of Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is an excellent way of removing unwanted hair. This is accomplished by sending a light beam of a specific wavelength onto the skin from the laser. The beam of light is sent through a hand piece into the skin, where it attacks the darker pigmentation of the hair follicle. This causes damage and destruction of the hair follicle without damaging the skin tissues around it. Some people do experience permanent hair loss, while others do need to repeat the procedure. Sometimes when hair does grow back it is lighter in color and finer and texture.

There are four types of lasers that are used for hair removal. They are Ruby, Alexandrite, Diode, and NdYAG. Each of these four lasers are different in many ways and are used for different skin types. The ruby laser is able to focus in on small areas and can be used on both dark and light skin. However, this laser works best on light skin. The alexandrite laser is very versatile and can be used on many different types of hair. It is able to focus on large areas and is very easy to customize. The diode laser uses a much longer wavelength which makes it very effective on most types of skin. The NdYag laser works well on people with dark hair and dark skin.

Laser hair removal is not a good treatment option for everyone. It is not recommended for people with certain medical conditions or disorders. It also is not an effective treatment for people with white, gray or very light-colored hair. People that have hair of these colors do not have pigments in their hair to absorb the energy from the laser. Laser hair removal works about system on people with light skin and dark hair.

In some instances, such as the removal of facial hair, one treatment may be enough. In other areas of the body, often a series of treatments must be given to remove the unwanted hair. Many times, laser hair removal is the last resort for people after years of using other methods to rid themselves of the excess hair.

Although laser hair removal is considered safe, it is important to have your treatments done by an experienced, licensed professional. If the treatments are not done correctly, you run the risk of burns, blistering, skin discoloration, or a patchy uneven hair regrowth. Take the time to meet with several specialists in your area, and then decide which one is right for you. For the best results follow all the guidelines that your doctor gives you both before and after your laser hair removal treatments.

The cost of laser hair removal can be expensive, and since it is considered a cosmetic procedure, it is not covered by insurance. Generally, a payment plan can be arranged for treatments. The average cost per treatment for laser hair removal in the United States is between $425 and $500 and many people need three to four sessions.

Laser hair removal is an excellent alternative to other types of hair removal and should seriously be considered by those who are troubled by excessive hair growth.

A First Visit to an Acupuncture Clinic

You might be thinking about making an appointment at an acupuncture clinic. Many people consider this for various symptoms; some common ones being persistent pain, stress-related symptoms, or other problems such as weight loss. In China, many people use their acupuncture visits as a periodic tune up in order to stay healthy. Chinese acupuncturists sometimes get paid as long as their client is healthy, rather than when their clients have symptoms. So, let us take a tour of a modern American acupuncture clinic to see what it is like.

A typical clinic looks like any professional office, and you will be shown into a room where you are comfortably seated in a chair. The acupuncture practitioner comes in and begins the diagnosis. There are two major parts to the diagnosis, physical observation and a discussion of your symptoms and environment. A basic physical observation will include taking your pulse and observing your tongue. Unlike a traditional doctor’s office, your pulse is taken on both wrists, and at several points on each wrist. Your pulse is taken both near the surface of your wrist and also more deeply below the surface. These observations will be written down and used together with the discussion with the practitioner.

You should think about a number of things to discuss at your first acupuncture visit. If you are coming in for a particular symptom or set of symptoms, this should be a major part of the discussion. Think about several different aspects of your symptoms. Let’s say that you have persistent pain in your ankle, to use one example. The pain may not be constant during the entire day; it may ebb and wane depending on the hours of the day. The pain may increase or decrease due to certain activities, and you should observe these as much as possible. You might think that walking would certainly increase the pain, but sometimes walking is not as much of a problem as persistent standing, for example, as a cashier in a grocery store. Also, the pain might change depending on the times of the month, and that should also be mentioned to the acupuncture practitioner. Cause and effect, if any, is also important to report. Some things to consider if stress is a component, for possibly the pain started or increased when you got a new supervisor at work. Notice that a diagnosis for an acupuncture visit includes physical, emotional, social, and mental components to the diagnosis. So come to the acupuncture office armed with as much information as you can gather about the reason you are coming.

Once you and the acupuncture practitioner get through the initial diagnosis, some time is taken to construct a plan of treatments. Depending on the particular symptom that you have, and the other personal information that was taken in the initial diagnosis, your first treatment might be this same day, or you may be asked to return on a different day to start your treatments. The time of day and the particular days for acupuncture treatments are carefully selected in order to achieve the best result possible.

If you do have an initial treatment, it will be painless, and generally takes less than an hour, sometimes much less than that. The acupuncture practitioner will insert very slim needles at specific locations, which will remain for the number of minutes needed for your particular symptoms. When the needles are still you are not even aware of them. Inserting and removing needles is also pain free, rarely there may be a slight twinge, but not more than that. During your treatment you may feel more relaxed, a buzz of energy, slightly warmer at the needle insertion points, or exactly the same as when you came in. However, the needles are doing their work to regulate and rebalance the circulation in your body. So enjoy your first visit, and know that each visit brings you closer to your optimal health.

Eating to Beat Pregnancy Fatigue

Ask any pregnant woman who is in her first or third trimester how they are feeling and the answer will almost always be “tired”. One of the first clues that many women have that they may be expecting a visit from the stork is the fact that they find themselves droopy eyed in the middle of the day for no reason.

You may find that doing a simply task as walking around the block leaves your desperate for an afternoon nap. The energy you use to have is now faced with the challenge of growing a baby and your body is hard at work. You are also producing more blood, using more water and nutrients and have a higher heart rate and metabolism when you are pregnant. While the best defensive against the tiredness you will face is to get more sleep. There are also some healthy foods choices you can make that will help you get through your day if you do not have the opportunities to take naps.

First, adjust the size of your meals. Anyone who eats a large meal is going to feel tired afterwards regardless of if they are pregnant or not. Being pregnant is going to make the effect of a big meal that much worse. Most of your energy is going to be used towards digesting the meal so of course you will feel sluggish and drained. Eat smaller meals and eat more often. Eating six small meals a day will help you combat fatigue.

Eating a good breakfast is the best way to start your day. You are refueling your body after a long foodless night with a good breakfast. A good breakfast is not a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. You want to stick to complex carbs and protein. Whole grain cereal and a banana for example. These foods will stay with you and keep your blood sugar and energy level up for quiet a while.

Do not skip lunch. There are many people who skip lunch thinking they will make up for it by having a big dinner. This is bad when you are not pregnant but it’s even worse when you are pregnant. You need that midday meal to help refuel your body. As with your breakfast, you should keep it filled with whole grains and protein. Have a whole grain pita and stuff it with chicken salad and add a side of grapes or an apple.

Plan to eat most of your calories during the day. A pregnant woman needs an extra 300 calories a day throughout their second and third trimester. The first trimester those are not needed yet. You should eat these extra calories through out the day in the form of healthy snacks such as nuts, cheese, veggies and dip. Do not save your biggest meal until the end of the day. Your body needs these calories to help you get through your day. Steer clear of the quick sugar fixes like candy and soda. In the end these will only make you more tired.

Lastly, make sure you are getting enough iron. Eat iron fortified food such as spinach and lean red meat to keep your energy up. There are times when extreme fatigue could be the symptom of an iron deficiency and you might need an iron supplement also.

Besides eating well, make sure you get plenty of rest even if this means pushing your bedtime up and giving up those late night TV talk shows. As any parents of newborns will tell you, get your rest while you still can.