Acne

Most common amongst teenagers, acne are the pimples that develop on the face or the shoulder, back and chest. Acne primary occurs due to the presence of the extra oil in the skin of the oil glands. The oil tends to typically mix with the dead skin cells and other impurities. When that happens, the pore in our skin gets blocked and soars up to become a pimple. If you are acutely suffering from acne, do visit the dermatologist immediately. Some tips for acne are: -
1. Gently wash your face with lukewarm water in the morning and at night.
2. Never touch the pimple on the face. Touching or squeezing the pimple can result in a permanent scar. Thus, avoid touching the pimple in any circumstances.
3. Ladies, try to avoid make up when you are suffering from acne. This will only add to your troubles.

Athlete's Foot

According to Wikipedia, “Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itching of affected areas. It is typically transmitted in moist areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathhouses.” Athlete’s foot is a very common disease amongst people, especially those who have very dry and sensitive skin. Moisture plays a major role in the development of this disease. Fungal infections are promoted when the skin is moist due to perspiration and one should try the following tips to avoid and cure this disease: -
1. Seek a dermatologist as soon as you come across this disease.
2. Try to bathe regularly with a soap that is recommended by the dermatologist. Thoroughly clean and then dry yourself to ensure that your body is not moist.
3. Try avoiding the sharing of clothes and bath towels with your family members.
4. Wear clean, dry and comfortable socks that encourage the flow of air.

Sunbathing

The obsession of becoming tanned in our society, to socially decorate ourselves by looking attractive, has caused many people to get literally cooked under the sun. Getting tanned is nothing more than punishing your skin to get a more attractive look. In fact, most people who regularly sun – bathe go through the symptoms of swelling, fever, nausea, skin diseases and sometimes minor hallucinations due to excessive heat. The sun provides us with vital vitamins which is essential for the health of our body. By merely taking a walk under the sun for 15 minutes, we serve the purpose for the health of our skin and body. But if you plan to sun – bathe regularly, do take into account the following tips: -
1. Under all circumstances, use a medically approved SPF lotion to protect your skin from harmful sun rays.
2. The best time to go under the sun is between 7: 30 AM and 10: 00 AM. During the afternoon, the sun rays are much stronger and thus much more harmful to the skin.
3. Give a gap of at least 48 hrs before you go in for another tanning session.

The Hygiene of Sleep - Part 2

· Avoid alcohol: - Avoid the intake of alcohol 4 to 6 hours prior to sleep. Even though alcohol has an effect to induce sleep in the beginning, this effect ultimately fades out as the alcohol level drops in the blood stream. After this effect, a stimulant in the body is produced, which actually causes the mind to wake up and become active.
· Avoid caffeine: - Similar to alcohol, caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and other sodas, keep you awake. Thus, avoid caffeine products 4 to 6 hours prior to sleep.
· Avoid a spicy and heavy dinner: - A heavy meal with spices and sugar pumps ample energy in the body to keep it active. Keep your dinner light to allow your body to rest.
· Exercise: - Exercising regularly, particularly in the morning can enhance the depth of sleep at night. It makes your body tired and hence you require more sleep to recover from your daily exercise. However, do not exercise just before going to sleep, as this will keep you active and decrease you ability to fall asleep.

The Hygiene of Breath

Bad breath or Halitosis is a common problem and most of us suffer from this disease. Bad breath leads to many diseases and thus, it is important to maintain breath hygiene. Here are some tips to deal with bad breath: - • Always clean you tongue. Keep you tongue clean as often as possible, as the formation of bacteria on the tongue is mainly responsible for bad breath. • Use a mouthwash to kill the bacteria in your mouth. Salt with warm water is the best mouthwash available as a natural cure. • Chewing gum allows your saliva to maintain your teeth and avoid bad breath. • Chew cloves, which kills the bacteria and avoid its formation. • Floss your teeth to remove the food bits between your teeth. Over time these bits are affected by bacteria, which results in a bad breath. • Finally, visit your doctor twice a year to clean your teeth. Only a dentist can remove the formation of tartar and cavities on your teeth.

The Hygiene of Sleep - Part 1

Lack of sleep is one of the most common problems in our daily lives. Our modern lifestyles have force us to stay up too late and get up too early. We have disrupted our sleep with our work, entertainment and even drugs, and our sleep patterns have been spoiled due to various late night activities. Below are some of the key points to getting a good sleep. Sleep is essential for the proper function of your daily lives. The tips given in this section are known to most of us but we still tend to ignore them. • A disciplined bedtime: - Your mind gets used to the time you sleep and wake up in the morning. Try your best to obey this rule of sleeping, as it is an essential factor of getting good sleep. • Avoid sleeping during the day: - If you sleep during the day, then your body will not be tired enough to sleep during the night. This will not only disrupt your sleep pattern, but also rob you of energy during the next day. Most people feel sleepy during the afternoon, after a heavy lunch. Thus, try taking a small nap of 45 minutes to an hour.