The technique of Swedish massage uses five basic strokes: sliding or gliding, kneading, rhythmic tapping, cross fiber and rhythmic shaking. Research shows it is helpful for individuals who have poor circulation. By flushing the tissues of the lactic acid, uric acid and other metabolic wastes building up during an injury, circulation to the area is increased without increasing the load on the heart.

Stress
Swedish massage helps stimulate the skin and nervous system and reduces both emotional and physical stress. In fact, some psychologists suggest a regular program of Swedish massage for stress management.

Effleurage
This type of massage uses a sliding or gliding technique. While doing this technique the masseuse uses long, sweeping strokes covering more than one area. Although it makes one feel like your muscles are being broken down the purpose is to connect one part of the body to the others and is always done in a direction toward the heart.

Relaxation
The therapist makes the muscles relax by using friction to warm up the area being treated. Where other massage techniques may use warm stones or heated towels the Swedish massage therapist makes use of a friction technique by rubbing the palms of her hands vigorously on the surface of the skin or by rubbing her palms together and then laying them on the skin.

Petrissage
The act of kneading and squeezing the muscles of the body is known as petrissage. This technique does not target or focus on any particular part but allows for deeper and more penetrating affects.

Tapottement
Sometimes called rhythmic tapping,these strokes aim to energize the area of the body that is being treated. This technique is done by chopping the area with the sides of the hands or hitting it rhythmically with a fisted hand depending upon the desired results and the strength of the masseuse.

Traction
Usually in the last part of her routine,the therapist stretches muscles that are already relaxed and warmed up. This involves pulling at arms and legs and, interestingly, sometimes at the head.

Vibration
This is the last technique a Swedish massage therapists will use. It is used to shake the area that is being treated and is done by moving the heel of the hand and sometimes the fingers forward and backward across the skin to loosen up muscles in a particular area.

Some of these techniques may be tried at home to relax and calm yourself.  Just take care never to massage over areas that are injured, bruised, infected or have an open wound.

Special Treats for After your Massage:

Would you like to repair cells and fight the free radical damage to your skin? Venus Naturals makes a 100% all-natural intensive cream with Rosa Mosqueta from the Andes Mountains in Chile. It reduces and eliminates stretch marks and brown age spots on photo-aged or sun-damaged skin.

Since I began using Invisi-vein with Calendula extract and essential oils, I have noticed the varicose and spider veins in my legs are a lot less noticeable and are flattening out. My legs have more energy and stamina. This product was highlighted in the November, 2006 issue of Canadian Living Magazine by writer Julie Hunter. If you have tired, achy legs check this out!

It is a fact that exposure to ultraviolet light, whether UVA or UVB, that is derived from sunlight, accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging.

Since most of the photoaging effects occur by the age of 20, the amount of damage to the skin caused by the sun is determined by the total lifetime amount of radiation exposure and the pigment protection.

Among the changes in the epidermis caused by continued exposure to the sun include, many harmful, thinning of the epidermis and the growth of skin lesions such as actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas,

Prolonged exposure to the sun cause collagen in the dermis to break down at a higher rate than just chronologic aging.

Collagen fibers get damaged by sunlight and causes the accumulation of abnormal elastin and when this sun-induced elastin accumulates, enzymes called metalloproteinases are produced in large quantities.

Under normal conditions, metalloproteinases are responsible for fixing sun-injured skin by manufacturing and reforming collagen.

However, this process does not always work well and some of the metalloproteinases actually break down collagen, resulting to the formation of disorganized collagen fibers known as solar scars.

And when the skin repeats this flawed rebuilding process, wrinkles develop.

As the sun continues to be the principal suspect in causing wrinkles, the most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles is sunscreen, but most people do not use sunscreen correctly.

It would be best to consider the important factors with sunscreen use, especially with the spectrum of UV radiation absorbed, the amount of sunscreen applied, and the frequency of application.

As mentioned earlier, the sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) rays that can be divided into categories based on the wavelength.

UVC radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and does not cause skin damage, while UVB radiation affects the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburns.

UVB does not penetrate glass and the intensity of UVB radiation depends on the time of day and season.

UVA radiation, on the other hand, penetrates deep into the skin and works more efficiently and cannot also be filtered by glass, but overexposure to UVA can also be dangerous.

The intensity of UVA radiation is more constant than UVB without the variations during the day and throughout the year.

Regardless of their wavelengths, both UVA and UVB radiation can cause wrinkles as it breaks down collagen, creating free radicals, and inhibiting natural repair mechanisms of the skin.

A classification system of sun-sensitivity is the Skin Phototype (SPT) classification, which is being used to determine the potency and spectrum of protection that sunscreen formulations help protect from these radiation, as well as inhibit, if not minimize, wrinkles.

People with skin types I and II are at the highest risk for photoaging effects including wrinkles and skin cancer, thus the proper use of sunscreen to block both UVA and UVB radiation is an important in the battle against wrinkles.

As you can see, there is a definite relationship between the sun and wrinkles and the age old adage still holds true that says, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

1. Epidermis
This is the outer layer of your skin. This protects the inner layers to whatever the environment may cause them. This seemingly tough outer skin is caused by the movement of keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis, from its bottom part to the top. As a result, a large dose of keratin is produced. But when these cells reach the top, they actually flake off. So if you see scaly types of skins, it means that something went wrong in this process.

2. Dermis
This is the skin’s second layer. This contains its structural elements, which is the connective tissue. There are actually many types of connective tissue. Each type acts for different functions. Some samples are the collagen. This gives the skin strength. The glycosaminoglycans are the proteins that give turgor to skin. The elastin fibers create the elasticity of your skin.
Between dermis and epidermis is the dermal-epidermal junction. This is an important feature as it interlocks and form fingerlike projections which are called rete ridges. These will increase the area of the epidermis which is exposed to the blood vessels and need nutrients. The blood vessels in the dermis give out such nutrients to the epidermis through the rete ridges.

3. Subcutaneous tissue
This is the skin’s bottom layer. And the subcutaneous tissue contains the fat cells. You know what those cells are for? They supply insulation to your body and they also make your skin full and plump.

Presenting the Wrinkles

How do wrinkles form and develop as people age? Through time, the epidermal cells will become thinner. As a result, you will also look thinner. The epidermal cells will also be less sticky. This means that that there are more chances for the moisture on your skin to be released than maintained, which causes dryness. The decrease in the epidermal cells is actually 10 percent per decade. And as people age, they divide slower. For this reason, the skin cannot cope up quickly as it used to repair itself.
In the dermal layer, less collagen is being produced. The elastin fibers also wear out. Such factors will cause the skin to sag and wrinkle. The rete ridges, meanwhile, will flatten out. This will cause the skin to be fragile. And so the nutrients that the epidermis needs will not be met accordingly.

The fat cells in the subcutaneous layer get thinner as people age. This results to more wrinkles and sagging. It is a complex process that all people will go through as people age. You can use moisturizer while you are young and take good care of your skin to slow down this process. But you have to admit that there will come a point wherein you will not only face a wrinkle in time, but other kinds of changes in your features as well. That is okay. The important thing is that you age gracefully so that people will perceive you as beautiful inside and out.

To Be or Not to Be

The important thing that you have to ask yourself is do you really need to go the drastic route in order to retain your younger looking skin. Everybody will eventually look old no matter how helpful science had been to you. In the manner of using beauty products and undergoing surgeries and injections, you are merely slowing the process.

If you are already considering your options about the said topic, you have to be ready for the results and the consequences. To lessen your worries, do a thorough research about what you want to be done. Ask around and ask for referrals for professionals whom you will trust to handle your skin, that is if you are going the scientific path to a more beautiful you.

Botox, Anyone?

Who haven’t heard of Botox? Many popular people like celebrities have gone through this procedure just to remove the unwanted lines on their faces. This is especially useful if your appearance is your bread and butter. So what do you know about this? This list will remind you of things that you already know and may want to know about this procedure.

1. Botox is known for removing wrinkles. But it will not help diminish other common skin problems caused by aging such as the age spots, sun damage and problems with pigmentation. This will also not soften your skin if your main concern is about its roughness.

2. This is a costly procedure. If you really want to undergo such, you have to save up for it. And do save up for it a lot because you will not undergo this procedure only once. You have to undergo the procedure after a few months depending on what your doctor asks you to do according to your skin’s reaction to it.

3. This is very risky especially if you do not go to the right doctor. The procedure entails injecting toxins into your skin. Not everybody has the same reaction to these toxins.

4. You have to tell your doctor the vitamins and medicines that you are taking before undergoing this treatment. They have to be informed about your body and your system so that they would know better if you are ready for it or not really fit.

5. If not done properly, instead of removing the unwanted lines, you may end up having more lines than what you had before going through it.

6. This is not for sensitive type of skin and veins. Botox includes injections. The one who will be getting the shots must first make sure that they are ready emotionally, physically and mentally.

Botox injections for wrinkles must be thought about very hard before committing to the procedure. Once you’ve done it, there is no turning back and you have to according abide by your doctor’s advice. If you are still at a loss as to whether to do this or not, research more about it and after gaining more knowledge, you will surely be able to decide what is best.

When young people are going through hormonal fluctuations during puberty the skin is pulled by the rapid growth or stretching. These periods of growth tend to damage the elastic fibers inside the skin, deep beneath the skin’s surface. Girls will notice these marks on their hips, breasts, thighs and abdomen. And while they’re more common in girls, guys can get stretch marks, too.

Overstretching reduces the production of collagen in our skin,normally very elasic and resilient. A natural protein, collagen acts like a glue and is the body’s major support structure. Without it we would literally fall apart. Our skin is our body’s largest organ and it produces collagen every day. This essential protein gives the skin 90% of its volume.

After the age of about 25-35, our bodies produce less collagen. It is reduced at a rate of about 1.5% a year. When this happens, you will begin to notice signs of aging and stretch marks will appear if skin is stretched too much.

To prevent stretch marks, we need to stop the disruption in the body’s production of collagen. If the elastic fibers that help our skin to stretch are kept more elastic, you are less likely to get stretch  marks.

Body builders who have ‘pumped up’ too quickly can cause stretch marks from overstretched muscles. Men and women can cause stretch marks as a result of gaining or losing weight too quickly. Adolescent girls may notice stretch marks on thighs and breasts as a result of new growth and development.

Pregnancy

During the second half of pregnancy, to accommodate a growing baby, elastic fibers in a woman’s skin can break down, causing skin damage. Stretch marks may appear on hips, breasts, belly button, abdomen, back and even the buttocks.

Use an all-natural stretchmark cream that is safe for a pregnant mother and her unborn baby. A natural cream containing natural, cold-pressed oils and essential oils can be massaged into the belly while preganant to prevent marks from forming.

Rosehip Oil from Chile

Known as Rosa Mosqueta, this rosehip oil is pressed from the rosehip seeds of one type of wild rose grown in the Andes of South America. It contains an extremely high percentage of essential fatty acids and Vitamin C.  
Scars even 20 years old respond well to this oil when other therapies fail, and burned skin heals faster because of the regeneration of tissue. A natural cream containing Rosa Mosqueta is especially suited to treat damaged skin conditions and can completely eradicate existing stretch marks.

Carefully selected for their gentle healing properties and to minimize existing stretch marks, these essential oils reduce and prevent stretch marks: geranium, lavender, frankincense and myrrh.

Natural Oils

The following cold-pressed oils have soothing and healing properties to get rid of stretch marks: sweet almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, carrot oil, coconut oil as well as cocoa butter.

Anti-Oxidants such a vitamins A and C rejuvenate tissue and promote collagen production.

Drink plenty of water! This simple remedy strengthens the skin.

Avoid (or reduce) caffeine drinks and alcoholic drinks which dehydrate the skin.

Avoid excessive weight gain to prevent stretchmarks from getting worse.

Massage the skin in the area of the stretch marks.  This act alone increases circulation to the affected area and stimulates new tissue growth. Any cream or massage oil will do for massage. However, creams containing oils with healing properties such as vitamin E and Rosa Mosqueta oil are the best choice to prevent scarring and limit the amount of damage.

Special Treatment for Stretchmarks and Aging Skin:

Would you like to repair cells and fight the free radical damage to your skin? Venus Naturals makes a 100% all-natural intensive cream with Rosa Mosqueta from the Andes Mountains in Chile. It reduces and eliminates stretch marks and brown age spots on photo-aged or sun-damaged skin.