sun protection and skin

Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin

Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing — can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.

Don't have time for intensive skin care? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

The most important way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots and rough, dry skin. Sun exposure can also cause more-serious problems, such as skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection:

§ Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun's rays are the strongest.

§ Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. You might also opt for special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable.

§ Use sunscreen when you're in the sun. Apply generous amounts of broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — may contribute to wrinkles.

If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin, so keep it gentle:

§ Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.

§ Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.

§ Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.

§ Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.

§ Moisturize dry skin. Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in fats and carbohydrates may promote younger looking skin.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — takes steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results may be more dramatic than you expect.

self care tips for headache management

Headaches: Self-care measures for headache relief

Frequent headaches can interfere with your daily life. But healthy lifestyle choices can help you head off the pain. Start with the basics, including diet, exercise and relaxation.

Nearly everyone experiences occasional tension headaches. But frequent tension headaches can interfere with your daily life. Aside from over-the-counter or prescription medication, do you wonder what else you can do to stop the pain? The answer may be as simple as taking good care of yourself.

Make healthy lifestyle choices

The same lifestyle choices that promote good health may reduce the frequency and severity of your tension headaches. Consider the basics:

• Eat healthy foods. Don't skip meals — especially breakfast.
• Exercise regularly. During physical activity, your body releases certain chemicals that block pain signals to your brain. If your doctor agrees, choose any exercise you enjoy. Walking, swimming and cycling are often good choices. But it's important to start slowly. Exercising too vigorously can trigger some types of headaches.
• Get enough sleep. Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day — even on weekends. Relax before you go to bed. If you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up. Read or do another quiet activity until you become drowsy. Keep in mind that medications that contain caffeine or other stimulants, including some headache medications, may interfere with sleep.
• Avoid excess caffeine. Sometimes caffeine helps curb headaches. In fact, many headache medications contain caffeine. But heavy daily caffeine use — more than 600 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause headaches and irritability.

Keep stress under control

Stress and tension headaches often go hand in hand. To reduce stress, try these simple tips:

• Simplify your life. Rather than looking for ways to squeeze more activities or chores into the day, find a way to leave some things out.
• Manage your time wisely. Update your to-do list every day — both at work and at home. Delegate what you can, and break large projects into manageable chunks.
• Take a break. If you feel overwhelmed, a few slow stretches or a quick walk may renew your energy for the task at hand.
• Adjust your attitude. Stay positive. If you find yourself thinking, "This can't be done," switch gears. Think instead, "This will be tough. But I can make it work."
• Let go. Don't worry about things you can't control.

Ease muscle tension

Muscle tension can trigger tension headaches. If you're feeling tense, apply heat or ice to soothe sore neck and shoulder muscles. Use a heating pad set on low, a hot-water bottle, a warm compress or a hot towel. A hot bath or shower may help, too. If you'd rather use ice, wrap the ice pack in a cloth to protect your skin.

Massage also can relieve muscle tension — and sometimes headache pain. Gently massage your temples, scalp, neck and shoulders with your fingertips. Or ask someone else to do the honors.

Relax

Take time to unwind every day. Try this deep-breathing exercise:

• Lie down on your back or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor.
• Rest one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your chest. This will help you feel the natural movements of your breathing.
• Inhale through your nose or mouth while pushing out your abdominal muscles.
• Slowly exhale while gently relaxing your abdomen.
• Repeat the cycle several times.

It may also help to consciously relax your muscles, one group at a time. When you're done, sit quietly for a minute or two.

Keep a headache diary

A diary may help you determine what triggers your tension headaches. Note when your headaches start, what you were doing at the time, how long they last and what, if anything, provides relief. With the help of a headache diary, you may begin to notice patterns in your daily life that may contribute to your tension headaches. You may also note the benefits of healthy lifestyle changes.