Hair Removal

I have been experimenting with hair removal to see what the best products are.  There are so many out there, it has taken some time.  Let's start at the top and work our way down.
Eyebrows
I have a friend who gets her eyebrows waxed and I just can't bring myself to pay someone to do that to me.  I have plucked with tweezers before and really I am not someone who has had to pay much attention to my eyebrows over the years.  However, I turned 38 this year and some very weird, long hairs have started growing out of my eyebrows that have never been there before.  I think I plucked one the other day that would give  Pavarotti some competition.  They have become too much for mere plucking so I have found "Hair Off  Instant Eyebrow Shapers".   Essentially it is the same as waxing, but they come in these really cool little preshaped strips to make it easy for amateurs like myself.  It doesn't feel good, but it is over quickly and the eyebrows stay shaped for a very long time.  I use them about once a month, and can go even longer sometimes.  You have to let your eyebrows grow out somewhat to ensure maximum removal but like I said, it last for a long time too.

One box lasts for a very long time and you can find these just about anywhere.  I have found they work the best after I have washed my face and made it squeaky clean.  If you have any oil on your face, the strips don't adhere as well so you don't get maximum hair removal.  I do it at night because it does leave some redness and it goes away by morning.  You just stick them on and then rip them off.  Don't be shy, grab your face and pull quickly.  Going slow is not good for waxing.
Hairier Parts and Creams

I am not going to name other parts that may get hairs on them, suffice it to say, tweezers work great for those hairs you have left from pregnancy or new ones because some new hormone was released on a particular birthday.  By the way, what is the protocol for telling a woman she has a very long hair on her chin she may not be aware of?
For those of you blessed with a man in your life that is an overachiever in the hairy parts department, there isn't much that can be done without radical intervention.  I bought some hair remover cream a few months ago to see what it could do.  I enlisted the help of my husband so the test could be evaluated on many parts of the body and we tried it on legs, backs, bikini-mine not his, and underarms.  First, the stuff stinks bad.  Second, you have to walk around with this goop on and make sure you don't go over the recommended time or you will burn holes in your skin.  That is basically what the cream does, it burns the hair off.  Third, when removing the cream, and the hair with it, you need to use something like a razor other wise you come out looking patchy.  The cream left a slickery film after rinsing too.  Finally, we both found that the hair grew back very quickly.  I am not a fan of the hair removal creams.
Razors
I am a razor girl.  I am willing to wax the eyebrows, but large rel-estate is another matter entirely.  I don't want to have to take a pain killer just remove the hair from my body.  I like the Venus Razor.  My sister in law introduced me to it a few years ago and it works great.  The single blade razors do nothing.  They don't get all the hair and they don't cut very close.  The double blade razors cut me.  I can't get out of the shower without it looking like a horror movie.  There is a new razor out now (the Intuition) that has a huge solid shave cream ring around the razor.  This is a great idea for the first few times you use it.  Then the ring recedes around the razor and just becomes ineffective.  Finally, it breaks off into pieces.  These razors are very expensive and not worth the money in my opinion.

The Venus Razor has 4 or 5 blades that do a great job getting close without cutting you.  I put some soap on a puff and scrub the area to be shaved to lift the hair up and exfoliate the dead skin.  This works better than shaving cream because it opens the pores and you get a better shave this way.  I make sure the water is hot to help open the pores too.  I get a smooth shave, without the cuts and it lasts for about a week.
Waxing
Waxing is not for the faint of heart.  It does hurt, regardless of what friend is telling you it doesn't.  It lasts longer than shaving or creams and gives your skin a very smooth feeling.  There are many home kits that you can use and of course salons do full service waxing as well.  They will remove hair from anywhere on your body so you have lots of choices if you go to a salon.  Aside from the pain another downside to waxing is you have to let your hair get long enough so there is something for the wax to grab.  That can be a pain if you are one who likes to remain smooth.
The only recommendations I have for going to a salon is:
1. Make sure you are CLEAN and don't put lotion on before you go.
2. Don't be shy, this is what the technicians do and they have seen it all.
3. Tip well, it can't be a fun job.
4. You will be removing your clothes because the hair is on your skin.  Don't be alarmed.
I don't get waxed, I just don't have a reason to.  If you are a swimsuit model or are often without many clothes on, waxing may be for you.  Otherwise, I recommend saving your money.
Laser Hair Reduction
What I have found out about laser hair removal it that it is the most expensive option of all the hair removal choices.  It requires several visits and is usually reserved for extreme hair removal problems.  They can range from women who have too much facial hair to men who don't need to wear a sweater to stay warm.  It is also a great option for someone who has some whisker type hairs that continue to come back pluck after pluck.
The pore itself is treated in a way that prevents the hair from growing again.   Laser hair removal doesn't have a 100% guarantee to remove hair permanently.  It will reduce the thickness and the texture however, but continued treatments are necessary to keep the hair away.  If you are considering laser hair removal, check with your dermatologist for suggestions.  This is a medical procedure and should not be entered into lightly. 
There are home kits that can be purchase for lots of money.  These are not for the face but I have read some reviews of people who really like them for the rest of their bodies.  They basically reduce the thickness of the growth and the coarseness of the hairs. 
Epilady
This product is a torture tool that was created by masochistic crazy people.  It does work.  You have to grow your hair out a bit so that it is long enough for the spinning coil on the end to grab the hair and rip it out.  It is extremely painful and I don't know anyone who uses them.

Swine Flu/Regular Flu Prevention

THE BEST YOU CAN DO FOR FLU & H1N1

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        It sure can't hurt to do these things to keep the germs away and the cost is minimal.                             

        Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).                                 
        The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.               
        While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
              
        1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).               
        2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach.. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).           
        3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.             
        4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water . *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*
      5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.  **SEE BELOW**            

       6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I have personally seen the results of taking zinc daily.  We are taking it in our house to boost our immune systems and hopefully prevent catching the flu this winter.  I take 30 mg at bedtime with my other vitamins.   I only take it a couple times a week if I am feeling healthy because too much zinc can lower your immune system.  If I feel something coming on, I will take it for a few days until the symptoms are gone and then go back to 2-3 times per week.
Here is what I found about how to take zinc. 
I couldn't find any evidence to support the taking of Vitamin C with the zinc.  Calcium and Vitamin C help each other with absorption and are usually found in the same supplement.  Calcium interferes with the absorption of zinc. So if you take Vitamin C, Calcium and Zinc perhaps divide the Vitamin C in 1/2 and take some with the Calcium and some with the Zinc.  One should be taken in the morning and one at night for optimum results.  The website I found to be most helpful was http://www.ehow.com/how_3955_absorb-zinc-supplements.html.
The information below is from that site. 

1. Take a zinc supplement in the form of zinc picolinate - it is considered the best.
   Take zinc separately from other minerals, especially iron, copper, manganese and calcium. They may interfere with zinc absorption.
   
2. Check the quality of your tap water. Hard water can upset zinc levels.
   
3. Assess the amount of grains and legumes that you eat. They contain a substance called phytate, which binds with zinc and prevents absorption.
   
4. Speak with your doctor if you have kidney disease, chronic diarrhea, diabetes or liver disease. You may need additional zinc supplements.
   
5. Assess how much fiber you consume. High fiber can cause zinc to be excreted from your body.