Monday, 30 July 2012
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Tips To Becoming A Successful Artist
The world and the Internet are filled with artists. artists are everywhere! Because of the competition, only a few get noticed and make money at it.
Take these for instance, on the Internet, www.wwar.com, www.yessy.com and www.fine-art.com. Sure they receive an immense amount of visitors per month, www.wwar.com, has almost 16,000 artists and over 100,000 pieces of art, www.yessy.com has at least 10,000 artists and over 90,000 pieces of art and www.fine-art.com has 8,000 artists and 62,000 pieces of art!
It takes numerous traits to be an artist and businessperson! Some can be taught and some can not.
The Tips Are Not In Any Particular Order, Each One Is Important
You Will Find Out, The More Tips You Initiate,
The More Successful You Will Become!
* Choose a medium that you have a passion for.
* Do your homework. Study that medium; study the style of all the artists in the world in that medium that you can.
* Do what 99% of people won't do.
* Give yourself a business name, example: {First Name Last Name Acrylic Painting artist} and open a completely separate bank account for the business.
* Create your own style! Be different and stand out from the crowd. TV show producers and magazine editors look for this and it also eliminates most of the competition.
* Offer your art in a wide price range. Have something for all wallet sizes.
* Always give the customer more than they expected to get.
* People love to deal with professionals. Present a class act. Always present yourself, art and business in a professional matter. That includes having a logo, letterhead, business card and the merchandising that accompanies your art.
* Sell your artwork merchandised with a certificate, folder and a brief biography/profile, especially if it is a one of a kind piece. People appreciate this and it also documents the piece for future reference. Tell a little about the piece in a description such as the title of the piece, what type of medias were used in creating it, the style of art it is, its size, the year it was created and always sign it.
* No matter where you are selling, if you give the majority of people too many choices, they get confused, overwhelmed and can't make a decision on what to buy. Depending on the size of artworks you create, Exhibiting 25-50 should give enough of a selection without being overwhelming.
Keep an album portfolio handy and if people wish to see more, you can let them browse through it. Better yet, you can leave it close to you and people will look through it. Just keep a close eye on it. Make sure that all the photos are marked with the artwork name, medium and price. They have albums with room above the photo so you can place 1" x 3" white or transparent labels. You can even write sold on the ones, you have sold.
You can also direct and help people decide which will create more sales by for example if you sell limited edition prints, marking the prints that sell best. Actually with the above, people will go one of two ways, they will either decide to go with something that is marked that they like or decide not to follow the crowd and purchase something that isn't marked. All artists have favorites of their artworks, just mark your favorite ones. If you have a lot, alternate them with each show or exhibition.
* Get a Merchant account so you can accept credit cards. A lot of people like using them to make purchases. 75% of my sales are paid with a credit card and 9 out of 10 of my credit card sales, people use either Visa or MasterCard. It is rare that anyone gets denied a Merchant account, the reason being you are not applying for any type of credit. The credit card companies will get 1%-3% commission on every one of your sales.
* From years of experience, the best way to sell your artworks is retail, you selling them directly to customers. Selling wholesale, to retail stores and galleries, you are only going to get approximately 50% of the retail selling price. artist agents {managers} usually receive 10%-25% in commission fees of each sale they make. If they get a gallery to sell your artworks, their commission comes out of your net profit. With the extra money you are receiving, you can do a lot of self advertising and promotional stunts. Besides, unless you have a lot places and they are vastly spread out or they are in tourist traps that are selling your artworks, you are only promoting your artworks and name to a minute percentage of people in a very small area.
The three best ways to sell retail are at art festivals, arts and crafts fairs or via through the Internet {WWW}.
Art festivals and arts and crafts fairs have their disadvantages. Each one you attend takes you out of the studio {shop} 3- 6 days depending on how far away it is. You have to setup and tear down your booth, you can do well at a particular one, one year and the next year have hardly any sales at all, because this year, the economy is bad, the promoter did not promote the event very well or just that they had it on the wrong weekend, and another event drew more people's interest. Sometimes you have to carry large sums of money around, the lighting and security at some events leaves a lot to be desired. Again, in all reality, you are only promoting your artworks and name to a minute percentage of people in a very small area.
Even if you do get accepted to exhibit and sell at one of the countries fine art festivals or arts and crafts fairs, it will cost you $1000-$1500 for the booth fee for 3 to 4 days and there will be 300-500 booths. Yes, 50,000-100,000 people may walk through in that short time, but the majority of artists either do not sell enough to even cover the booth fee or just enough to cover the booth fee along with their travel, lodging and dining. Only a small percentage will actually make money {profit}.
The Internet is the best way to sell retail. You are promoting to many people in a vast area. Below is a text link, going to a page that displays a world and United States map indicating the approximate location of my websites last 1000 trackable visitors. It may take 30 to 40 seconds to fully load, the maps are large.
http://www.morlanwoodgifts.com/storefront.asp?pageno=112
There are numerous online websites that are inexpensive to sell your artworks on that get a fair amount of traffic {visitors}. They charge $0-$100 annual fee and 10%-15% commission on each sale. Excluding my personal business website, I have my artworks on 50 or so websites around the world. I do get a few sales, referrals that led to a sale or inquiries. The one that I have received the most sales {excluding my website} from or referrals that led to a sale, is http://www.architecturals.net. They do not charge an annual fee and they only charge a 10%- 13% commission fee. 100% of my sales come from the Internet and approximately 95% from my own website.
You really do not know who could be looking at your site or your artworks featured on another site. I have received numerous e-mails asking me If I would be interested in exhibiting my artworks on other websites, interested in exhibiting in a brick and mortar gallery, brick and mortar retail stores telling me they were interested in selling my pieces, gallery owners and managers, magazine and book editors, TV show producers and even art managers wanting to know if they could represent me.
Yahoo Business has their Merchant Solutions Starter website service for $39.95 a month. You can create your website with no HTML knowledge. You can have sales up to $12,000 per month. You get 10GB's of space and 200 GB's of data transfer {bandwidth} a month. For $22.95 per month you can get the Paymentech account that is a merchant account that allows you to accept credit cards. Both total $754.80 per year. As 99% of artists have their studios in a basement, bedroom, unused room of their house, a one or two car garage, or a shed or building on their property, you can see that is not much overhead, for a website!
* On the Internet, it is wise to have and display a toll free number people can call. It will increase your sales almost immediately! My sales and inquiries increased by 25%, in just the first 6 months after getting one. It gives people more confidence about purchasing from and dealing with you because a lot of times most people associate toll free numbers with buying something or getting information from a business entity. From experience, a very high percentage of people will not call your business long distance if it is their dime. Most of my calls are to place an order. A lot of people are very apprehensive about using a websites shopping cart, even though it is secured, but will not hesitate to give their personal and credit card information over the phone.
Some people just like speaking to a real live person. Stop and think about it, if you talk to a person, say for 10 minutes, at 7 cents a minute, that is 70 cents. If you only get a $25 order, it was worth every penny of it! You will have to shop around, but you should be able to find a plan for a monthly fee of $5 per month or less and 5-7 cents per minute.
* Always include a minimum of 6 business cards with each piece sold. The majority of people have an inner circle of 6-9 friends. You can bet those friends are going to see your piece probably in the next few months. Believe me, people give those cards to their inner circle of friends. In fact, several times over the years, I have had people contact me and ask if I could send them some more cards, because they had more friends that had seen the piece they had and were interested in my work.
* Don't be afraid to be different. Do not follow a trail, make the trail for others to follow you.
* Always price your art so you have room to barter. Leave yourself say 10% for this. A certain percentage of people love doing business this way. It makes them fell good. Caution do not take this too far!
* Give a small percentage {3% is good} discount for customers paying in cold cash versus say credit cards.
* If you accept credit cards and the customer is paying for the artwork with a credit card, offer them a two or three-payment plan if the purchase is say over $100.00. This will generate more sales and give some of your customers a chance and way to buy and own your art. This is especially good during the Christmas season.
* Have a quantity buying discount schedule. This works well for companies and corporations that like to buy gifts for their employees and during the Christmas season.
* Always respond and return phone calls and e-mails as promptly as possible. It makes one extreme difference! Preferably within 24 hours. When I phone or e-mail people a lot of times the first response over the phone or line they write in their e-mail is thank you for contacting me back so quickly.
* Hard work! Long hours! These are the two most important factors that will help you create your own luck.
* Remember all criticism is are people stating their opinions. Should go in one ear and out the other. After all, you are the one expressing yourself! Only a small percentage of people are going to like your art. All artists have their followers.
* Remember that there are three ways to do anything in life the wrong way, the right way and your way.
* Believe in yourself and know when your art is among the best. You will know this from the body language, facial expressions, and the eyes {eye contact} of the people viewing your art.
* Convey a positive attitude at all times and only associate yourself with people that have positive attitudes about you and your work. Get rid of the nonbelievers and pessimists!
* Never give up no matter how hard it gets. Have persistence and determination.
* Don't listen to relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers or any one else that gives you that line of bull that artists starve!
* Be a jack-of-all-trades master of none. learn as much as you can about business, self-promoting, advertising, merchandising, photography or any other subjects they will help and save you money in your business. After all an artist is an entrepreneur. The only one that can truly sell your art is you!
* Treat all clients as if they were made of gold because they are precious.
* Never do commissioned work without a written and signed contract!
* Even with a written and signed contract never start work on a commissioned job without first receiving 30%-50% deposit upfront of the total price!
* Never sign or sell a creation you are not proud of!
* Pricing their artwork is very difficult for most artists! There are so many variables involved. If you do #2
LEARN TO PAINT-Art lessons
Use Food To Teach Your Child The Alphabet
teaching your young child the alphabet should be a high priority. Your child should not wait until preschool or kindergarten to learn their letters. Knowledge of their ABCs is one of the prime indicators of reading success for children.
When you work on the alphabet with your child, make sure the child can recognize all the letters of the alphabet both in order and out of sequence plus both upper and lower case. In addition , as the child grows more comfortable with the letters begin introducing the various sounds that go along with the letters. It easy to then take a step closer to reading by naming words that also begin with that letter or sound.
While many parents succumb to the temptation of buying expensive learning aids these are not necessary and may well provide more distraction than aid for the learning process. Instead simply invest in a set of plastic refrigerator magnets and call it a day. Coloring sheets are available for free on the Internet so why spend a lot of money on expensive programs?
The best, and cheapest, method is simply using the world around you and simple, familiar items available at home. One fun easy method is to use food. You have food in your kitchen and you need to feed your child several times a day so why not combine lessons with snacks and meals?
Your food lessons plans can be as complicated or as simple as you would like.
Initially you may choose to simply serve foods that begin with the "letter of the day", such as B for Banana and A for Apple and M for Marshmallow and so on.
As your child grows more adept at the alphabet then you can have the child tell you what letters are on her plate, such as S for Spaghetti or E for Eggs.
While most parents don't encourage their children to play with their food you can make an exception for certain lessons. Make homemade pretzels or breadsticks in the shape of various letters. Use icing to decorate cookies or cupcakes with letters. Allowing children to experience the alphabet through taste, touch, and manipulation will help cement the knowledge.
The truth is that the best way to teach your child the alphabet is to make is a regular part of your daily life. If your child experiences the alphabet in various ways and through a variety of methods then they will be more confident of their knowledge of their ABCs and will have a much easier time building on that knowledge as they develop other emergent literacy skills. Giving your son an apple and incorporating that apple into a lesson about the letter A will feed both his brain and his body.
How to Produce Music and Learn Audio Engineering Online!
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Reducing the Appearance of Wrinkles
Wrinkles. One of the most dreaded words in the dictionary. At the first sign of a wrinkle, our reaction is pretty much universal. Horror! After we calm down, we begin to wonder just what we can do to eliminate this much dreaded effect of aging and how do we keep other newer and deeper wrinkles from following. If we already find ourselves with wrinkle mania in full bloom, we look for solutions to turn back the hands of time and restore our skin to its once youthful state. Fortunately, there are options available to us to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Let's take a moment to discover what causes these wrinkles. First and foremost, aging. As we grow older our skin naturally looses collagen and eslastin that help to keep our skin firm and taunt. Also, our skin cell reproduction slows down and the rejuvenating effect that new skin cells have on our skin’s appearance diminishes. These types of wrinkles are known as intrinsic, they cannot be avoided. It is Mother Nature at her best (or worst! ). Other factors, like the environment and sun damage, can also cause skin to wrinkle. Smoking also causes the skin to produce less collagen, inevitably leading to an increase in wrinkles. These types of wrinkles are called extrinsic. They are life style choices that are, for the most part, under our control. These extrinsic influences are the leading cause of pre-mature aging patterns in our skin. Now that we know why we have wrinkles let’s talk about how to reduce them.
One of the more popular ways to reduce the appearance of wrinkles is plastic surgery. Not only are face-lifts an option but also there are now less invasive procedures, like chemical peels, laser treatments, and collagen injections. The number one procedure for reducing wrinkles used today by women of every walk of life is Botox® injections. Botox® works by relaxing the injected muscle and allowing those awful furrow lines and other deep wrinkles to all but disappear. This is temporary, though, and has to be repeated every few months.
Coblation is also an option for reducing wrinkles. Less invasive than surgery, radio waves are used to remove the top layer of the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. Although this procedure does leave you with newer, younger looking skin, it is not as effective as laser treatments. It is safer, though, and the healing process is considerably shorter since the radio waves do not go as deeply into the lower layers of skin.
Although all of the above mentioned remedies are good options, they are also expensive. There are a large variety of wrinkle reducing creams on the market today that contain ingredients like Retinal. These will help to firm your skin and lessen the look of fine lines, but not necessarily the deeper set wrinkles.
Click here for more information
Monday, 23 July 2012
Tooth Whitening Portland
It is astounding how an absolutely simple procedure such as zoom beauty">teeth whitening can have on your appearance in public. Having clean, beautiful and an amazing smile is a key factor to a great smile and is essential to your appearance and it is safe to say that this can lead to many doors both professionally and personally! If you' re looking for excellent Portland tooth whitening I would suggest heading down to DR . Keith Nortons Dental Practice in Milwaukee to get the best look from your teeth!
Portland tooth whitening is one of the most popular procedures in the field of cosmetic dentistry today. A lot of people are realizing how a simple procedure can lead to great and amazing things. People can easily understand how important first impressions are. If you do have a set of beautiful, luminous teeth it will definitely boost your self confidence and give you a higher sense of self-esteem.
Dr . Keith Norton has been providing Zoom beauty">teeth whitening for many years in the Portland area, and still remains amazed that Portland zoom tooth whitening can make wonders and boost anyone's personal and professional life. Dr . Keith Norton's cosmetic dentistry practice, the Zoom beauty">teeth whitening System, as seen on TV's popular The Extreme Makeover Show, is utilized. The Zoom beauty">teeth whitening system means the application of gel onto your teeth. Light is then shone onto the teeth to activate it. When this is activated, tooth-stains will be removed. With Zoom beauty">teeth whitening in the Portland area, your teeth CAN become eight shades whiter!
The Zoom beauty">teeth whitening System is excellent and you can apply it yourself in both your own home and even an office!
Teeth Whitening: What\'s Best? (Beauty
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Lipcare Collagen Products For Healthy Lips
beauty">collagen enriched lip care products are great for maintaining the moisture of your lips.
Women can spend a lot of time on their skin trying to maintain its softness and fighting back aging. They use cleansers and moisturizers and lotions to protect their skin but then walk out the door without a thought to their lips. But your lips need protection too.
Because the lips have a less melanin, oil glands and a thin outer layer, they are in constant need of moisture. The lack of beauty">collagen also aggravates this situation. Lips can be burnt easily. Dermatologists have begun to see a rise lip cancer. It is frightening to think that if you don’t protect your lips you may end up with cancer.
Applying lipstick to your lips is not enough to care for them. There is a range of products for them today. You can now get lip creams containing alpha hydroxyl acids to help exfoliate dead skin and even products that help with the wrinkles above your lip line.
The elements, (wind, cold, or sun) can affect your lips with time. beauty">collagen is used in other moisturizing skin products, you should think about getting it for your lips too. There are lip care beauty">collagen products that make the claim that their product stimulates the production of beauty">collagen and that beauty">collagen would end up making your lips look moisturized.
There are a variety of products lip care products available aside from beauty">collagen such as lip moisturizers with vitamins added. Some lipsticks may contain beauty">collagen too. These products are all useful for the protection of your lips.
The following are some tips that may help your lips stay soft, plump and protected. First of all, begin by exfoliating your lips using your tooth brush for about five seconds or more. Your lips will get red and plump out. When you buy lipstick next you can choose the color of your lips as they are when brushed.
Moisturize them using a beauty">collagen enriched moisturizer. It is best to do this before you go to sleep. Lip care is not such a demanding task and it is not so complicated. It is just a matter of exfoliating, plumping and keeping them protected.
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Have you ever dreamed to open your online shop?
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Body makeover
Is It Time For YOUR Body Makeover? I am losing my own personal little war with belly fat. This has been going on for a while now, but like all the minor annoyances in my life, I try to remain optimistic that a solution will shortly be in hand. It isn't working. I am starting to sense that something larger is going on here, and that I am not fully in control of my body any longer. Rather, it is in control of me and is dragging me in a direction I do not want to go. Of course, I am hardly alone in this. Millions of people are losing their own little war with their body. It is an epidemic of the modern age. Perhaps it is THE epidemic, and people will look back on the 21st century with a smirk and say "What the heck were those people thinking? They willfully destroyed their bodies and cut 20 years off their life span. Couldn't they see what was happening to them?" You'd be surprised, but I think it's safe to say that most people DON'T see what is happening to them until it is too late and some major health crisis sets in on the back of having been too fat for too long. Part of the problem is that people simply do not recognize the health risk of carrying around an extra 20 or 30 pounds of blubber on their midsection. It is a BIG mistake, this ignorance, or short-sightedness. Being overweight has consequences that go way beyond loss of breath, lower back pain, and varicose veins in the legs. Excess fat, and particularly the stubborn fat carried in the midsection area, does more than sit there looking unsightly. It affects the proper functioning of your internal organs, and even sets them up for failure. So if you are carrying around more weight on your midsection than you know now is good for you, what can you do about it? What is the BEST way to launch your own little battle to fight the war going on inside you between that unhealthy fat and your vital organs? How about get yourself a body makeover? That is what Carolyn Hansen is suggesting. She has just set up her fat loss membership program that she calls The No Excuses Body Makeover Program. Instead of giving you an ebook and letting you head off to do battle on your own, her goal is to provide you with an environment that helps you establish the correct mindset to win your war, and then she holds you accountable for your actions. If your battle strategies are doomed to failure, you'll discover it soon enough and she (and the other members in her membership program) will encourage you to come up with a plan that WILL work for you. You'll get all the tools needed to formulate your approach to making over your body, and you will get the encouragement to put your plan into action. So if you have decided this is a war that you HAVE to win, and it is time to say goodbye to that apple-shaped midsection that is causing you to cover all the mirrors in your home, be sure to check out Carolyn's No Excuses Body Makeover program. She'll help you tool up, plan your makeover attack, and back you with the reinforcements you need to achieve your desired body weight goal. By the way, you can also grab her popular report for FREE while you are there, on "The Best Way To Lose Weight"
Friday, 20 July 2012
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Why Women Love Handbags!
Most women absolutely love handbags – something which is a bit of a mystery to men! Some women spend thousands of dollars a time on that perfect handbag, so just what is it that drives women to spend so much on such a small , material thing?
It’s All About Fashion!
Handbags have the ability to finish the look of every single outfit. It is completely possible (and for some women a must! ), to buy a handbag to suit every single outfit that they own. There is no doubt about it that celebrities have set the craze, with A-list stars such as Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker, all out and about daily with a new, flashy bag on their arm.
However , a handbag is not just for fashion purposes. A lot of them are an absolute must for business women. They have to be able to carry important files, make-up and all the latest business tech stuff, which means that the handbag has to be practical! This has led to a huge range of stylish yet practical bags by top designers such as ‘guccilv">louis vuitton’, ‘Miu Miu’, and ‘Valentino’.
Handbags really can make a girl feel special and they help to create a look. Whether you are going for an urban chic look, or a girlie girl look, there is a bag out there to suit you. They also ooze confidence and a woman with a stylish handbag generally sends out a confident message.
Many women’s handbag addictions are getting so out of control that they are running out of room in their closet. However , if you fall into this category too, there really is no need to worry. Some companies have designed special handbag holders which basically hang up and you can fit at least six handbags on them!
Overall, handbags are more than likely going to remain popular. Only women can understand how important they are in every day life. So , if you really want to spoil the woman in your life, buy her a handbag today!
My LOUIS VUITTON
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
How To Reverse Hair Loss: I Beat Baldness Using These Techniques!
You can reverse hair loss - these techniques saved my hair and they can save yours too. I'm Paul Taylor and this article reveals my own hair loss experience and how some simple techniques saved my hair and changed my life!
When I first realised I was suffering hair loss it frustrated and annoyed me. But pretty soon it really started to worry me! So much so in fact that my typical day would look like this:
Get up, check pillow for hair, look in the mirror: "How's my hair looking? "
In other words, as soon as I woke up, the first thing I thought about was my hair! That's how much it affected me!
Every day I would wash with some kind of fancy "this-will-definitely-grow-your-hair-back" type of shampoo!
Rather than shower and shampoo at the same time, I used a basin so that I could try and count the number of hairs I had just lost which were floating on the surface of the water. But , when my hair loss was at its worst, it was almost impossible to keep count! That's how bad it was!
My day would then continue in much the same, almost neurotic way - that's how much it tormented me!
Frankly, I'm embarrassed to drag you through the entire day I used to have. But I'm sure you get the point.
That's when I started studying androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) and developing my own way to reverse hair loss.
Following my own research and experience with hair loss shampoos I didn't place any trust in hair loss products - no way was I going to use drugs like Propecia (minoxidil). And I would never consider having a transplant.
I wanted a natural solution to what I considered to be a natural problem.
Although my hair was falling out at an alarming rate, it wasn't so advanced that I couldn't conceal it from the world. It was still moderate, not severe. So my goal was to prevent further thinning at the crown and baldness developing at the back.
It took me seven years before I discovered a simple truth about this type of hair loss – I realised that the underlying mechanism for androgenetic alopecia is not what the hair loss "experts" would have you believe!
And, of course , as soon as you begin to understand a problem, you can then start work on a solution. So that's exactly what I did – I began experimenting with ideas and created techniques that would, in theory, reverse hair loss and encourage new hair growth. After a month of practice I realised my techniques were working – my hair loss had dramatically reduced. This gave me the encouragement to carry on, and very soon my existing hair was growing noticeably thicker.
Within just a few months of using these techniques, they had changed my mindset from being negative to positive. Recovery of my hair continued and, as a result, today (over twenty years after my hair loss first started) I enjoy a healthy head of hair again. I'm also completely free from the stress that hair loss and skull expansion had quite obviously caused me.
Following my own experience, I now believe that anyone (men and women **) with moderate hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia can save their hair by using my techniques.
** Note: Both men and women suffer from androgenetic alopecia – in women, it most often occurs following the menopause.
You can learn more about my techniques at http://www.top-hair-loss-remedy.com/stop-hair-loss.html
Click here for more information
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Stretch Marks in Pregnancy (Striae Gravidarum)
Striae gravidarum or Stretch marks are purplish red streaky scars, which appear when the skin is overstretched. They appear during pregnancy over the abdomen where the skin is supple, usually in the third trimester or the later months when the skin is highly stretched to accommodate the growing fetus. They may also appear over the breast, more so during the period of breast-feeding when the breasts swell up and increase much in size. Apart from these areas, striae are also seen on the hips, buttock and inner and outer thigh.
About 70-90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks over the abdomen. Up to 90% of women develop stretch marks over some part of their body due to the excess weight gain of pregnancy. Most light skinned women have pinkish colored striae and the dark skinned have striae that are lighter than the surrounding area. Most women start to worry about striae or stretch marks after they have their baby.
A little attention to the rate of weight gain and skin stretch during the pregnancy period can definitely go a long way in reducing them. The more weight gained during pregnancy, the more likely are you to develop them. In some women, changes in weight are drastic and happen very rapidly causing a sudden stretch of the skin and the dermal protein tissues tears. This initially appears pinkish and later fades to a white silvery scar, which remains as a stretch mark. Women who have big babies or women with a twin or multiple pregnancy have more chances of having striae as their skin is stretched more due to the bulk of space needed to accommodate more than one fetus.
The likelihood of having striae increases if you had them during the pubertal period or in a previous pregnancy, if you gain weight more than what is recommended, or if your body is in a general malnourishment status. Women who have a lot of striae should report this to their doctor as they might be prone to having more vaginal lacerations and tears during a normal vaginal delivery. This is due to dermal matrix with a weak protein framework as is suggested by the large number of striae or deeper indented striae on the abdomen.
Skin over the abdomen is supple and has an underneath fat deposition. Sudden loss of weight after the baby is born makes the skin loose and striae appear prominent at that time, which is when most women start worrying about them. Normally after pregnancy, these stretch marks fade away slowly as the body comes back to normalcy and is repairing all the tissues. Usually after12 months post partum these marks do fade away and are much lighter than before.
Steps to take for Prevention
• To avoid stretch marks over the breasts, try wearing a supportive maternity bra specially made to give extra support for the heavier breasts during pregnancy and in the lactation period.
• Topical creams containing retinol or retinoic acid/ Retin-A should be avoided during pregnancy and after pregnancy as their safety during the lactation period is not well studied.
• Eat a good nutritious diet and avoid fattening foods, stretch marks can also result from nutritional deficiency. Eat food rich in proteins, as this would strengthen the protein framework of elastin and collagen in the skin.
Be sure to consume food that promote skin health:
-Zinc-rich foods such as nuts or fish
-Foods high in vitamins A, C, D, such as carrots, citrus fruits and milk.
-Protein-rich foods (such as eggs).
• You can always prevent stretch marks with exercise and water; make sure you are maintaining healthy skin! Mama always told you to drink plenty of water. Maybe she knew this: it helps prevent stretch marks, too! Proper water intake keeps your skin soft and less likely to develop stretch marks. Caffeine can increase your risk of stretch marks. If you're stuck on your caffeinated coffee or tea, make sure you balance the fluids. Drink just as much - or more - water as you drink coffee, tea or soda.
Many women use moisturizers and lotions, during their pregnancy to prevent stretch marks and worry about them constantly. Most creams in the market only provide temporary moisture that lasts for a few hours, and thus not enough to prevent stretch marks.
Search the market for the best topical creams, those containing biological activators of skin renewal, for they also get rid of damaged proteins within your skin and promote the production of glycosaminoglycans, the true moisture holding molecules within your skin.
Glycosaminoglycans play a critical role as shock absorbents, to provide binding, hydrating and swelling pressure to tissues, enabling them to withstand compressional forces and thus prevent tearing and scarring of the deep layers of the skin during pregnancy outgrowth, growth spurts during adolescence, overstretching by body building (in association with steroids) or over stretching by more than average weight gain. They also play a vital role in cell proliferation, migration and adhesion.
Enjoy your pregnancy rather than worrying about it. Instead, concentrate on gaining the recommended amount of weight, between 25 - 34 pounds, in a graded manner. Remember that pregnancy is a wonderful and joyful period in a woman’s life, meant for enjoyment.
Treatment Options for Stretch Marks
There are several treatment options for stretch marks. If you are serious about getting ride of those unwanted stretch marks, it's best to be in the care of a surgeon or dermatologist who can recommend your best options. Some medications can cause stretch marks like hormones and steroids, so it’s always best to be honest with your doctor so he can take a detailed medical history, including the medications you are actually taking so he can provide you the best treatment for these ugly marks.
However, there are two main methods for getting ride of stretch marks; surgical Methods and natural methods which involve lotions and creams.
SurgicalMethods
Dermabrasion or chemical peel can be used to address unwanted stretch marks. Micro-dermabrasion can also help. It is a skin-freshening technique that helps repair skin conditions. The micro-dermabrasion technique abrades the skin with a high-pressure flow of crystals, which stimulates the formation of new collagen and elastin. This causes the attenuated epidermis to heal more effectively, making stretch marks heal and become much less noticeable.
There are new advances in laser surgeries, they are much expensive but also very effective if used during the early stages. Dermatologists use a pulsed dye laser to fade red marks.
The latest laser method used by the specialist can fade away mature light-colored marks. This type of therapy requires multiple treatments. Also, some pain may be involved, although it's minimal. A few patients with darker skin tones have been reported to have some post-procedure pigmentary alteration, which is usually temporary.
The degree of success with any of these treatment will be impacted by your age, your skin tone and even your diet. It's important to note that insurance coverage probably will not cover stretch mark removal because it is a cosmetic procedure (even if the stretch marks are particularly severe).
Lotions and Creams
There are plenty over-the-counter treatments for stretch marks. In early stages, when stretch marks are still pinkish, apply several moisturizing creams and oils to make them less intense while they are maturing. Massage the area daily with body oil. Olive oil is said to be the best. Vaseline also works, any cream rich in vitamin E, different types of butter, cocoa butter, coconut butter and shea butter being the best.
If you are a woman who is pregnant and you are concerned with stretch marks, let your physician know before you want to begin preventative treatment before your stomach starts growing. Often , your physician can recommend creams.
These stretch marks treatments may, or may not be effective, according to your skin’s complexion and the extent of the damage. If you are planning to take drastic measures consult a dermatologist and be informed of the cost, effectiveness of the preferred method and side effects, if any. Some of the products designed to remove stretch marks contain very potent ingredients. These ingredients are not superfluous, but are necessary to cause dramatic results. The only problem with these ingredients is that they can cause negative reactions in some people. If you are sensitive to chemicals, you may want to opt for a natural stretch mark removal product.
Fortunately, there’s a new product that uses only natural ingredients to prevent and restore damaged skin and it can be used like a daily skin regenerating activator. Bio Skin Care is made with a natural substance gathered from a little creature that nature has endowed with the ability to repair his skin quickly when damaged.
Bio Skin Care utilizes biological activators of your own body's skin growth factors to prevent and eliminate stretch marks (stria atrophica, striae distensae). It dissolves damaged collagen skin cells, triggers the renewal of collagen and elastin and the production of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans from within the deep layers of the skin.
And the best of all is that it doesn’t have side effects, it is safe for children and pregnant women, can be used under the eyes and continued as a daily skin care routine indefinitely. Also yields a soft skin after shaving. Helps to heal razor burns and prevent ingrown hairs.
With the use of BIO SKIN CARE™ Cream damaged cells and toxins are dissolved, hair follicles are cleaned of debris, germs are destroyed, new collagen, elasting and water holding cells are formed. The Final Result: YOUR SKIN CLEAR OF STRETCH MARKS.
Click here for more information
Friday, 6 July 2012
An Overview of Collagen
It slices, it dices, it will help you win the lotto. Of course , we are talking about beauty">collagen, the popular skin treatment solution. Here is an overview of beauty">collagen.
An Overview of beauty">collagen?
There are many materials that make the human body what it is. Bones make up the structural basis of the human body, while muscles and connective tissue fill in the rest. The skin is our outer protection, the facade that is seen by the rest of the world, and it's often the area that most people concentrate on when trying to change their appearance cosmetically. There are other areas that can change the way we look, however , and one important substance that has the ability to change our image is beauty">collagen.
beauty">collagen is a protein – the main protein in the connective tissue of animals. It is also the most abundant protein found in the bodies of mammals with fully 40 percent of the total amount protein in our bodies being beauty">collagen. This protein is a long, fibrous structure with a lot of strength in the way it's formed. beauty">collagen, along with keratin (another protein structure) is responsible for both the elasticity and strength found in human skin, and it also plays a role in tissue development.
When beauty">collagen degrades, skin changes shape. The degradation of beauty">collagen happens naturally as people age and the shape of the skin changes naturally as well. Less beauty">collagen means that your skin is not as elastic or able to hold to the structures below it, causing wrinkles and stretch marks to form. When beauty">collagen is lost from other body structures, such as ligaments, it can cause problems with joint pain and mobility.
So , what can be done about the loss of beauty">collagen? Since wrinkles are caused by this protein loss, doctors and cosmetic companies have been experimenting for years with ways to replace the missing beauty">collagen. Unfortunately, there is a high risk of reaction to organic beauty">collagen injections and other treatments with these reactions causing side effects that range from swelling to itching and rashes. Many plastic surgeons and doctors have discontinued using beauty">collagen injections for this reason.
Synthetic beauty">collagen, along with other wrinkle fillers such as Restylane, are now being used in place of traditional beauty">collagen injections. This way, people can get the same benefits of replacing this missing protein without having to deal with adverse reactions. When you hear someone mention beauty">collagen treatments, they are really referring to the synthetic option.
Combating beauty">collagen degradation is sure to continue to be a big research area in plastic surgery for years to come. This is particularly true as the baby boomer generation ages.
Beauty Foods *Collagen For Young Smooth Skin*
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