| How to Make Your Hair Silky and Shiny with Vinegar Posted: 10 Mar 2017 04:00 PM PST Centuries ago, people discovered that vinegar makes hair look silky and shiny. A simple mixture of vinegar and water smooths the hair cuticle and cleanses buildup. Using white or apple cider vinegar after shampooing your hair is an excellent way to revitalize its texture. EditUsing a Simple Rinse - Mix one part vinegar and one part water. Plain vinegar is too strong to use on hair, so it's important to dilute it with water first. One-fourth cup of vinegar and one-fourth cup of water should be enough for a single hair rinse.
- Either distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar work well here. Many prefer using apple cider vinegar on the body because the smell is less intense.[1]
- If your hair is quite oily, you can add an extra tablespoon of vinegar. If your hair is dry or you tend to have dandruff, scale back the amount of vinegar by a tablespoon.
- Shampoo your hair as normal. Go ahead and wash your hair with your normal shampoo. If possible, use lukewarm or cool water. Using hot water causes hair to look dull and frizzy. Cold water will help your hair shaft lie flat and contribute to the shiny, smooth look you're after.
- Skip the conditioner. Since you're using a vinegar rinse, there's no need to condition your hair after shampooing. The rinse will leave your hair soft and smooth.
- Pour the rinse into your hair. Slowly pour it over your scalp and try to distribute it evenly over the top of your head. Use your fingers to massage it into your scalp and smooth it into your hair from the roots to the tips.
- Wait five to ten minutes. This will allow the rinse to fully soak into your hair. Use the time to complete your shower routine.
- Rinse your hair with cool water. Give it a quick rinse to remove the extra vinegar from your hair. There's no need to go overboard, since the smell of the vinegar will be gone once your hair dries.
- Dry your hair as usual. Either let it air dry or use a hair dryer to dry your hair. When you're finished, it will be silky and soft. The vinegar smell should be gone.
- Repeat once or twice a week. You may love the results of your rinse so much you're tempted to repeat it every time you wash your hair. However, vinegar can dry out your hair if you use it too often. Use it just once or twice a week to remove buildup in your hair and restore shine.[2]
EditMaking a Custom Vinegar Rinse - Try adding a tablespoon of honey. Honey has both clarifying and moisturizing properties, making it a great addition to a hair rinse. This is especially helpful if your hair tends to be a little dry. Honey also smells fantastic and can combat the vinegar smell while you're in the shower. If you want to try adding honey, here's how to do it:
- Make your vinegar rinse as normal. Pour it into a container with a lid.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Put the lid on the container and shake well before use.
- Use an egg white for extra shine. Egg whites, like vinegar, clarify hair and make it look beautifully shiny. Since you've already got the vinegar out, why not try adding an egg? You can also use an egg white in place of vinegar if you happen to be out when your hair needs a rinse. Here's how to use an egg white in your rinse:
- Mix up your vinegar rinse as normal. Place it in a container with a lid.
- Separate one egg, letting the white drop into the container with the vinegar. You don't need the yolk.
- Place the lid on the container and shake well before use.
- Consider adding a little oil to moisturize your hair. If your hair is quite dry, you might want to make up for not using conditioner by adding a bit of oil to your rinse. A little goes a very long way, so you don't want to add too much. Just a bit of oil will help keep your hair conditioned until your next shampoo. Try stirring one of these oils into your vinegar rinse:
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond oil
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Scent the vinegar with nourishing herbs. If you're having trouble with this rinse because you don't like the smell of vinegar, you might want to try scenting it with herbs. The herbs impart a gentle scent that helps to mask the vinegar and make it more pleasant to use. Here's how to do it:[3]
- Mix your vinegar rinse as usual, and pour it into a small saucepan.
- Add a tablespoon of your favorite dried herb, like lavender, rose hips, sage, or rosemary.
- Bring the rinse to a simmer and let the herbs cook for 10 minutes.
- Strain the herbs from the rinse and let it cool before use.
- Try it with essential oils. Using essential oils is another easy way to mask the scent of the vinegar an make your rinse smell great. Some essential oils are even beneficial to hair in their own right. Mix up your rinse as usual and stir in 5 to 10 drops of one of these essential oils:
- Lavender. It has a soothing effect and is often used in skin and hair products.
- Tea tree oil. It can help combat dandruff and has a strong herbaceous scent.
- Lemongrass. This energizing scent effectively masks the vinegar smell.
- Keep a spray bottle of one of the mixtures in your shower. Use it for stripping the residue from your hair as well as to keep the soap build up off your shower walls.
- Do not get the solution into your eyes as it will sting.
- Make sure the vinegar is mixed with water.
EditThings You'll Need - White or apple cider vinegar
- Water
- Optional mix-ins, like honey, egg white, oil, herbs, and essential oils
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| How to Prevent Nail Fungus Posted: 10 Mar 2017 08:00 AM PST There are a variety of strategies to prevent nail fungus, from basic hygienic measures to diminishing other risk factors. If you follow these strategies, you will hopefully be able to avoid developing a fungal infection on your fingernails or toenails; however, if an infection does develop, there are medications you can use to treat it and to hopefully prevent future episodes. EditTrying Simple Hygiene Measures - Wash your hands and feet regularly.[1] Washing your hands and feet regularly with warm water and soap (including washing your feet at least once a day when you have a shower) helps to keep them clean. This, in turn, minimizes the chance that a fungal infection will grow on your nails. Make sure that you wash between your fingers and toes, as well as over the nails themselves. Regular and thorough washing is one of the best things you can do for prevention.
- Trim your nails regularly.[2] It is important to clip your nails regularly to keep them short. This minimizes the surface area upon which fungi can grow, and it also decreases the moisture and dirt that can get trapped under long nails. Regular trimming increases the hygiene of your nail environment, hence reducing the probability of developing a fungal infection.
- Keep your nails natural.[3] As much as nail polish and artificial nails may seem aesthetically appealing, they trap additional moisture in your nails and actually increase your risk of developing a fungal infection. Avoid nail polish and artificial nails if possible. Also, if you attend a nail salon for regular nail maintenance, ensure that it is a reliable one that keeps their instruments very clean, so as not to increase your chances of infection in any way.
- If you are concerned about nail fungus but want to still go for a pedicure or manicure, it is okay to do so. The cleaning and trimming of your nails can actually be beneficial.
- However, you are advised to forego the nail polish at the end. Your nails can still look nice and presentable after a pedicure or manicure, even without nail polish.
- Also avoid artificial nails or any artistic decorations on your nails.
- Be aware that fungal infections can spread from one nail to another.[4] Therefore, if you have developed a fungal infection on one nail, it is important to wash your hands whenever you touch that nail to minimize the chances that the infection will spread from one nail to your other nails.
EditTrying Other Preventative Strategies - Choose socks that absorb sweat.[5] Because the likelihood of developing a fungal infection relates to the degree of moisture (fungi thrive in moist environments), choosing socks that are made of a material that does not absorb the moisture of sweat can be a very helpful preventative step.
- Socks made of nylon, polypropylene, or wool are all great options.
- Change your socks often, especially if you have sweaty feet.
- It is best to avoid cotton socks if possible.
- Consider your choice of footwear.[6] In addition to thriving in moist environments, fungi also thrive in confined spaces. This is why wearing tight shoes throughout the day - and particularly old shoes - can increase your risk of developing a nail fungal infection.
- Consider wearing open-toed shoes for part of the day if this is an option for you.
- Also replace old shoes with new ones. Alternatively, you can use a disinfectant or an antifungal powder in old shoes to get rid of any possible contamination.
- Wear separate shoes for exercise than you do for work and everyday life. Exercise shoes hold a lot of sweat and moisture so may predispose you more to fungal infections.
- Do not walk barefoot in public places.[7] While wearing confining shoes for a long period of time can be a risk factor for fungal infections, so, too, can walking barefoot in public places where fungi may be present. Wear sandals while walking at public swimming pools, in the shower room, and in the locker room. This will greatly diminish your chance of contracting a nail fungal infection.
- Wear rubber gloves to keep moisture off your hands.[8] For tasks such as cleaning or washing dishes, where your fingernails may be exposed to dirt and moisture, one option is to wear rubber gloves. However, it is important to dry the gloves thoroughly after each use. Flip the gloves inside out to ensure that the inside is dry as well as the outside.
- Understand why fungal infections are more common on the toenails than on the fingernails.[9] While it is possible to develop a fungal infection on your toenails as well as your fingernails, the toenails are far more common. This is because your feet spend more time in confined spaces (such as wearing socks and shoes), and may also be exposed to more moisture (such as the sweat and dampness from these environments).
- The toes are also located further from the heart, so the circulation is weaker than it is to the fingers.
- Poorer circulation correlates to a decreased ability for your immune system to fight off potential fungal infections.
EditSeeking Medical Treatment - Know what medications are available if you do develop a fungal infection.[10] If you get a fungal infection on your toenails or fingernails, you can see your doctor for some oral antifungal medications. Nail fungus can be treated with topical medication, oral medication or a combination of the two. Your doctor will most likely advise you to take the medication for six to 12 weeks; however, it may take up to four months for your fungal infection to fully resolve.
- Try topical nail treatments.[11] Most topical agents cannot penetrate the nail plate and cure rates are less than 10%. The best-penetrating formulation of ciclopirox is a nail lacquer Penlac, which you apply daily for up to one year. The downside of this lacquer is that it is costly and recurrences are common; however, it is safer than oral therapy.
- Ask about oral medications. When topical therapy is insufficient, oral agents should be considered. Talk to your doctor about the benefits versus the risks of oral therapy. Even with successful therapy, relapse is common. Two most common agents used in oral therapy are itraconazole (Sporanox) and terbinafine (Lamisil).
- These drugs interact with many other medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, so make sure you tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications or supplements.
- They can also have severe side effects, including irregular heartbeat, liver damage, decreased urine, joint pain, loss of hearing, vomiting, depression, and more. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these serious side effects.[12]
- Oral antifungals also require you to undergo continuous monitoring and lab tests to check for side effects.
- Try combination therapy. Oftentimes, the combination of an oral medication and a topical medication lead to the best results when it comes to clearing up a fungal infection. Your doctor might suggest you do a combination of these treatments. Your doctor can prescribe these to you if needed.
- Opt for surgical nail removal.[13] For fungal infections that are extremely severe and/or painful, and that cannot be resolved with medical treatments alone, surgery is an option. The infected part of the nail may be cut out and removed, and the healing time will be the time it takes to grow a new nail back in its place. Surgery is used as a last resort for fungal infections that are not able to be successfully treated in any other way.
- Consider an alternative approach to treating nail fungus. You may want to try natural treatments on you fungus. If you are using an oral treatment talk to your doctor or pharmacist before trying an alternative treatment, as they may interact. Snakeroot extract can be applied to your affected nail every third day for a month, then twice a week for the second month, and once a week for the third month. Tea tree oil is also can be helpful. Apply twice daily directly onto the nail. [14]
- Note that repeat infections are common.[15] Even after you have cleared up and successfully treated your fungal infection, it is still important to practice preventative measures to diminish the risk of the infection recurring. It is very common for fungal infections to come back, and it is in your hands to take daily steps to prevent this.
- Many patients chose to live with fungal infection, especially if it is limited to the toenails, as oral antifungal medications can cause serious side effects. Many women find that they can help by filing down thickened nails and covering them with nail polish.
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| How to Avoid Looking Nervous Posted: 10 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PST You may get nervous at times - that sweaty, shaky, hot, miserable feeling[1]. Maybe you're interviewing for a job or waiting to hear about a grade at school. Sometimes it is OK to let others know how you are feeling; they may be supportive and understanding and can perhaps help. However, other times you don't want others to know that you are nervous. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to hide your nervousness. EditLooking the Part - Realize you don't look as nervous as you feel. Keep in mind that for the most part, people don't know what is going on inside your head. Although you may be giving off some signs of nervousness, you probably don't look as nervous as you might feel.
- Keep in mind the 'spotlight effect' in which you may think others pay more attention to you than they really do, simply because you're seeing the world from your vantage, so it can seem like it is all about you sometimes.[2]
- However, if there are 10 people in a room, others may be equally likely to attend equally to all the other people in the room, meaning you and your nerves won't, in most cases, be paid too much attention.
- Expand your posture. Sometimes called power posing, those who show an expanded posture actually come to feel more powerful and are seen as being more confident in the eyes of others. This is the idea of 'faking it until you make it' – and studies show that it can work to help you seem and feel more confident and therefore less nervous. [3]
- To expand your posture, extend your arms and/or legs, stick out your chest somewhat, and/or tilt your head back slightly.
- If possible, escape to somewhere private, like the bathroom, to engage in this behavior without worrying about others watching you.
- If you can't get to a private place, you can still do expand your posture. If you are sitting down, for example, take up more space by extending out your leg on your desk or leaning back and opening up your arms and placing your hands behind your head.
- Engage outwardly. If you are nervous during a conversation, instead of thinking about your nervousness, concentrate on the other person. Ask her questions such as, what do you think? Or, how do you feel about that? This will help you to concentrate on her rather than yourself.
- Be careful not to ask too many questions, however, or this might make you seem nervous and unsure of yourself. When you ask a question, listen carefully and really dig in and try to take her perspective and think about why she might be responding in the particular way that she is. The key is to focus your attention on someone other than yourself.
- Gaze directly. If you are talking to someone, look at her, don't look past her, or at your shoes, or that nice picture on the wall. There doesn't have to be direct sustained eye contact, but you will look less nervous and more confident if you look at who you are speaking to. Avoiding looking at someone is a sure sign of being nervous.[4]
- Avoid fidgeting. To avoid looking nervous, you need to keep still. One sign of nervousness is moving around your hands and/or feet slightly; or doing things like curling your hair. To not look nervous, you will need to focus some mental resources on staying relatively still. [5]
- Keep your body still. Another sign of nervousness is rocking back and forth. Focus instead of staying as still as possible. Imagine yourself as a solid and unmovable pillar. Another way to refrain from rocking is to stand up; it is more difficult to rock when your body isn't in a position to. [6]
- Avoid biting your nails. People who bite their nails look nervous. If you feel that you need something for your mouth to do in order to release some nervous energy, try chewing on a piece of gum instead. Do so gently or somewhat subtly though, otherwise your excessive chewing will have you looking just as nervous as if you were biting your nails.[7]
- Monitor your appearance. Your poise, or lack of it, is shown by your physical bearing and the way that you use your hands. There are a number of things that can affect your poise:
 - Hands clasped behind the back. To counteract this, make an effort to keep your arms at your sides but be sure to keep them relaxed.
- Hands held rigidly at the sides. This is going too far in the opposite direction; it will look like you are trying to control your nervous movements. If your arms feel tense, that's a sign that you are holding them to rigidly.
- Moving your hands repeatedly in and out of pockets. Focus instead on keeping your hands in one place for several minutes at a time.
- Buttoning and unbuttoning your jacket. This is a pointless behavior and will make you look nervous. If you are taking off your jacket, then unbutton it, otherwise leave it alone.
- Aimlessly moving your hand to your face or glasses. Keep your hands by your side and away from your face to counteract this.
- Toying with your jewelry or an object in your hand. If you make an effort to keep your hands at your side, you won't be able to nervously manipulate objects.
- With conscious effort these manifestations of nervousness can be controlled.
EditThinking Calmly - Assess what is making you nervous. Identify the cause of your nervousness. Think about what is happening in your life that might be making you nervous. Sometimes the answer is obvious and is staring you in the face, like when you are nervous before giving a public speech. Other times your nervousness may stem from more subtle or 'background' factors, such as when you are waiting to hear the news about whether you got into college, or are waiting to hear about a medical result.
- Once you identify the cause, you can begin to think about how to think more calmly about it. For example, if you don't get into that particular college, you still have a shot at other schools, or you can gain some life experience, take a break and apply again next year.
- Take a breath and relax. Breathing deeply causes many changes in the body, many of which reduce stress and nervousness.[8] Before you speak, try taking a deep breath or two to see how you feel. You will likely feel less nervous and will then look less nervous, too.
- Work on one thing at a time. Sometimes we become nervous when we realize how busy we are. Still, we can only efficiently work on one thing at a time. Focus on the task at hand and set clear goals to make progress on it, then once you hit your progress marker, move on to the next task.
- Keep in mind that not all tasks are equally time sensitive. Be sure to prioritize tasks that have the most pressing deadlines.
- Remove yourself from the situation. If you are nervous for a particular reason and you are having trouble calming down, see if you can appropriately get yourself out of there. Say you need to go to the bathroom or take an important call. This can give you a few minutes to cool off and collect yourself away from others.[9]
EditCalming Down - Relax your muscles. Nervousness can cause you to tense up your body. Counteract this by relaxing your muscles with a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)[10] Keep in mind that you should do this in a private place or it may look odd:
- First, take a slow and deep breath and then make a certain muscle group in your body, such as those in your neck, tense. To tense your muscles, use them and squeeze in hard for 5 seconds. It is OK to feel a bit of discomfort and for you to be shaking some.
- Be careful not to squeeze too hard; stop immediately if you feel an intense shooting pain.
- Then, exhale slowly and completely relax the muscles in that group; release all the tension and let the muscles rest. Your muscles in the group you are working should feel loose and at ease. Focus on noticing the difference between how your muscles feel when they are tense and when they are relaxed.
- Stay in your relaxed state for 15-20 seconds then move on to another muscle group
- Get some exercise. Regular physical exercise can help improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. [11] So, find your preferred method of exercising, be it, going to the gym, running around the track, or going for a nice long walk, and stick to it!
- To help you maintain your motivation, try listening to some upbeat music while you workout.
- Engage in a relaxation technique. There are a number of different ways to calm your mind, which will help you to look less nervous. Keep in mind, though, that engaging in some of these techniques may make you seem nervous in light of the fact that you are using the technique. If you don't want others to know you are nervous, it may be best to do any technique that may compromise how you are feeling, in private.
- Breath deeply through your nose, count five seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth over five seconds. Continue with this exercise until you feel calmed down. You will then look less nervous.[12]
- Try thinking about something else that makes you feel calm and less nervous. Think about a supportive loved one, your happy dog, or whatever else may bring some peace and calm to you.
- Visualize a calm and peaceful scene. Imagine a very calm beach. The waves are gently unfolding out onto the pebbles, making a trickling sound as the water retreats back to the ocean. A seagull flies by overhead squawking softly. The wind blows gently. Imagine this as deeply as possible and embrace the calmness it brings.[13]
- Practice mindfulness. To be mindful is to direct your attention to the present moment and to accept it without evaluating or judging it. Mindfulness is effective for reducing anxieties, which can then help you avoid looking nervous.[14] There are a number of different ways to be mindful.[15] You can be mindful of your bodily sensations by noticing, without judgment, the sensations of your body. Notice the ways you itch, or how the air feels on your skin. Start from the top or bottom of your body and work your way all the way through your body. You can also be mindful of your senses. Focus on your senses: your sense of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Do not judge the information coming in through your senses; let it come through and pass. Or, you can be mindful of your emotions. Label your emotions as you feel them: "fear", "anxiety", "nervousness". Do not judge them, just observe and experience them and let them go.
- Try meditation. Meditation involves quieting your mind and being in the present moment. When you meditate, you come to regulate your emotions better.[16] This can help you to stay and look calm instead of nervous. There are different ways to meditate, and although meditation techniques will take practice to learn, and you may most easily learn from an expert, you can try on your own as well:[17] Try guided meditation. Using as many of your five sense as possible, conjure up a calming image or scene in your mind. You can also try mantra meditation. Silently repeat a word or phrase in your mind. This will help you to focus your mind and remove unwanted anxiety-provoking thoughts.
- Don't wring your hands or play with your hair. Some people do these things without even realizing it.
- Plan ahead when you know you are doing something that makes you nervous. Know it is going to happen so you can be prepared for it.
- Practice in front of a mirror if you are attempting a speech of some sort.
- Stand up straight; it makes you look more confident.
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