Fancy A Makeover

Archive for September, 2008

No one really knows what causes cellulite but a lot of research has gone into what can prevent it. Drink plenty of water – the recommended intake is 1.2 litres which is also about 6-8 glasses. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables – the recommended daily portion is 5; try and balance them out throughout the day. Walk briskly and more often than usual and when showering use a brush in circular motions. These top tips will help banish cellulite and help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

With many people feeling the pinch when it comes down to lifestyle, many have opted out of expensive gym memberships. There are many cost effective ways to lose weight and save money. Skipping is said to burn the most calories and will cost nothing. A good skipping rope will cost around £6; aim to skip for 30 seconds at a time and then break. Eventually you will be able to skip longer and feel healthier. Teachers in schools are also encouraging overweight children to skip during break times to encourage fun exercise.

When considering teeth whitening, research the product that will be used and the place that is providing it. Never trust promotions in newspapers and magazines that offer a ‘hollywood smile’ at a fraction of the price. If the treatment sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

There are loads of different products available on the market that all aim for a whiter smile. Some are misleading as they only make teeth whiter in the short term. Examples are:

Teeth whitening toothpaste – there isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in them to make your teeth whiter in the short term but many have been clinically proven to remove stains like tea and coffee. Teeth whitening toothpaste cannot make your teeth whiter than the natural colour of your teeth.

Teeth whitening pens – they are good for special occasions and will brighten teeth for a few hours. These are for people who are pressed for time, so you only apply for 30 seconds a day for two weeks to give a brighter, whiter smile.

Teeth whitening strips – they are little strips that you place over your teeth, leave for 20 minutes and remove. Teeth whitening strips will last about 6 months.

Teeth whitening kits for use at home – they are not strong enough to give you a dazzling white smile and it has been reported that because the gel is applied directly to teeth, important areas may be missed compared to using custom made trays, teeth colour may not be even. There have been numerous reports that teeth may be more sensitive than usual and teeth enamel is weaker than before.

Be careful when buying products over the counter and the Internet because in most cases you can do more harm to your teeth than good. Unintentionally you can weaken teeth, cause more sensitivity and cause blisters on the tongue and gums because some products are too abrasive.

Laser teeth whitening

Many places use a dental professional and not a dentist so be sure who is going to perform your laser teeth whitening before you go as you only need basic training to be able to perform laser teeth whitening.

When you have found a place that you are happy with, go for a consultation to see if the results you expect after laser teeth whitening is possible. Everyone’s expectations are different, your dentist will be able to tell you what to expect after treatment.

On the day of the procedure, your teeth and gums will be covered to reduce blistering, burning of the gums and soft tissue that can occur during the process. A cheek retractor is used and protective eyewear is given and in some places it is possible to have DVD glasses so patients can watch a movie while they wait.

The peroxide gel will be applied to each tooth individually and in some cases a custom made tray will be made so you can continue treatment at home. A laser or light may be used to speed up the whitening process.

The bleach used contains a high concentration of peroxide usually between 15-50% but the home kits contain less than 10%. Many patients will experience sensitivity during and after the procedure but this is normal and will usually go after a few days. It is also advisable to avoid very hot and very cold food for the following few days.

Be sure you understand the risks and are happy with the expected results before you go to avoid disappointment. You can now get a lot of reviews for laser teeth whitening on the Internet and join forums to see which places have been recommended.

Laser eye treatment is being advertised everywhere from buses to magazines, newspapers and on TV and with many ad campaigns featuring celebrities. You can see why people are wiling to take the risks if their favourite celebrities are doing it too.

You may only be suitable for laser eye surgery if you have had a stable prescription for a year or more, have healthy eyes and you are over the age of 20.

Treatment may be declined if you suffer from the following:

• Have a squint or a prism not corrected or tolerated by contact lenses
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or glaucoma
• Have Crohns or collagen disease
• You are partially sighted or blind in one eye

(Above is just a guide, all laser eye surgery providers are different so check beforehand).

All clinics have different terms for the type of laser they use for eye surgery. It’s better to research them individually to find out which is most suitable for your eyes as everyone is different. Lasik is the most common laser eye surgery as this can correct mild to severe short sight and mild long sight recovery time is only 24 hours.

Implantable Contact Lenses

For those that have severe short sight, long sight and astigmatism (inability to focus on objects due to irregular shape of cornea) laser eye treatment will probably not be suitable for you. In this case implantable contact lenses are; the internal lense is replaced with a small contact lense instead meaning you are able to see without the need to put them in everyday. The recovery time for this method is two weeks and in most cases only one eye is done at a time.

Bilateral treatment

Many people will choose to have both eyes treated at the same time so they don’t have to take off too much time from work but ophthalmologists will say that it’s always safer to check the outcome of the first eye before treating the second.

Cost and payment for Laser Eye Surgery

The cost of laser eye surgery will vary – always research well before making any decisions. Do not be misled by interest free payments and quotes saying ‘laser eye treatment prices start from £395 per eye’. This may be true but in most cases this won’t apply as prices can soar to over £3000 per eye depending on the severity of bad eyesight.

When deciding which company to choose remember to ask about aftercare. As I have done my research, I have found one of the major laser eye surgery specialist have free lifetime aftercare, whereas another only offers aftercare for a year. This example is just one of many things that you need to consider before taking the plunge for a life changing decision.

With the shortage of NHS dentists in the UK, it is not a surprise that Britons are flying abroad for dental treatments. The minimum cost of going to a private dentist for a check-up is £25 and this can sometimes be as high as £40. This is just for a health check of your teeth and the actual cost of dental treatment can cost several hundreds to thousands of pounds.

However there’s some good news in the air for the month of September 2008 as a group of Hungarian dentists will be touring Britain in an inflatable surgery to offer cheap dental consultations. This should help in overcoming the exacerbating fees charged by private dentists.

The Hungarian dentists will travel from city to city in England and patients will be able to go for a check-up at a reduced fee of £15. The PVC surgery in which the consultation is done will have X-ray facilities as well and patients will then be able to decide whether they would like to go abroad for further treatment, should they require any.

Patients going abroad for travel, in this case to Hungary, can make massive savings as the costs are likely to be less than half of what they will be paying in the UK for cosmetic dental treatment. However, costs of flights and accommodation need to be taken in consideration before jumping on the next plane to Hungary.

It is claimed that Hungary has now become the dentistry capital of the world and that treatment is a lot cheaper there. Hence the Hungarian Dental Travel has launched the mobile dental surgery in a move to make patients in other countries aware of the cheaper alternatives and to attract more customers into receiving treatment in Hungary.

What can be said though is that more and more people are now travelling to foreign dental clinics which offer dental packages in the form of combined dental treatment and short holidays abroad. Therefore you get to have a break and enjoy a few days faraway while your teeth are being made healthier. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

So if you want to know exactly how much it will cost you to have the dental treatment you require abroad, now is the time. Just look out for the date that the Hungarian dentists will be in your city and decide for yourself whether it is something that you can afford or not.