Hypertension: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. It can be classified into two types: essential hypertension and secondary hypertension. Essential hypertension can be seen in about 95% of hypertensive patients and has no identifiable cause. Secondary hypertension can be observed in about 5% of hypertensive patients and is caused by an identifiable underlying cause. For most adults, hypertension is a condition in which their blood pressure spikes 130/80 or 140/90 mmHg. However, the numbers vary when it comes to children.

Hypertension symptoms

Hypertension usually does not have any signs. It is spotted while checking blood pressure during regular health check-ups or during check-ups for other illness. However, some people suffering from hypertension disorder complain about headaches, light-headedness, vertigo, tinnitus, altered vision or syncope.

Hypertension Causes

The cause of hypertension for 95% of hypertensive patients suffering for essential hypertension is unknown. This type of hypertension disease develops gradually over many years.

However, secondary hypertension can be triggered by various conditions and medications including obstructive sleep apnea, kidney problems, adrenal gland tumours, thyroid problems, congenital defects in the blood vessel, medications such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over the control pain-killers and illegal drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines.

Hypertension treatment

Treatment for hypertension requires a multi-pronged approach including diet changes, medication, and exercise. Some of the most commonly used medications to treat hypertension are  Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), Diuretics, Beta-blockers, Calcium channel blockers, Alpha-agonists, Renin inhibitors, and combined medications. Each medication works differently on different individuals. Therefore, it is necessary for you to visit a doctor and not self-medicate. Self-medication may induce several other disorders as these drugs may have side-effects. While seeing a doctor, it is also crucial for you tell him/her about other medications you might be taking for other diseases or any allergies you might have. It is required for you to see a doctor at least once a month until you’ve reached a healthy blood pressure.

Hypertension prevention

As the saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure.’ It holds true to every circumstance including hypertension disorder. Various ways to lower the risks of hypertension are maintaining normal body weight, reducing dietary sodium intake to less than 2.4 gram per day, engaging in regular physical activities, consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and limiting alcohol consumption to less than 3 units a day for men and 2 groups a day for women. While these preventive measures cannot guarantee that you won’t suffer from hypertension disorder, it reduces the risk of hypertension disorder.

Joining hypertension prevention program and support groups contribute a great deal to keep you motivated and help you follow healthy habits that lower the risk of hypertension disorder. You can either join a hypertension support group or program in your nearest clinic or join helpful groups on social media. VLCC Hypertension support group is one of the most referable communities on facebook where you can communicate with people on hypertension prevention program or people suffering from hypertension trying to control their blood pressure which helps you stay on track.

Another preventive measure you can take is, go for a DNA screening to help you find out if you are more prone to hypertension or not. VLCC is Asia’s one of the most sought clinics for beauty and wellness which also provides DNA wellness test. Along with the test, VLCC consist of a team of doctors and dieticians who can give you a proper plan to lead a healthier life.

Seven Stages of Skin Care

Skin care is not a onetime thing; you need to be consistent in your skin care regimen to reap the benefits of skin care. From skin care at home to going to parlours and dermatologists, there are many ways each one of us takes care of our skin. Here we have listed out 7 stages of skin care you must follow to keep your face forever soft, smooth and glowing.

1.Personal skin ritual:

Every person has their own preferred choice of skin care ritual. For most people, their skin ritual consists of two steps; cleanse and moisturise with occasional sun-screen. However, skin care at home doesn’t have to end there, and it is advisable to use serums and toners to maintain the ph-balance in your face and nourish your skin.

2.Salon cleanup:

According to the experts, it is recommended to visit a salon for necessary clean up every week to get rid of dirt and dead cells. Pollution, stress and tanning take a heavy toll on your face, day in and day out. So, give your face tender loving care with a thorough scrubbing, mild massage by an expert and a refreshing face pack. You can either pick the pack you depending upon your skin type. However, if you visit any of the VLCC salons in India, the experts will handpick the ingredients based on your skin to give you the best results.

3.Basic facials:

Most experts recommend getting one facial per month. A facial is more extensive beauty procedure than a cleanup which prevents ageing, rejuvenates your skin, detoxifies skin, opens up the pores and exfoliates your skin. Some of the best facial treatments in the market are Gold facial and Diamond facial to bring back the glow in your skin and fruit facial for oily skin. You can get it from your neighbouring parlours or go for more popular salon chains such as VLCC, Lakme, Blunt, etc.

4.Advanced facials:

While basic facial rejuvenates your face and adds some extra glow, special days require special treatments. If you have a big event coming up such as a wedding or trip, giving your face some extra bit of attention is definitely worth it. Trading your basic facial for these high-tech facial treatments for a few months before your wedding could be a great option. Every salon has their own range of Advanced facials that cater to the need of your skin. However, if you want to add some Swiss skin care to your advanced facial, you can try out Bellewave range of Swiss facial at VLCC. The best facial for bridal at VLCC would be a facial oxygen therapy.  

5.Face Masks:

While everyone is raving about how great facials are, it is pretty easy to forget face mask. It’s one of the most underrated skin care routines. However, booking an appointment between two facials can give great radiant results.

6.Facial treatment:

Well, this one is a revolutionary facial by Ericson Laboratoire. It consists of a range of facials which treats various skin issues including signs of ageing. This is the best anti-ageing facial treatment with long-lasting results. But, this facial treatment can only be accessed in a few salons worldwide. In India, you can get this treatment at VLCC salons.

7.Dermatologist:

Reaching out to various innovative facial treatments for smooth, soft and glowing skin is excellent. However, if you are having serious problems with your skin, visiting a dermatologist is always the best option. 

Laser Treatment for Hair Removal- Facts, Effects and Best Clinics for Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal I know how the words you have in your mind to describe the feeling. 

It's costly, unsafe and harmful!

Only if you ever calculated the amount of time and money we’ve spent in salons during waxing.

An International full body waxing service ranges between INR 2000 to 3000 per month, leading to the spending of about INR 24,000 to 36,000 every year.

A full body laser, on the other hand, is a solution for a couple of years and is cheaper than Waxing, offered at competitive pricing by several grooming and salon clinics. 

With the advancement of technology, these laser treatments have advanced to be more effective and efficient, which is relatively pain-free, when compared to other hair removal treatments, that require regular maintenance and time.

But if you have been under the assumption that only one session of laser treatment, can get you rid of all unwanted body hair, then let me give you clarity. It takes at least 5 to 6 laser sessions to help you get rid of all the unwanted hair.

Here are a few myth busters behind laser hair removal treatment:

It's a one-time treatment

One thing that is required after you undergo laser treatment is that you need patience. It takes two or three weeks after your first treatment to see a difference, and 8 -12 treatments to get the full result. Be regular for your laser appointments so that the treatment effects each hair follicle.

All laser treatments are one and the same

Had it been that all laser resurfacing treatments were the same, why would so many procedures be offered? Fractional laser treatment is very different from laser hair removal. While laser facial treatments remove wrinkles and blemishes, laser hair removal treatment is a solution to hair removal that is more permanent than some other methods.

No downtime is required after the treatment

The heat from the laser stays in your skin for 24 hours so gym, saunas and hot showers can run the risk of creating a lovely warm environment for bacteria to multiply and blemishes.

What are the benefits of Laser Hair Removal?

Accuracy:

Laser hair removal treatment can selectively target dark, coarse hair while leaving the untreated skin undamaged. 

Speed:

Every pulse of the laser beam on your skin takes only a fraction of second and to treat more than one strand of hair at a time. 

Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.

Effective:

Most of the clients notice a permanent hair loss after an average of 4 to 7 sessions.

How much can a laser hair removal treatment cost?

Before we talk on how much a laser treatment can cost you, let me tell you that the cost depends on the below factors-

 a) Area and number of treatments required

The treatment depends on the area you want to get your skin treated with. Also, it depends on how many sessions your skin would require to permanently get rid of hair.

b) Where and by whom are you having the procedure

The cost of this treatment depends certainly on which clinic and professional are you getting your laser treatment done. Whether it is done by a qualified clinic or at a salon and whether the device that they would be using comes under the FDA approved status or not. Also, the cost may depend on city-to-city and clinic-to-clinic.

In India, the cost for a single session may range from as little as Rs. 3,000 to as much as Rs. 40,000 per session.In India, the cost for a single session may range from as little as Rs. 1000 Rs to as much as Rs. 30000.

A class A treatment by a specialist can charge you as much as Rs.11,000- Rs20,000 per session for a flawless full body treatment.

Whereas, A Class B treatment with low-quality laser, which focuses only on the odds of the medium.

Which are some of the best hair removal treatments clinics?

One can feel the hot wax burn the hair follicle and leave a post-burn sensation after waxing. Hair removal is a necessity for most of the people but it doesn’t have to be painful or evil at all. 

Here are a few clinics which offer the best hair removal treatments:

VLCC: 

VLCC is widely recognized for its weight loss solutions and therapeutic approach to beauty treatments. They offer a state-of-art laser technology which is FDA approved and safe. They have trained and professional Laser technicians who ensure all safety cautions for a comfortable experience.

Permanent Laser Hair Removal Clinic in Delhi:

It is a world-class centre in providing permanent laser and aesthetic skin care treatments. They offer complete body laser treatment for men and women as well as laser beard shaping for men.

Hair & Skin Specialist, Clinic in Delhi:

Hair and skin specialist, clinic situated in the capital is a name recognized for offering high-class skin and hair problem solution. The clinic is an expert in offering hair loss treatments and skin problems.

What are the risks factors and side effects of Laser hair removal treatment:

During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. The light energy is converted to heat, which damages the tube-shaped sacs within the skin (hair follicles) that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.

Some most common treatment locations include legs, armpits, upper lip, chin and the bikini line. However, it's possible to treat unwanted hair in nearly any area, except the eyelid or surrounding area.

Some of the risk factors involved during a laser hair reduction treatment are:

1.Excessive hair growth in the area of treatment: Sometimes this effect is mistaken for hair shedding after the procedure.

2.Changes to overall skin texture: You may be at an increased risk if you have tanned recently.

3.Blisters and skin crusting: These effects may be caused by sun exposure too soon or after the procedure.

4.Skin irritation: Temporary discomfort, redness and swelling are possible after laser hair removal. Any signs and symptoms typically disappear within several hours.

5.Pigment changes: Laser hair removal might darken or lighten the affected skin, usually temporarily. Skin lightening primarily affects those who don't avoid sun exposure before or after treatment and those who have darker skin.

Laser Hair Removal V/s Waxing:

Both the methods of hair removal, offer smooth skin as an end result for a much longer time than shaving.

Waxing might not be seen as an immediate procedure in its effects as it only reduces hair seen above the skin surface providing a short-term reduction in hair growth. 

Laser hair removal, on the other hand, does not immediately show hair reduction or elimination, but after many sessions (6 or more monthly treatments) can show a long term reduction of hair growth, which might last longer than any other hair removal treatments. 

Best Weight Loss Mobile App 2018

It is well known that India is pacing with other countries when it comes to the obesity epidemic, ranking 22nd in child obesity world widely and 178 for an overall ranking.

One of the Time of India articles said a very wise line-

In today's digital world, there's very little that gets done without a smartphone. But as the (now) old joke goes, while phones are getting smarter and slimmer, the people using them are getting lazier and fatter day by day.

The drive of leading towards a healthy lifestyle looks harder to achieve with the ease of ordering food online.

Burning more calories than you consume is the primary formula every dietician, activist or fitness trainer would recommend.

Slimming applications came a long way from only remembering your diet charts to track everything from your calorie intake and reading your heartbeat.

Many apps even have a barcode scanner feature which can be used to add your daily foods to the log and keeps your weight graphs in check.

Several studies have shown that self-monitoring may promote weight loss by increasing awareness of your habits and progress 

Weight loss and fitness apps- A boon or a bane?

Fitness is not just important for overall wellness and managing many health conditions, but losing weight and keeping it off can be incredibly challenging.

Many people turn to apps with the intention of only tracking their daily calorie intake.

While calories certainly play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight, they’re not the only aspect of nutrition to consider.

Portion sizes and macronutrients (think protein, carbohydrates, and fat) are equally as essential when it comes to eating healthy. And they’re just as easily trackable through apps.

To make your journey easy we have jotted down some of the best slimming apps which suggests you tips and hacks for shedding pounds, tracking calories, and maintaining your healthy weight.

 1. Noom Weight loss coach-

Noom differentiates itself from other apps with its game-like approach to the familiar calorie counting process. It gives you points for every action performed (making it addictive).

2. VLCC Slimming app-

This app tracks your diet and activities on a daily basis, it provides an interface through which the users can be in touch with the assigned dietitian all the time. The reminders and notifications help the customer to keep track of their food intake timings and their activity routine to achieve slimming goals.

3. Obino, Indian Weight Loss Coach-

This app intends to act as a personalized weight loss coach on your mobile! Various features like meal & exercise suggestions, diet plans & water-drinking reminders are built-in with familiar measures like katoris (bowl)

4. MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter-

Calorie tracking has been refined to a fine art by this app, they have a massive food database of over 3,000,000 items. It shows you a weekly and monthly progress report with their food monitoring tools.

  

5. Adaptive

Here’s how it works: The voice of a trainer will guide you through a fitness studio-style session with music that's tailored to a wide variety of workouts. Whatever fitness vibes you’re feeling, Adaptive has something for you, says certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist Jaime Mcfadden, C.P.T.Get started with a 30-day free trial.

6. Mindful Eating Tracker-

The way it works is that it takes the focus off calorie-counting and helps clients learn how to make positive decisions that will ultimately be the more beneficial to their long-term goals.

The app functions similarly to how a food journal might; you’ll log your feelings, your hunger levels, but unlike a paper journal, you’ll be able to track those feelings in graph-form. Which makes it a great option for visual learners.

7. HealthyOut-

“You can search by specific diet restriction, like low carb, the Mediterranean, paleo, heart healthy, gluten sensitive, and high protein,” explains Childress.

“It also gives you healthy modifications for items found on the menu or modifications based on the diet you are following.”

8. Nom Nom Paleo-

“There are many choices for apps to help you out with the Paleo diet, but this is one of the best,” says Childress.

“It gives you over 145 recipes, with photos, and walks you through every step of the cooking process.” The most convenient factor of this app is its remembrance power. Once you choose a recipe, it helps you make a grocery list and then emails your shopping list to you

   

9. Fitness Buddy+

Fitness Buddy + helps you create your own workout routine and add new moves into your daily regimen, or use one of the established workout plans.

You get more than 1,700 exercises to choose from so you can create a plan to stick with.

Track your fitness progress while enjoying 1,000+ videos of how-to guidance.

10. Nike+ Run Club

The Nike+ Run Club will get you moving.

The app keeps users motivated by allowing them to compete with other runners.

You can track everything from pace and elevation to distance and heart rate.

Gain real-time feedback on your runs to modify activity as you go.

Coaching plans to give you more support from the team that makes quality running sneakers.

 How has technology helped in improving human well-being and fitness?

How many times have you heard that technology is bad for health; it makes you lazier, less communicative, less efficient, stresses your eyes and brain and makes you more and more dependent on it. We hear all of the above all the time but like the two sides of a coin, if it has ill effects it also has its benefits.

Physical and Mental well-being:

Think about the x-ray machines, MRI scanners, and even the research equipment used daily.

There are people using it every day of the week to find cures to ailments, discover why diseases spread and creating ways to prevent the diseases.

Technology isn’t just in the hospital but is used in your own doctor’s office and even at home.

It’s used to prolong life and create a better quality of life for those on around the clock care.

The improvements don’t just lead to better physical health, but also supports better mental health, which in turn improves the physical health. Improved connections and relationships, offer support to everyone.

See people’s emotions through X-ray glasses-

One of the latest Business Insider editors posted- Last summer a company called 2AI Labs unveiled its "O2Amps" glasses that use filters to let you see under people's skins to better detect oxygen flow in the veins. In other words, they let you see things like when people blush or go pale.

Doctors can use it to help diagnose disease -- and they also turned out to be good for diagnosing colour blindness. 

Wearable devices that know you in and out-

These devices deliver heart-rate training, GPS tracking and navigation to enable new routes without the worry of getting lost.

They also monitor your sleep, distance covered, elevation climbed and sync all this information with your computer and phone so you can analyse your training and progress.

 Blind can see feel with google glasses-

Boston-based doctor Joseph Rizzo III and his team over at Mass Eye and Ear have developed a prototype for "smart" glasses that guide the blind around.

Similar to a walking cane, these glasses vibrate to alert the person to objects in the path.

The three main components of the glasses are, first, a camera that captures the wearer's surroundings and sends images to a GPS-enabled processor to identify objects, people, and signs.

Tiny vibrators located near the temple and back of the ear buzz when it's time to turn or avoid a physical object, and An earpiece to relay information about the wearer's surroundings -Business Insider.

Weight Loss Programs by Beauty and Wellness Centre VLCC

When we talk about the top-notch beauty and wellness centres in India, it is no wonder that VLCC would top the list of many due to its warm customer-centric staff, expertise in grooming and fitness services for both men and women. Today, they are widely recognized in India and abroad for their holistic, scientific and natural weight-management practices and a therapeutic approach for beauty solutions addressing mind and bodily peace. 

Here are some primitive weight loss programs they offer, based on the analysis of different customer requirements.

Ayurvedic therapies: 

Ayurved is a 5000-year old therapy which is based on a belief that health and wellness is a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Inspired by this health and wellness balance, VLCC came up with their own set of Ayurveda therapies using different tools like candle cups, bamboo sticks, herbal potli, and essential-oil rich spas.

Permanent fat reduction and body shaping therapies:

The fat regaining problem faced by people as soon as they paused their regular workout regime made the experts at VLCC hunt for a safe and sound spot reduction procedure where the fat cells would freeze and not come back like the usual weight loss procedures does. Coolsculpting, Kg weight loss and lipo slim are some of their technology-based body shaping programs.

Skin Firming and cellulite reduction programs:

Sagging skin around the neck, arms and thigh are not liked by anyone. To reduce the cellulite production around these areas, VLCC came up with skin tightening procedures like St. ReVive intimate tightening (made for perimenopausal and menopausal women), Lipo firm and LipoDetox to tone and stimulate the fat tissues from growing.

Get well soon treatment:

This weight loss procedure was introduced to focus mainly on people suffering from extra weight gained due to specific diseases such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome. They have come up with their own support groups where they counsel each patient based on their situation. Some of the famous programs under this are Diabetes, PCOS, hypertension and hypothyroidism support groups.

Monthly nutrition and wellness programs:

Having understood that different bodies require an equal amount of nutritional intake during a weight loss regime, VLCC designed several nutrition-based wellness programs to bridge the gap between weight gain problems bound with medical conditions like diabetes, joint pains, and body postures with their wellness programs like 5 in 1 wellness program, pain management and nutritional month program. Not just that, they recently introduced a DNA wellness panel where a group of experts suggest preventive measure to be taken by diseased people to keep obesity away from them.

Stretch Marks- Causes, Home Remedies & Treatments

Stretch marks may occur during various phases of life; may be due to increased cortisol secretion (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands) or it could be associated with increased body mass.

It's a no-brainer that nobody likes stretch marks but to get rid of them we need to understand what exactly stretch marks are.

Stretch marks appear when the skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching.

Although our skin is usually elastic but when it is overstretched, the normal production of collagen (the major protein that makes up the connective tissue in your skin) is disrupted and as a result, scars called stretch marks to appear.

The following are the most common reasons behind stretch marks:

●     Many women experience stretch marks during pregnancy as the skin stretches in numerous ways to make room for the developing baby. This continual tugging and stretching can cause stretch marks.

●     Stretch marks sometimes appear when you rapidly gain or lose weight. Teenagers may also notice stretch marks after a sudden growth spurt.

●     Corticosteroid creams, lotions, and pills can cause stretch marks by decreasing the skin’s ability to stretch.

●     Weight lifting, muscle gain, heredity, stress and underlying health conditions like Cushing syndrome (high levels of the hormone cortisol.) and Marfan syndrome (A connective tissue that provides supports the skeletal structure and other organs of your body) are some of the other common reasons for stretch marks.

Below are the 5 most common ways used to get rid of stretch marks

Let me tell you that there is no one-single magic potion that you can use to treat already existing stretch marks. With the help of anti-stretch mark creams, one can only minimize the appearance with time, patience, and a few other helpful products.

●     Amongst the famous anti-stretch mark creams, Retinoid cream may be one of the most promising and cost-effective DIY treatments.

●     Cosmetic surgery is an expensive yet most effective option, which can permanently remove white stretch marks from your body. But remember that surgeries can leave scars of its own.

●     The excimer laser treatment stimulates skin color (melanin) production so much that the stretch marks match the surrounding skin more closely.

●     Microdermabrasion solution is a solid hand-held device that blows crystals onto the skin, which then gently removes its topmost layers. The growth of new and more elastic skin makes the stretch marks less noticeable.

●     Microneedling is yet another treatment which targets the dermis area(the middle layer) of your skin where stretch marks form. In this procedure, tiny needles are poked into the skin which triggers collagen production. Increased collagen and elastin promote skin regeneration that can improve your skin’s appearance and reduce stretch marks. To effectively treat stretch marks, you’ll need to participate in more than one treatment over a course of months. Microneedling has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing stretch marks, specifically for patients with darker skin.

What are some of the home remedies to get rid of stretch marks?

●     Applying self-tanning lotion to your stretch marks is a temporary way which can minimize the difference in color between your normal skin and your stretch marks.

●     If you face stretch marks during and after pregnancy, cocoa butter can make the stretch marks disappear completely. The best time to use cocoa butter is at night; so massage it well into the skin and over a period of time, you would find the stretch marks reducing and fading away.

●        Argan oil enriched with vitamin E is another home boon remedy which can increase the elasticity of the skin. Rubbing it on the stretch marks might heal the broken tissues gradually making the marks fade.

●     The cooling properties of cucumber juice and the natural acidic properties of lemon juice can help heal and reduce scars and provide a soothing effect leaving your skin fresh. Mix lime juice and cucumber juice in equal parts, and apply the mixture on the affected areas till it gets soaked up by the skin. Let it be on your skin for approx. 10 minutes after which you can rinse it off using warm water.

●        A well-blended form mixture of apricots and apricot oil makes up for as a great exfoliating scrub. Take 2-3 apricots, cut them and take out the seeds, crush the fruit into a paste and apply this mask on the stretch mark affected areas and leave it on for 15 minutes. Using warm water, wash it off and then repeat the process every day for a month to see results. Pure apricot oil has skin rejuvenating properties and therefore helps in reducing stretch marks. Massage onto the skin with some lemon juice for effective results.

●        Apart from the aforementioned home remedies, black tea, aloe vera gel, castor oil and sugar are other important ingredients which you can try and use to reduce the stretch marks.

Which are some of the best Anti-Stretch mark treatments

For women, facing stretch marks during pregnancy is common but having visible stretch marks on your shoulders, thighs, and tummy can be embarrassing for many.

The real reason behind stretch marks is that they can appear when you grow quickly at any time for any reason. That means you can face stretch marks on your body due to rapid weight gain or weight loss, bodybuilding, hereditary reasons and even when your height increases as you age.

There are several home remedies and stretch marks creams that have been used by many since ages, but many-a-times they tend to re-appear with time.

If you’re looking up for a permanent solution to your stretch marks, below are some of the modern-age safe treatments we have listed for you:

1. Microdermabrasion and skin tightening:
   Microdermabrasion is an exfoliation procedure where stretch marks are targeted individually and directly with a Microdermabrasion system using a diamond or crystal tip. This dramatically increases RF conductivity and begin the process of skin regeneration.

Once the targeted skin is exfoliated, the next step includes a dermal heating of the stretch mark area where the affected tissues are repaired at a therapeutic temperature which in turn repairs and regenerates the skin’s natural production of collagen. In addition to this, it leads to remodeling of collagen alpha helix resulting in improved skin elasticity & appearance.
Check out the best Anti-Stretch Mark Treatment.

2. Platelet-rich plasma with ultrasound:

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is one of the most popular ways to revive skin and increase collagen production. PRP therapy uses platelet-rich plasma taken from the person's own blood immediately before the procedure.
A study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy indicates that PRP therapy coupled with an ultrasound device may be a good treatment for reducing stretch marks.

3. Derma roller therapy:

This is a straightforward treatment where a handheld device is moved up and down on the skin for about 20 to 30 minutes.  these tiny needles contained in the roller to penetrate the dermis and the epidermis causing tiny wounds. These wounds do not draw blood and but heal normally. It is during this healing process that the production of elastin and collagen are stimulated making the skin strong and flexible. To make the entire process smooth, a topical anesthetic is applied before administering the procedure.

4. Plastic surgery:
   This procedure suits best for people who have sagging skin due to weight loss or pregnancy.
   These procedures are not specifically designed to remove stretch marks. However, loss of the stretch marks due to the removal of the excess skin from the body marks can be an added benefit.
   If your skin is not loose then this procedure may not be the right option for you. It is recommended to always discuss the possible risks and benefits of any surgical procedure with a surgeon before undergoing it.

Makeup for Men

It is passed to think that makeup is only for women. With the changing mindset of people, men’s grooming has not only been accepted but has become a necessity in today’s modern society. Men today are equally conscious about their looks and do not mind investing their time and money on their appearance.

As men are being more welcoming to the concept of grooming, more and more unisex salons are setting up shop every day to provide all sorts of beauty services for men and women. Be it body wax, eyebrow threading, hairdressing, facials or makeup, modern day men are not too far behind from women and are actively seeking various beauty and grooming solutions. This has made male grooming a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Now, the emerging decade can see moisturizers, pore strips, hair removal products as well as makeup products paving their way from professional salons into men’s bathroom cabinets.

One of the major hurdles that beauty marketers, as well as male grooming enthusiasts, faced when it comes to normalising men’s grooming was portraying grooming to be a manly act. While there still are many judgements passed over men who love makeup, today’s metrosexual society has been welcoming mild natural makeup for men. In recent studies by Hommage-magazine, (women were asked if they would date a guy wearing makeup?) it was observed that subtle and natural makeup was accepted by most women. However, dramatic makeup is still a very subtly explored area by men.

A bronzer in suitable skin tone, a discrete skin-toned concealer, a hydrating lip moisturizer and a matte brow liner to fill in and shape the brows are some of the beauty solutions men have adopted to maintain their minimalist look. However, it is best if you seek professional advice and consultation to know what suits you best.

VLCC offer their expertise in male grooming-

VLCC is one of the top-notch beauty and wellness centres in India proving their expertise in grooming for both men and women. The men’s grooming services have everything you need for creating a whole new look, be it getting a new hairstyle, a good facial, trimming your beard or adding a dash of colour to your hair. They also offer regular shaving, beard trimming and styling services.