Page 14, Whitby Free Press, vvednubuay, juuI , m ~LLuçII- LLIrI]- LLuî1I- LLurlI- L~itmi Many people find it difficuit to articulate without using their hands. In fact, numerous hand gestures are so eloquent they don'trequire words. .That's even more reason to ensure that harids are sniooth and supple and nails are well-groomed. As well, hands that are pampered appear more graceful and impact a sense of self-confidence. "When properly done with the correct tools, an at-home manicure can look every bit as pro2essional as one done in a salo, says Barbara Brocklebank, vice-president, cosmetics, Shoppers Drug Mart. She offers these 10 commandments to ensure impeccable results. 1. Pirst, remove every vestige of neil enamel. Look for a nail polish remover that contains oil or lubricant additives. These ingredients help te lessen the drying action of acetene, the active ingredient in nail polish remover. 2. Then soak hands in warm soapy water for a couple of minutes. 3. Afler drying, massage with a rich moisturizer. Massage stimulates circulation and promotes nail growth. 4. Healthy-leoking cuticles can make or break a manicure. Gentiy push back cuticles with the pusher end of a cuticle trimmer. For best resuts, soften first with cuticle massage night cream or cuticle remnover. The other end of the trimmer saýfely trims hangnails. 5. When shaping nails, always file from the corner te the centre, with long smooth strokes. Avoid a sawing motion. 6. The best manicures begin with an ultra-smooth surface. Use an enrichiùng basecoat to provide extra strength. 7. Now the polish. For WHEN PROPERLY done with the correct tools, an at-home manicure can look every bit as professioflal as one done in a salon. 1i1 extra-staying power, paint the tip s cf nails first, then go back and paint the rest cf the nails using long, comnplete strokes. Apply two coats. 8. Finish with a topcat to seal in colour and provide a glossy shine. 9. Appiy a fresh coat everyday te give nails a lift and restore that 'just macicured' look and feel ia seconds. 10.Soaps and detergents dry and chap hands, se always use rubber gloves for househoid chores. Additional tips for great- lookinig nails: *Squaring off the nail tip and softening the enamel colour helps modify the proportion of large hands. e Shorter fingers benefit from rounded tips and brighter coiours. 9 Nails too wide? Try leaving the edges without colour. NAIL KNOWLEDGE Here are some facts about nails from leading dermatoiogist Dr. Nelson Lee Novick's book 'Super Skin.' 0 Nails grow about 1/4 inch each month. The average trne for fingernails to grow from the base to the free edge is about six months. 0 Nails grow faster during childhood, pregnancy, in summer and in hot climates. 9 Nails are not just ornamental; they protect fingertips, particularly the sensitive ni beds below the nail. * Playing the piano and typing aiso, speed up nail growth. 0 The longer the finger, the faster the nail growvth. The middle fingernail grows the fastest, followed by the ring and index fingernails. 0 Nail growth usuaily slows as a per-son ages. Between ages 25 and 95, the rate of pail growth graduaily l'ails to nearly 50 per cent of what it was during youth. 0 Although gelatin is frequently recommended for strengthening weakened, spitting nails, it r-emains of unproven value because the protein found in nails is keratin, %vhich differs from the protein found in gelatin. 0 Calcium supplenmentation has aiso been touted to promote nail growth and hardness. Over consumption of calcium suppiements can be dangerous te general heaith and, should be avoided unless prescribed by a physicien. .'kep your hat on Hands on beauty (NC) Wearing a hat regularly in summer could significantly reduce your iisk cf developiag skie cancer. Pccus ding to the Canadian Dermatelogy Association, two in three of aIl skin cancers occur on the vuinerable head and neck regions, and almost al cf these tumours are caused by toc much sun over many years. During 1993, more than 50,000 newv cases cf sIn cancer will be diagnosed la Canada. A huge proportion of these will be on the face, ear or neck -- areas that could have been protected by wearing an effective sun hat. One in seven childrea bora today will develop skia cancer during their lifetime. te cover their skia. And certain skia cancers that appear on the head and neck cen be particularly dangerous. A squamous celi skia cancer (the second most common type), that develops on the car or the lip, has a higher chance of spreading (metastasizing) te other parts cf the bedy and ultimately causing dcath. Melanoma may aise occur on the sun-expesed parts of the face. The bottom lice is -- Keep your hat on. Ilats protect our eyes We ail know that our eyes are sensitive to the sun. Overexposure to sunlight can cause both short- and long-term damage te our eyes. Athough some cf the harm Babies end young children, who may find it difficuit te, wear (or keep on) a pair of sungiasses, should at least have a broad-brimmed hat to shede their eyes. Which Lat? Ail hats are iot made equal wben it cornes te, the protection they ciTer against the sun's dangerous rays. 0 Hats with a 7.5 cm (three inches or grreater) brim, which provide reascriebie protection around the nose, cheeks and beck of the neck, are recornmended. e AI se recommended are legionnaire-style caps (wvith a back flap) which shade the neck, ears and side of the face. Check the fabric that the hat is made of. Choose a closeiy-woven Shadixig the face dene by ultraviolet rays (UV) is material -- hofd it up te the sua Skin cancers are commea on oniy temporary, such as 'snow or a light bulb -- if the iight can't the head and neck because, whea biindness,' research suggests that get through then neither cen UV we are outside, these areas are exposure te the sun's rays over rays. constantly exposed te the sun, mnany yeers may contribute te the Watch out for seme straw bats especiaily during outdoor work or formation of cataracts. (and other types) which let light redea for ctthe mr pealn Wearing, a bat can through. Basebaîl caps often don't typesfosiacnr r the more suln dramaticiiy reduce the UV shield the back cf the neck, cars tyeso sok aue, the more iel nw danger te our eyes. Studios have or the cheeks- are te get thdeasoelklyw shown that wide-brimmed hats Hats witb a smail brim, such aeToadd t th ieapoemar (7.5 cm, three inches or more) can as the ' flat' cap, provide littie lik the tc the erornthe lis stop up te, 75 per cent cf UV-B3, protection cf the face and neck. are often overlooked when it fth e ms armfui ye cfras, Cothig fur sun protection cerns te suneproein. are echigou tprotion, Aimost al clothing provides Aisne, s emame ae or combine ' 100 par cent UV semae protection fromn solar pron te evalp skin cancers on the srg"tiqr)*4 ;nit pîaq4 -f 49a from penetrating the skin. l-owever, 0 loose-fitting, iong.sleeved shirts and long pants are best. 0 the amount cf protection a fabric offers wiii vary according te the tightness of the weave cf the niateriai. Again, bold the germent up to the sua or a light bulb. A mateiai thet blocks eut sunlight wil act e e shield against ultraviolet lighit. Some exemples of the sun protection fiactor (SPF) of varieus items of (dry) clothing are: " Cotton/polyester T-shirt, SPF 15 " Cotton shirt, SPF 7 " Cotton denim jacket, SPR 1700 " Polyester/Lycra surf shirt, SPF 35. When a fabric is wet, it loses some cf its ability te block eut solar rays. The material becomes more transparent and ailows iight te penetrate througb te the skîn. Don't forget the sunscreen And finally, apply a bread-spectrurn sunscreen with an SPF of at ieast 15 te ail areas of the skia stili exposed te the sua. For further information on sun protection, write te the Canadian Dermatoic'gy Associa- tien, suite 740, 3550 Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec H311 13y Lucie Rochette Audrey Piper,' owner of Go Natural llealth and Beauty, says natural products are not neces- sariiy more expensi vo. They may cost a few pennies more, and in sone cases, thev mga cost less, she says. Produets soid at Go Natural Ilealth and Beauty range frorn organic foods, vitamins and minerais, herbs, skin care pro- ducts, sharopoos, as weii as a line or foods for peopie with food allergies, and diabetics, ail goat products and vegetarian pro- ducts. Go Natural Ileaith and Beauty aiso has products fr bodybui 1- ders, homeopaths, as well as aerobics, ballett and gymnastics wear. They aiso carry a number of dance shoes. Piper sys that the more popu- lar items in the store are the natural foods and the vitamins. "People are startin' to take responsibility fýor t heir own heaith, and that's a 9ood thingr" says Piper about t he growing popuiarity of naturl products and foods. Go Natural has been open for the past 14 years, and Piper says that iast year was probabiy the best for busine"s: Diet and dental disease Tho mouth is a part of a persons food-processlng mech- anism and, as such, is influenoed by the food we eat. Primarily the structures in the mouth are influenced during their formation by the nutrients that reach thom via the blood supply and later on Mhon they corne in direct contact with the foodstuffs and their derivatives. The celis of the oral structures, tike similar oeils elsewhere in the body, are in a constant state of repair and regeneration. and wq i an dec atesuply of nurents proVidc by a balance diet. Therofore, the vulnerability to oral disease is related to factors such as age, income and education, aithough oral hygi ene plays a significant role in peridontal disease. Lack of certain nutrients, such as vitamins B12 and others, iron and proteins can give rise to inflammations et the lips, corners of the mouth and the tongue. Vitamin C doficiency causes breakdown of tho lining of the gumrs and ulcerations (scurvy), a condition lirst discovered in ancient mariners who were out at sea for lon g poriods with an absence of lreshl citrus f ruits, which have an abundance of ascorbïc acid (vitamin C), in their diet. Fibrous foods are better than sticky foods, as thoy not only replace the e mpty calories in sugar-rich sweets but also promnote gngval heath as they stimufate andstrngterlthe g ums and increase salivatio nd-clearance of food debris. Nutrition affects an individuals susceptibility to dental decay. Fluorde deficieicy diuring the formation of tooth structure increases the chances of cavities later on. especially when these teeth are subjected te a diet rich in suar. Bacteria in the mouth use the sugar te form acids that cause the demineralization et the enamel, givinq rise to decay. Finafly, a word about snacking. Snack nutritiously - for example, wholesome milk, cheése, fruits, vegotables, breads, cereals, meats and nuts. Secondly, limit the number of ý,inacks per day, especially in \hildren. Snacking shoufd be done only when hungry and not as entertaînment. AIso, i's a good ideate change the snacking menu daily with a wide variety of nutritieus foods containing minerais and vitamins, not su gar or fat. Foods such as raw vegotab les, nuts, popcorn, meats, fish poultry and aged cheeses are pre(erable te carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches which are healthy if eaten in combination with other wholesome foods, and net alone. ý . .... .., - ý--- M---- .111rn 9 1cig.1