If you have straight hair and want to play with your hair texture by adding natural looking messy curls or waves, then you can do so by scrunching your hair. Scrunching helps add texture and volume to your naturally straight hair and makes it appear curly or wavy. Scrunching is a simple technique, using minimal products with astonishing results. Once you get used to doing it, you will be able to easily get gorgeous playful curls and waves that you can style the way you want. Let’s see how to scrunch your hair and change the way you look.

How to Scrunch your Hair 

Step 1 : Hair Wash

The first step towards scrunching one’s hair is to wash or wet the hair. While washing it, use a volumizing shampoo that will make your hair look voluminous and full. If you use a heavy conditioner, then it is best to skip it. If you cannot do without a conditioner, then we suggest that you use a light conditioner since you don’t want your hair to be weighed down by it. With the conditioner in the hair, use a wide toothed comb to comb your hair and remove all the tangles, if any. Rinse it well. You do not want any product to be left over in the hair and make it limp.

Step 2: Hair Drying

The next step is to towel dry your hair. First, simply wrap your hair with a towel so that all the excess water is soaked into the towel. Now take a fresh towel and wrap it around a small section of your hair and press your hands together to absorb excess water. Repeat this for all sections of hair. Do not rub vigorously since you don’t want to cause hair breakage. Do not use a hair drier. Allow the hair to become semi dry.

Step 3: Product Application

Apply your curl enhancing product. You could use sprays like the Toni & Guy curl spray hair styler or gels like Organix FX Curl booster or creams like Organix Moroccon Curl defining cream. You could also use a mousse which is among the most popular curl enhancing products used. Depending on the product you are using, take the prescribed quantity on your palms, flip your hair upside down by bending down your head and work the product into your hair. Apply the product using both hands into your hair, mid length to the tips. Avoid applying anything on the scalp to prevent it from becoming greasy.

Read more about products to use for curly hair here 

Step 4: Scrunching the Hair

Now take two small sections of your hair, one in each hand and make a ball with it inside your fists, and squeeze them towards your scalp, like you are crumpling paper. This is called scrunching the hair.

Step 5: Fixing the waves

Flip your hair back straight and repeat for any hair section that you missed out on. Now allow your hair to dry naturally. Apply a fixing spray if you want to hold the waves in place. Run your fingers through your hair a couple of times and you are good to go with your naturally wavy look!

Step 6: Clipping the Hair if necessary

If you want more intense curls and not just a wavy look, then do this step after scrunching your hair. Divide it into sections, twist each section of hair, roll it into a bun to gather it at the scalp and secure it with a butterfly clip. Do this for all the sections of the hair, spray a strong hold hair spray and then let the hair dry out. Once it dries, open up the clips and simply let your hair tumble down. Do not comb. Apply some serum or hair gel from mid length to the tips and scrunch your hair again. You will now get more well defined messy curls.

You now have natural looking messy curls that will make your look playful and cool.

Read more about ravishing curly hair hairstyles for black hair here 

We often keep ourselves so busy in pampering our skin and hair that the need of dental care remains ignored by us. But it can turn you into a victim of periodontal diseases. These are a wide range of gum issues, which start with simple curable inflammations and lead to severe damages of the soft tissue as well as bone holding up the teeth, thereby causing even teeth loss over time. It is always better to gain knowledge of what can harm you and take preventive measures before the situation goes out of control. So, let’s know about the causes, symptoms and treatments of periodontal disease today:

Possible Causes of Periodontal Disease


There are always a huge amount of bacteria present inside our mouth cavity. When they come in contact with mucus and various food particles, a sticky transparent substance called ‘plaque’ is formed on the surface of our teeth. If plaque is not removed by regular brushing and flossing, it becomes hard and results into ‘tartar’, which can’t be cleaned without the help of a pro and can affect our dental health significantly in long run.

At the initial stage, the bacteria present in tartar cause inflammation, which results into redness, tenderness, swelling, etc. in gums and frequent bleeding from them. This condition is medically termed as ‘gingivitis’ and known to be a mild form of gum disease. It doesn’t involve any tissue or bone loss. Moreover, it can be cured successfully with regular brushing, flossing, and dental cleaning (at the clinic).

Also Read – 5 Home Remedies for Dental Fluorosis Here



But, when gingivitis is ignored and left without treatment, it advances to more severe inflammation and that too around the teeth. In this condition, gums get separated from the teeth forming small ‘pocket’-like spaces in between them. As the hardened plaque reaches the gum line gradually, these pockets get infected by oral bacteria and the immune system of our body starts to respond. This infective condition is known as ‘peiodontitis’.

The toxins from the bacteria and the antitoxins from our body together affect the soft connective tissues as well as bones present along our gum line. When they start to break down and become unable to hold the teeth in their places properly, we experience various periodontal diseases. These can completely destroy the tissues and bones without immediate treatment and you may have to remove the affected teeth eventually.

Some other serious risk factors for periodontitis are listed below:

Common Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

There are some very common symptoms of periodontal diseases, which can be identified easily by us. We have listed them below:

Also Read – Do whitening strips damage your teeth? Here

If you start to face any of the aforementioned issues, get in touch with your dentist right away. He / she will perform a thorough dental checkup to find out whether you are suffering from periodontitis or going to be a victim of it in near future. You’ll be referred to a periodontist depending upon it.

Effective Treatments of Periodontal Disease

The treatment of periodontal diseases can vary widely based on the severity of the infections. However, the objective of the procedures is nothing but curing the infection and the patient must take proper dental care at home during and after the treatments in all cases. Here, we have talked about three most effective treatment methods:

This is the process of removing the hardened plaque present on the teeth. The experts perform this process in the following two different phases:

Deep cleaning can be performed either in the traditional way or by using a laser beam to lower the bleeding, distension and uneasiness.

Most of the time, certain medications are prescribed by the dentists while carrying out the deep cleaning treatment. These include:

However, the long-term effects of these prescription drugs are yet to be discovered.

Also Read – Do whitening strips damage your teeth? Here

Generally, two types of surgical methods are considered for the treatment of periodontal diseases. These are as follows:

Are you really taking enough care of your gums and teeth? If not then start from today and avoid periodontal diseases.

Although there is ‘rice’ in the name of ‘wild rice’, it is actually the seed of a semi-aquatic marsh grass. It is an unprocessed and unpolished whole grain and its’ nutritional value is quite better than other cereal grains consumed widely, which makes it a good choice for a well-balanced diet. Today, we are going to peep into the most common benefits of wild rice through this article.

Here is a brief overview of nutrients provided by wild rice:

Wild rice comprises a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fibers with very little fat. The protein quality profile of wild rice is awesome as it contains large amount of essential amino acids, especially methionine and lysine. In fact, the amount of protein present in a cup of this rice (6.5 gm.) is almost double than that of brown rice. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates (35.0 gm. per serving), while the presence of fat in it is considerably low (only 3.0 gm. per serving). TH dietary fiber content of wild rice is 3.0 gm. per serving, which is as much as 12% of our daily requirement.

Wild rice is one of the richest sources of vitamin. It consists of a variety of vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E and plenty of B-vitamins, which are important for achieving a robust immune system. According to researchers, a cup of wild rice has almost 0.08 mg. vitamin B1 (thiamin), 0.14 mg. vitamin B2 (riboflavin), 2.1 mg. vitamin B3 (niacin), 43 mg. vitamin B9 (folate / folic acid) and 16.7 mg. choline (certain B-complex vitamin). Apart from these, it also contains vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 (pantothenic acid) in significant amounts.

Also Read – Brown Rice Vs. White Rice – The Most Efficient Pick for Weight Loss Here

If compared with other rice variants, wild rice will always top the chart in term of micronutrient content. It is loaded with minerals that are essential for a good health. Studies have found that a single cup of wild rice comprises 166 mg. potassium, 134 mg. phosphorus and 52 mg. magnesium. It also holds 7%, 15% and 23% of our daily requirements of iron, zinc and manganese, respectively.

Wild rice has amazing antioxidant properties, which can reduce free radicals from our body and keep oxidative stress at bay.  A study conducted by the scientists at the University of Manitoba revealed that this grain is as much as 30 times more antioxidant than its’ white counterpart. These qualities of wild rice are so strong that you can avert premature aging as well as a number of diseases even when you include it in a high fat diet.

Wild rice is a complete heart-healthy food. It has only 5 mg. of sodium per cup of serving, which keeps the blood pressure under control and reduces the risks of developing fatal heart diseases to a great extent. Being loaded with dietary fibers and 0% cholesterol, it also helps in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol as well as other lipid measures in our body. Moreover, the quantity of linolenic acid (an essential omega-3 fatty acid) present in wild rice is quite beneficial.

Even though rice is a restricted food on a diabetic diet, wild rice is a good exception to it. As said before, it belongs to the grass family which produces edible grains with very little sugar content (1.2 gm.). Hence, when these unrefined rice grains are consumed in moderation, they do not cause spikes in the levels of sugar in our bloodstream. In short, patients of diabetes mellitus can eat wild rice in small quantities without any worry.

Also Read – Why Brown Rice is a Healthier Choice than White Rice? Here

Who says that skipping rice is mandatory for losing weight and staying fit? You can certainly replace your regular polished rice with wild rice even when you are on a weight loss diet. It is a food with appreciably low Glycemic Index (GI) and lots of complex carbohydrates, which provide all necessary nutrients to the body without making it bulky. It has also been found that one cup serving (165 gm.) of cooked wild rice yields as less as 166 calories, which is great for maintaining a healthy body weight.

A bodybuilder’s diet should comprise plenty of complex carbohydrates as well as tons of proteins so that he can remain energetic all through the day for his workout and build his muscles effectively.  The huge complex carbohydrate content of wild rice is enough to generate the surge of energy required for intensive workouts without experiencing energy-crash. In addition, it is a protein-rich cereal grain, which can further be consumed with other protein-packed food items. Therefore, wild rice is actually an absolutely perfect choice for bodybuilders.

Apart from all these, wild rice is totally gluten-free, which makes it one of the best and safest whole grain choices. So, include it in your diet today and make your health better.

An anti-cellulite massage treatment refers to one or more massaging techniques that are specifically designed for cellulite reduction. This is basically a focused approach in which pressure is exerted on the affected areas of the skin by squeezing and pinching the fat deposits alternatively followed by the deliberate kneading of muscles. It helps roll away the bulging fat slowly but surely from the connective tissues, thereby vanishing the dimpled effects of cellulite.

How Does the Anti-Cellulite Massage Work?

The prime objective of an anti-cellulite massage treatment is to diffuse the fat cells stored underneath the surface layer of the skin by manipulating the skin itself. When the skin is massaged thoroughly and regularly, those fat deposits are broken down and spread uniformly around the connective tissues. As the fat cells do not swell out through the skin any more, the dimpled effects are also evened out efficiently, giving a firmer smoother appearance.

An anti-cellulite massage not only disperses fat deposits under the skin, but it also plays a key role in stimulating the tissues present around them. It is mostly beneficial for enhancing lymphatic functions as well as boosting blood circulation throughout those areas, which are much required for cellulite reduction. It has also been found that massaging cellulite can easily target those so-called ‘difficult areas’ like inner sections of knees, upper thighs, etc., which may not be rectified through exercises.

Also Read – 10 Natural Remedies for Cellulite Here

Different Anti-Cellulite Massaging Techniques

There are different massaging techniques that one can opt for reducing cellulites effectively. Let us show you how to follow those the right way:

At first, prepare your skin for the treatment by applying a good body massage oil all over it. You can start right from your feet or knees and move upwards as you go ahead. This will have amazing positive effects on your circulatory system and give the blood flow through your peripheral veins and capillaries a significant boost.

As the name suggests, this massage technique is similar to dough kneading and you have to follow the ‘alternating squeeze and lift’ method for this. For the first half of the massage, knead the smaller sections (including inner knees, calves, upper arms, etc.) by using your fingers. For the second half, knead the comparatively larger skin surfaces (including thighs, buttocks, stomach, etc.) with your hands. As a whole, this technique can increase the flow of blood in the skin surface to a great extent, which makes the fat deposits loosen up and swill down eventually.

It is quite clear from the name that this massage technique revolves around the tactful uses of our knuckles for massaging out those unattractive cellulite bulges. All you need to do is to hit or press the affected areas slowly but hard enough by using your fists. Such constant crushing movements into the bumps will break down the accumulated fats completely. At last, they will get dissolved or flushed out by your metabolic system.

This is a unique procedure in which the cellulite bulges are massaged in the form of the English alphabet ‘S’. To start with, stand straight and place both of your thumbs in right angles with your thighs. Now, grasp a large section (as much skin surface as possible) of the troubled area of one thigh with both of your hands and massage in the form of ‘S’ by twisting the flesh in reverse directions. While twisting, make sure that you exert deep pressure onto the skin and stroke it heavily in order to release as well as flush out the fat deposits.

You may have already understood that this procedure involves the wringing movements of our hands for reducing cellulite. To make the most of this massaging technique, you have to start with your muscles relaxed. Then, tightly hold a portion of the cellulite-affected area on your thighs or buttocks with both of your hands and twist it in such a way that you are wringing out excess water from a large piece of cloth.

It is important to finish up the entire anti-cellulite massaging treatment in a proper way for achieving the desired results fast. Massage your skin once again starting from the feet and go upwards slowly, while pressing hard with the hands and stroking heavily with the fingers.

Also Read – Easy Cellulite Treatments to Get Cellulite Free Skin Here

Anti-Cellulite massage is mostly done by professional masseurs with certain essential oils, creams, lotions or scrubs. They may make use of certain balls and rolling tools (battery-operated cellulite massagers) or simply depend on their hands for this purpose. However, you can do it by yourself too, but ensure that you follow the right techniques. Also, pair your 10-minutes every day anti-cellulite massage session with proper diet and workout. Otherwise, you may not be able to get rid of those ugly bulges easily.

Online shopping is not easy, especially when it comes to buying shoes online. The reason is that you cannot try them out to find if they fit well or not. There will be times when you will be very unsure about the color of the shoes. You will often see a notice with almost all online buyers which says – ‘the actual product may be different from what is shown on the packaging or the images on the website’. This is something that you should be very worried about. So, if you want to buy shoes online, there are a few things that you will have to take care of. Here is a list of tips that you can follow to make sure that your purchase is safe and satisfactory:



Size is an important consideration. The size chart for different manufacturers will be different. For instance, the size 7 from two different manufacturers will have different length and breadth. So, ask for a size chart from your online seller and ask them to provide with a guide that you can probably use to measure your feet and compare it against the size chart they provided. Of course you will never want smaller or bigger shoes.

Finally never get satisfied with one seller. Women are great when it comes to window shopping. Look around for some time and look at alternatives. There is no harm in doing so. Compare the prices offered by different sellers. Different sellers can indeed have different prices. You may also see that post-sale services may differ significantly between different sellers. The best way to judge the customer services of the sellers before you buy your pair of shoes is to look at the comments.

Sterling Silver Jewelry

Moisture in air reacts with sterling silver and forms a tarnish layer on the jewelry. This tarnish can be removed using activated baking soda in presence of aluminum.

What you need:



*    Aluminum foil

*   Boiling water

*    A tablespoon of baking soda




Process:

*    Place your sterling silver jewelry in a glass bowl.

*    Add the tablespoon of baking soda in it.

*    Now pour boiling water so that the jewelry in the bowl is completely soaked.

*    Tear off a piece of aluminum foil from the sheet and add it to the bowl and leave for some time.

As the reaction starts, you will see bubble coming up with the release of sulfuric gases. You cannot see this gas but you will understand by the smell of rotten eggs that is a characteristic feature of the sulfuric gases.

Must Do:

Use a plastic chopstick to gently move the jewelry in the bowl just to ensure that all surfaces of the jewelry comes in contact with activated baking soda and aluminum.

What Really Happens?

As the reaction occurs, the tarnish binds to the aluminum foil and your jewelry is cleaned.

Final Steps:

Place the jewelry in another glass bowl and add cold water to rinse them gently. Use a soft cloth or absorbent towel to wipe off the water.

Diamond Jewelry

Diamond can be effectively cleaned by using baking soda.

How to Proceed?

*    Take a cup of hot water

*    Add a tablespoon of baking soda to it so that the organic compound is activated.

*    Now place your diamond rings in the water and leave it for a few minutes (preferably 3-4 minutes).

*    There is no need to add aluminum foil.

*   Take out the rings and rinse in cold water and wipe gently using a soft cloth.

For bigger diamond jewelry, you can use more hot water and add another tablespoon of baking soda.

There is one thing that you need to understand. There is a huge difference between a replica and a fake. A replica is like a mirror image and speaks quality but uses alternative cheap resources that can mimic the original brands in every aspect from feel to look to stitch. Fakes on the other hand will look too plasticky and brand logos will look out of the world. You need to be very cautious while looking for replicas. How do you find one? Start with online hunt. Look for popular sellers of replica handbags. They often sell these designer replica handbags through online stores. Take a close look at the images and try to find out whether they look like the original ones or not. Purchasing replicas online can be a risky affair, especially if you are not buying from a reputed seller. In case you want to go out for physical shopping, you will still have options open. Here is a quick guide to buying designer replica handbags:

There is no harm in buying designer replica handbags. Not everyone has the money power but on the contrary, everyone has a heart that desires. These replica handbags are a perfect way to satiate the deep longings at affordable prices.

Face Characteristics:

Celebrity Example: Zoe Saldana.
Sunglass type: Just any style will fit well!

Face Characteristics:

Celebrity Example: Hayden Panettiere
Sunglass type: Cat-eye shaped. Remember that glasses should not be overly embellished.

Face Characteristics:

Celebrity Example: Kirsten Dunst
Sunglass type: Sunglasses with angular frames add definition. Avoid colored lenses and round frames because they will exaggerate the face shape.

Face Characteristics:

Celebrity Example: Lea Michele
Sunglass type: Sunglasses with round glasses suit best as they highlight the best features of the face. You can also go for sunglass with sharp geometric shapes.

Face Characteristics:

Celebrity Example: Teri Hatcher
Sunglass type: Wrap or oversize style sunglasses work best. Avoid frames that may look too narrow for your face.

Luckily, there is a special breed of sunglasses which falls in the category – ‘One shape for all face shapes’. This sunglass has butterfly frames. These sunglasses can be a tad too costly for some women. So, it is better to stick with those suggested for your specific face types. Do not forget to tell us if you liked this information and yes, sharing the article is free of cost!