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-Issue Number 200	Thursday, December 1, 2005	Page 42

Here's Health! & Beauty (1)

If you have a problem of any kind, write to Raine at The Western Sun and she will offer her best advice. All enquiries are kept in the strictest confidence. Is sex in the 60s just too much for me to hope for? I AM 68 and in a month’s time will be marrying a lovely lady of 70. We are deeply in love and look forward to being together. I would like to think that we will have a sex life but am too embarrassed to discuss this with her. I haven’t made love since my first wife died 10 years ago. My fiancée and I kiss and cuddle but have never gone further. Is it too late in our lives to think about enjoying sex? NEITHER your age nor the fact that you haven’t made love for 10 years need prevent you from enjoying a healthy sex life in your new marriage. It is possible that your fiancée is also worrying over this issue so talking about it may stop her worries as well. Bring up the subject one evening when you are warm and cuddly together – perhaps by asking her if she would like the cuddling to go further. If you find that you would both like to enjoy a sex life, take time in caressing first. Your fiancée may wish to use a lubricating jelly, which is easily available from any chemist. Chinese cracker I CAME to live in Tenerife because I am separated from my husband and in the process of getting a divorce. Now I find I am lonely and looking for a new man. I’m English but have always fancied a Chinese man. Can you help? WHAT on earth are you doing here, then? Surely you should have moved to the Far East. All I can suggest is that you buy yourself a lot of Chinese takeaways. That way you may bump into the man of your dreams. New demands we have been married for 23 years. Now, however, my husband is making a fool of himself with young girls. This is causing difficulties with our daughter, who has become too embarrassed to bring her girl friends to stay with us. It is obviously much nicer for her to be able to bring a mate with her when she visits so that they can go about together. But my husband is always ogling the girls in their bikinis and keeps hanging around them. When I speak to him about it he accuses me of being a killjoy and says it’s only a bit of harmless fun. He has also suddenly become very demanding sexually of me. We had a routine of once a week or so but now he seems to want sex morning, noon and night. We’re both in our late 40s and, while I am happy to have a healthy sexual relationship, the sudden change has worried me. AS these incidents take place in public it seems more a case of his simply flexing his muscles rather than being anything serious or sinister. As long as he isn’t causing the girls any grief I would leave them to get on with it. Your daughter is obviously old enough to tell him off and perhaps it would be a good thing if she did just that. As for the newly awakened sexual drive, he’s just trying to prove that he is not past it. Perhaps moving here and having a change in your lifestyle has given him more time to relax and actually have the energy and lack of anxiety to enjoy sex again. Make the most of it.

IF you followed last issue’s advice about growing your hair long you will know that there is plenty you can do about it.
We finished up talking about the importance of eating right and taking your vitamins.
It is important to include B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid in the supplemental program. Certain minerals, including magnesium, sulphur, silica and zinc are also very important toward maintaining healthy hair.
Beta-carotene is also important to hair growth, converting to vitamin A as the body needs it for bone development, protective sheathing around nerve fibres, and promoting healthy skin, hair and nails. Beta-carotene is found in green and yellow vegetables and fruits.
Protein Is Important
A diet that is too low in protein may cause a thinning in hair or a retardation in the growth cycle. Some nutritional experts suggest including calves liver, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and a daily dose of two tablespoons of granulated lecithin in your diet to maximise hair growth, strength and beauty.
Other good food sources for protein include fish, eggs, beans and yogurt. Soy protein has also been found to be helpful. A great source of soy is tofu.
Growth Blockers
Excessive stress and some medications are conclusively known to retard hair growth. If you have a medical condition and your physician has prescribed medications it is imperative that you follow your doctor’s orders, regardless of the impact to your hair.
A big hair helper is rest and sleep.  Seven to nine hours are suggested.
Brush Properly 
Treat your hair like a piece of fine old lace. Handle it carefully, avoiding any unnecessary brushing, combing or handling.
Invest in the best brush you can afford. Never ever use a brush that has tiny knobs on the end of the bristles. Those little knobs are famous for ripping and tearing out unsuspecting hair.
Brush only as much as you need to style your hair or remove knots.  Too much hair brushing can lead to split ends and ripped hair.
When you must brush, follow proper brushing techniques. Always start by bending forward, allowing all your hair to gently fall over your face. Use a brush with natural bristles and when possible, a wooden base (consider a Mason Pearson or Kent brush if your budget allows).
Carefully brush your hair from the nape of the neck over your head and down to the ends of the strands.  After each brush stroke, use your hands to smooth your hair to reduce static. Allow your hair to fall normally. Continue to brush your hair in this position until you are finished.
Remember that hair should only be brushed when it is 100 per cent dry. Brushing wet hair can damage it.
Comb It Right 
When you comb your hair always separate the hair into small sections.  Whether your hair is wet or dry use care and a wide-tooth comb. Start at the bottom of the hair near the ends and carefully work in a downward direction.
Avoid the use of hard rubber combs that can tear or rip hair right out of the scalp.
When possible use your fingers as ‘picks’ or ‘rakes’to remove snarls and tangles. Fingers are the softest tools you can use on your hair to prevent pulling and snagging.
Shampoo correctly
Daily shampooing can be damaging to some types of hair. Wash only when necessary.
If your hair is excessively brittle or dry, consider using pre-conditioning treatments before you shampoo. Apply hot oil or rinse out conditioners to wet hair before you shampoo.
When applying shampoo never apply it directly from the bottle to your hair. First pour a into the palm of your hands and mix with a little warm water. Gently suds your hair starting at the roots. Let the bubbles and suds from the shampoo gently flow down your hair length to create easy cleansing without unnecessary hair friction.
Use the pads of your fingertips to massage your head to help increase the blood supply to your scalp and hair roots. Unless you have very fine or thin hair, always follow your shampoo with a rinse-out conditioner.
Remember to apply conditioners from the top of your ears down to the ends of your hair. It is important to keep conditioners away from the scalp unless your hair is severely tangled at the root. Conditioners applied to the scalp may cause clogging of the hair follicles which will slow growth.
If hair is dry and doesn’t need to be washed every day, skip a day or two between shampoos. You can always take a shower without using shampoo.
One other option is to apply a very light coat of hair conditioner to wet hair, rinse well and let hair air-dry.  This will add needed moisture without any risk of causing dryness from too frequent shampoos.
Keep It Cool 
Avoid hot styling tools as much as possible. If you must blow dry, always first coat and protect your hair with a leave-in conditioner.  Never focus the air flow on one section of the hair longer than a few seconds. Rotate the dryer back and forth to prevent burning hair.
When possible, use a blow dryer on medium speed, cool heat with the air flow directed from the roots to the ends.
If your blow dryer doesn’t have a cool setting but does have a cold shot button, use this at the end to seal and protect the hair.
When possible limit your use of the blow-dryer to just your bangs or limited sections of your hair. Look for ways to get maximum coverage with minimal heat exposure.
Grab The Rags 
Avoid hot rollers, curling irons and other hot tools that can cook delicate hair. If you crave curls, use soft rag rollers or sponge curlers that will not tug or pull precious hair.
Use your imagination. There are a myriad of ways to roll your hair on soft tools that will not harm your hair. Some alternative rollers include oce-lolly sticks, pipe cleaners and empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls. But make sure you don’t have any unexpected visits from the postman, new lover etc.