Category: psychology

Categories
psychology Women’s Health

Women Reveal the Real Reasons They Text Naked Photos of Themselves

Women Reveal the Real Reasons They Text Naked Photos of Themselves

The question is, why do you do it? It’s very common these days for young women, especially, to text naked photos of themselves. The answer, however, is not that simple to define. The trend surrounding women naked photos doesn’t appear to be dying down anytime soon, either. Women can send racy photos for a number of reasons, and the theories can be quite complicated.

Women Reveal the Real Reasons They Text Naked Photos of Themselves

The University of Arizona decided to perform a study on young adults who sext images to their partners. The research was mentioned in an article by Health.com. The findings were fascinating, and close to 2,000 college students were surveyed. Students from seven universities participated in the online survey.

The research discovered that some women were more likely to text naked photos to keep their partner interested. They don’t want the romance to fade.

Men were sending naked photos in hopes of getting one in return.

News4 Tuscon reported that women naked photos texting is also done for self-esteem. Men, apparently, don’t sext for confidence.

The survey showed that women share nude photos for strengthening their image. In other words, some women in the study said they feel empowered. Sexting allows females to gain more self-confidence. It also gives them a way to spark a reaction. The sexting can also help a woman express her sexuality and sensuality.

The entire trend of women naked photos is done around the world. Most recently, an incident involved Hollywood. Actress Bella Thorne, 21, had tweeted out nude photos of herself to the globe. She was trying to get ahead of a hacker who threatened to leak the images.

Actress Whoopi Goldberg then blasted Bella for sending and sharing naked pictures. Whoopi said that in today’s technological advances, those photos can be seen by everyone. Whoopi said that smartphones are especially vulnerable to hacking.

Tearfully, Bella shot back at Whoopi. She said that girls should be able to send boys their sexy photos. She said there was nothing wrong with it, but Whoopi made her feel shameful. Bella Thorne says that women should be proud of their bodies and sexuality.

The New York Post had shared Bella Thorne’s reaction to Whoopi here.

Meanwhile, the University of Arizona study on young adults who text naked photos says the reasons can be complex. Morgan Johnstonbaugh conducted the online survey and believes that parents should start the conversation.

Johnstonbaugh believes that many parents don’t want to believe their young adult children are sharing naked photos. Some parents advise their kids to not to sext but don’t go any further.

The sociologist thinks that parents ought to sit down with their children. They should be discussing intimate partnerships and the consequences that can follow with sexting. Sexuality shouldn’t be hidden or a closed subject between family members.

Texting nude photos is popular, especially among high school and college-age adults. Every woman and man have their reason or reasons for sending the images. Unfortunately, something that personal can sometimes be shared worldwide.

Categories
health psychology

A Psychologist Explains Why People Gossip—And The Reason Might Surprise You

A Psychologist Explains Why People Gossip—and the Reason Might Surprise You

Why Do People Gossip?

There’s nothing like juicy gossip. While some people may be appalled at the thought of talebearing, everyone does it. Our conversations are not always about work, family, and life’s dilemmas. Why do people gossip so much? Could there be a psychological component to our need to talk about another person’s business?

A Psychologist Explains Why People Gossip—and the Reason Might Surprise You

What Is Gossiping?

A study was conducted regarding this matter. Shockingly, the average person will spend around 50 minutes each day gossiping. The kicker is that most people don’t realize they do it. They are just sharing information about friends and family as well as their life. Most don’t consider it anything more than friendly chatter. What is gossiping exactly? Well, it’s considered talking about an individual when they aren’t present, whether it be positive or negative.

Gossip isn’t always sharing malicious stories or spreading things told in secret. Sometimes, it’s just sharing mindless information. Stating that your best friend is breaking up with her boyfriend because he is a cheater isn’t malicious per se, but it’s telling her business to a third party. What if you tell other coworkers about seeing the boss at the bar last night? The statement may be factual, but it’s classified as tale packing.

Psychological Roots of Talebearing

Why are people so interested in spending nearly an hour of their day chatting about the lives of other people? It seems that psychology is a big part of routine chitchat. Duke University did a study that showed that humans tend to congregate into groups, and we need each other to survive. They discovered that people gossip because it’s part of human instinct. We must learn as much about those around us for survival. You want to know who you can and cannot trust.

Gossiping For Survival

Some people gossip about things that are essential for you to know. For instance, what if your father told you that your mother was sick, but she didn’t want to tell anyone? You have a right to know, but it’s her story to tell. What if you get a tip on the job that they are about to do a big layoff? The employee that gave you the information was doing you a favor. You have time to prepare and see what’s out there in case you are one of the people that gets cut. Some talebearing is helpful for survival.

Did you know that even back in prehistoric times that people used gossiping for survival? Let’s assume that a person came down with an illness. If this individual had the critical job of gathering food for the group, their illness could affect you and your family. In those times, sickness and disease meant death. When a person told you about these things, they were only looking out for your best interests.

Learning The Behaviors Of Others

You can tell a lot about social behaviors when a person is gossiping. You can learn if they are trustworthy. You don’t want to tell everyone your secrets, especially if they are not a reliable source.  We can’t talk about gossiping and forget about the times when it’s malicious, and people spread unpleasant things about each other. There can be a negative consequence for packing tales. Plus, the person spreading the rumors will be labeled as a busybody that is untrustworthy.

In conclusion, gossip is a normal part of life that is deeply rooted and has psychological stems. However, it’s important that the tales we tell are truthful and not done out of malicious intentions. When used for survival, gossiping is essential.

Categories
Personality

What It Means to Be an Ambivert, and How to Know if You Are One

What It Means to Be an Ambivert, and How to Know if You Are One

An ambivert is a personality type that falls midway between an extrovert and an introvert. They aren’t as outgoing as an extrovert, but they’re less reserved than an introvert. People’s sociability forms a continuum with extroverts at one end, introverts at the other, and ambiverts in the middle.

What It Means to Be an Ambivert, and How to Know if You Are One

While ambiverts are less well-known than extroverts or introverts, they are, ironically, very common. Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton conducted a study on salespeople and found that 2/3 of them did not identify themselves as introverts or extroverts; they were ambiverts. He also found that the ambiverts enjoyed a number of advantages over the extroverts: They were more flexible and they were better listeners than the extroverts. The latter could also come on too strong and thus annoy their customers.

The psychologist Carl Jung developed the concepts of introverts and extroverts back in the 1920s. While he speculated that there was a third group between those two extremes, psychologists didn’t coin a name for that group until the 1940s.

Businesses have started paying closer attention to the three personality types because they all have strengths and weaknesses that affect their performance at the workplace. Ambiverts’ flexibility, for example, is something of a two-edged sword. It means they can work well both in groups or independently – but it can also mean that they agree to too many commitments.

How to know if you are one Ambivert
The author Daniel Pink, who also hosts a TV show about human behavior called “Crowd Control,” devised eighteen statements that would help a person determine if they were an ambivert, introvert, or extrovert.

Examples of the statements include the following:

• I don’t like to draw attention to myself
• I am the life of the party
• I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them
• I’m a good listener
• I get bored when I’m by myself

Some of the statements, such as “I am the life of the party,” are true of extroverts, while others, like “I don’t like to draw attention to myself,” are more applicable to introverts. Ambiverts, however, would probably note that the different statements were sometimes true of them and sometimes not.

“Sometimes” is a key phrase when describing ambiverts. While extroverts are always ready for a party, while introverts prefer to stay home, ambiverts will sometimes want to party and sometimes want to stay home. They can thus seem extroverted in some places and situations and introverted in others. Ambiverts’ enjoyment of parties could depend on such factors as their own health, the people present, and the setting. The writer Vanessa Van Edwards, for example, states that she feels uncomfortable and out of place at fancy nightclubs, while she feels far more comfortable in classrooms or workshops. She would thus behave like an introvert at the nightclub – and probably try to avoid going in the first place – and behave like an extrovert in the classroom. She calls such behavior “situational introversion.”

Ambiverts need to learn how to use their flexibility to advantage, without letting others take advantage of their good nature. They should also learn when reserved or outgoing behavior is most appropriate to a situation.

Categories
Personality

Is it Possible to Fight Against your Personality?

Personality Types: Can We Mold and Shape Ourselves in Today’s Society? I have ever found yourself in a public setting, one thing was abundantly clear: some people are more gifted at expressing themselves to acquaintances and strangers than others. In basic terms, people are divided into two categories according to the personality traits and behaviors they exhibit on a regular basis. These groups — created by the late Carl Jung — summarize the patterns we express to others and give us an identity that we can call our own. If you’ve ever wondered if an introvert can become an extrovert, of if extroverted individuals can showcase introverted behavior, you’ll want to keep reading.

Your Personality and Behavior Is Not Set in Stone

Within the world, we can easily see how people misunderstand the role that personality types play within our lives. For outsiders, upper management and team leaders are positions often filled with extroverted types: people who have no problem communicating or expressing ideas to others. Following this false sense of belief, we begin to notice that the intricate parts of the business are filled with quiet, reserved individuals that work best on their own, or in small groups.

Although this type of categorization may seem true from the outside, it’s important to note that every individual has traits that fall both into the introvert and extrovert categories. While we may find that we keep to ourselves in a professional setting, being vocal and expressing ideas with accurate fluency becomes easy in personal situations. Reliable statistics now reveal that introverted individuals makeup between 16% and 50% of the general population. While these people may not be as known as their extroverted counterparts, they play a vital role in how society — both personal and professional — operates today.

Can You Change Your Label?

In simple terms: yes, you can change your behavior according to your will. The way that we act on a day-to-day basis is, ultimately, learned behavior that we’ve accumulated over the years. The way that we can begin changing our thought patterns and actions is by placing focus on our daily habits. Instead of turning the other cheek during a dire situation, speak with clarity and voice your opinion to those around you. You may be surprised to find that people are not only proud to hear you speak up, but take heed to what you say and act accordingly.

Start Your Journey Today

As you can see, although we lean towards one persona type more so than the other on any given day, we are not tied to the labels that modern psychology has created. Jung understood this and expressed a great deal of admiration for those individuals that step outside of their comfort zone and speak their mind, even when it feels unnatural or uncomfortable. For those of you that wish to become more aligned with your true self, start now and realize that no one is holding you back except your own limitations that you’ve acquired throughout your life!

Categories
Depression psychology

10 Things to Do if You Have Been a Victim of Sexual Assault

10 Things to Do if You Have Been a Victim of Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is scary. If you’ve been the victim of one of these attacks, know that you have resources. You’re not alone. You can fight back and protect yourself.

10 Things to Do if You Have Been a Victim of Sexual Assault

1. Get to safety.

Immediately after the assault, get to a safe place. This can include you, your parents’ or a trusted friend’s house. Other places include the hospital, police station or (if you’re a student) campus security.

2. Don’t change or shower.

Don’t change your clothes or shower, as it can destroy evidence. Additionally, consider gathering up any bedsheets or other fabrics that may contain fluids, as they can be used as proof of the event.

3. Reporting the incident.

Hospitals and police stations are both ideal locations to report a sexual assault. Take the items from step #2 to back up your claims. Be prepared – sometimes, reporting can be deeply stressful. The sooner you report, the better.

4. Find support.

Being sexually assaulted is a deeply disturbing event that will burden you for a long time. Don’t carry that burden alone. Let trusted adults know what happened. They will support you and keep you safe.

5. Give yourself a safe space.

You’re going to experience awful feelings months, even years, after your assault. This is normal. Give yourself space where you can ride out these feelings. When you’re in a bad place mentally, remind yourself: “I’m in a good place physically. I am safe. I am loved.”

6. Seek professional counseling.

Seek help from a specialist who can help you heal. Some counselors and therapists are specially trained to help sexual assault victims. They will guide you down a path of healing.

7. Protect yourself from long-term side effects.

The trauma of an assault can cause many mental health problems. Remember: what happened was not your fault. If you begin developing symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression or other mental infirmities, seek help.

8. Begin healing.

Healing is a long, complicated process, that happens differently for everyone. Don’t expect healing to happen in a linear way. For example, “today I’m at Point A of my healing, and if I do XYZ, I can beat Point B next month.” Healing is organic. Every day has its own victories, some you won’t even notice until you look back.

9. Legal recourse.

If you choose to prosecute your attacker, know your rights. Seek legal services. It’s possible to bring your attacker to justice and help prevent future attacks on other people.

10. Long-term recovery.

Time is your friend. You will find happiness and peace again. Keep making progress, and take each day one by one. Be kind to yourself.

To conclude, you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. There are steps you can take in the wake of this awful crime. You can find safety and support. Counseling is available to help you process and overcome negative thoughts and feelings. Healing is possible. With time, help and patience, you can be at peace and enjoy the rest of your life.

Categories
psychology Relationship

Russian Vogue Model Shares Shocking Photos of Her Battered Face After Alleged Assault by Boyfriend

Russian Vogue Model Shares Shocking Photos of Her Bottered Face After Alleged Assault By Boyfriend

Kira Dice, a famous model who has shot for Russian Vogue magazine, shocked and upset her fans in November 2018. Using social media, she revealed that her boyfriend attacked her in her home in Moscow, throwing chairs and hitting her. Kira says she hopes her pain can help to raise awareness over the issue of domestic violence.

Russian Vogue Model Shares Shocking Photos of Her Bottered Face After Alleged Assault By Boyfriend

Because she was afraid to upset her boyfriend even more, and maybe encourage another attack, Kira says she did not report the beating to the police when it initially happened. This is a common experience. As the advocacy group, Domesticshelters.org has reported, most women do not report their abusers to the police.

The model described the graphic abuse, opening up about the details of the violence. Her boyfriend attempted to rape her, stuffed money in her mouth to make her chew it, and knocked her unconscious. The incident was so loud that neighbors knocked on the door and an ambulance came to help her.

Writing on Facebook, Kira said, “I ask you not to be indifferent to domestic violence.” Many women do not speak up or do not have an audience to hear their stores, Ms. Dice is using her large online platform to spread awareness of the issue. She hopes to reduce the amount of domestic violence around the world. She encourages women who are victims to seek help.

The pain caused by an abusive partner can go well beyond the healing of the bruises. Psychological pain can stay after the physical wounds have healed. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, in a study, reported that “81% of women who experienced rape, stalking, or physical violence by an intimate partner reported significant short- or long-term impacts such as post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and injury.” Also, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety found that abuse can cause many mental health problems. They say “Anxiety disorders made up the greatest proportion of this attributable burden (35%), followed by depressive disorders (32%) and suicide & self-inflicted injuries (19%).”

Kira’s story is sad, but it is hardly unique. Many other women have similar experiences. With an organized effort, she believes the problem can be addressed. When celebrities like Kira, with her strong base of support, speak out, then the issue of domestic violence can gain more media attention. Kira hopes this is the lasting impact of her devastating situation will be the empowerment of women to overcome these types of abusive situations.

Categories
psychology Symptoms

Kids Born in August More Likely to Have ADHD Diagnosis

Kids Born in August More Likely to Have ADHD Diagnosis_

A new large-scale nationwide analysis has shown that kids born in August are at a higher rate of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with their peers born weeks later in September. This finding strengthens concerns that this common neurodevelopment disorder may be over-diagnosed.

 

Most kids in the U.S. join kindergarten at the age of five; the birthday cutoff in most states is on or before September 1. In states like Maine, Connecticut, and Virginia, some students may not turn 5 until after months to the school year with some as late as December 31. This often raises complicated issues for parents of late summer and fall babies in determining when to enroll their kids in schools.

According to Anupan Jena, a physician and economist at Harvard Medical School, its relative age and relative immaturity of kids born in August in any given class that increases their likelihood to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD.

Jena and his team used insurance claims data of more than 407,000 kids who were born from 2007 to 2009. In the States that require children to be 5 years old on September 1 to join kindergarten, kids born in August were 34% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD more than those born nearly a year earlier in September, which is just after the cut off date.

For kids born in August, 85.1 per 10,000 were diagnosed with ADHD, compared with 63.6 per 10,000 for the September kids. This is in reference to a recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Common ADHD Symptoms

Some of the most typical symptoms associated with ADHD include severe hyperactivity and impulsiveness that might be frequent enough to interfere with normal or regular routine tasks.

In 2011, about 11% of children in the United States aged between 4 and 17 were reported to have been diagnosed with ADHD. This was a rate higher in comparison to ADHD cases in other countries.

According to Jena, the differences between States also suggest over-diagnosis if there is nothing different about toddlers in different States. For instance, while close to 19% of 4 to 17-year-olds were reportedly diagnosed in Kentucky, the neighboring West Virginia only had about 12%.

Jena and his co-authors noted that this analysis has a couple of limitations. For example, the researchers could not assess the appropriateness of the ADHD diagnosis and couldn’t conclude that ADHD was over-diagnosed in kids with August birthdays.

It’s only that a kid’s age relative to his peers has some association with ADHD diagnosis and treatment rates. In addition, insurance claims data don’t indicate when a kid started school, and there is a possibility that some parents delayed school entry for kids born in August. The claims data only involved children with employer-provided insurance coverage and didn’t include Medicaid and uninsured patients. This produced a group of children with lower ADHD diagnosis than the national average.

In reference to Stephen Hinshaw, a clinical developmental psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, the greater recognition of ADHD is something worth because the condition can contribute to low academic performance, substance abuse, and poor social skills. Hinshaw who did not participate in this study noted that a brief office visit can result in an inaccurate diagnosis if other conditions or factors are not ruled out.

Hinshaw highlighted the fact that kids mature at different rates and many childhood issues like anxiety or trying to cope with overcrowded classrooms can be mistaken for ADHD. He added that there is need to understand other child’s skills instead of overreacting to inattention, impulsive behavior, lack of attention, and hyperactivity.

Edited by: Jessa (Jan. 27, 2019)

Categories
psychology Stress

Listening to People Who Complain Drains Intelligence

Listening to People Who Complain Drains Intelligence, Researchers Say_

Sticking in negativity can seriously ruin your mental and physical well being. Most people complain in an attempt to torture others with their negativity. Indulging in a bit of moan is an attempt to get our emotions out so that we can feel better.

However, science indicates that there are a few serious flaws if we reason that way. First, expressing negativity tends to make us feel better but it makes the listeners feel worse. In reference to psychologist Jeffery Lohr, venting anger sounds a good idea but it is comparable to emotional farting in an enclosed area.

Negativity is bad for you and your friends, and at the same time, it can be very bad for your brain and health.

Psychologist Steven Parton, an author, and student of human nature says that complaining alters your brain for the worse and has serious repercussions for your mental well being. He further explains that complaining can literally kill someone. Here are three ways how complaining harms your health:

1. Synapses that fire together, wire together

The brain consists of a collection of synapses that are connected by an empty space known as synaptic cleft. When having a thought, one synapse sends a chemical through cleft to another synapse, thus creating a bridge through which an electric signal crosses carrying its charge and the relevant information you are thinking about. Every time this electrical charge is triggered, the synapses get close to each other to reduce the distance the electrical charge has to cross.  The brain rewires its own circuitry, that causes physical changes itself, to allow proper synapses to share the chemical link to make it easier for the thought to trigger.

Put in a different way, having a thought will make it easier to have the same thought again. This is something bad for a perpetually gloomy person. Repeated negative thoughts will make it easier to have more negative thoughts.

2. Your thoughts influence your character

Hanging with negative thoughts rewires your brain with negativity like the way hanging out with negative people does. You can strengthen your capacity for positivity by surrounding yourself with positive people who rewire your brain with positivity.

3. Stress is bad for your body

According to Parton, keeping away from negativity is good for mental health, but quitting the complaining habit is essential for your physical health as well. When your brain is firing synapses of anger, it is a blow to your immune health. It increases your blood pressure which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, according to Parton. The stress hormone level increases when you are negative. Increased levels of this hormone can interfere with memory and learning, lower your immune function, increase weight gain, cholesterol, and heart disease.

How To Cope with People that Drain You

There are different ways through which you can cope with people who suck your valuable time and energy to fuel their relentless negativity. Such people are all around us and can leave you unhappy, exhausted and drained. Without effective strategies to deal with them, they can make your life miserable.

Energy vampires are mostly personality-disordered individuals with the following characteristics:

• They are intrusive and show poor boundaries
• They are overly dramatic and tend to exaggerate things
• They are overly critical and find fault with nearly everyone and everything
• They always complain and hardly find anything they like or meet their satisfaction
• They like arguing and hardly agree with other people on small issues
• They are persistent and demanding, and hardly take no for an answer
• They are always negative
• They don’t accept responsibilities and blame everyone for their problems and actions.

You are not supposed to let their problems become yours.

The following steps can help you cope with people who drain you:

1. Identify them when you meet them

It can be quite challenging to identify an energy vampire when you come across one for the first time. Their quirkiness can be intriguing and their gossip or stories can leave you demanding for more. Some have a dramatic flair that can be entertaining but their hard luck stories can leave you exhausted. However, you may soon realize that something is not right. Such feelings should not be ignored. You should pay close attention to your instincts and physical reactions after meeting such people. If you experience symptoms like muscle pain, low energy, headache, sadness, irritability, confusion, or negativity, there is an energy vampire in your life.

2. Avoid them if you can

Once you spot such a person, you should try to avoid him or her as much as you can. If there is no way to avoid them like in the case of a co-worker or family member, set rigid limits. For instance, if someone is overly intrusive or dramatic, always start off your conversation to let them know that you only have a few minutes to talk with him/her. Once you are done with them, disengage in a polite way.

3. Avoid getting pulled in

Regardless of how you feel like you are capable of helping such people with their problems, you simply can’t. People who are chronically negative tend to avoid your interventions and may create new problems for you to fix. The fact is that professional therapists have a difficult time with personality-disordered people. In other words, their problems are beyond your strength to repair. The best way is to set firm and clear limits. For instance, resist offering solutions to people who are constantly needy or feel insecure. However, you should not be rude. Try to be firm, kind, and empathetic.

In recent times, energy is a very precious commodity. It’s not something to be given away freely to the negative power of those people who steal your power. Instead, maintain a positive attitude and surround yourself with positive people who leave you energized.

Edited by: Jessa (Feb. 4, 2019)

Categories
brain psychology

What Happens to Your Brain During Solitary Confinement

What Happens to Your Brain During Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement happens to be a brutal, psychologically destructive practice of keeping an inmate in a single cell for hours, days, months, or years whereby they are in little or no contact to the outside world. Marvin Zuckerman, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Delaware, conducts a research involving the sensation-seeking trait, affect assessment and its association with risk-taking characteristics and its biological origins.

Zuckerman serves as president of the International Society for the study of Personal Differences. He also acts as a board member of the Delaware Addictions Coalition and Delaware Council of Gambling Problems. He has written over 200 articles, chapters of books, and books. Examples include Psychobiology of Personality and Behavioral Expression, Psychopathology: A Biosocial Model, and Biosocial Bases of Personality.

The social psychologist also serves on the editorial board of Personality and Individual Differences. He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees for New York University.

What Happens When a Person has Deprived Sensation?

According to Zuckerman, people tend to become bored and restless when they have derived sensation if they were high sensation seekers. However, low sensation seekers become fairly comfortable if they once had high anxiety characteristic. Based on his research, they were able to measure how they become restless and their tendency to move around.

During the first three hours, there was no much difference. However, as time went on, the highs were found to be more restless, jerking, and turning in bed. They could start singing to themselves although they were aware that speaking or simulating themselves was not allowed.

Zuckerman noted that when a person goes for a long period or shorter periods, the brain waves start slowing down. The alpha waves which regulate basic arousal in the brain start getting slower. And for most people, this feels unpleasant.

In different words, going below your optimal level for quite some time feels unpleasant. If such a person gets any kind of stimulation in sensory deprivation, even like staring at meaningless blotches of color, they would be very tempted to press a bar if that’s what it takes. They are simply lacking something, variety, and variety of stimulation. When you deprive them of that, it happens to be quite punishing to them.

This happens to be one of the ways of torture in social and sensory deprivation. Someone can be put in an environment that is not under sensory deprivation, but if nothing varies in their sensory environment, they tend to become increasingly aversive.

Is this kind of Torture More Humane Than Others?

Marvin Zuckerman doesn’t think this kind of torture is humane like the way it is called solitary confinement in prison. He refers to it as a form of punishment when someone is put in solitary confinement because of it also a sensory deprivation irrespective of whether there is light in a cell.

The fact is that there is no variation as nothing is changing and there is no one to speak with. Being a part of social isolation, there is no social stimulation. So, with time, this becomes very torturous.

Zuckerman believes solitary confinement is a mental torture of a kind that can be very effective. Given that prisoners are first isolated before they are interrogated, they are more likely to respond. This is because they have a tendency to respond to any kind of stimulation. This indicates that even interrogation is more prepared by sensory deprivation.

According to Zuckerman, isolation is so dreadful for humans because it interferes with one of our brain’s basic needs.

Edited by: Jessa (Feb. 4, 2019)

Categories
Beauty Body Image Relationship

Why Extremely Beautiful People Get Fewer Dates

Why Extremely Beautiful People Get Fewer Dates

Every person would like to be more beautiful, and it is evident with the current multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry. Though it is counter-intuitive, being beautiful has its downsides according to science. A study by the popular online dating site, OK Cupid, has shown that beautiful people who post extremely beautiful profile pictures tend to receive fewer dates than those who have down to earth looks.

Dr. Tonya Frevert, who studies the various ways how extreme physical beauty is perceived in social settings, says that attractiveness can convey more power over visible space. This, in turn, can make some people appear less approachable.

Other studies that have been reviewed by social psychologists at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte appear to be consistent with these findings. Researchers from this institution demonstrated that people tend to move out of the way when extremely attractive women walk through the public space.

Common Markers

Dr. Michio Kaku, a popular science author and theoretical physicist, explains that this doesn’t appear to be consistent with the evolutionary context of beauty. We all search for healthy mates and beauty is a way that we judge the health of another person. In reference to evolutionary psychology, the beauty and physical health shown in the body are marked by hormones. Examples of estrogen markers include large eyes, thick lips, and small chin. The same applies to testosterone. Large necks, low voice, and strong jaws are markers of testosterone. Dr. Kaku says that these are some examples of markers that we use to judge that a person is fit and healthy.

When receiving professional health evaluations, being judged as healthy from a potential mate is a double-edged sword. This is because strong physical attributes are associated with health. However, medical professionals are observed to give more attention and care to patients whereas they actually don’t display such characteristics. In fact, research shows that doctors tend to take the illness of an attractive person less seriously.

In addition, studies show pretty women are often passed over for promotions credit to sexists’ perceptions. However, they are less likely to get hired for high-level jobs that require authority. Jealousy can as well hold both genders back. For instance, you are less likely to get hired if you are interviewed by someone who thinks that you are prettier than they are.

Our reactions to beauty are determined by biology and the way our society understands that biology. The social status that we give to the most beautiful people is the one that makes most people feel too nervous when approaching them. We tend to think that they are above our class, but that class’s charter is socially built.

Make sure that you do you

Put in a different way, being aware that the status of beauty is determined socially can help us in dealing with our biases. This will help in ensuring a level playing field when it comes to personal and professional arenas irrespective of inherited physical characteristics. If your goal is to look good, go for it by all means. Fashion and makeup can be fun ways to make you feel good. But you shouldn’t think that you have to be beautiful and don’t let anyone tell that you should be. Because being beautiful doesn’t mean you are perfect.

Edited by: Jessa (Jan. 29, 2019)

Categories
Anxiety Depression psychology

8 Behaviors of Someone Who Suffers from Emotional Trauma

8 Behaviors of Someone Who Suffers from Emotional Trauma

Emotional trauma and distressing thoughts can be painful in an afflicted person. A piece of good advice can be very helpful to someone suffering from the pain of emotional trauma. When talking about “thoughts” we are not referring to conscious cognitive functioning. Everyone requires such thoughts to function in social life, work, and school. Instead, we are referring to the constant and nagging voices that are telling you things such as:

“You are not smart enough.”
“You will never succeed in life.”
“You are crazy.”
“You don’t deserve living anymore.”

Negative thoughts are indicators that someone is heading right to the path of depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma. According to Mickie Ann, the author of Gods Behaving Badly, it can be exhausting to fight a war inside your head on a daily basis.

Emotional Trauma and Possible Signs

Emotional trauma refers to the damage of the psychological makeup of a person after undergoing a very frightening or distressing event. Trauma normally affects a person’s ability to function properly in a society. Emotional trauma can be triggered by several events, such as:

Exposure to a sudden dangerous event like rape, accident, armed robbery, or terrorism
Prolonged exposure to dangers like child abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, or molestation
The loss of a loved one
Relations issues like breakup or divorce
Experience of humiliation or profound failure
Being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness

Trauma normally marks the start of the depression, severe anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, most people with emotional trauma don’t look for help. Some fail to recognize that they need support. Recognizing the possible signs of emotional trauma can be very helpful.

The following are some possible behaviors of someone suffering from emotional trauma:

Chronic Anxiety and Depression

As stated, a traumatic even can precede anxiety. In turn, anxiety leaves someone feeling like they can never relax. People who once experience trauma say that they feel as if they are “on guard,” a condition referred to as hyper vigilance. For someone who is developing depression, they are likely to develop comparable symptoms to those of an anxiety disorder. They include nervousness, irritability, and concentration difficulties.

Substance Abuse

Several studies have shown a strong relationship between traumatic experiences and substance abuse. A study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety recruited 587 patients from clinic waiting rooms in Atlanta, Georgia. The participants reported a lifetime dependence on several substances like marijuana, alcohol, opiates, and heroin.
According to the study authors, all the participants had experienced childhood trauma, which led to changes in the “neural structure” of the brain and interferes with its function. These changes are the ones that contributed to psychological disorders and cognitive defects.

Anger Outbursts

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, anger can be a very severe burden to someone with emotional trauma. Childhood trauma can cause changes to the brain that can make it difficult for someone to control his/her emotions. It is for this reason that outbursts of extreme anger become very common. Anger can also be sparked by feelings of being betrayed.

Numbness and Dissociation

Our brain is remarkable in a number of ways. For instance, it can adapt to nearly every environment. However, the brain of a person with emotional trauma may lose this adaptability. In reference to a study published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry, there is a strong bond between negative family experiences, childhood trauma, and psychiatric problems in people who find themselves enslaved. These findings suggest that trauma inhibits the normal developmental abilities of a person.

Great Fear

Traumatic experiences are routed into the brain’s emotional system. When responding to fear, brains scans have shown differences in persons with PTSD and people without psychiatric disorders. In specific, trauma victims have a heightened response to fear. Changes in the brain of trauma victims make them more likely to experience distressing emotions like fear, anxiety, and panic attacks. Researchers suggest this could be due to over-activity in the brain.

Thoughts of Suicide

Several studies have shown a strong relationship between traumatic exposure and suicide. Unlike the general population, people with trauma may be less hesitant to commit suicide. This is according to the journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Flashbacks

A person with trauma reenacts the exact traumatic experience in real time. Every day or ordinary experiences can trigger the flashbacks. For instance, a person with a history of sexual abuse may experience the flashback on spotting someone who reminds them about the perpetrator.

Sleeping Problems

Sleeping problems like sleepwalking and insomnia are common in people with PTSD. Other sleep problems include night sweats, nightmares, night talking, and night terrors. Again, researchers believe these sleeping problems are due to changes in the brain’s natural chemistry.

Edited by: Jessa (Feb. 4, 2019)

Categories
Body Image

At What Age Do Girls Stop Growing?

At What Age Do Girls Stop Growing

Between ages 10 and 14, girls tend to have their final growth spurt. But at what age do girls stop growing? Most girls reach their adult height by the time they reach 15 years old although this may vary based on various factors. The final growth spurt describes that period of a girl’s life whereby she enters the phase of physical and sexual development called puberty.

Girls start puberty at a different time and genetics largely defines the growth patterns. Therefore, the age at which girls stop growing differ from one girl to another.

When Does Puberty Start and End in Girls?

Girls usually experience a growth spurt that takes them to their adult height in their teens, as they undergo puberty.

The transition from childhood to adulthood is known as puberty. One goes through a series of changes as the body start to increase the production of certain hormones.

In most girls, puberty tends to begin when they are between the ages of 10 and 14. The average age for girls to start puberty is 11, although it is different for everyone.

To some, it may start earlier or later, which is completely normal. It usually lasts until they are around 16.

At What Age Do Girls Stop Growing in Height?

The rate at which girls grow during puberty tends to reach its peak about 2 years after the transition period starts. When the girls start to menstruate, they usually grow another 3 or 4 inches.

However, again, this differs. Those girls who start the period at an earlier age often see more inches of growth after the start of their period.

There are other factors that may have an impact on the age at which girls stop growing such as hormonal balances, nutrition, chronic illnesses, medications, and genetic conditions.

When Do Girls’ Breasts Stop Growing?

The first sign of puberty is usually the breast development. As the body of a girl starts to grow, she starts to develop bumps under the nipple known as breast buds. As the buds grow, they form breasts made up of mammary glands and fatty tissues.

There are certain aspects of the breast size that are hereditary. It runs in a family. Breasts will differ in size depending on a woman’s weight. After puberty, the breast tissue continues to change and respond to hormones throughout a woman’s life, including during pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstrual cycle, and menopause. A girl’s breasts may start to develop from as young as 8 and may continue until they are around 18.

Teenagers may feel self-conscious about this aspect of growing up. However, it is normal to have the following:

Tender and sore breasts sometimes, especially around the period
One breast bigger than the other
Pimples, hair, or bumps around the nipples

Can Anything Delay or Prevent Puberty?

A well-balanced diet, which provides all the nutrients they require and keep them physically active to support their continued growth and right development.

Puberty and the subsequent growth can be delayed for various reasons. The constitutional delay is a pattern of later development that can be found in a family and should not be a cause for worry. These teenagers fully develop later than their peers.

Every girl requires a certain amount of fat in their body before they start going through puberty. Therefore, the teenage girls who do a lot of exercises can start the process later.

Children with long-term diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or asthma may have a delayed puberty. It may be less likely when the condition is well-controlled with limited complications.

Problems with thyroid glands or pituitary glands, which produce the hormones the body requires to grow and develop, may also delay puberty. Similarly, problems associated with some genetic conditions may interfere with the whole process.

If one is overweight, it affects the levels of hormone and this signals the beginning of puberty earlier than expected.

Nutrition

Nutrition is very important, and a girl who is malnourished may develop later than their peers. Malnutrition that is so severe as a child can lead to delays in growth which may have on-going effects when not corrected.
The WHO describes impaired growth in children based on the expected weight for height, weight for age and height for age. The children who suffer from repeated infection, poor nutrition, and insufficient psycho-social stimulation are more likely to experience impaired growth.

Takeaway

The age at which girls stop growing can be influenced by some factors like diet, nutrition, and hormonal changes. Growth patterns and puberty are not the same for everyone. If there are concerns by the parents, they should see a healthcare professional for further tests.

Edited by: Jessa (Jan. 30, 2019)

Categories
Body Image guest blogs

The Sexiest Parts of Your Body: Can You Identify Them?

The Sexiest Parts of Your Body Can You Identify Them

When we talk about ‘sexy’ and other similar concepts, more often than not we immediately think of the genitals and those parts near them. While they are indeed sexy in the strictest sense of the word, we still have to get naked to get to them. Does this mean that we have to shed our clothes before we can be called sexy? The answer is a clear no, right? There are far more noticeable sexy parts of your body than these, and it’s important for you to know what they are if you are to leave the right impressions.

So what are some of the sexiest part of our bodies?

Your Hair

You shouldn’t be wondering why shampoo and conditioner ads flood the media virtually everywhere. People — surprisingly, more men than women — care so much about how their hair looks and feels because hair can tell a lot about a person to the observer. For one, hair is an indicator of health and energy (and probable efficacy in bed!). So the next time you go out to impress anyone, never leave your hair untouched. Spend some time on it; pamper it! It may give you rewards that you have never even imagined.

Your Eyes

The eyes are the windows to the soul. This statement really makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to attraction and relationships. Disgust. Interest. Glee. Anger. Fear. They’re all clearly visible in your eyes. If you really want to say it best without even saying anything, highlight your eyes and let them do the talking. Play with some eyeliner, perhaps? The objective is to direct attention to the eyes so that you can start speaking through them.

It will also be helpful if you are able to make your pupils dilate. Go to a place where there is not much light — pupils naturally enlarge in such places. Why bother? Well, dilated pupils soften your gaze, and they reveal your true feelings if read right.

Your Mouth

The lips are undoubtedly sensual. In fact, it’s one of the few places on your body with the most nerve endings, and that’s why it’s one of the first things that children use to make sense of the world around them. Aside from being recipients of stimulation, the lips also have an important role in conveying your sexiness. It’s no wonder why so many highlight them by wearing red-hot lipsticks and glosses.

Aside from the lips, your smile also contributes much to the attractiveness of conversation — at the very least, a smile is anybody’s go signal to engage. Hence, there is a need to make sure that you are able to flash a perfect smile at any time if you are to sustain a person’s initial interest in you. A lot of things can be done to fix a crooked smile. You can wear braces. You can also use clear aligners. There are many products available, and one is the very effective Invisalign Glasgow residents are using.

Of course, personality matters more than physical appearance. But remember, personality can’t do anything if the physical appearance fails at attracting potential acquaintances. Hence, it’s never wrong to devote time to looking good every once in a while. You owe yourself that much. We all owe ourselves that much. We just have to be sure that the steps that we take are safe and healthful.

guest blog

Edited by: Jessa (Feb 2. 2019)

Categories
Body Image weight loss

If You Do Lots of Cardio, This Before-and-After Will Make You Want to Hit the Weights

If You Do Lots of Cardio, This Before-and-After Will Make You Want to Hit the Weights

Have you been focusing on cardio to lose weight without much progress? There are a lot of inspiring stories from people who have been dealing with weights and have achieved a lot. It might be that time to ditch your runs and start dealing with barbells and dumbbells. There have been a lot of arguments in the case of cardio vs. Strength training for weight loss. Although cardio still remains a popular form of exercise for weight loss, weight training has recently gained the reputation of great fat burners too. The general rule is that you should burn more calories through high-intensity training unlike through low-intensity training.
Why is cardio not working?

Most of the calories you burn in a day aren’t through a physical activity but rather through your resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is actually what happens when your weight loss frustrations set in and you can’t explain why the scale is moving in the wrong direction despite your efforts.

If You Do Lots of Cardio, This Before-and-After Will Make You Want to Hit the Weights

Cardio workouts like running can lead to weight loss but not muscle building. However, if you want to see your body change faster, cardio isn’t necessarily the most efficient way.

Cardio comes with a lot of health benefits for weight loss. It supports your energy production, helps in recovery, relaxing, and sleep. However, if you are looking for the fastest way to drop a few extra pounds, here are some reasons why you should give weight training a priority.

Is Cardio for You?

Although cardio is not bad because it can help you shed those extra pounds, it just doesn’t burn fat quickly like most people expect. Ideally, you should combine metabolic and high-intensity workouts with longer, slower, less intense bouts of cardiovascular exercises. These short bouts of training increase your heart rate, boosts metabolic activity, and burn fat. The slower bouts help with recovery and increase your heart efficiency while ensuring that you don’t become exhausted.

If you become exhausted during training, you will most of the time be thinking about how your muscles feel. In addition, your heart will not be in a position to push harder. On the other hand, performing slower, longer cardio workouts forces more blood into your heart and expand the walls. This means your heart will pump more blood and oxygen to your body and make you more efficient.

If You Do Lots of Cardio, This Before-and-After Will Make You Want to Hit the Weights

Instead of running out of breathing as you try to push harder, you can fight off fatigue and maintain a higher intensity by doing a better job.

Although it is easy to see why it is important to perform a mix of low-intensity cardio and weight training, most people become pressed for time and impatient. They want to see results within a short time with the least amount of the required activity.

In addition, not many people have time for the needed extra cardio workout. This can be an excuse for some people but not all. Why should you come up with a training plan that you are not capable of maintaining?

It is the reason why you should go for weights if you have to choose between cardio and weights.

Muscle-Metabolism Connection

Let us look at an example. If you are a 200-pound man, your resting metabolic rate may range between 1600 and 1900 calories. This is approximately 3 times the number of calories you burn during a typical workout.

The point is that weight training better preserves your RMR through the lean body mass (LBM). This happens to be a significant contributor to RMR or the calories you burn in a day without accounting for physical activity.

Studies have shown that resistance-training doesn’t cause significant LBM losses compared to aerobic training. Additionally, resistance-training cause burning of more body fat and increases RMR. It also improves endurance. This clearly explains why untrained dieting obese subjects normally get speedy results through strength training instead of aerobic training.

However, these benefits are not limited to those who are obese or overweight. Strength training helps you to maintain a better muscle-to-fat ratio. This helps with the way through which food is processed while ensuring that the number of calories you are burning outside the gym is enough to support all your efforts when you hit the gym.

Categories
Body Image

5 Moves That Will Help You Get the Stronger Butt You Always Wanted

5 Moves That Will Help You Get the Stronger Butt You Always Wanted

Squats are a great way to exercise, but researchers using a machine that measures muscular contraction have found that they mostly work your thighs than your butt. Can putting on much bulk in your thighs make your body look proportional? The good news is that people who want to strengthen their butts can incorporate the following exercises into their workout routine.

5 Moves That Will Help You Get the Stronger Butt You Always Wanted

Romanian Deadlift

This is an ideal exercise to strengthen and tone your hamstrings as well as glutes. You can perform this exercise using a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a barbell. You should start up light while aiming to work up to at least your half bodyweight as you improve. Do fewer reps with heavier weight. Lift heavier weight if you can perform more than 12 reps.

Begin with the weight on the ground and positioned near your shins. Slightly bend your knees, straightened back, and chest up. Consider placing the weight between your feet if you are using a dumbbell or kettle bell.

Pick up the weight while bending your knees with hips pushed backward. Ensure that the weight is close to your body all the time and stand straight.

Push your hips back as far as you can without tripping over, while holding your core tight and maintaining a flat lower back. Slightly unlock your knees as the weight is descending but only a few inches. This will ensure that the weight is resting on your glutes and hamstrings.
Once you can no longer extend your hips, do not lower the weight any further. Briefly rest in this pose and then push your hips forward while lifting your chest up to the starting position.

Start with three sets of up to eight reps and rest for 30 to 60 seconds between the sets.

Kettle Swing

This is an awesome cardio workout that targets to build all the muscles on your back, particularly the glutes.

Place a kettlebell between your feet. Your feet should slightly be over your shoulder width apart.

Using both your hands, swing the kettlebell back behind you.
Sharply exhale as you swing the kettlebell forward explosively by powering the movement with your hips.

Swiftly inhale at the top of the swing, and bring it back down.
Repeat for 30 seconds before resting for 30 seconds. Once you become familiar with the swings, you can either try more reps in the 30 seconds or increase the training to 60 seconds.

Cable Pull Through

The uniqueness of this exercise is that it works your glutes in the horizontal plane. It may look easy but significantly strengthens and builds your glutes quite fast.
On the cable stack machine, set the pulley low.

Use the V attachment or the rope because it makes pulling through your legs easier.
Inhale and hinge at the hips while keeping a flat back and a raised chest.
On reaching the bottom, exhale as you push through with your hips to go back to the standing position.

Repeat two to three sets of 12 reps for a start. You can gradually increase the reps with experience.

BOSU Hip Bridge

While most of these moves mostly focus on the glutes, the hamstrings are equally important for your overall health and fitness as well. The hip bridge works the stabilizer muscles in your legs and the glutes too.

Moves That Will Help You Get the Stronger Butt You Always Wanted

Lying on your back, place both your feet on the flat side of a BOSU ball.
As you push through the BOSU ball with your heels, lift up your hips until they are totally extended.

Hold in this position for a moment before you return to the start position.
You can either try the hip bridge for reps or the holding position for time.

One-Legged Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts rank among the top exercises that target the glutes more effectively. They can be performed using a barbell, dumbbell, or a kettlebell.

Lean your back against a secure bench such that your back is about 45 degrees.
Bend your knees to about 45 degrees while ensuring that your lower back is kept flat.
You can rest a kettlebell or dumbbell against your right thigh although this is optional.
Raise your left foot from the ground and push through your right heel in one smooth movement to fully extend your hips.

Repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Perform sets of 20 if you are using your body weight alone. Five to six reps are ideal if you are using a weight.

Categories
Body Image weight loss

How to Lose Your Belly Fat Forever

How to Lose Your Belly Fat Forever

Many people tend to accumulate weight in their belly, and losing it is quite challenging. This can make you feel self-conscious especially when in outdoor activities or occasions. Despite trying a lot of crunches, your belly fat may fail to diminish. Luckily, there are some ways through which you can slim your tummy and enjoy feeling at your best.

How to Lose Your Belly Fat Forever

Add More HIIT Exercises to Your Routine

Incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts to your routine is among the proven ways that can help you shed your belly fat. It happens to be the most effective technique to help shed your overall body fat. This is very important if you want to get a slimmer tummy. You should try a 45-minute HIIT workout every week.

Consume Plenty of Bloat-Busting Foods

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) have been shown to help diminish belly fat. They can be found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. However, it is important to be cautious about their consumption because they are loaded with calories. You should also avoid hydrogenated oils because they can lead to weight gain.

Blueberries have also been shown to help in diminishing belly fat. A good idea is to add them to your smoothies and salads. Pineapples can also help get rid of fat in your tummy. They are loaded with an enzyme that banishes bloat, ease digestion, and flattens your belly. Foods that are high in fiber also have the same effects. They include vegetables, whole grains, beans, and pears. In addition, they help you feel fuller for longer while ensuring that you consume fewer calories in a day.

How to Lose Your Belly Fat Forever

Add Strength Training Workouts

Despite the fact that HIIT exercises burn calories, you can even burn more calories and fat in the long run if you have lean muscle mass. You can achieve this by incorporating strength training exercises into your fitness routine. You can try lifting heavy weights at least thrice every week.

You don’t have to spend all your time at the gym focusing on core-specific moves. As an alternative, try full-body moves such as thrusters that require you to work both your upper and lower body. These forms of exercises work several body parts while engaging your core at the same time. Isn’t that a great way to save your time?

Closely Watch your Macros

There is no need of giving up on carbs and resort to protein-rich diet. Rather, you should embrace the macronutrient trifecta of proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. This is in reference to Christmas Abbott. Apart from helping to reduce your overall body fat, these three will help in diminishing your stubborn belly fat. Additionally, they will keep you satiated and prevent you from eating larger portions. Thus, you will feel fuller for longer, which will ensure that you end up consuming fewer calories in a day.

Final Thought

You don’t have to let your belly fat make you feel less confident or self-conscious anymore. There is something you can do about it. Try the above four ways and you will soon be thankful for your amazing progress.

Categories
Body Image celebrities

Demi Lovato: What She Does Daily To Stay Grounded

Demi Lovato and What She Does Daily To Stay Grounded

Demi Lovato is just 25 years old, but what she has undergone throughout her life is so inspiring. The young singer has come out open and shared how she has been dealing with an eating disorder. She explains how she quit dieting, and now honestly speaks about everything she has been attempting to stay grounded.

Demi Lovato and What She Does Daily To Stay Grounded

Demi has been hitting her favorite gym at Unbreakable Performance Center. Apart from being a fan of gratitude lists, Jiujitsu is her favorite workout although she enjoys performing other exercises.

Speaking to InStyle for her April 2018 cover shoot, Demi said that she text with a friend and send a few things they are grateful for and why. During the time of the interview in January 2018, Demi said she was grateful for her dogs, her friends, and her favorite gym. She was also thankful for the ability to fly to New York within a few hours instead of having to drive there. She also had an opportunity to share her story and opinions with others.

Becoming the Role Model

Demi grew up in the era of skinny celebrities. She enjoyed her look and thought it was cool to be seen partying. Drugs were glamorized when she was about 12 or 13 although there was nobody she looked up to talked about mental illness. She wasn’t aware of any eating disorder and nobody was advising her to shed weight. She really wanted someone that her little sister could look up to and she took up the role because she knew it was very important.

Singlehood and Sexuality

Demi pointed out that being alone did not make her suffer. She acknowledged that for the many years she was in a relationship, she wasn’t learning about herself. She is currently learning about what she likes, needs, and wants.

On her sexuality, Demi said she’s very fluid and thinks that love is love. Since love can be found in any gender, she enjoys the freedom of being in a position to flirt with whoever she likes.

The Impact from Her Fans

She said that her fans display their cuts which she later meditates. She admitted that it was very heavy when she used to teach herself but all she would do sometimes is just breathe.

Demi’s Stunning Physique

Other than touring and cranking out hit songs, Demi manages an enviable body she seems to love through sweat-filled cardio workouts, martial arts, and other exercises. She admitted that workouts have been mentally and physically challenging and that she has tried nearly everything.

She now focuses living an active and fun lifestyle, which helps her cope with stress and anxiety. By learning new things, it has helped her to maintain an incredible look.

Some of Demi’s favorite workouts that help her stay happy and healthy include planks, boxing, Pilates, soul cycle, bike riding, squats, and lunges.

She hits the gym six days a week and once referred the gym as her “oasis” on Instagram. Jay Glazer, the founder of Unbreakable Performance Center, said that Demi could spend four hours a day at the gym. The gym has become her healthy addiction and she lights up every time she pays a visit.

Edited by: Jessa (March 2, 2019)

Categories
Body Image guest blogs

How Long Will It Take to Remove My Tattoo?

How Long Will it Take to Remove My Tattoo.

The first thing people want to know about tattoo removal is how long will the process take?  In general, most standard black tattoos will need up to eight treatments before they fade and will require recovery periods of eight to ten weeks between sessions.

How Long Will it Take to Remove My Tattoo.

When you’re desperate to get rid of your tattoo, waiting eight weeks between sessions may seem like torture, however, that recovery time is vital to the success of the removal process.  The ink particles making up the tattoo are mainly situated on the second layer of your skin.  This primary location stops the tattoo from fading and remains permanent.  Being in the second layer of the skin also enables the tattoo to be large enough to remain there without being absorbed into the bloodstream.  The effectiveness of laser tattoo removal treatment is due to the manner in which it sends a shockwave of light waves, breaking the large ink particles into smaller ones.  Doing so allows your body to easily absorb those particles and then release them.  Understandably, it takes time for the body to perform such an act.

The specifications to determine the number of sessions required for laser tattoo removal was developed by two dermatologists and is known as the Kirby-Desai Scale.   This scale will be used alongside your consultation to give you a more individualized timeframe.

What factors determine how long the process will take?

There are many factors to consider when determining how long it will take to remove your tattoo.  After you’ve had your personalized consultation you’ll have a clearer understanding of how effective this will be for you. Some of the things that play a role in the timeframe of laser tattoo removal are:

Your Skin Tone

Skin tone plays a major role in the overall outcome of the removal process. Because darker skin tones hold more pigment melanin, there’s a greater likelihood of hypopigmentation or discoloration resulting from treatment during sessions.  As this doesn’t occur in paler skin tones, we’re able to use high power settings on the lasers which reduce the number of laser treatments required. A skin patch test should always be performed on darker skin tones to ascertain skin sensitivity before commencing long-term treatment.

Size, Laying, and Density of Tattoo Ink

Generally, a small tattoo should only require between six to eight laser treatments to completely fade. The density and the amount of ink contained in the tattoo will determine how quickly the ink particles will break down and the rate at which your body can absorb them.  Understandably, very dark ink will take longer to remove than greys and shading because of the lack of density.  Tattoos that are layered on top of older ones (known as layering), must be removed separately and therefore require more sessions.

Tattoo Color

You may not think it but tattoo colors such as black, red, dark orange and blue are easier to remove than most other colors.  Because the ink used in tattoos are made up of various ingredients, each one reacts differently to the laser light wave. Tattoos containing a light shade of yellow and green for example will require fewer treatments than tattoo using other colors.

Tattoo Location

The area where your tattoo is located on your body can determine how quickly your body can absorb and detoxify the ink particles during each treatment.  If the tattoo you want to be removed is on your head, neck, and torso, it can fade quicker than other areas of your body due to your lymphatic system (responsible for ridding the ink from your body) working more effectively in the upper regions of the body as opposed to the lower areas.

Amateur Tattoos

These tattoos which often contain less ink may have been injected unevenly or sit on a different layer of your skin (as opposed to having one done professionally where it is always located on the second layer), therefore they’re often easier to remove and take less time.   An amateur tattoo containing second grade may also break down quicker than professional grade ink.

Related Link: Here’s How Getting A Tattoo Works In Slow Motion

How long will each treatment take?

It is not possible to predict exactly how long each session will take as the session time is determined by the size of the tattoo. However, on average smaller tattoos may take a few minutes with larger ones needing longer sessions of 20-30 minutes each time.

Contact us about your tattoo removal

To ensure optimal results, it’s vital to remain healthy and follow the after-care instruments between your treatments.  Once you’ve completed your personal consultation, you will have a clearer idea of the amount time it will take to remove your tattoo.

For more information contact James at Fade to Blank – Best Laser Tattoo Removal Clinic Sydney

guest blog

Edited by: Jessa (March 8, 2019)