Beauty Talk

Sadia Moyeen Beautician, La Belle

Dear Ms. Sadia
I have a fine growth of hair on almost all parts of the body, but I want to remove it "permanently" especially from my face, as it looks ugly. The other day I went to a centre and they advised me to have laser treatment. Now I am worried whether if it's safe for facial skin, or even any part of my body. I would like to know whether there are any side effects of this treatment, or would it cause more trouble in the future? Please let me know about it. And also suggest a skin consultant, and please provide me with phone number if possible. Hope to hear from your soon.
Hopeful

Yes, laser treatment works well on new hair, but be prepared for a few sittings over a period of time. Use if for your face; body hair can be waxed off. Please use a reliable place and a reputable doctor. You can try Dr. Kabir Chowdhury at 017404996 or Dr. Saiful Kabir 0189211542

Dear Sadia,
In understand there are various types of facials for women. I am 40 years old and I intend to start doing facials. I would like to know which of the following facials I should do: Short facial, Herbal facial, Shanaz, Gold, or Pearl Facial. Also, if you could please brief me on the different types of facials available.
Thanks, Mita

Dear Mita,
Please remember that a facial, is a facial! All facials you mentioned are more on less done with the same procedure, and only the products are different.
'Short facial' is a quick, get-fresh-for-the-moment facial and not as beneficial as a full 1hour therapy.

All four other facials are very much the same, as their goals are all the same, ie, cleaning, moisturising and hydration. The end result is common.

All products are good; your beautician will look at your skin type and decide what to do for you. Sometimes, certain products may suit you and some may not, so treat your skin at a reputable place.

Dear Sadia
I am a girl of 18. My problem is, I have many spots on my face. These spots are increasing day by day. I have heard about laser treatment, which can remove these spots. But is it safe or harmful to get laser treatment? If it is can you suggest where could I get the best treatment, and if it is harmful, then please give me a solution.

Yes, if the scarring is not too much, then laser treatment works well. Meanwhile, don't scratch your pimples to present marks. Call Dr Kabir Chowdhury at 017404999.

Dental wise

DR. Mahfujul Haq Khan BDS, DDS, FSDCE (USA), PhD (Japan), Post Doc. (Japan) Specialised: Crown and Bridge work, and Periodontal plastic
surgery (USA) Senior Medical Officer, Department of Dentistry, BIRDEM Hospital

Dear Dr.Khan
Can I do cleaning (Scaling) during Ramadan? What about bleeding during scaling?
Jhinuk

Dear Jhinuk,
Any dental treatment which may cause bleeding should be avoided during fasting. But you can do your scaling or other treatment after Iftar. Most cases of scaling may cause gum bleeding.

Hello Dr. Khan,
my gum bleeds during eating any hard food and while brushing. Should I do scaling? Should I do it once a year? Is it necessary if I don't have gum bleeding and infection? Do you think regular scaling can cause erosion of enamel? I am slightly confused! I would appreciate your valuable opinion.
Thanking you,
Morsheda Dhanmondi

Dear Ms Morsheda,
Gum bleeding during eating or tooth brushing is a clear indication of gum infection or initial sign of other medical disease. Yes you should go for scaling immediately. You should do scaling at least once in a year (In more advance cases we some times advice twice in a year). Regular scaling is a sort of vaccination to prevent your gum disease. Why will you wait to do scaling until gum bleeding occurs during tooth brushing? Regular scaling with proper handling of ultrasonic scalar will never cause any enamel erosion. During scaling if we maintain certain pressure, speed and sufficient cooling effect there is no chance for any damage of your tooth. But during polishing some dentists/technician are using rough/coarse device, which may cause serious irreversible damage. Before starting scaling and polishing, ask your dentist the following questions. Whether he is using ultrasonic scalar! Whether he is using sterile (Germ free) scalar tips! Whether he has sufficient cooling arrangements!

Hello Dr Khan
What is the role of a dentist in spreading hepatitis C and B virus in Bangladesh? I think it's alarming and unthinkable. There is huge number of "QUACK Dentists" working in Bangladesh, even I know some of them are practising in the Gulshan and Banani area without government registration. Are they aware of this deadly C and B virus? Are they aware of how to prevent this infection during dental treatment? I have every doubt whether some dentists are maintaining strict hygiene to prevent this. Please I want your opinion and explanation.
Thanking you,
Muhimul Alam, Gulshan

Yes I do agree with all the questions you raised. Dentists can play a vital role in preventing and spreading of these deadly viruses. I do not know about Quack dentists or how they are practising or dealing with their patient without proper qualification, or how much they are aware of these deadly viruses. Any surgical instrument, once used, becomes a potential source of infection to another patient and to anyone handling the instrument. To minimise the potential risk, each instrument must be cleaned and sterilised as soon as possible after use, in a manner that is demonstrably effective. Dental professionals who do not use infection control are playing with AIDS, Hepatitis B and C virus, and other deadly unknown germs, possibly threatening themselves, their staff, their patients and their families. To eliminate the risk of disease transmission, sterilise all reusable instruments, equipment and additional items after each use. Common methods of sterilisation in dentistry are steam under pressure (autoclave). Dental professionals, who do not use proper infection control protocol on the transmission issue are committing a crime. It is the duty of all dental professionals to use infection control guidelines. What can you do in these circumstances? In order to ensure your safety, observe your dentist at work very carefully. But what should you be looking for? Note carefully whether your dentist observes basic mandatory cross infection control techniques such as obtaining complete medical histories, changing gloves routinely for every patient, being particular about personal hygiene and washing his hands regularly. Of immense importance is whether the dentist uses sterilised instruments and disposable needles and suction tips. The sterilisation procedure renders the instruments free from all life forms. An 'autoclave' is the most important tool for sterilisation method in dental office. Please ask your dentist whether he is using autoclave. Simply boiling the instruments in a boiler, a common practice, is neither helpful nor advisable. Boiling is never an alternative to sterilisation, which destroys even the most resistant forms of microorganisms. However, if you catch a dentist not complying with these essential infection control procedures, condemn his or her gross negligence aloud in his office. You will be doing a great service towards promoting the safety of other patients before you walk out.

For more information visit www.aikodental.com

Keeping the flowers fresh

Many people are very concerned about how to care for fresh cut flowers. Whether you purchase fresh cut flowers at a florist or receive them as a gift, some simple flower care tips will help your flowers stay fresh for an extended period of time. When buying flowers, make certain the petals are firm and the buds have colour, a good sign that they will later open gently. Clean your vases with bleach to kill bacteria from previous flowers. Change the water regularly and re-cut the stems. Try to place the flowers out of the sun in the coolest part of the room. Heat speeds up the decaying process. Too cold a place or a drafty place isn't such a good idea either. Add a little sugar in the water as it keeps the flowers fresh. Remove the dead flowers as they appear, as these help speed up the ageing of the other flowers. Finally, spray mist the flowers once a day.

 

UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY

By Iffat Nawaz

Not moving on

Long ride it was…really long…longer because of company, longer because of big talks, but after all, it was a free ride to NY City during Memorial Day weekend. Who would refuse it? Not I, so I was there, living and breathing annoyance, only surviving dreaming of the end result, the good company that waits in the end, the walks that will be memorable, the shopping spots that will offer unbeatable deals, the food that will be talked about, the me that will be fully jovial. So I put up with it, and after an hour of crinkled eye brows that would only welcome my unwanted wrinkles faster, I learnt to zone out of the typical Bengali car conversations and noise--real estate deals, the best place to find 'pangash mach' in America, the fragments of overplayed, ruined folk songs, the cell phone alerts and alarms, and the faint snores of tired and bored bodies. Not sure how much time had elapsed, but we were in NY finally. My dazed eyes looked out to the streets of NY and strangely enough, I just happened to look at the spot that made NY the most talked about city in the last few years--ground zero. Right next to me, someone in the car enthusiastically pointed it out like giving 'poribesh porichiti', as if, me the non-New Yorker might have missed it. The ruins of Twin Towers, the hollow space that stands strong with an air full of question marks and emptiness, not moving me enough to miss a heart beat but enough to keep my melancholy eyes staring till we drove away from the area! I flashed back to a few frequent conversations that would unwillingly come up over and over again while my visit to Dhaka…
9/11, what, why, when, how, past, present, future, brown, black, white, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, us, them, and then again us. I remembered how annoyed I felt every time, how I replied by saying, "seriously talk about something else, move on, why write or talk about the same speculations, the save obvious biases?" And I argued and I eventually kept quite and nodded, hoping the conversation will die on its own, like they all do. But being there, right next to the gigantic graveyard of known unknowns, I felt a bit of sorrow. The bit of selfishness that keeps me coming to NY without giving anything back irritated me. I wanted to think, wanted to concentrate, understand why I was trying to move on, why I felt like I wasn't affected, and therefore I didn't need to worry about the city that also seemed to have moved on…when they really perhaps didn't. Why do only certain kinds of incidents trigger my emotions and not the others? Why didn't I think about the terrorists and their unimaginably brutal minds until I watched the well put together "Hamburg Cell"? And why didn't I think about the lives which are remembered for their deaths, not their living days, until I am right next to their death spot? Why does everything need to come in a neat package to have us look at it, and why now the silence of ground zero, zeroing into my mind? It makes me quieter than ever before, the silence which can take over all the voices in Time Square or the rumble of NY's old rundown metro rails. The last thing I wanted to do was write yet another piece on Twin Towers or 9/11. I didn't want to join the club of intellectuals who seem to understand it better than the next scholar. I am not dedicating this piece in remembrance of anything; I am not giving a new observation or adding value to something that lacked depth. I am simply apologising for ever daring to pretend like I understood or felt, now that I know I never arrived to the point from where I could move on.