by: Stephanie Larkin
There are many differences between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol. One of the major differences in usage is that ethanol has recently been used as an alternative fuel. Although Ethanol is used as a solvent as well, Trifluoroethanol on the other hand is an organic compound that is used as a solvent in chemistry.
Chemistry Make Up of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol
Ethanol is also known as drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. It is a flammable and colorless chemical compound. The alcohol in beverages with alcohol is also known as ethanol. Many times, Ethanol is referred to simply as "alcohol", although that distinction is not always quite correct. It has the molecular formula of EtOH, CH3CH2OH, C2H5OH, and is also known by its empirical formula of C2H6O. Ethanol is classified as being an alcohol. This means that the carbon that is attached to its hydroxyl group is a carbon which has at least two hydrogen atoms that are attached to it also. Ethanol has a hydroxyl proton that is weakly acidic, even more so than water.
Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is an fluoro organic compound. It has the formula of CF3CH2OH. It is also known as TFE, and is sometimes called trifluoroethyl alcohol. It is also colorless, but is a liquid compound that is water-miscible. It is often confused with Ethanol because Trifluoroethanol smells similar to Ethanol. Trifluoroethanol is extremely acidic, much more acidic than ethanol. It is therefore able to form stable compounds with other heterocycles, through hydrogen bonding.
Creation of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol
Ethanol is created by the fermentation of sugar. This is almost the earliest organic reaction that is known to man. In fact, this organic reaction, and the intoxicating effects that consuming Ethanol have had on the body, have been known since ancient times. Ethanol is also used in industry, and this type of ethanol is produced from petroleum refining.
Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is produced industrially. It is formed by the process of hydrogenation – or the process of the reduction of hydride derivatives of esters or acid chloride. These derivatives of trifluoroacetic acid are what produce Trifluoroethanol. Trifluoroethanol can also be produced by hydrogenolysis of certain compounds. These are the compounds of the genetic formula CF3-CHOH-OR.
Uses of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol
Ethanol has been used for many years as a solvent for substances that are intended to come into contact with humans. This includes lots of different things, such as scents, flavorings, medicines, or colorings. It is also a solvent in chemistry. This is because it is extremely versatile – meaning that it can be mixed with water and many other organic solvents. Some of these include acetic acide, benzene, acetone, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether, glycerol, ethylene glycol, pyridine, toluene, and nitromethane. It can also be mixed with aliphatic chlorides. These include trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethylene.
Ethanol and water mixed together create several unusual phenomena. It is able to reduce the surface tension of water. It also forms an azeotrope or constant-boiling mixture when it is mixed with water.
However, most notably Ethanol is used as a fuel for internal combustion engines. It is used for motor fuel, and also for a fuel additive. This happens all over the world, but Brazil has the highest percentage of Ethanol that is found in fuels. 20% of the fuel is ethanol. In the United States, a mixture of 85% Ethanol has been introduced as a fuel for cars. Cars must be created with the ability to use this fuel.
Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is used as a solvent in organic chemistry. Most notably, Trifluoroethanol is used in oxidations of sulfur compounds that use hydrogen peroxide. Trifluoroethanol is also used in biology. It is a co-solvent in the protein folding process that is used with NMR spectroscopy. This is because TFE can solubilize proteins and also peptides. It has a very strong effect on the structure of proteins, which is a three dimensional structure. This effect allows Trifluoroethanol to be used in these situations and to be used to create solutions with proteins. Trifluoroethanol is also used industrially. It is used in these situations as a solvent for nylon. This allows the nylon to be changed and molded. Trifluoroethanol is also used in several applications in the pharmaceutical field.
Although Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol smell the same, and are both used as solvents, they are actually quite different. Understanding this difference allows companies and researchers to use both of these compounds to their greatest overall potentials.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume
by: Steve Smith
The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions throughout the developed world.
Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine commonly consumed.
Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.
So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries, where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences, particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however, regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.
Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal functioning of the immune system.
But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.
Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly, however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.
With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.
The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions throughout the developed world.
Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine commonly consumed.
Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.
So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries, where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences, particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however, regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.
Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal functioning of the immune system.
But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.
Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly, however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.
With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.
Athletes are Prone to Dermatological Irritation: What Can Be Done?
by: Tom Maroney
When one thinks of the injuries sustained by baseball players, skin irritation is not necessarily the malady that jumps to mind. But for Josh Beckett, ace pitcher of the Boston Red Sox, it is exactly those sorts of concerns that have proven most debilitating over the years: Beckett has suffered from blisters on the fingers of his pitching hand that have landed him on the disabled list an astonishing six times since 2000.
That is a painful problem. It is an expensive problem. And it is a problem that can curtail seasons; it can derail careers; it can mean the difference between playing and not playing, winning and losing.
In Search of Topical Pain Relief
And it’s not limited to Beckett, pitchers, or even baseball players. Athletes of all stripes risk injury due to blisters, abrasions, eczema, cuts...all dermatological concerns that demand topical pain relief. And, it doesn’t end there: Those who participate in outdoor sports—tennis, sailing, skiing, and so on—frequently suffer from sunburn. Those who sweat a lot in workouts or competition such as basketball players, gymnasts, and runners have to deal with chafing. It especially helps runners to prevent blisters, abrasions, and also expedites in healing. These are recurring problems that demand chronic pain management. Yet, many athletes downplay these concerns, oftentimes because such injuries are not considered severe. Hey, it’s not a broken bone or a torn hamstring, so how bad can it be? It can be bad enough to cause an athlete to lose a step, or to favor a certain leg, arm or muscle group. It can also be bad enough to lead to more severe injuries. Just ask Josh Beckett.
As such, athletes aiming to remain in top form should seek to treat their dermatological concerns via natural health remedies. Indeed, natural pain relief is the optimum method for keeping an athlete’s skin healthy and hydrated. In fact, the importance of hydration itself cannot be overstated. Of course, the simplest and most effective method for staying hydrated is to simply drink water. And for athletes, who lose a great deal of fluids through sweating, water should be consumed frequently. In fact, it’s said that even 2 percent dehydration decreases an athlete’s performance by as much as 10 percent. Adequate hydration is crucial in keeping one’s skin healthy.
For athletes already suffering from blisters, abrasions or the like, simple powders and ointments such as Johnson’s Baby Powder or Gold Bond Medicated Ant-Itch Cream can be purchased inexpensively, and can provide tremendous relief. Even petroleum jelly can be applied to cuts or chafed areas to provide immediate topical pain relief.
For athletes suffering from dermatological issues, chronic pain management can truly be that basic. Again, let’s take the example of Josh Beckett: The Red Sox hurler addressed his blisters issue with…surgery? Laser treatment? Nope. He used Band-Aids.
Which doesn’t mean that Band-Aids or baby powder are the only methods for treatment, or even the most effective ones (it should be noted that Beckett’s Band-Aid solution prevented him from throwing his curveball during bullpen sessions, and his on-field performance suffered as a result).
Advanced Natural Pain Relief
For athletes looking for more advanced natural pain relief, XTreme Skin Ointment (http://www.xtremeskin.com) offers a wide range of healing capabilities: It creates a breathable, protective barrier for the skin; it locks out germs and bacteria, and locks in moisture; and it accelerates the skin’s healing process. Natural health remedies like XTreme Skin Ointment can (and should) be used as a preventative measure, but they can also be applied to damaged areas.
It must be stated that no athlete is immune to dermatological issues: Bowlers will often suffer from blisters and cuts; rock climbers, from cracked skin and burns; horseback riders, from chafing; swimmers, from dry skin; weightlifters, from calluses. And, too many athletes will try and play through these problems when they should be seeking out chronic pain management techniques and natural pain relief.
An athlete’s skin is as related to his or performance as his or her muscles, yet too few recognize this. It is crucial that athletes seek out topical pain relief, and it is recommended that they do so through natural health remedies. To ignore them, or to treat them ineffectively, can spell damage, disaster and heartbreak. Just ask Josh Beckett.
When one thinks of the injuries sustained by baseball players, skin irritation is not necessarily the malady that jumps to mind. But for Josh Beckett, ace pitcher of the Boston Red Sox, it is exactly those sorts of concerns that have proven most debilitating over the years: Beckett has suffered from blisters on the fingers of his pitching hand that have landed him on the disabled list an astonishing six times since 2000.
That is a painful problem. It is an expensive problem. And it is a problem that can curtail seasons; it can derail careers; it can mean the difference between playing and not playing, winning and losing.
In Search of Topical Pain Relief
And it’s not limited to Beckett, pitchers, or even baseball players. Athletes of all stripes risk injury due to blisters, abrasions, eczema, cuts...all dermatological concerns that demand topical pain relief. And, it doesn’t end there: Those who participate in outdoor sports—tennis, sailing, skiing, and so on—frequently suffer from sunburn. Those who sweat a lot in workouts or competition such as basketball players, gymnasts, and runners have to deal with chafing. It especially helps runners to prevent blisters, abrasions, and also expedites in healing. These are recurring problems that demand chronic pain management. Yet, many athletes downplay these concerns, oftentimes because such injuries are not considered severe. Hey, it’s not a broken bone or a torn hamstring, so how bad can it be? It can be bad enough to cause an athlete to lose a step, or to favor a certain leg, arm or muscle group. It can also be bad enough to lead to more severe injuries. Just ask Josh Beckett.
As such, athletes aiming to remain in top form should seek to treat their dermatological concerns via natural health remedies. Indeed, natural pain relief is the optimum method for keeping an athlete’s skin healthy and hydrated. In fact, the importance of hydration itself cannot be overstated. Of course, the simplest and most effective method for staying hydrated is to simply drink water. And for athletes, who lose a great deal of fluids through sweating, water should be consumed frequently. In fact, it’s said that even 2 percent dehydration decreases an athlete’s performance by as much as 10 percent. Adequate hydration is crucial in keeping one’s skin healthy.
For athletes already suffering from blisters, abrasions or the like, simple powders and ointments such as Johnson’s Baby Powder or Gold Bond Medicated Ant-Itch Cream can be purchased inexpensively, and can provide tremendous relief. Even petroleum jelly can be applied to cuts or chafed areas to provide immediate topical pain relief.
For athletes suffering from dermatological issues, chronic pain management can truly be that basic. Again, let’s take the example of Josh Beckett: The Red Sox hurler addressed his blisters issue with…surgery? Laser treatment? Nope. He used Band-Aids.
Which doesn’t mean that Band-Aids or baby powder are the only methods for treatment, or even the most effective ones (it should be noted that Beckett’s Band-Aid solution prevented him from throwing his curveball during bullpen sessions, and his on-field performance suffered as a result).
Advanced Natural Pain Relief
For athletes looking for more advanced natural pain relief, XTreme Skin Ointment (http://www.xtremeskin.com) offers a wide range of healing capabilities: It creates a breathable, protective barrier for the skin; it locks out germs and bacteria, and locks in moisture; and it accelerates the skin’s healing process. Natural health remedies like XTreme Skin Ointment can (and should) be used as a preventative measure, but they can also be applied to damaged areas.
It must be stated that no athlete is immune to dermatological issues: Bowlers will often suffer from blisters and cuts; rock climbers, from cracked skin and burns; horseback riders, from chafing; swimmers, from dry skin; weightlifters, from calluses. And, too many athletes will try and play through these problems when they should be seeking out chronic pain management techniques and natural pain relief.
An athlete’s skin is as related to his or performance as his or her muscles, yet too few recognize this. It is crucial that athletes seek out topical pain relief, and it is recommended that they do so through natural health remedies. To ignore them, or to treat them ineffectively, can spell damage, disaster and heartbreak. Just ask Josh Beckett.
The Perfect Rep: Unlocking The Ultimate Secret For Permanent Effective Training
by: Joey Sheather
This will be the most important piece of information that you will ever read about weight training.
Repetitions… Your entire training career is composed of millions of them. You group them in sets and they are the basis of each workout. Performing them correctly is the difference between success and failure. A perfect repetition, seemingly simple, has many components and is powerfully effective. I am going to explain how to perform the perfect rep and why it is so important.
At the impressionable age of 14 I was lucky enough to be introduced to the world of weight training by a competitive bench presser and ex-Olympic wrestler. He was a cartoonish 5 foot 3, 65 kilo powerhouse with a barrel chest and black pony-tail mullet down to his arse. At his gym in Bellingen he would ensure that I learned and retained precise lifting technique during my first 12 months of training. Thank-you Kevin. Under his supervision I went on to become the Australian School-boys Bench Press Champion at the ripe old of age of 15 with a lift of 87.5 kilograms (192.5 pounds) at a HUGE (laughs) body-weight of 66 kgs (145 lbs). That was after only 6 months of training. Technique and intensity is EVERYTHING!
Kevin sold the gym to a great man called Scott who became a very close friend of mine, a fantastic training partner and the catalyst for my career in Personal Training. He looked somewhat normal in comparison to Kevin sporting a natural, balanced, muscular bodybuilder’s physique. His basic training philosophy was to hit each muscle group from every angle with perfect form designating set and exercise volume in proportion to the size of the muscle group, i.e. back being the most complex and largest received the most exercises while biceps being one of the smallest received the least. I learned a lot from him. Exercise form was always at the fore-front of his teachings.
>From Kevin I discovered that each exercise has an optimum movement path to generate maximum power safely. Scott showed me a broad range of exercises and how to apply good technique to each of them for consistent effectiveness and efficiency. I have taken these lessons with me throughout my career and applied them to my training and the hundreds of exercises that I have created myself.
Anyone who knows me will find that I am extremely particular about good exercise technique. I pay very close attention to the body position and movement pattern adjusting fine components so that the exercise is totally optimised. I must annoy the hell out of my clients sometimes. It works though.
WHY IS PERFECT EXERCISE TECHNIQUE SO IMPORTANT?
Reduced Risk Of Injury…
If you are to remain injury-free throughout your training career you must practise safe, tight, controlled lifting technique for every single repetition. If the movement is as close to biomechanical perfection as possible you will receive maximum stimulation with minimum risk. Injuries will halt your progress every time and can be very serious. Any chance to avoid them should be harnessed, implemented and retained.
Decreased ‘Cheating’ And Involvement Of Unrelated Muscle Groups…
If your form is sloppy there is a good chance that you are not hitting the target muscle as completely as you could be. As soon as your technique declines other muscle groups come into play assisting during the lift, often in an unsafe manner. A classic one is allowing your torso to swing during a bicep curl using your lower back, glutes and hamstrings to get the weight up. There is not only the danger of hurting yourself there is also the probability that you are not taking the target muscles to failure. Keep the form tight and you will stimulate the muscle safely and entirely.
Decreased Involvement And Fatigue From Ancillary Muscle Groups…
Related to the last point the execution of a perfect repetition every time will ensure the target muscle is isolated and fully fatigued before the ancillary muscles (assisting muscles) give out. To make this more clear I will describe two examples where this is a common occurrence. Example 1: when you perform a back exercise if you do not focus on engaging and isolating the targeted muscles of the back then the forearms and biceps will crash and burn before the back is fully worked. Example 2: when you perform a chest exercise if you do not focus on isolating the pectorals during the movement then the triceps and anterior deltoids will give out first impeding the progress of the chest. It is easy for ancillary muscles to come into play during an exercise if your form is sloppy because they are there to assist the movement. But because they are smaller and weaker if you do not make sure that the target muscle is completely fatigued first they will always give out holding backyour progress.
Increased Motor Neuron Innervation And Muscle Fiber Activation…
If you isolate the target muscle group and contract it slowly and intensely through the entire movement you will activate the greatest amount of muscle fibers. A safe and full range of motion (ROM) will involve muscle fibers from the origin (initial attachment) right across to the insertion (final attachment) of the muscle. A slow, intense, precise movement during the entire concentric contraction (muscle shortening) and eccentric contraction (muscle lengthening) will innervate more motor neurons ‘firing’ more muscle fibers. This will facilitate a maximum activation of the muscle fibers and total muscle contraction maximizing strength and muscle gain.
Improved Mind-Muscle Connection…
The mind-muscle connection is your ability to feel the target muscle contract completely and under total control during the execution of an exercise. Usually a muscle group that you find difficult to feel and to develop is one that you have a poor mind-muscle connection with. Consistent, strict form on all of your repetitions will help you gain control of these stubborn body-parts. The mind-muscle connection improves when the path from your motor cortex (the control centre of your brain for movement) to the working muscle becomes more efficient.
Improved Focus, Discipline, Intensity And Quality Of Training…
This level of precision for every single repetition that you perform during your workout demands a massive amount discipline, will-power and intensity. You control the movement of every exercise and apparatus as though it were part of your body. Be patient and apply it to all exercises performed until it becomes second nature. By this stage it will feel awkward to train with sloppy technique and you won’t miss it because you will become stronger and more muscular and injury-free.
COMPONENTS OF A REPETITION
1. Starting Point – where the body is in the appropriate position to begin the Repetition.
2. Concentric Contraction – where the muscle shortens as the weight is lifted through the predetermined Range of Motion (ROM). Also called ‘The Positive Phase’.
3. Mid Point – the point of greatest contraction at the top of the Repetition where you pause briefly before releasing the weight.
4. Eccentric Contraction – where the muscle lengthens as the weight is released to the Finishing Point. Also called ‘The Negative Phase’.
5. Finishing Point – same as the Starting Point.
GUIDELINES TO PERFORMING THE PERFECT REP
Learn And Practice Proper Technique…
Take the time to study the extensive step-by-step video exercise descriptions on my website http://www.GlobalWeightTraining.com. They are demonstrations personally performed by me explaining all the muscles involved, the detailed technique and what the repetitions should look like during a set. There are over 300 hundred exercises; learn them before you perform them.
Apply And Maintain Proper Technique…
Once you have learnt the exercise guidelines make sure you apply them to your training in the gym precisely and consistently. If you forget how to do something go back to the site and look it up.
Repetition Speed…
The repetition speed should for muscle growth and strength in bodybuilding, shaping and toning and for general health should be medium (1-2 seconds) during the Concentric Contraction (where the weight is lifted) and slow (2-5 seconds) during the Eccentric Contraction (where the weight is released). The exact seconds required for each phase of the repetition depends on the size of the range of motion (ROM) of each individual exercise. Example; Calf exercises have a smaller ROM so the time required to perform the repetitions slowly would be reduced. Squats, on the other hand, have a large ROM so the time required to perform the repetitions slowly would be increased. Performing exercise with speed is not without merit and it is prevalent in functional training, power-training, and sport-specific training but there is an increased risk of tissue injury with the sudden force exerted when lifting. There is also greater focus on the tendons, ligaments, bones and joints rather than the muscles.
Ancillary Muscles And Stabilizers…
You cannot perform an exercise safely or effectively unless your body is positioned in accordance with the guidelines for that exercise. This means that once you are set your ancillary muscles (the direct assisting muscles for the movement) and the stabilizers (the muscles that hold the rest of the body in the correct place) must be engaged so that a perfect repetition is performed every time. This will make your body safe, strong and functional.
Abdominals And Core Muscles…
It doesn’t matter which exercise you are performing your mid-section must be switched on for total maximum gains. The abdominals and the core inner muscles of the spine are the superstructure of the body which holds everything together under the stresses of exercise. They lock you safely into the correct position and maintain it during the set. Engaging them properly will stabilise the body, increase your total strength, increase the strength of the abdominals and core muscles themselves, protect the spine and facilitate the implementation of perfect repetitions for all exercises. * To use your mid-section properly during exercise pull your lower abs in towards the spine, pull in the obliques, contract the entire abdominal complex and lift the chest *
Symmetry And Precision Of Movement…
To be certain that both sides of your body develop evenly you must ensure that each exercise is executed symmetrically. Human bodies are never built with faultless balance and the rigours of life make that deviation from perfect symmetry even more profound. To diminish the impact of this continuing you need to train in front of a mirror as much as possible or utilise the constant critical eye of a training partner. This will allow you to supervise and fine-tune your exercise technique at all times reducing imbalances of strength, muscularity and functionality.
Range Of Motion…
Most of the time you need to use a full range of motion (ROM) to stimulate the all of the muscle fibers from the origin, across the belly (the middle bulk), to the insertion of the muscle. If you cheat and continuously use partial repetitions you will lose flexibility and miss out on muscle and strength gains from the outer angles. There is a limit, however, to how large the ROM should be. It is individual to each exercise and should be large enough for maximum muscle fiber stimulation without causing any joint or tissue injury from over-extension. There are techniques and set sequences that are based on partial repetitions but they have their own strict technique and should be used sparingly for shock tactics and variety.
Breathing…
You need to breathe properly during each repetition to maintain a continuous delivery of oxygen around the body to the working muscles. It will also reduce the build-up of carbon-dioxide. This will give you the energy to power through the set and decrease the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA – that awful burn from lactic acid which is caused from glycogen being burnt for energy without the presence of oxygen). Breathing properly also takes the pressure off your cardio-vascular system facilitating normal function under conditions of high stress from intense exercise. It is important to keep the blood pressure down and unnecessary strain off the body as no-one is unbreakable. Another advantage of full, rhythmic breathing is that it will pace the tempo of your repetitions. You can’t take slow, full breaths if your reps are fast and messy.
BASIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE DURING A REPETITION
1. Take a slow, deep intake of breath as the weight is released (when the target muscle stretches and lengthens during the eccentric contraction).
2. Breath out more forcefully as the weight is lifted (when the target muscle engages and shortens during the concentric contraction)
3. There are alternate breathing techniques but this one is simple and safe so remember: breathe in when the weight is released and breathe out when the weight is lifted.
INTENSITY
Finally we come to my favourite word; Intensity. To cause the greatest amount of muscle fiber damage and to induce growth producing chemistry within the body you need to push each set to absolute failure or beyond. By that I mean that you make sure you grind out each repetition with perfect technique until it is not possible to perform another without losing your form. To go beyond failure you must utilise a training partner or spotter or perform intensity increasing techniques which are described on our website http://www.GlobalWeightTraining.com. You must however maintain precise technique for each repetition throughout the set no matter what your goal is or how far you push yourself.
There you have it my friends. I have given you the key. Place it in the lock and turn it. Don’t look back. There is so much out there to learn, understand and apply to your training. You may get a little lost among it all but if you know how to perform ‘The Perfect Rep’ every time the most basic element of successful training will be with you forever. Good luck and have fun…
This will be the most important piece of information that you will ever read about weight training.
Repetitions… Your entire training career is composed of millions of them. You group them in sets and they are the basis of each workout. Performing them correctly is the difference between success and failure. A perfect repetition, seemingly simple, has many components and is powerfully effective. I am going to explain how to perform the perfect rep and why it is so important.
At the impressionable age of 14 I was lucky enough to be introduced to the world of weight training by a competitive bench presser and ex-Olympic wrestler. He was a cartoonish 5 foot 3, 65 kilo powerhouse with a barrel chest and black pony-tail mullet down to his arse. At his gym in Bellingen he would ensure that I learned and retained precise lifting technique during my first 12 months of training. Thank-you Kevin. Under his supervision I went on to become the Australian School-boys Bench Press Champion at the ripe old of age of 15 with a lift of 87.5 kilograms (192.5 pounds) at a HUGE (laughs) body-weight of 66 kgs (145 lbs). That was after only 6 months of training. Technique and intensity is EVERYTHING!
Kevin sold the gym to a great man called Scott who became a very close friend of mine, a fantastic training partner and the catalyst for my career in Personal Training. He looked somewhat normal in comparison to Kevin sporting a natural, balanced, muscular bodybuilder’s physique. His basic training philosophy was to hit each muscle group from every angle with perfect form designating set and exercise volume in proportion to the size of the muscle group, i.e. back being the most complex and largest received the most exercises while biceps being one of the smallest received the least. I learned a lot from him. Exercise form was always at the fore-front of his teachings.
>From Kevin I discovered that each exercise has an optimum movement path to generate maximum power safely. Scott showed me a broad range of exercises and how to apply good technique to each of them for consistent effectiveness and efficiency. I have taken these lessons with me throughout my career and applied them to my training and the hundreds of exercises that I have created myself.
Anyone who knows me will find that I am extremely particular about good exercise technique. I pay very close attention to the body position and movement pattern adjusting fine components so that the exercise is totally optimised. I must annoy the hell out of my clients sometimes. It works though.
WHY IS PERFECT EXERCISE TECHNIQUE SO IMPORTANT?
Reduced Risk Of Injury…
If you are to remain injury-free throughout your training career you must practise safe, tight, controlled lifting technique for every single repetition. If the movement is as close to biomechanical perfection as possible you will receive maximum stimulation with minimum risk. Injuries will halt your progress every time and can be very serious. Any chance to avoid them should be harnessed, implemented and retained.
Decreased ‘Cheating’ And Involvement Of Unrelated Muscle Groups…
If your form is sloppy there is a good chance that you are not hitting the target muscle as completely as you could be. As soon as your technique declines other muscle groups come into play assisting during the lift, often in an unsafe manner. A classic one is allowing your torso to swing during a bicep curl using your lower back, glutes and hamstrings to get the weight up. There is not only the danger of hurting yourself there is also the probability that you are not taking the target muscles to failure. Keep the form tight and you will stimulate the muscle safely and entirely.
Decreased Involvement And Fatigue From Ancillary Muscle Groups…
Related to the last point the execution of a perfect repetition every time will ensure the target muscle is isolated and fully fatigued before the ancillary muscles (assisting muscles) give out. To make this more clear I will describe two examples where this is a common occurrence. Example 1: when you perform a back exercise if you do not focus on engaging and isolating the targeted muscles of the back then the forearms and biceps will crash and burn before the back is fully worked. Example 2: when you perform a chest exercise if you do not focus on isolating the pectorals during the movement then the triceps and anterior deltoids will give out first impeding the progress of the chest. It is easy for ancillary muscles to come into play during an exercise if your form is sloppy because they are there to assist the movement. But because they are smaller and weaker if you do not make sure that the target muscle is completely fatigued first they will always give out holding backyour progress.
Increased Motor Neuron Innervation And Muscle Fiber Activation…
If you isolate the target muscle group and contract it slowly and intensely through the entire movement you will activate the greatest amount of muscle fibers. A safe and full range of motion (ROM) will involve muscle fibers from the origin (initial attachment) right across to the insertion (final attachment) of the muscle. A slow, intense, precise movement during the entire concentric contraction (muscle shortening) and eccentric contraction (muscle lengthening) will innervate more motor neurons ‘firing’ more muscle fibers. This will facilitate a maximum activation of the muscle fibers and total muscle contraction maximizing strength and muscle gain.
Improved Mind-Muscle Connection…
The mind-muscle connection is your ability to feel the target muscle contract completely and under total control during the execution of an exercise. Usually a muscle group that you find difficult to feel and to develop is one that you have a poor mind-muscle connection with. Consistent, strict form on all of your repetitions will help you gain control of these stubborn body-parts. The mind-muscle connection improves when the path from your motor cortex (the control centre of your brain for movement) to the working muscle becomes more efficient.
Improved Focus, Discipline, Intensity And Quality Of Training…
This level of precision for every single repetition that you perform during your workout demands a massive amount discipline, will-power and intensity. You control the movement of every exercise and apparatus as though it were part of your body. Be patient and apply it to all exercises performed until it becomes second nature. By this stage it will feel awkward to train with sloppy technique and you won’t miss it because you will become stronger and more muscular and injury-free.
COMPONENTS OF A REPETITION
1. Starting Point – where the body is in the appropriate position to begin the Repetition.
2. Concentric Contraction – where the muscle shortens as the weight is lifted through the predetermined Range of Motion (ROM). Also called ‘The Positive Phase’.
3. Mid Point – the point of greatest contraction at the top of the Repetition where you pause briefly before releasing the weight.
4. Eccentric Contraction – where the muscle lengthens as the weight is released to the Finishing Point. Also called ‘The Negative Phase’.
5. Finishing Point – same as the Starting Point.
GUIDELINES TO PERFORMING THE PERFECT REP
Learn And Practice Proper Technique…
Take the time to study the extensive step-by-step video exercise descriptions on my website http://www.GlobalWeightTraining.com. They are demonstrations personally performed by me explaining all the muscles involved, the detailed technique and what the repetitions should look like during a set. There are over 300 hundred exercises; learn them before you perform them.
Apply And Maintain Proper Technique…
Once you have learnt the exercise guidelines make sure you apply them to your training in the gym precisely and consistently. If you forget how to do something go back to the site and look it up.
Repetition Speed…
The repetition speed should for muscle growth and strength in bodybuilding, shaping and toning and for general health should be medium (1-2 seconds) during the Concentric Contraction (where the weight is lifted) and slow (2-5 seconds) during the Eccentric Contraction (where the weight is released). The exact seconds required for each phase of the repetition depends on the size of the range of motion (ROM) of each individual exercise. Example; Calf exercises have a smaller ROM so the time required to perform the repetitions slowly would be reduced. Squats, on the other hand, have a large ROM so the time required to perform the repetitions slowly would be increased. Performing exercise with speed is not without merit and it is prevalent in functional training, power-training, and sport-specific training but there is an increased risk of tissue injury with the sudden force exerted when lifting. There is also greater focus on the tendons, ligaments, bones and joints rather than the muscles.
Ancillary Muscles And Stabilizers…
You cannot perform an exercise safely or effectively unless your body is positioned in accordance with the guidelines for that exercise. This means that once you are set your ancillary muscles (the direct assisting muscles for the movement) and the stabilizers (the muscles that hold the rest of the body in the correct place) must be engaged so that a perfect repetition is performed every time. This will make your body safe, strong and functional.
Abdominals And Core Muscles…
It doesn’t matter which exercise you are performing your mid-section must be switched on for total maximum gains. The abdominals and the core inner muscles of the spine are the superstructure of the body which holds everything together under the stresses of exercise. They lock you safely into the correct position and maintain it during the set. Engaging them properly will stabilise the body, increase your total strength, increase the strength of the abdominals and core muscles themselves, protect the spine and facilitate the implementation of perfect repetitions for all exercises. * To use your mid-section properly during exercise pull your lower abs in towards the spine, pull in the obliques, contract the entire abdominal complex and lift the chest *
Symmetry And Precision Of Movement…
To be certain that both sides of your body develop evenly you must ensure that each exercise is executed symmetrically. Human bodies are never built with faultless balance and the rigours of life make that deviation from perfect symmetry even more profound. To diminish the impact of this continuing you need to train in front of a mirror as much as possible or utilise the constant critical eye of a training partner. This will allow you to supervise and fine-tune your exercise technique at all times reducing imbalances of strength, muscularity and functionality.
Range Of Motion…
Most of the time you need to use a full range of motion (ROM) to stimulate the all of the muscle fibers from the origin, across the belly (the middle bulk), to the insertion of the muscle. If you cheat and continuously use partial repetitions you will lose flexibility and miss out on muscle and strength gains from the outer angles. There is a limit, however, to how large the ROM should be. It is individual to each exercise and should be large enough for maximum muscle fiber stimulation without causing any joint or tissue injury from over-extension. There are techniques and set sequences that are based on partial repetitions but they have their own strict technique and should be used sparingly for shock tactics and variety.
Breathing…
You need to breathe properly during each repetition to maintain a continuous delivery of oxygen around the body to the working muscles. It will also reduce the build-up of carbon-dioxide. This will give you the energy to power through the set and decrease the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA – that awful burn from lactic acid which is caused from glycogen being burnt for energy without the presence of oxygen). Breathing properly also takes the pressure off your cardio-vascular system facilitating normal function under conditions of high stress from intense exercise. It is important to keep the blood pressure down and unnecessary strain off the body as no-one is unbreakable. Another advantage of full, rhythmic breathing is that it will pace the tempo of your repetitions. You can’t take slow, full breaths if your reps are fast and messy.
BASIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE DURING A REPETITION
1. Take a slow, deep intake of breath as the weight is released (when the target muscle stretches and lengthens during the eccentric contraction).
2. Breath out more forcefully as the weight is lifted (when the target muscle engages and shortens during the concentric contraction)
3. There are alternate breathing techniques but this one is simple and safe so remember: breathe in when the weight is released and breathe out when the weight is lifted.
INTENSITY
Finally we come to my favourite word; Intensity. To cause the greatest amount of muscle fiber damage and to induce growth producing chemistry within the body you need to push each set to absolute failure or beyond. By that I mean that you make sure you grind out each repetition with perfect technique until it is not possible to perform another without losing your form. To go beyond failure you must utilise a training partner or spotter or perform intensity increasing techniques which are described on our website http://www.GlobalWeightTraining.com. You must however maintain precise technique for each repetition throughout the set no matter what your goal is or how far you push yourself.
There you have it my friends. I have given you the key. Place it in the lock and turn it. Don’t look back. There is so much out there to learn, understand and apply to your training. You may get a little lost among it all but if you know how to perform ‘The Perfect Rep’ every time the most basic element of successful training will be with you forever. Good luck and have fun…
Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About HIPAA And FERPA
by: Kristine Dunne
Consider this question. Say the mother of a 22-year old student that you have treated requests to see her daughter’s medical records. The Bursar’s office confirms that the student is listed as a dependent for tax purposes. There seems to be no urgent reason for such a release and the student does not wish to give her mother access. How would you protect the privacy of her information?
Situations such as this one that require knowledge of privacy laws to resolve successfully are all too common in the average student health center, yet the acronyms HIPAA and FERPA tend to strike fear into the hearts of the staunchest of college health professionals. So much has been written anecdotally on the subject of how complicated and unspecific these laws are that some may be surprised to find that according to legal professionals, the intersections between the laws are generally clear-cut. This article aims to explain which laws apply to you and what you can do to avoid the headaches that ensue from a conflict between your principles as a care provider and the law.
Six golden rules of privacy law
* FERPA never applies to non-students
* FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
* HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student “treatment records”
* Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you perform electronic transactions.
* Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
* State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply
This is how these rules break down.
RULE 1: FERPA never applies to non-students
RULE 2: FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the older of the two federal privacy laws. Enacted in 1974, one aspect of its governance is the privacy of educational records. There is a popular myth circulating that student medical records fall under the FERPA’s umbrella term “educational records”. In fact, FERPA specifically excludes the treatment records of students in higher education from its definition of educational records (see USC 20, 1232g for a complete definition). It also excludes employees of an educational institution if they are not students. FERPA does come into play, but only if the records are released to someone outside the health center, whether that is the student, their parents, their professors, or another health provider outside the university, at which point they become “educational records” rather than treatment records.
It is important to note that it is not the request for the release that brings FERPA into effect. Many student health professionals believe that if a request to see the records is made that is in accordance with FERPA guidelines, they have to release them or be in violation of FERPA. Not so, says Kristine Dunne, BA, EdM, JD, an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Arent Fox, LLC.
“It's the release of the records that triggers FERPA,” she explains. “There are no rights extended under FERPA to those medical records until such time as they have been made available to someone other than the treating health professionals, at which point the FERPA protections of student records kick in.”
Applying this to the example at the beginning of the article, if state law doesn’t require you to release the student’s unreleased medical records to her mother, you are under no legal obligation to do so without a court order. Similarly, even if you think a professor may have a “legitimate educational interest” in requesting a student’s unreleased medical records, you still don’t have to release them.
FERPA is just one part of the puzzle, however. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is another relevant law that seeks to be the national privacy standard in health care. It was updated in 2003 to take into account the trend toward automation and electronic record-keeping. These privacy guidelines have been well publicized and generally uphold the kind of patient confidentiality that most health care providers are comfortable with and there has therefore been a widespread trend in health centers to apply these standards to student medical records, even if they are not legally required. It is important to realize, however, that while its principles of privacy and confidentiality are excellent, in most cases, compliance is not required by law.
RULE 3: HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student medical records which are made, maintained, or used only in connection with the provision of treatment to the student, and are not available to anyone other than persons providing such treatment.
RULE 4: Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you transmit health care information in electronic form in connection with the submission of claims for payment.
HIPAA’s definition of protected health information (PHI) specifically excludes education records covered by FERPA and the treatment records of students in higher education as defined above. Dunne explains that the goal of this exclusion is simplification.
“If student medical records were subject to HIPAA, there would be two completely different schemes – up until the health center released the record, it would be governed by HIPAA, and when it had been released it would be governed by FERPA,” she says.
This was apparently considered unworkable by Congress, hence the blanket exception that HIPAA makes for any kind of student medical records. However, many student health and counseling centers also treat non-students, and this is where it starts to get a little bit trickier. To be considered a “covered entity” (i.e., bound by HIPAA), your health center must electronically transmit health information in connection with a “HIPAA transaction”. More detailed information on what constitutes a HIPAA transaction can be found in this primer released by The American Council on Education, but essentially it is any administrative or financial task carried out in the course of health care that transmits PHI. If you don’t perform electronic transactions, you don’t have to comply with HIPAA.
RULE 5: Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
Usually, every transaction of “covered entities” has to be bound by HIPAA standards, even if they are not all electronic transactions. However, because of the intersection with FERPA, these health centers are able to be bound by HIPAA just for the non-student transactions.
RULE 6: State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply
With all the fuss about HIPAA and FERPA, don’t forget about your state’s laws concerning privacy. In some cases, state laws are the only ones that will apply to student medical records, but even where HIPAA or FERPA apply, state law is still relevant. Despite the fact that HIPAA is a federal law, it bows to state law in those cases where state law is more stringent. Arent Fox Associate Richard Liner, BA, JD, MPH, elaborates:
“HIPAA has an enormous pre-emption problem because it sets a floor and not a ceiling for health care privacy. Congress only established a minimum for protecting patient information. If a state’s laws or regulations are more stringent than HIPAA in their protection of patient health information, then covered entities must follow state requirements.”
This may conjure up ideas of conflicting laws, but Arent Fox counsels that generally, state laws are more specific and will very rarely conflict directly with HIPAA or FERPA. If more than one law is applicable, generally the more stringent requirements will apply. When in doubt, consult counsel before taking action.
Knowing the theory is one thing, but applying it can be a lot more complicated. FERPA requires the student to give written, dated permission before his or her student records information is released – even to other health care providers outside the university, which is a source of frustration for many. But the same information can be released, unauthorized, to school officials who have a “legitimate educational interest”. Similarly, FERPA allows unauthorized disclosure in an emergency, if it is “necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons”. Dunne counsels to rely on common sense to interpret these terms, and to consult counsel early in the process. No law can specifically cover every eventuality; the burden of responsibility and interpretation must, through necessity, rest on the care provider.
This responsibility weighs all the more heavy because schools are concerned about penalties for breaching FERPA. If the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) found a pattern of violations of FERPA with no obvious attempts to follow the guidelines, it could result in a removal of federal funding. However, it is important to know that individuals cannot be prosecuted for a FERPA breach and individual students cannot sue for damages for such a breach. Schools should carefully develop, implement and maintain compliance oversight with regard to these important privacy laws in order to prevent unlawful release of student records. Likewise, if your school treats non-students, files electronic claims and is bound by HIPAA for those transactions, you should make sure that HIPAA protections are implemented, even though a HIPAA violation may not – for now – result in a fine being imposed. Liner explains:
“In the vast majority of cases where there’s found to be a violation of HIPAA, there is what’s called an ‘administrative resolution’, which generally means the mistake wasn’t intentional and the organization voluntarily agrees to take appropriate remedial action.”
No civil fines for violations of HIPAA have been imposed so far, although Liner warns that is likely to soon change.
Although information on the triumvirate of privacy laws has always been available to those who know where to look for it, there is also a wealth of partial and incorrect information available on the Internet that has muddied the waters for those health professionals attempting to do a little research on the laws that apply to them. Dunne and Liner counsel that you should speak to a professional who knows the law in your state and the ins and outs of FERPA and HIPAA if you are worried about misinterpretation of the law. Even if you know the basics, state laws vary greatly and knowing the details of how the three laws intersect will allow you the greatest leeway to interpret them in a way that is consistent with your ethics.
“It is complicated,” sympathizes Liner. “Talk to the privacy officer within the university, if there is one. There are also a few government Web sites that are really good in terms of user-friendly guidance to help people navigate through the more basic pitfalls.” For instance, the Office of Civil Rights, the enforcement agency for the HIPAA privacy standards, offers tremendously helpful information and FAQs on its Web site.
“Consult with your legal counsel to ensure you’re interpreting and applying the law correctly,” adds Dunne. “And be clear to those who use student health center services, especially students, about the laws that apply.”
Consider this question. Say the mother of a 22-year old student that you have treated requests to see her daughter’s medical records. The Bursar’s office confirms that the student is listed as a dependent for tax purposes. There seems to be no urgent reason for such a release and the student does not wish to give her mother access. How would you protect the privacy of her information?
Situations such as this one that require knowledge of privacy laws to resolve successfully are all too common in the average student health center, yet the acronyms HIPAA and FERPA tend to strike fear into the hearts of the staunchest of college health professionals. So much has been written anecdotally on the subject of how complicated and unspecific these laws are that some may be surprised to find that according to legal professionals, the intersections between the laws are generally clear-cut. This article aims to explain which laws apply to you and what you can do to avoid the headaches that ensue from a conflict between your principles as a care provider and the law.
Six golden rules of privacy law
* FERPA never applies to non-students
* FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
* HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student “treatment records”
* Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you perform electronic transactions.
* Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
* State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply
This is how these rules break down.
RULE 1: FERPA never applies to non-students
RULE 2: FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the older of the two federal privacy laws. Enacted in 1974, one aspect of its governance is the privacy of educational records. There is a popular myth circulating that student medical records fall under the FERPA’s umbrella term “educational records”. In fact, FERPA specifically excludes the treatment records of students in higher education from its definition of educational records (see USC 20, 1232g for a complete definition). It also excludes employees of an educational institution if they are not students. FERPA does come into play, but only if the records are released to someone outside the health center, whether that is the student, their parents, their professors, or another health provider outside the university, at which point they become “educational records” rather than treatment records.
It is important to note that it is not the request for the release that brings FERPA into effect. Many student health professionals believe that if a request to see the records is made that is in accordance with FERPA guidelines, they have to release them or be in violation of FERPA. Not so, says Kristine Dunne, BA, EdM, JD, an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Arent Fox, LLC.
“It's the release of the records that triggers FERPA,” she explains. “There are no rights extended under FERPA to those medical records until such time as they have been made available to someone other than the treating health professionals, at which point the FERPA protections of student records kick in.”
Applying this to the example at the beginning of the article, if state law doesn’t require you to release the student’s unreleased medical records to her mother, you are under no legal obligation to do so without a court order. Similarly, even if you think a professor may have a “legitimate educational interest” in requesting a student’s unreleased medical records, you still don’t have to release them.
FERPA is just one part of the puzzle, however. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is another relevant law that seeks to be the national privacy standard in health care. It was updated in 2003 to take into account the trend toward automation and electronic record-keeping. These privacy guidelines have been well publicized and generally uphold the kind of patient confidentiality that most health care providers are comfortable with and there has therefore been a widespread trend in health centers to apply these standards to student medical records, even if they are not legally required. It is important to realize, however, that while its principles of privacy and confidentiality are excellent, in most cases, compliance is not required by law.
RULE 3: HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student medical records which are made, maintained, or used only in connection with the provision of treatment to the student, and are not available to anyone other than persons providing such treatment.
RULE 4: Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you transmit health care information in electronic form in connection with the submission of claims for payment.
HIPAA’s definition of protected health information (PHI) specifically excludes education records covered by FERPA and the treatment records of students in higher education as defined above. Dunne explains that the goal of this exclusion is simplification.
“If student medical records were subject to HIPAA, there would be two completely different schemes – up until the health center released the record, it would be governed by HIPAA, and when it had been released it would be governed by FERPA,” she says.
This was apparently considered unworkable by Congress, hence the blanket exception that HIPAA makes for any kind of student medical records. However, many student health and counseling centers also treat non-students, and this is where it starts to get a little bit trickier. To be considered a “covered entity” (i.e., bound by HIPAA), your health center must electronically transmit health information in connection with a “HIPAA transaction”. More detailed information on what constitutes a HIPAA transaction can be found in this primer released by The American Council on Education, but essentially it is any administrative or financial task carried out in the course of health care that transmits PHI. If you don’t perform electronic transactions, you don’t have to comply with HIPAA.
RULE 5: Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
Usually, every transaction of “covered entities” has to be bound by HIPAA standards, even if they are not all electronic transactions. However, because of the intersection with FERPA, these health centers are able to be bound by HIPAA just for the non-student transactions.
RULE 6: State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply
With all the fuss about HIPAA and FERPA, don’t forget about your state’s laws concerning privacy. In some cases, state laws are the only ones that will apply to student medical records, but even where HIPAA or FERPA apply, state law is still relevant. Despite the fact that HIPAA is a federal law, it bows to state law in those cases where state law is more stringent. Arent Fox Associate Richard Liner, BA, JD, MPH, elaborates:
“HIPAA has an enormous pre-emption problem because it sets a floor and not a ceiling for health care privacy. Congress only established a minimum for protecting patient information. If a state’s laws or regulations are more stringent than HIPAA in their protection of patient health information, then covered entities must follow state requirements.”
This may conjure up ideas of conflicting laws, but Arent Fox counsels that generally, state laws are more specific and will very rarely conflict directly with HIPAA or FERPA. If more than one law is applicable, generally the more stringent requirements will apply. When in doubt, consult counsel before taking action.
Knowing the theory is one thing, but applying it can be a lot more complicated. FERPA requires the student to give written, dated permission before his or her student records information is released – even to other health care providers outside the university, which is a source of frustration for many. But the same information can be released, unauthorized, to school officials who have a “legitimate educational interest”. Similarly, FERPA allows unauthorized disclosure in an emergency, if it is “necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons”. Dunne counsels to rely on common sense to interpret these terms, and to consult counsel early in the process. No law can specifically cover every eventuality; the burden of responsibility and interpretation must, through necessity, rest on the care provider.
This responsibility weighs all the more heavy because schools are concerned about penalties for breaching FERPA. If the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) found a pattern of violations of FERPA with no obvious attempts to follow the guidelines, it could result in a removal of federal funding. However, it is important to know that individuals cannot be prosecuted for a FERPA breach and individual students cannot sue for damages for such a breach. Schools should carefully develop, implement and maintain compliance oversight with regard to these important privacy laws in order to prevent unlawful release of student records. Likewise, if your school treats non-students, files electronic claims and is bound by HIPAA for those transactions, you should make sure that HIPAA protections are implemented, even though a HIPAA violation may not – for now – result in a fine being imposed. Liner explains:
“In the vast majority of cases where there’s found to be a violation of HIPAA, there is what’s called an ‘administrative resolution’, which generally means the mistake wasn’t intentional and the organization voluntarily agrees to take appropriate remedial action.”
No civil fines for violations of HIPAA have been imposed so far, although Liner warns that is likely to soon change.
Although information on the triumvirate of privacy laws has always been available to those who know where to look for it, there is also a wealth of partial and incorrect information available on the Internet that has muddied the waters for those health professionals attempting to do a little research on the laws that apply to them. Dunne and Liner counsel that you should speak to a professional who knows the law in your state and the ins and outs of FERPA and HIPAA if you are worried about misinterpretation of the law. Even if you know the basics, state laws vary greatly and knowing the details of how the three laws intersect will allow you the greatest leeway to interpret them in a way that is consistent with your ethics.
“It is complicated,” sympathizes Liner. “Talk to the privacy officer within the university, if there is one. There are also a few government Web sites that are really good in terms of user-friendly guidance to help people navigate through the more basic pitfalls.” For instance, the Office of Civil Rights, the enforcement agency for the HIPAA privacy standards, offers tremendously helpful information and FAQs on its Web site.
“Consult with your legal counsel to ensure you’re interpreting and applying the law correctly,” adds Dunne. “And be clear to those who use student health center services, especially students, about the laws that apply.”
Acne, Skin Care, Adult Acne, and Scar Removal Options
Acne Vulgaris, the 8 Stages of Acne, Skin Care, Adult Acne, and Scar Removal Options.
by: Stephen M. Seabrook
What is Acne Vulgaris? This is a medical term used to describe most cases of acne. It really isn't as bad as it sounds! Vulgaris doesn't mean that the acne is vulgar, only that it means that it is common.
Be aware that there are many factors that contribute to acne. First, research indicates a propensity for acne may well be inherited. Parents who had acne in their teenage and young adult years may have children who are likewise prone to having acne in their teen and young adult years.
Next, clogged skin pores are certainly a major contributing factor for acne out-breaks. When pores become clogged with an excess production of sebum and mix with dead skin cells or makeup that isn't sufficiently cleaned from the skin, problems start to develop. When skin pores are clogged, bacteria are produced and pus starts to form causing a pimple, a white head or a black head.
The most commonly accepted causes for acne are hormonal imbalances. Hormones in boys and girls may become unbalanced during puberty, during menstrual cycles, when starting or stopping birth control pills, during times of extreme stress, and at other times as well.
All of the above situations can cause the body to over produce a male hormone which causes the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. The sebum combines with dead skin cells to block pores and acne develops. So, basically, it still comes back to blocked pores.
Other causes for acne include a lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs to maintain a healthy skin. Vitamins A, E and B6 are especially important in maintaining healthy skin as are zinc, essential fatty acids (EFA), Chromium and Selenium.
Most diets of teenagers and young adults do not contain these vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in sufficient quantity to maintain healthy skin and to help prevent the onset of Acne.
Acne: The 8 Stages:
Full blown, Stage 8 acne doesn't usually develop overnight. Acne is progressive condition. Acne is one of the diseases that are so common that it is sometimes just disregarded as a serious problem...like the common cold. It has been estimated that 95 of people will have at least a mild case of acne at some point in their lives.
Acne, much like the common cold, is usually treated by the sufferer with over-the-counter medications that alleviate the symptoms of the disease in the belief that it will simply go away all by itself....eventually. And, it usually does but not always.
Most people throughout their life will have the occasional pimple, zit, white head or black head.
Although these pesky little outbreaks do seem to appear at the most inopportune times, they really aren't a serious problem that requires medical attention. A little over-the-counter acne facial wash to help prevent another outbreak will usually take care of the problem. It isn't a big deal. This kind of acne is referred to as Stage 0 and really nothing to be concerned about unless the acne progresses to subsequent stages.
Acne stages are graded from 0 through 8. Zero is the least severe and 8 is the most serious of the stages. The stages are as follows:
Stage 1: There will be white heads and black heads with some mild inflammation. The outbreaks will start to occur more frequently. Using products that contain Benzyl Peroxide are in order.
Stage 2: There will be some papules in addition to the white heads and black heads. Papules are skin lesions that are solid and raised but usually small. This is still considered to be a very mild case of acne. Treatment can be continued using over-the-counter products that contain Salicylic Acid.
Stage 3: Stage 3 is the same as stage 2 but with more frequent occurrences.
Stage 4-5: Pustules begin to appear. Now, it's time to schedule an appointment at a dermatologist.
Stage 6-7: Nodules and cysts are forming. Scarring is going to start happening at this stage. Your dermatologist will begin to take more drastic action.
Stage 8: Breakouts are almost continuous and include nodules and cysts. There are modern technologies that will help and your dermatologist will advise you.
Acne Skin Care:
As we know, our hair follicles secrete sebum. Sebum makes its way up the hair follicles to the skin pores where it lubricates and protects the skin. Sometimes there are oil glands which get overworked, get enlarge, and produce too much sebum. The sebum can get trapped in the hair follicle.
When this happens the pores get clogged and black heads or white heads form and the bacteria start to multiply at an alarmingly fast rate.
Once you understand this process, you can see the reasoning behind the advice about caring for skin that has black heads, white heads and pustules on it.
The first piece of advice about caring for acne infected skin is to never pick at the pimples. Don't try to pop them and drain them. This will not cure them no matter what anybody tells you. Popping them will only serve to make them worse...not better.
However, there are things that you can do that really will help.
The first thing you can do is to wash your face with a mild soap or a sulfur based soap. Wash your face with just your finger tips. Don't ever use a wash cloth as it holds germs and bacteria. Rinse your face with clean water several times to ensure you remove all traces of soap, and then pat it dry with a clean towel. Do not rub your face with the towel and never use the same towel twice without it being clean.
Take a good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement every day and drink at least 8 full glasses of water (not soda) every day. The vitamins and minerals will supply nutrients that are absent from most diets and the water will help to hydrate the skin as well as to flush toxins out of your system.
If you use over-the-counter acne medications, be certain that you follow the directions carefully and that you use a good sunscreen when you are outdoors as some acne medications make the skin more prone to sunburn.
Adult Acne:
Acne is not just a problem for teenagers and young adults. Once a person survives the teenage years, you would think that they don't have to deal with the embarrassment of acne any longer, right? Well....not exactly.
The sad truth is that about 25 of women will have acne at some time in their 20s, 30s or even 40s. Although there has never been a real cause established, it is believed that most adult acne is caused by the same thing that causes teenage acne...hormonal changes.
A doctor will sometimes prescribe hormonal treatments that will clear a case of adult acne right up. As with teenage acne, adult acne is not caused by diet. Stress has often been cited as one possible cause of adult acne but that assertion has never been verified.
Treating adult acne is a bit more difficult than treating teenage acne. Adults have the concern of drying out their skin that teenagers don't normally have to deal with. Adults don't want pimples; but, they don't want wrinkles, either. A dermatologist should be consulted if the acne is long lasting or is severe.
There are many treatments that are available to adults who suffer from acne. Most of the effective treatments are only available by prescription. Adults should not use over-the-counter acne medications that are intended for the treatment of teenage acne. These products tend to dry the skin and adults need to be concerned about wrinkling as well as acne.
A case of adult acne is not a happy occurrence to say because those ugly bumps always seem to occur at the most inopportune times and while a teenager may be embarrassed by acne, an adult is even more devastated.
Fortunately, there are treatments and a dermatologist has a lot of weapons in his arsenal to fight adult acne.
Acne Scar Removal Options:
Life hardly seems fair sometimes! First, a teenager or a young adult must suffer through acne, treat it, and have to live with it...sometimes for years. Then the acne is gone; but, the scars are there as a painful reminder of the mental and emotional agony the acne sufferer had to endure.
You're right, life doesn't seem fair; but, acne is one of those sad facts of life that some if not most of us have to deal with. The good news is there is help; unfortunately, it isn't free or cheap!
There are two basic procedures that are used to remove ugly pits and scars left over from a bad case of teenage or young adult acne. Laser resurfacing is the least expensive of the two available acne scar removal procedures. Dermabrasion is the second procedure.
Laser resurfacing can be done in the dermatologist office instead of a hospital so that provides a much greater financial savings. A laser is used to remove the top layer of skin and also to tighten the middle layer of skin.
The dermatologist will use a local anesthetic to help reduce the procedure pain. It usually takes several days for the skin to heal after a laser resurfacing procedure is completed. Very often, multiple resurfacing treatments must be done to achieve the desired results.
The second procedure used to remove acne scarring is called dermabrasion. In this procedure, a rotating wire brush is used to remove the top layer of skin. The body continually produces new skin and the new layer will be smoother than the layer that was removed. It usually takes between 10 days and 3 weeks for the skin to heal after a dermabrasion treatment. Once again, multiple treatments may be required to eliminate the scarring.
Acne may seem to be a devastating condition but with proper skin routine, vitamins, and over the counter products, most cases will not be severe. Remember, proper cleansing goes a long way towards minimizing outbreaks, so don't be afraid to cleanse your face 5 - 6 times a day of more if needed.
Fight acne by being smart. Take as many preventative steps as possible to avoid situations that create the opportunity for acne to develop. If acne does afflict you, consult a qualified medical professional before deciding on a course of action.
by: Stephen M. Seabrook
What is Acne Vulgaris? This is a medical term used to describe most cases of acne. It really isn't as bad as it sounds! Vulgaris doesn't mean that the acne is vulgar, only that it means that it is common.
Be aware that there are many factors that contribute to acne. First, research indicates a propensity for acne may well be inherited. Parents who had acne in their teenage and young adult years may have children who are likewise prone to having acne in their teen and young adult years.
Next, clogged skin pores are certainly a major contributing factor for acne out-breaks. When pores become clogged with an excess production of sebum and mix with dead skin cells or makeup that isn't sufficiently cleaned from the skin, problems start to develop. When skin pores are clogged, bacteria are produced and pus starts to form causing a pimple, a white head or a black head.
The most commonly accepted causes for acne are hormonal imbalances. Hormones in boys and girls may become unbalanced during puberty, during menstrual cycles, when starting or stopping birth control pills, during times of extreme stress, and at other times as well.
All of the above situations can cause the body to over produce a male hormone which causes the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. The sebum combines with dead skin cells to block pores and acne develops. So, basically, it still comes back to blocked pores.
Other causes for acne include a lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs to maintain a healthy skin. Vitamins A, E and B6 are especially important in maintaining healthy skin as are zinc, essential fatty acids (EFA), Chromium and Selenium.
Most diets of teenagers and young adults do not contain these vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in sufficient quantity to maintain healthy skin and to help prevent the onset of Acne.
Acne: The 8 Stages:
Full blown, Stage 8 acne doesn't usually develop overnight. Acne is progressive condition. Acne is one of the diseases that are so common that it is sometimes just disregarded as a serious problem...like the common cold. It has been estimated that 95 of people will have at least a mild case of acne at some point in their lives.
Acne, much like the common cold, is usually treated by the sufferer with over-the-counter medications that alleviate the symptoms of the disease in the belief that it will simply go away all by itself....eventually. And, it usually does but not always.
Most people throughout their life will have the occasional pimple, zit, white head or black head.
Although these pesky little outbreaks do seem to appear at the most inopportune times, they really aren't a serious problem that requires medical attention. A little over-the-counter acne facial wash to help prevent another outbreak will usually take care of the problem. It isn't a big deal. This kind of acne is referred to as Stage 0 and really nothing to be concerned about unless the acne progresses to subsequent stages.
Acne stages are graded from 0 through 8. Zero is the least severe and 8 is the most serious of the stages. The stages are as follows:
Stage 1: There will be white heads and black heads with some mild inflammation. The outbreaks will start to occur more frequently. Using products that contain Benzyl Peroxide are in order.
Stage 2: There will be some papules in addition to the white heads and black heads. Papules are skin lesions that are solid and raised but usually small. This is still considered to be a very mild case of acne. Treatment can be continued using over-the-counter products that contain Salicylic Acid.
Stage 3: Stage 3 is the same as stage 2 but with more frequent occurrences.
Stage 4-5: Pustules begin to appear. Now, it's time to schedule an appointment at a dermatologist.
Stage 6-7: Nodules and cysts are forming. Scarring is going to start happening at this stage. Your dermatologist will begin to take more drastic action.
Stage 8: Breakouts are almost continuous and include nodules and cysts. There are modern technologies that will help and your dermatologist will advise you.
Acne Skin Care:
As we know, our hair follicles secrete sebum. Sebum makes its way up the hair follicles to the skin pores where it lubricates and protects the skin. Sometimes there are oil glands which get overworked, get enlarge, and produce too much sebum. The sebum can get trapped in the hair follicle.
When this happens the pores get clogged and black heads or white heads form and the bacteria start to multiply at an alarmingly fast rate.
Once you understand this process, you can see the reasoning behind the advice about caring for skin that has black heads, white heads and pustules on it.
The first piece of advice about caring for acne infected skin is to never pick at the pimples. Don't try to pop them and drain them. This will not cure them no matter what anybody tells you. Popping them will only serve to make them worse...not better.
However, there are things that you can do that really will help.
The first thing you can do is to wash your face with a mild soap or a sulfur based soap. Wash your face with just your finger tips. Don't ever use a wash cloth as it holds germs and bacteria. Rinse your face with clean water several times to ensure you remove all traces of soap, and then pat it dry with a clean towel. Do not rub your face with the towel and never use the same towel twice without it being clean.
Take a good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement every day and drink at least 8 full glasses of water (not soda) every day. The vitamins and minerals will supply nutrients that are absent from most diets and the water will help to hydrate the skin as well as to flush toxins out of your system.
If you use over-the-counter acne medications, be certain that you follow the directions carefully and that you use a good sunscreen when you are outdoors as some acne medications make the skin more prone to sunburn.
Adult Acne:
Acne is not just a problem for teenagers and young adults. Once a person survives the teenage years, you would think that they don't have to deal with the embarrassment of acne any longer, right? Well....not exactly.
The sad truth is that about 25 of women will have acne at some time in their 20s, 30s or even 40s. Although there has never been a real cause established, it is believed that most adult acne is caused by the same thing that causes teenage acne...hormonal changes.
A doctor will sometimes prescribe hormonal treatments that will clear a case of adult acne right up. As with teenage acne, adult acne is not caused by diet. Stress has often been cited as one possible cause of adult acne but that assertion has never been verified.
Treating adult acne is a bit more difficult than treating teenage acne. Adults have the concern of drying out their skin that teenagers don't normally have to deal with. Adults don't want pimples; but, they don't want wrinkles, either. A dermatologist should be consulted if the acne is long lasting or is severe.
There are many treatments that are available to adults who suffer from acne. Most of the effective treatments are only available by prescription. Adults should not use over-the-counter acne medications that are intended for the treatment of teenage acne. These products tend to dry the skin and adults need to be concerned about wrinkling as well as acne.
A case of adult acne is not a happy occurrence to say because those ugly bumps always seem to occur at the most inopportune times and while a teenager may be embarrassed by acne, an adult is even more devastated.
Fortunately, there are treatments and a dermatologist has a lot of weapons in his arsenal to fight adult acne.
Acne Scar Removal Options:
Life hardly seems fair sometimes! First, a teenager or a young adult must suffer through acne, treat it, and have to live with it...sometimes for years. Then the acne is gone; but, the scars are there as a painful reminder of the mental and emotional agony the acne sufferer had to endure.
You're right, life doesn't seem fair; but, acne is one of those sad facts of life that some if not most of us have to deal with. The good news is there is help; unfortunately, it isn't free or cheap!
There are two basic procedures that are used to remove ugly pits and scars left over from a bad case of teenage or young adult acne. Laser resurfacing is the least expensive of the two available acne scar removal procedures. Dermabrasion is the second procedure.
Laser resurfacing can be done in the dermatologist office instead of a hospital so that provides a much greater financial savings. A laser is used to remove the top layer of skin and also to tighten the middle layer of skin.
The dermatologist will use a local anesthetic to help reduce the procedure pain. It usually takes several days for the skin to heal after a laser resurfacing procedure is completed. Very often, multiple resurfacing treatments must be done to achieve the desired results.
The second procedure used to remove acne scarring is called dermabrasion. In this procedure, a rotating wire brush is used to remove the top layer of skin. The body continually produces new skin and the new layer will be smoother than the layer that was removed. It usually takes between 10 days and 3 weeks for the skin to heal after a dermabrasion treatment. Once again, multiple treatments may be required to eliminate the scarring.
Acne may seem to be a devastating condition but with proper skin routine, vitamins, and over the counter products, most cases will not be severe. Remember, proper cleansing goes a long way towards minimizing outbreaks, so don't be afraid to cleanse your face 5 - 6 times a day of more if needed.
Fight acne by being smart. Take as many preventative steps as possible to avoid situations that create the opportunity for acne to develop. If acne does afflict you, consult a qualified medical professional before deciding on a course of action.
Do Stress, Facials and Concealer's
by: Stephen M. Seabrook
What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?
Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.
The dictionary defines acne as "an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring."
The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: "small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin."
Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.
There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn't even consider acne a disease.
It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.
New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.
Acne Fact or Fiction:
You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let's take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don't get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.
Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.
Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.
Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.
Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn't involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.
Fictional Fact #3: Dermatologists can cure acne.
Factual Fact: Dermatologists can TREAT acne. They can help to alleviate the symptoms and help to clear up the pimples, black-heads, and white heads. They can prescribe antibiotics and topical ointments, lotions, and creams that will help but there is no cure at this time for acne.
Fictional Fact #4: Acne is simply a skin problem.
Factual Fact: It's true that acne affects the skin but it can also affect the way a person sees himself or herself. Acne and the scarring it can leave behind may cause a sufferer to become depressed and develop low self-esteem, both of which can lead to larger and more complex life socialization problems. Acne sufferers need the loving support and reassurance from their family and friends.
Acne and Stress:
Can stress actually cause acne? There is ample evidence available to suggest that stress can most assuredly cause an acne breakout or make an existing breakout worse. Our bodies are highly developed chemical laboratories that produce all sorts of stuff.
At puberty, our body begins to produce an abundance of male hormones and this happens in both boys and girls. This overproduction of male hormones can happen at other times in life besides puberty; for example, when a girl or woman starting or stops taking birth control pills.
These male hormones cause the bodies sebaceous glands to shift into overdrive and begin producing sebum. The sebum then travels up hair follicles, clogs the pores and begins the acne development cycle. However, male hormones are not the only cause for the sebaceous glands to begin producing an overabundance of sebum. When we become extremely stressed or overly emotional, our bodies react by causing the adrenal glands to produce a substance known as Cortisol, which is released directly into the bloodstream. Then the chemical chain reaction continues as the sebaceous glands release sebum, the sebum travels up the same hair follicles, clogs the pores and acne develops.
The physical changes in the body can cause exactly the same chemical chain reaction as the emotional changes in the mind. The mind/body connection is very real. Maybe some of it really IS in your head. If that's the case, there is help available to help people deal with the acne that is caused by stress. Reducing stress will just naturally reduce sebum production by the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production will help to alleviate an acne breakout. Therefore, when you learn to reduce and control you stress levels, this part of the chemical chain reaction is minimized.
It really it isn't any different than restoring a hormonal balance to your body that reduces sebum production. So, in the final analysis, both factors that cause excessive sebum production should be addressed. Solving one problem might help; however, solving both problems could eliminate acne altogether.
Acne Facials:
If you are part of the 95 of the population who suffer from acne, you have more than likely seen TV or print media advertisements for acne facials. Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the claims that their manufacturers make?
In general, the answer is yes! Most acne facials are very effective, pretty much worth the price, and can be used in conjunction with your usual acne fighting regime. They won't necessarily replace any part of what you are already doing; but, rather enhance the overall effects.
You can find acne facials in most health stores, at many cosmetic counters, and online. As a matter of fact, you can probably complete a better comparison of available products online than you can anywhere else.
Most of these acne facial products provide for a three-step program. The first step is a complete facial cleansing. The next step is a steam massage. The final step is a facial mask. The first two steps are designed to prepare the face. The steam massage softens the black heads and the white heads to remove toxins from your skin. The facial mask serves to remove the dead skin cells from the face and to moisturize it as well. The overall effect of the acne facial is a very relaxing, calming, and cleansing experience. It just plain feels good. Anything that helps to calm and sooth your stress can't be bad because we all know that acne is aggravated by high stress levels. Acne facial masks can be used in addition to other parts of your acne prevention and treatment regime or you may find that the facial can, in fact, actually replace some things that you are currently doing.
Acne Concealer's:
One of Newton's laws of physics laws says that, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." That law of physics spills over into a lot of our life situations. For example: A young woman gets a zit and wants to cover it up. The cosmetics industry has a multitude of products designed to do just that. Okay, that's a little far out there but you get my point.
The acne pimples, whether they are white heads or black heads should never be picked at or popped. If they are popped or picked, it can and normally does result is a scar that is much harder to get rid of than the actual pimple, black head or white head. Popping a pimple is not going to make it go away. In fact, popping a pimple is only going to make the acne worse.
Still when you get a zit, you have to go out and face the world so you are looking for ways to make your skin look clear. You want to disguise the zit and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Here is where the cosmetic industry can help. There are a multitude of products designed to make a zit less noticeable. You don't want to use a product that just adds to the problem by adding additional oil to already oily skin. So, you do need to remember, that when you use a cover product to make the zit less noticeable, you need to totally clean the product from your skin immediately when you return home.
Some of the better known as well as more effective cosmetic concealer's on the market today are:
1. Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer: This product produces a smooth matte appearance and was designed specifically for covering acne blemishes as well as for covering Rosacea and dark circles under the eyes.
2. Flawless Skin by Prescriptives: This product will not aggravate acne but will supply a medium to full coverage and it contains SPF 25 for protection from the sun.
Don't let acne control you; but rather, become smart and learn how to control the negative influences in your life that create a positive situation for acne to develop!
What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?
Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.
The dictionary defines acne as "an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring."
The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: "small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin."
Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.
There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn't even consider acne a disease.
It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.
New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.
Acne Fact or Fiction:
You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let's take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don't get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.
Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.
Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.
Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.
Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn't involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.
Fictional Fact #3: Dermatologists can cure acne.
Factual Fact: Dermatologists can TREAT acne. They can help to alleviate the symptoms and help to clear up the pimples, black-heads, and white heads. They can prescribe antibiotics and topical ointments, lotions, and creams that will help but there is no cure at this time for acne.
Fictional Fact #4: Acne is simply a skin problem.
Factual Fact: It's true that acne affects the skin but it can also affect the way a person sees himself or herself. Acne and the scarring it can leave behind may cause a sufferer to become depressed and develop low self-esteem, both of which can lead to larger and more complex life socialization problems. Acne sufferers need the loving support and reassurance from their family and friends.
Acne and Stress:
Can stress actually cause acne? There is ample evidence available to suggest that stress can most assuredly cause an acne breakout or make an existing breakout worse. Our bodies are highly developed chemical laboratories that produce all sorts of stuff.
At puberty, our body begins to produce an abundance of male hormones and this happens in both boys and girls. This overproduction of male hormones can happen at other times in life besides puberty; for example, when a girl or woman starting or stops taking birth control pills.
These male hormones cause the bodies sebaceous glands to shift into overdrive and begin producing sebum. The sebum then travels up hair follicles, clogs the pores and begins the acne development cycle. However, male hormones are not the only cause for the sebaceous glands to begin producing an overabundance of sebum. When we become extremely stressed or overly emotional, our bodies react by causing the adrenal glands to produce a substance known as Cortisol, which is released directly into the bloodstream. Then the chemical chain reaction continues as the sebaceous glands release sebum, the sebum travels up the same hair follicles, clogs the pores and acne develops.
The physical changes in the body can cause exactly the same chemical chain reaction as the emotional changes in the mind. The mind/body connection is very real. Maybe some of it really IS in your head. If that's the case, there is help available to help people deal with the acne that is caused by stress. Reducing stress will just naturally reduce sebum production by the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production will help to alleviate an acne breakout. Therefore, when you learn to reduce and control you stress levels, this part of the chemical chain reaction is minimized.
It really it isn't any different than restoring a hormonal balance to your body that reduces sebum production. So, in the final analysis, both factors that cause excessive sebum production should be addressed. Solving one problem might help; however, solving both problems could eliminate acne altogether.
Acne Facials:
If you are part of the 95 of the population who suffer from acne, you have more than likely seen TV or print media advertisements for acne facials. Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the claims that their manufacturers make?
In general, the answer is yes! Most acne facials are very effective, pretty much worth the price, and can be used in conjunction with your usual acne fighting regime. They won't necessarily replace any part of what you are already doing; but, rather enhance the overall effects.
You can find acne facials in most health stores, at many cosmetic counters, and online. As a matter of fact, you can probably complete a better comparison of available products online than you can anywhere else.
Most of these acne facial products provide for a three-step program. The first step is a complete facial cleansing. The next step is a steam massage. The final step is a facial mask. The first two steps are designed to prepare the face. The steam massage softens the black heads and the white heads to remove toxins from your skin. The facial mask serves to remove the dead skin cells from the face and to moisturize it as well. The overall effect of the acne facial is a very relaxing, calming, and cleansing experience. It just plain feels good. Anything that helps to calm and sooth your stress can't be bad because we all know that acne is aggravated by high stress levels. Acne facial masks can be used in addition to other parts of your acne prevention and treatment regime or you may find that the facial can, in fact, actually replace some things that you are currently doing.
Acne Concealer's:
One of Newton's laws of physics laws says that, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." That law of physics spills over into a lot of our life situations. For example: A young woman gets a zit and wants to cover it up. The cosmetics industry has a multitude of products designed to do just that. Okay, that's a little far out there but you get my point.
The acne pimples, whether they are white heads or black heads should never be picked at or popped. If they are popped or picked, it can and normally does result is a scar that is much harder to get rid of than the actual pimple, black head or white head. Popping a pimple is not going to make it go away. In fact, popping a pimple is only going to make the acne worse.
Still when you get a zit, you have to go out and face the world so you are looking for ways to make your skin look clear. You want to disguise the zit and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Here is where the cosmetic industry can help. There are a multitude of products designed to make a zit less noticeable. You don't want to use a product that just adds to the problem by adding additional oil to already oily skin. So, you do need to remember, that when you use a cover product to make the zit less noticeable, you need to totally clean the product from your skin immediately when you return home.
Some of the better known as well as more effective cosmetic concealer's on the market today are:
1. Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer: This product produces a smooth matte appearance and was designed specifically for covering acne blemishes as well as for covering Rosacea and dark circles under the eyes.
2. Flawless Skin by Prescriptives: This product will not aggravate acne but will supply a medium to full coverage and it contains SPF 25 for protection from the sun.
Don't let acne control you; but rather, become smart and learn how to control the negative influences in your life that create a positive situation for acne to develop!
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