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Dandruff is not an uncommon condition and most people choose to overlook the problem. Some studies can’t pinpoint its exact cause, but it can be treated and avoided.

Symptoms

When you look closely at an affected scalp, those white flakes you see are dandruff. They’re itchy, oil, scaly and are sometimes visible on your shoulders and hair.

There is also a type of dandruff that can affect babies. Although dandruff is not a cause for alarm, you still have to check if the symptoms are not caused by psoriasis or other skin diseases. Dandruff can also appear on the eyebrows, near your nose and even around your ears.

Causes

As already mentioned, the specific cause cannot be determined but there are several factors that cause them to appear. One factor is primarily the lack of hygiene. While some beauty experts advice not to shampoo everyday, it’s one sure formula for oil, dirt and dead skin cells to accumulate. There are dandruff conditioners you can use if you’re still worried about damaging your hair.

Those who don’t brush or comb their hair regularly, those with oily skin or are yeast-sensitive tend to be more prone to dandruff. There are also skin conditions that make people more susceptible to the development of dandruff. There are skin types more likely to have dandruff and can be a lifelong problem. Dandruff can also be caused by reaction to hair products. Some chemicals in the products you use can irritate the scalp.

Another possible cause is Malassezia, a genus of fungi that lives on our skin surfaces. It’s not harmful unless it causes irritation (if you’re allergic) or grow out of control.

Treatment

The most common treatment for dandruff is an anti-dandruff shampoo. There are shampoos that can be used everyday or once a week. Make sure to read the instructions on the label. Shampoo with coal tar can discolor your hair or make your scalp sensitive.

Rub a small amount gently on your scalp. Leave it on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing. This process can be a trial and error though. Some shampoos may work for you, some will not. Look for shampoos with any of the following active ingredients: salicylic acid, pyrithione zinc, ketoconazole, coal tar, and selenium sulfide.

If you keep experiencing the same symptoms even after a month of using medicated shampoos, go see a doctor.

Prevention

Practice good hygiene by regularly shampooing and combing your hair. Shampoo will help remove the dirt and oil that have accumulated on your scalp. Combing or brushing will help in removing dead skin cells.

When you’re prone to dandruff, use medicated shampoo and conditioner at least twice a week depending on the instructions of the product you’re using.

There are also home remedies like massaging your scalp with warm coconut oil or apple cider vinegar, applying tea tree oil or aloe vera before shampooing, and exfoliating with baking soda mixed in water.

If things would turn out right, you’ll be investing for an engagement ring only once in your entire life. However, a proposal ring could cost you a fortune. With no background about gemstones, ring setting, and precious metals, it would be difficult to make sure that your sweetheart would love your purchase. Here are the rules to follow when shopping for the perfect ring.

1. Set a budget

Of course, this should be the first rule. Figure out how much you can afford to spend for a ring. A general rule is that an engagement ring should be equivalent to two-month salary. Though it’s not applied by everybody, it’s still a good way to start planning your budget.

2. Start shopping early

Once you get an idea of the valuable wedding ring from Singapore that you want, visit a couple of jewelry stores. Give yourself a few months to research, browse, and revisit rings that caught your attention. You can even ask your soon-to-be-fiancé of about style of ring she would love to wear everyday in a discreet manner. For custom-made piece, allow even more time to search.

3. Narrow down the choices

Since you will be presented with a lot of options, which can get you lost and confused, narrow your choices by determining some important points. Do you want the ring in silver, gold, or platinum? Flashy or understated? Traditional or modern? Do you want the same ring to be used as wedding ring or not? Your answers to these questions will help shrink your list of options and determine which proposal ring to buy.

4. Be practical

Keep your sweetheart’s lifestyle in mind. What’s the point of purchasing an exquisitely designed proposal ring if it makes her uncomfortable or she has to remove it often? Keep in mind that your beloved other will wear the ring every day. If she works with her hands very often, look for something with less frills and bulges so it would go along with her everyday routine seamlessly.

5. Bring someone along

Jewelry stores can be scary to some people. They offer too many options and the prices can discourage you. It’s always nice to have someone to share ideas with when looking through several pieces. Bring along your beloved’s best friend, mom, or sister to help you choose. Also, assuming that your parents already gave you their blessings, make this a special moment to bond with them and get their advices.

6. Check for quality

This applies to all jewelries. Make sure that the ring you’re buying has quality or manufacturer’s mark (PLAT or 24K, for example, proves that the ring is of the said quality) inside the band. If the ring is made of two kinds of metals, check for quality marks in each material.

7. Go to a trusted jeweler

Ask your family and friends for recommendations. If possible, try to avoid national chains as they often sacrifice quality checks for massive marketing. However, make sure that the Singapore jewelry store where you choose to buy your ring is accredited by national or worldwide jewelry associations. Also, before buying, find out the store’s return policy so it would be possible for you to exchange it if in case you did not do your homework properly.

When you hear an instance when someone suffers from a decline in his/her mental ability, it is called dementia. Dementia is a general term and it includes many types. The most common type is the Alzheimer’s disease that affects adults ages 65 and older. Here in Singapore, many old people suffer from Alzheimer’s.

However, there are cases where people suffer early onset. Early onset affects people ages 40 t0 50 years old. The diagnosis can be difficult because of the many symptoms related to typical stress. The decline varies but in most cases, it can cause decline in reasoning, memory and thinking abilities. The decline is slow but it can still impact a person’s life.

You have to know the symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease for you to be aware. Here are some of the symptoms:

• Memory loss – As you go along your life, you notice that there are times you tend to be forgetful. At first it is normal however if you appear more forgetful as time passes then it comes repetitive, you have to consider the help of the professionals. It is critical that you consider their help as soon as possible.

• Trouble completing tasks – It is normal at times that you lose focus or concentration but if the problem ensues for a long time, you have to seriously consider early onset. Normally, things that you do on a daily basis is as easy as breathing but when time comes that you find yourself in trouble completing such tasks, then it is time that you consider help.

• Vision loss – Vision loss can happen. It will be gradual and it can happen from time to time. It may start with increased troubles reading to problems judging depth or distance even color contrast when doing something like driving.

• Troubles making decisions – When it comes to making decisions, early onset patients find it hard to make decisions even the simplest one like taking a bath or even changing the clothing.

• Personality and mood changes – You may also encounter personality and mood changes. Note that it can be extreme. Noticeable changes in personality or moods include fearfulness, confusion, depression and even anxiety. It does not end there because there is an irritability noted.

• Withdrawing from social events and work – As your symptoms progress, you will feel withdrawn from social events and even work. You do not even care about your hobbies and you tend to avoid many people or events as much as possible.

As much as possible you do not want this but if it cannot be helped, you have to make sure that you do not destroy the relationships around you.

Your phone is your virtual vault. It holds everything from your social security number to your bank account numbers and eventually your passwords or PINs. It is important that you tread with caution whenever you log something through your phone because it can be subject to hacking.

You have heard about hacking but most cases involve celebrities and politicians but it does not mean you are safe from it. Anyone can become a victim. As long as the hacker thinks that you have something more valuable there, they will not stop until they get information and invade your privacy in the long run. It is time that you think about protecting yourself from being the next victim of scandals. Here are some tips on protecting your phone from hackers:

• Use passwords: You might feel confident that no one will dare to hack your smartphone because after all you are not famous but you have to be sure. Do not just assume that no one is interested in you. You have to use strong passwords. More importantly, do not share your passwords or PINs to anyone unless you trust the person deeply.

• Back up: For your email accounts, make sure that important emails or other private data are safely kept from hackers. They will compromise your email account and worse, you won’t be able to log in again. The best way is to consider backing it up. When you back it up, do not just let the data stay long inside the phone. You have to transfer it somewhere else say your laptop or PC.

• Other security: One way a hacker can compromise your system is through Bluetooth. As much as possible, do not use Bluetooth. If it cannot be helped, you have to at least disable the ‘Discoverable’ mode. If you want additional security more than what your phone offers, you can easily install security software. You have to pay but that is good enough way to protect yourself from hacking.

Hacking also happens here in Singapore. It is crucial that you execute the things mentioned above if you are really serious about fighting hackers. Do not give them the opportunity to sneak inside your life through your smart phones.

They say the easiest way to tackle hackers is to abandon smartphones but who can? The benefits of smartphone far outweigh its risks so with that, you just need to fortify its security – that is the least that you can do to keep yourself safe from hackers and their evil intentions.

What Is Heavy Metal?

Metal began in the late 1960’s to early 1970s. Also known as heavy metal, it began as a combination of psychedelic and blues rock. It is distinguished from pop music for its heavy use of guitar and drums, particularly for its heavy distortion of picking the guitars and bass. Metal also uses double bass pedal for the drums. It’s different from rock music which traces its influence from various music genres such as blues, jazz, funk, soul and Latino. Metal is therefore a sub-genre of rock music.

The vocals can be theatrical or gruff, with some bands developing their unique style that distinguishes them from the others.

Most of the themes are poetic in nature. Lyrics are inspired by fiction, mythology, politics, and social issues, making metal more diverse than pop music in general. The dark themes are in response to pop culture’s happy, who-cares attitude. Metal reminds the listeners that not all endings are happy and that darkness and misery sometimes have to be dealt with head-on.

It wasn’t until Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath arrived in the music scene that metal became a distinguished art form.

Today there are different sub-genres of metal. They are usually identified by themes. One example is progressive metal which has longer songs, and more complex composition and use of instruments. There are portions of the song where instrumental solos are highlighted, much like classical composition.

Metal Is Like Classical

It has been said that the metal genre resembles classical music and that fans of both genres were proven scientifically to have the same psychological profiles.

Metal is also full of theatrics and incorporates visual themes as part of the overall package. Some bands claim influence from classical composers and were musically trained in the classics. There are also similarities in the scale, melody and the range of instruments used by the metal bands and the orchestra.

Today there are bands classified under symphonic metal, a type of progressive metal music, who employ extended musical parts and fewer lyrics to tell a story. Besides the guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano, others have also employed other stringed and wind instruments to create variety.

Singapore’s Metal Underground

Yet metalheads, as what metal fans are called, have a bad reputation among people who love mainstream music. It’s not surprising therefore that metal, as well as alternative music artists and bands, perform underground. International metal bands have performed in the country however.

In Singapore, metal is not as popular as pop and indie, two primary music genres often heard on the radio. In the 1960s, the underground music scene began. Underground bands were able to survive for decades and are still going strong. In fact, there is a documentary about Singapore’s underground music called (re)Surfacing: 50 Years of Alternative Music in Singapore which talks about its success. Metalundergound.com currently has a list of 26 Singapore metal bands, but there could more performing underground.

Some of the most popular are Draconis Infernum, Itnos, and Wormrot.

Why stick to Western classics when Asia, in particular Southeast Asia, has a lot of excellent books to offer as well? Here is a list of the best novels the region has to offer.

1. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Yun Ling Teoh was a survivor of a Japanese wartime camp. She sought solace in a Japanese garden in Northern Malaya owned by Aritomo. Despite their differences, both tried to work together to create a garden worthy of Yun Ling’s deceased sister.

2. In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

As civil war in Cambodia destroys young Raami’s beloved home, she tries to survive the violence and loss by clinging to the tales and poems told by her father. It tells of a child’s endurance and strength of spirit.

3. Novel Without A Name by Duong Thu Huong

Quan is a soldier of the people who chose to join the Communist party in Vietnam. He was a passionate soldier until he discovered the horrors and loss of war.

4. Irrawaddy Tango by Wendy Law-Yone

Talented Irrawaddy Tango marries her country’s dictator then later led an uprising against him. She had to endure a hard life as his wife and was later exiled to America.

5. The Sea is Ours (anthology); Jaymee Goh, Joyce Chng (editors)

The Sea is Ours is an anthology of stories that derives influences from Southeast Asian culture and examines technology’s influence on life.

6. Moonrise, Sunset by Gopal Baratham

A tale of murder and mystery, Moonrise, Sunset tells of How Kum Menon’s search for his wife’s killers. His search led him to further discoveries.

7. The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw

Johnny Lim is a successful textile merchant admired by the inhabitants who fought against the invaders, but he was despised by his son who called him a betrayer.

8. Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan

Young Aasha had to cope with losing family members despite the family’s stories of success. It examines the relationship of family members and how it relates to Malaysia’s political and social woes.

9. Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal

Juan Crisostomo Ibarra comes home after studying in Europe for seven years. He carries on his father’s plan by building schools, but everything goes awry when he tried to kill a friar who insulted his father’s memory.

10. Breaking the Tongue by Vyvyane Loh

Claude was raised as a British and was ashamed of his heritage until Singapore fell to the Japanese forces in World War II. His perception of his heritages changed because of the war.