When you own a car, you generally get a professional to give it a periodic check once you’ve clocked a certain mileage. But do you do the same for your body? Praram 9 Hospital, with a new programme called 9-Life, hope to encourage people to do just that. What they’re offering, however, is not your…
Read moreBattling breast cancer
Twenty-eight year old Penkhra Jitjamnong found the lump in her breast when she was on a cold Phuket beach two years ago. "I touched it by accident, and knew something was wrong," she says. "I had also been eating a lot, but not putting on any weight." Despite her doctor telling her she was probably…
Read moreSelecting a shampoo
We’ve all sat in hair salons and smiled nervously as our stylist has suggested buying an expensive salon shampoo. We’ve thought about that Bt80 bottle of pleasant-smelling shampoo sitting at home in our shower recess and wondered, "Is the extra price for that really worth it?" Paying around Bt300 to 400 for a salon-sourced or…
Read moreMakeup can help you save up
Buying a new lipstick or a new eyeshadow can be a great pick-me-up, but if you tend to impulse buy makeup too frequently, it can also eat into your budget. A good way to save cash while also keeping up with the latest trends in makeup is to get a complete makeover when the urge…
Read moreProtecting your hair
Hot, polluted and humid: Bangkok is your hair’s worst nightmare. Add blowdryers, curling tongs and hot hair rollers to the equation and your hair’s going to need all the help it can get if it’s going to remain strong and healthy. Thankfully, an increasing range of protective products are now hitting the shelves – but…
Read moreVitamin C: Helping in the defense of your skin
Your skin will be smoother and more fresh looking; fine lines will disappear; your skin will be brighter and lighter. These are the various claims cosmetic companies make for vitamin C, and in theory the vitamin can indeed help your skin in several ways. Firstly, Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means it helps neutralise…
Read moreSharp ways to stay healthy
While many in the West consider acupuncture to be an "alternative" medical treatment, it has been practised for up to 5,000 years in China. It’s perhaps ironic then, that Samitivej hospital physiatrist Dr Chirapan Vinaikulpong finds that it’s her western patients who request acupuncture rather than her Thai patients. "This might be changing, but most…
Read moreAlpha hydroxy acids: Good for the skin?
Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, have been used in low quantites for cosmetic purposes for centuries – Cleopatra bathing in milk is one legendary instance of the use of lactic acid – but they only reached the mass Thai market in the mid-90s, where they’re still going strong. What are they? Alpha hydroxy acids are…
Read morePlastic surgery for the face
If you’re not happy with the face and body that nature has given you, plastic surgery might make improvements that are more to your taste. As with all surgery, there’s a risk involved, but for some people the outcome can mean greater confidence and a changed outlook on life. According to plastic surgeon Dr Amorn…
Read moreGive your baby a healthy start
You may not be planning on falling pregnant soon, but if you’re of child-bearing age it’s still worth knowing about folate, one of the B vitamins. In the US, over half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and as folate is needed both before and during the first weeks of pregnancy to help prevent birth defects,…
Read more