Swine Flu Arrives in Asia

South Korea Saturday reported its first case of swine flu after Hong Kong said a man who flew from Mexico had the disease, in Asia's first confirmed cases as the virus continues its global spread.

But health authorities said the world appeared better prepared to fight an epidemic than a few years ago, and vowed that a vaccine was only months away.

Confirmation by Hong Kong authorities Friday that a traveller who arrived from Mexico, via Shanghai, had tested positive for A(H1N1) flu virus saw an entire hotel quarantined.

And in South Korea, authorities Saturday confirmed the country's first case, involving a a 51-year-old woman who returned from Mexico Sunday.

The Hong Kong case sent shivers through the territory as thousands donned masks in an echo of the 2003 SARS crisis.

China responded quickly, saying it was to put all passengers on the flight from Mexico to Shanghai under quarantine and that flights from Mexico to the city were being suspended. Denmark and France joined the list of countries reporting their first cases.

But in a sign that authorities may be containing the spread of the disease, Mexico, which has been at the epicentre of the outbreak, said the new, multi-strain virus appeared not to be as aggressive as had first been feared.

Mexico's government late Friday raised its confirmed toll of flu cases to 16 dead and 381 infected.

"Fortunately, the virus is not so aggressive -- it's not a case of avian flu, which had a mortality rate of nearly 70 percent," Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova earlier told reporters.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang was taking no chances, however, in this densely populated, sub-tropical territory, saying he would "raise the alert level from serious to emergency."

China "has asked health authorities in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong to immediately put passengers on flight AM098... under quarantine and a seven-day medical observation," the health ministry said on its website.

And Xinhua news agency reported Beijing was shutting down flights between Mexico and Shanghai.

Xinhua reported that China had notified the Mexican government and airlines about the decision, adding Beijing may send a charter plane to Mexico to collect "Chinese passengers who had planned to fly to Shanghai from the city of Mexico on May 3."

Meanwhile, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDCP) said in a statement: "Test results have confirmed the first probable patient, whose case was reported on Monday, was infected with Influenza A (H1N1)."

The woman, reportedly a nun, who returned from Mexico Sunday, has been responding well to treatment and is expected to be discharged from hospital Monday, health officials said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that a pandemic is now imminent, raising its alert level to five out of six, but a senior official at the UN agency said a vaccine was in the pipeline.

"We have no doubt that making a successful vaccine is possible in a relatively short period of time," Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research said, adding it may take four to six months.

With 143 infections confirmed in the United States across 20 states, US officials also said the outbreak did not appear to be anywhere near as dangerous as the 1918 flu epidemic, killing an estimated 50 million people around the globe.

"We do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus," Nancy Cox, the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) influenza division, told reporters.

The head of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) added her voice to global reassurances, saying Latin America was better prepared to handle today's outbreak than five years ago, when avian flu struck.

Spain, meanwhile, reported that its number of suspected swine flu cases appeared to have stabilised as the figures dropped to 108 from 116. There are so far 13 confirmed cases in the country.

Among the latest cases revealed was that of a nurse in Germany who had treated a patient with the disease, but had not been to Mexico.

Scottish authorities also confirmed the first case of swine flu in Britain involving someone who had not recently travelled to Mexico.

And in France Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said the country's first two cases of swine flu had been confirmed.

Most cases outside Mexico have involved only mild symptoms of the illness that can be easily treated with existing flu medicines, and some experts have suggested the virus may have weakened as it was carried outside the country.

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Special Gifts for Your Loved

Here are the 8 special gifts for the one or anyone you love:

1. Presence

I think, the presence of someone who loved is the priceless gift. Indeed, we can also present by mail, phone, photo, fax or e-mail. However, with be beside him/her, you can share feelings, attention and affection in a more intensive and intact. The quality of presence is also important. So, make your presence as causes of his/her happiness.

2. Listen

Few people are able to give this gift, because, most people prefer to listened, rather than listen. Has long been known that the harmonious relationship between people is determined by the willingness to listen to each other. Give it to him/her. By providing all attention on his/her words, indirectly, we also have to foster patience and humility. To be able to hear well, make sure that you are in a good situation and relax and can capture what was he/she says fully. Look his/her face. Do not interrupt, criticize and judge. Let him/her finish his/her words. This allows you to give the appropriate response after that. No need to make a discussion or evaluation. Just thanks will be very sweet for him/her.

3. Silence

Like in the words, there is strength in the silence. Silence can be used to punish, banish or confusing people. But more than that, silence can also show our devotion to someone because we give him/her ‘a space’. Especially if in the day-to-day we are eager to advise, organize, criticize and even complain.

4. Freedom

Love someone does not mean that we have full rights to manage or have the person’s life. Can we claim to love someone if we always bridle him/her? Give freedom is one manifestation of love. The meaning of freedom is not “you can do everything you want”. More of that, give the freedom is give him/her a totally trust to take responsibility for everything that he/she do or wanna do.

5. Magnificence

Who is unhappy, if the one who love suddenly come into being more handsome or beautiful? Look beautiful and shapely is also a gift too! No fault if you give it every day! Beside of the beauty of personal appearance, you can give the beauty atmosphere at home. Vase and beautiful fresh flowers in the family room or dining table that fit beautifully, for example.

6. Positive Response

Unconsciously, we often give negative response of the mind, attitude or action of people we loved. As though no rightness of him/her and the absolutely rightness only from us. In this time, try to give a positive response. Say it clearly and upright. Just try to remember, how many time in the past week you thanks him/her to all the things that he/she do it for you? Also remember, have you praise him/her? Both it, thanks and praise (also apology), is the gift of love which is often forgotten.

7. Willingness Budge

Not all problems worthy to a squabble. Especially to become a serious quarrel. You should consider whether a love relationship should be sacrificed just because that problem? When you think of this, it means you are ready to give the gift ‘willingness budge’. Alright, you may complain or angry because he came late. But if it once, why should be the trigger of conflict that drag on? Willingness to budge can also fade resentment and invites us to realize that there are no perfect human beings in this world.

8. Smile

Believe it or not, the power of smile is very great. Smile, especialy given with all of heart and soul, can thaw an ungainly relationship, encourage despair, and make anything better. Smiles is also a signal that we open up to the world around us. So, when the last time you give a sweet smile for your beloved?

— need in Indonesian version? click here —

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How Love Can Last

New research suggests long-term romance is possible and deeply satisfying.

Oh sure, being crazy in love might be fine for Beyonce, but what happens 15 years down the road? Are you condemned to spend your Friday nights on the couch watching television while your husband tries to clean out his left ear with the tiny plastic arm of a wrestling figurine belonging to your youngest son? In other words, does romance always die?

Not according to a recent study published in the March issue of Review of General Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association. Lead researcher Dr. Bianca P. Acevedo, then at Stony Brook University (currently at University of California, Santa Barbara), says that the study challenges the belief that romantic love generally fizzles and is replaced by companionship love if things are going well in the relationship. “When taking a closer look, it seems like some people were still very much in love. They just weren’t crazy.”

Acevedo says that people often erroneously believe that romantic love and passionate love are the same. “Romantic love has the intensity, engagement and sexual chemistry that passionate love has, minus the obsessive component.” She adds that passionate or obsessive love helps drive shorter relationships but not longer ones.

Acevedo and co-researcher Dr. Arthur Aron reviewed 25 studies with 6,070 individuals in short-and long-term relationships, classifying the relationships in each of the studies as romantic, passionate (romantic with obsession) or friendship-like love and categorized them as long-or short-term. Unsurprisingly, those who reported greater romantic love were more satisfied in their long-term relationships than those who classified their love as companion-like.

Aron says that the romance kept alive by these long-term couples is in some ways even better than the maddening love at the beginning of a relationship. “When people first fall in love we also have this mania component that comes with a lot of anxiety and concern and fear,” he says. “If the person’s out of your sight for five minutes, are they dead or have they found someone else? In a long-term relationship, those who are able to experience intense love not only get the benefit of being intensely in love but they’re comfortable and confident and they don’t have to be afraid. If you’re with someone for 10 or 20 years, you know they’re going to be there tomorrow.”

Maggie Scarf, author of September Songs, a book about couples between the ages of 50 and 75, says that even when romance fades during the child-rearing years, it can be rekindled. “Sometimes people have gotten into the companionship mode because they’re so busy negotiating with their kids and things that are happening in daily life with the family — which, let’s face it, are generally not very romantic,” she says. “As the kids peel off to lives of their own, it’s not that you’re not involved with them and their families, it’s that you have more time to re-find each other and that old intimacy.”

So how can a couple increase their odds for longterm romance? Aron says that’s “the $64,000 question” and he is appealing for funding to study just that. But he acknowledges five generally accepted factors for successful coupling: first, a lack of stressful external factors, such as living in a war zone, being poor, being discriminated against, or having a child die; second, neither party being highly anxious or depressed; third, good communication skills, and the ability to resolve conflicts and support each other; fourth, doing novel, challenging, exciting things together on a regular basis; and fifth, capitalizing on the other’s successes. Aron points to the last factor as particularly important. “If your partner has a success and you can celebrate it with them, that is an unmitigated positive thing for a relationship. Many people just say, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ and go on with their business.”

Scarf adds that relationships that began in a throbbing burst of flames might have a better chance at locating a spark 20 years on. “If you can look back, as I can to a particularly romantic moment with my husband where we kissed each other in a pine forest and the world spun on its axis, that’s great,” she says. “But not everyone has that. Some people got married because it seemed like the right time.”

This recent study may change people’s expectations of what they want in longterm relationships, according to Acevedo, with companionship love, which is what many couples see as the natural progression of a successful relationship, coming to be seen as an unnecessary compromise.

“Couples should strive for love with all the trimmings,” Acevedo says. “For some people, stagnation might be a desirable state, but it doesn’t have to be that way. And couples who have been together a long time and wish to get back their romantic edge should know it is an attainable goal that, like most good things in life, requires energy and devotion.”

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Gift Ideas for Valentines Day

Valentine's Day is coming and you're wrestling with what to get your wife. You want something as special as your feelings for her, yet as tangible as the ring
you placed on her finger when you were married. Following are some gift ideas any wife would love.

1. Private retreat.
If your wife is like most, she would appreciate some extra time spent alone with you, especially if she's also a mom and has had little personal time for herself lately. Why not consider splurging for a weekend away. Can't afford that this year? Then consider hiring a baby sitter and spending the weekend all alone doing some of your favorite activities. Little things mean a lot, by taking the step to spend more time with your wife, you will give the greatest gift any wife would love -- her husband.

2. Spa special.
Any wife would appreciate being pampered with a trip to her favorite hair salon. Throw in a manicure and pedicure, and enjoy watching her twirl in delight as she shows off the results. One great spa special is a make-over, including a facial and image consultation to help your wife choose colors that would flatter her most. Many larger departments stores have ongoing and special make-overs for free with or without a make-up purchase. Stop by your local store and ask whether they offer gift certificates. If they do, don't forget to add enough cash to the certificate so that she can purchase some of the new make-up she tries. Warning: If you wife does not wear makeup often, this may nto be the gift for her.

3. Sparkling gems.
Consider buying your wife a piece of jewelry to replace something she has always wanted, or desperately need. Earrings (make sure you check to see if she prefers clipped or pierced), watches, necklaces, pendants may fall in this category. Based on your budget, you can choose from precious, semi-precious or custom jewelry in styles and designs that flatter you wife's personality and unique image. One idea, could be to replace a stone that she has lost from a favorite piece of jewelry, bringing new life to an old favorite.

4. Perfect picture.
Surprise your wife with a new family portrait. There are two ways you can do this. The first is to get a professional portrait with just yourself, and if you have them, your children. The second, is to set an appointment that includes your wife post-spa special. In the latter, the portrait will remind her of the special spa treatment you gave her this year.

5. Money, honey.
Your wife will love money as a valentine's gift. The pitfalls of this, however, is that she may consider it a "no-brainer" gift that you gave her as an afterthought. Or worse, she'll take the money and run and spend it on you and the kids. The alternative? Give her a gift certificate, gift card, or e-certificate (online gift certificate) to one of her favorite stores. This could include a store that sells clothing, perfume, jewelry, handbags, shoes
or any other things for women only! Put a deadline on it (say 30 days), and that'll force her to think and buy quickly.
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Talk in Mens' Language

If you often irritated by men’s ‘catching power’ to understand the most simple instructions. You are not alone. I and some friends have experience it. One of my friends has often complained her husband did what he did not ask and ignore her request, at least from her perspective. If she protests, her husband just said, it should be done by maid. ‘Misunderstanding’ pattern like this is usually happen, the wives want they ’standard’ run, while the husband feel that what they do is “more than enough”.

“It’s like two people talking in two different languages, one with English, one with French, so do not know,” said Rhona Raskin, therapeutist sex and family, owner of Rhona.com. Often, the difference is more vague than the example of the differences in the two languages. Here are some suggestions from Raskin to ‘communicate’ with the men in the correct language.

1. Do not ask him to ‘read’ your mind

If there is a wedge in the heart, say clearly. You may be thinking, attitude or movement that you do is enough for men to understand what you mean. For known, because one thing and another, male is a bad reader of body language. For men, what is not said is none. So, women often blame the man as the person who is less/not sensitive or not able to understand your feelings. Believe me, with the men, words is more powerful than a thousand body language.

2. Talk clearly but tactical

Say what you want clearly, with words that are not attacked him and cause ‘against reactions’. He can response your accuse words like “now you never want to accompany me to the shopping mall anymore” with hundred reasons that through on his mind at that time or hit his dumb wall. Better if you said “I nostalgic the moment like our first date, walking together, dining at our favourite restaurant.” Usually that approach is more effective.

3. Do not expect too much

I don’t know why, usually men are not good enough in verbal expression. “Most of men tend to measure everything in terms of action, especially in the emotional problems,” Raskin said. So, if your partner from the beginning suddenly stutter when you ask him to said ‘I Love You’, do not hope he will suddenly totally changed as your wish. If you want to change it, identify with the real action instead of words. Because men can understand it more quickly. Another example, when he promises something to you, do not expect he will fulfill it soon. Remind him over and over, cause maybe he do it just because it tends to avoid problems with you.

4. Never push him with a difficult question

The questions such as “Am I obesity?” Or “Where better, I wear green dress or black?” Usually got a silent answer or nonsense. For men, that questions was a dilemma. They afraid, that any answers given will make you offended. So, never ask him to answer a questions like that.

5. Wisely choose the right time

Proverbial “wise people know when to open and close the mouth” may be applied very appropriately to communicate with the men. It waste the time if you talk to the men while he is busy watching football or doing his hobby. The most appropriate time to tell him something, Raskin said, is when he is ‘fresh’, such as after bathing in holiday morning.

6. Take a good assumption

Actually, most of men is good person. If he doesn’t say anything after you angry, do not assume that he doesn’t care about you or your aspiration. Most of men are thinking, that the problems will be completed with a depth of think and deed,not with the mouth competition. Trust your intuition when you will marry him. At that time, of course you think that he is a good man and your soulmate. I think, this need to always keep in mind before you attract the wrong conclusions.

Need in Indonesian? just click here.

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Best Things You Can Do for Your Skin

The basics for skin care are the easiest way to start. Naturally, a good diet, exercise and adequate sleep are the basic building blocks for healthy-looking skin.

But beyond those key factors, the best thing you can do for your skin is to protect it, which means combating the effects of your environment with a proper cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen.

We're often deterred from taking these obvious steps because we don't experience instant success. But there is no magic cream that produces immediate effects: you can't anticipate that a cosmetic product will work faster than a medical therapy. You can expect to use a new skin care product or regime for six to eight weeks before you really see the results.

When you're young, your skin can recuperate from almost any insult you throw at it. As you age, however, your skin loses its elasticity and ability to recover from damage. The earlier you take action to care for your skin, the more damage you will be able to prevent. You may even be able to reverse what has already occurred.

That's why it's important to understand the state your skin is in now, anticipate where it is going and have a five-year goal.

The skin, like any organ of the body, changes with age, so you'll need to alter the skin care routine and products you choose now to maintain the results you want to achieve in the future--but the fundamentals remain the same. As you strive to make your skin look its best, remember there is no one product that does it all. Product choices have to be tailored to each skin type, determined by whether your skin is tolerant or sensitive, oily or dry.

Cleanser

Your skin is your interface with the world, and your barrier to outside influences. It acts as a protective film that keeps the outside out, and the inside in. Because you are exposed to so many factors in your environment, a cleanser is an important and very simple part of daily care.

These synthetic detergents are designed for short contact with the skin, and to be well rinsed off to avoid irritation. You don't want to leave any residual soap on your skin. For those with sensitive skin, a foaming wash may be a good choice, just as a cleanser with salicylic acid may help someone with blackheads as a major part of their acne.

Moisturizer

A good moisturizer is the force-field that protects your skin from common environmental and topical irritants. As your skin's invisible shield, it reduces the evaporation of water by including occlusive barriers like petrolatum, mineral oil or lanolin.

A moisturizer also has factors that attract water to the outer layer of the skin. These humectants include glycerine, urea, propylene glycol and gelatin.

The final component of a moisturizer is an emollient that fills in the tiny crevices between the outer flakes of skin to give a nice, smooth, soft texture. Your moisturizer should spread well, stay in place and not evaporate to leave you unprotected.

Sunscreen

Sunscreens, which are an entire topic in themselves, should be a part of your daily routine for those times when you just can't avoid that dash outside in the light of day. The big thing about sun is that it bites you as soon as you go outside. There is no "five-second rule." Put on your broad-spectrum sunscreen, with an SPF of at least 30, every morning.

In General

Look for products that make you feel comfortable and produce the desired effect. As for price, use common sense. You should judge how much the price difference is validated by the results you get. While you often get what you pay for, there may be a price point beyond which you do not get a significant benefit.

Finally, if you are having trouble with anything you are putting on your skin, stop using it! Swelling or redness around the eyes is often the first big tip-off. If you are concerned, do a use-test first, by applying a product behind your ears for a couple of days.

For everyone who wants to look great, the only route is consistency and attention to skin management. "Wash-and-wear" eventually looks worn. You can ignore your skin, but time won't.

The Worst Things You Can Do For Your Skin

Two words: smoking and tanning. These activities will not only age you, but will cause irreparable damage.

If you are still smoking, just stop. Your skin will lose that sallow, thickened and unhealthy appearance faster than many topical therapies could help you.

It's even worse to ignore changes that are happening on your skin: benign neglect is not an acceptable approach to healthy skin. Pay attention to spots that change. A simple guideline is to see your doctor if you have a spot that doesn't heal within two to three months.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
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How Diet Affects Fertility

Every new life starts with two seemingly simple events. First, an active sperm burrows into a perfectly mature egg. Then the resulting fertilized egg nestles into the specially prepared lining of the uterus and begins to grow. The key phrase in that description is "seemingly simple." Dozens of steps influenced by a cascade of carefully timed hormones are needed to make and mature eggs and sperm. Their union is both a mad dash and a complex dance, choreographed by hormones, physiology and environmental cues.

A constellation of other factors can come into play. Many couples delay having a baby until they are financially ready or have established themselves in their professions. Waiting, though, decreases the odds of conceiving and increases the chances of having a miscarriage. Fewer than 10 percent of women in their early 20s have issues with infertility, compared with nearly 30 percent of those in their early 40s. Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, which are on the upswing, can cause or contribute to infertility. The linked epidemics of obesity and diabetes sweeping the country have reproductive repercussions. Environmental contaminants known as endocrine disruptors, such as some pesticides and emissions from burning plastics, appear to affect fertility in women and men. Stress and anxiety, both in general and about fertility, can also interfere with getting pregnant. Add all these to the complexity of conception and it's no wonder that infertility is a common problem, besetting an estimated 6 million American couples.

It's almost become a cliché that diet, exercise and lifestyle choices affect how long you'll live, the health of your heart, the odds you'll develop cancer and a host of other health-related issues. Is fertility on this list? The answer to that question has long been a qualified "maybe," based on old wives' tales, conventional wisdom—and almost no science. Farmers, ranchers and animal scientists know more about how nutrition affects fertility in cows, pigs and other commercially important animals than fertility experts know about how it affects reproduction in humans. There are small hints scattered across medical journals, but few systematic studies of this crucial connection in people.

We set out to change this critical information gap with the help of more than 18,000 women taking part in the Nurses' Health Study, a long-term research project looking at the effects of diet and other factors on the development of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Each of these women said she was trying to have a baby. Over eight years of follow-up, most of them did. About one in six women, though, had some trouble getting pregnant, including hundreds who experienced ovulatory infertility—a problem related to the maturation or release of a mature egg each month. When we compared their diets, exercise habits and other lifestyle choices with those of women who readily got pregnant, several key differences emerged. We have translated these differences into fertility-boosting strategies.

At least for now, these recommendations are aimed at preventing and reversing ovulatory infertility, which accounts for one quarter or more of all cases of infertility. They won't work for infertility due to physical impediments like blocked fallopian tubes. They may work for other types of infertility, but we don't yet have enough data to explore connections between nutrition and infertility due to other causes. And since the Nurses' Health Study doesn't include information on the participants' partners, we weren't able to explore how nutrition affects male infertility. From what we have gleaned from the limited research in this area, some of our strategies might improve fertility in men, too. The plan described in The Fertility Diet doesn't guarantee a pregnancy any more than do in vitro fertilization or other forms of assisted reproduction. But it's virtually free, available to everyone, has no side effects, sets the stage for a healthy pregnancy, and forms the foundation of a healthy eating strategy for motherhood and beyond. That's a winning combination no matter how you look at it.

Slow Carbs, Not No Carbs
Once upon a time, and not that long ago, carbohydrates were the go-to gang for taste, comfort, convenience and energy. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes—these were the highly recommended, base-of-the-food-pyramid foods that supplied us with half or more of our calories. Then in rumbled the Atkins and South Beach diets. In a scene out of George Orwell's "1984," good became bad almost overnight as the two weight-loss juggernauts turned carbohydrates into dietary demons, vilifying them as the source of big bellies and jiggling thighs. Following the no-carb gospel, millions of Americans spurned carbohydrates in hopes of shedding pounds. Then, like all diet fads great and small, the no-carb craze lost its luster and faded from prominence.

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Arabbi, a Buddhist monk and a Rastafarian walk into a bar. What's the first thing the women inside notice?

Each dude's hair.

Sorry for the lacking punchline, but the sad state of men's hairstyles today is no laughing matter (except the so-bad-it's-good mullet).

Axe, a company focused on men's grooming products, recently surveyed 2,000 American women on men's hair care. About three-quarters of the women said hair is one of the first things they notice about a guy. Almost half felt guy's hairstyles all look the same, and that guys their age need help styling their hair. Worse, 62 per cent said they are not likely to take a guy with bad hair home at the end of the night. Yet only 29 per cent of guys in the same survey considered their hair to be an important factor in attracting women.

Now, I don't want to overstate the importance of this disconnect, but suffice to say the global recession should immediately take a back seat to this crisis. Until that happens, though, a guy who puts a bit of effort into his hair can take advantage of the monotonous world of men's mops. It's never been easier to grab the ladies' attention. And your boss's: well-tended locks are an obvious sign that you take care of yourself.

Hold up, I know what you're thinking: every time I step out of the box with my hairstyle, I end up looking goofy. But there are ways to get and keep a style that fits your type of hair, says Toronto-based image consultant Shannon Stewart, who has styled Bono, Billy Talent and Sting. Read on for tips from Stewart and Annette Burwash, owner of Getaway Spa For Men in Bridgeland, on how to get a good haircut and properly style your hair.

Great Hair Starts With A Great Haircut

It can be tough to find a good hairstylist, especially if you're not willing to spend what you would on Calgary Flames tickets. But shell out as much as you can afford for a good cut.

"A really good haircut will make styling your hair much easier," Stewart says.

Keep your hair short if you have thinning hair with a receding hairline. The longer hair grows, the thinner it looks. And if you're bald or almost there, forget the comb-over. Keep the sides and back trim, or even shaved, like Michael Jordan.

Men with thick and coarse hair usually look better and have an easier time styling a shorter cut. Personalize short hair by making it messy or spiky, or coiffing it in the direction you like. But it's easiest to keep most of it facing the way it tends to grow.

Get your hair cut every three weeks to keep it trimmed and easy to style. Even if you want to grow it out, keep your haircuts regular so your locks don't get mussy.

Which Hair Products To Buy And How To Apply Them

Before you style your 'do, clean it with a pH-balanced shampoo and conditioner. An acidic shampoo dries out your scalp, causing flakes and an itchy head.

If you have really fine, straight hair, wash it most days. If you have thick hair and don't use much product, Stewart recommends skipping a day or two between washings to let your natural oils come back.

Don't be lazy in your search and resort to using your partner's fruity conditioner. A guy's scalp is usually oilier and sweatier than a woman's, and women aren't turned on by a guy who smells like lilacs.

There's a whole whack of new men's hair products out there, with strange names like pomade, mess constructor, and "Funkifier" gel -- so let's demystify the hair-care aisle. The bad hair products start with gel. There's a reason they call it a gelmet. And since gel is mostly water, when it dries you're left with a crusty residue. Likewise, avoid hairspray, because it tends to dry out your scalp.

Stewart recommends using a quality hair wax, pomade, putty or cream. Burwash disagrees, saying only waxes and creams are good choices for your hair, because the other products are too greasy. Waxes and creams are easy on your hair and scalp. They don't get flaky or clump hair like gel or hairspray. Both give you a wet look. Wax is the hardest product, but keeps your hair pliable so you can re-style for drinks after work. Cream is much softer, but doesn't have as much hold. Beeswax in the ingredients is the sign of a good wax, Burwash says.

Pomade gives a bit of sheen for a more polished, preppy look at the office, while putty offers good hold and provides a matte look. A good paste gives that just-out-of-bed look, Stewart says, which is hit-or-miss in my experience.

The thinner and finer your hair, the less hold your product needs. When applying it, remember: pinches, not handfuls. And relax. Excessive primping is not required. If you're styling your hair right, a few minutes should be enough to wow the women.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
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