Beauty Secrets

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2012-03-15T23:32:00.002-07:00

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Preventing and Treating Ingrown Toenails

2011-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

A toe may be small part of the body, but it can seem like a big problem if it has an ingrown toenail. This happens when the edge of the toenail grows into the soft skin of the toe — typically the big toe. Most often to blame are nails that curve or are trimmed improperly, shoes that squeeze the toes, or a toe injury. The result is pain along one or both sides of the toenail, redness, and swelling in the area around the nail. This can sometimes lead to an infected toenail.

Preventing Ingrown Toenails
By taking a few simple precautions, you can help keep toenails from growing where they shouldn’t:

Wear shoes that fit comfortably. Footwear that pinches your toes or that’s too short may not give your nails the space to grow properly.
Keep your toenails short, but not too short; hey should be even with the tips of your toes. Trim them straight across rather than curving them to match the shape of your toe — curving them is more likely to lead to ingrown toenails.
Protect your toes from injury. Stubbing your toes or getting your toes stepped on can contribute to ingrown toenails. If your work or hobbies increases the risk of injury to your feet, it may be a good idea to wear steel-toed shoes.

Home Remedies for Ingrown Toenails
In most cases, you can treat ingrown toenails on your own. Start by soaking the foot in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day. This relieves swelling and soreness. After soaking, gently lift the affected nail from the skin and put a small piece of cotton under the ingrown edge. This will help the nail grow out above the skin. Change the cotton every day until pain and redness are gone.

It also helps the healing process to apply a topical antibiotic to the area and cover it with a bandage. For pain, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. And as long as the toe is sore, it may feel better to wear sandals or shoes with plenty of room for the toes.

When to See Your Doctor
For ingrown toenails that don’t improve in a few days or get worse, a call to your family doctor or a foot doctor (podiatrist) is in order. He or she may prescribe oral or topical antibiotics. Your doctor may also need to trim the nail or remove part or all of it. Sometimes part of the tissue near the nail is removed, too. If ingrown toenails are a recurring problem for you, your doctor may suggest using chemicals or lasers to remove that part of the toenail and keep it from growing back.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to see your physician at the first sign of an ingrown toenail. People with diabetes can have problems with blood circulation to their feet, and even minor cuts, scrapes, or ingrown toenails may be likely to lead to an infection.

Treat your toes and toenails with care. In most cases, that’s all it takes to keep them healthy and problem-free.

What to Do About Slow-Growing Hair

2011-07-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

If you think you have slow-growing hair or that your hair periodically stops growing, you’re probably not imagining things. To understand why your hair is like this, consider how it grows: A strand of hair grows out of its follicle during a period that can last from two to six years (this is called the anagen phase). Then, as its follicle shrinks and starts to die, the strand stops growing for a few weeks (the catagen phase). In the final stage, called the telogen phase, the hair follicle renews its activity, beginning the process all over again and making the old hair fall out to make way for new growth.

If you have slow-growing hair, this means your active growth phase is on the short end — it’s closer to two years than six. This gives you hair that stops growing at a shorter length than someone else’s might. Many factors can lead to slow-growing hair. Heredity plays a part. So does your level of a male hormone called androgen, which both men and women have. Hair growth also naturally slows as we get older and more hair follicles go into the final, or telogen, phase.

How to Help Slow-Growing Hair
You can give slow-growing hair a boost by keeping it — and yourself — as healthy as possible. Here’s how:

Eat a healthy diet. Though eating well won’t magically turn your short hair into long locks, nutrients that promote growth do help. These nutrients can be found in fish and poultry, dark green vegetables, whole grains, eggs, low-fat dairy products, beans, and nuts.
Avoid crash diets. Trying to drop too many pounds too quickly can affect the cycle of your hair growth. If you want to lose weight, talk to your doctor about a sensible eating and fitness plan.
Let your hair go natural. Washing, bleaching, and dyeing your hair too often can make hair weak and brittle. So can too-frequent use of blow-dryers and curling irons. Letting your hair do what it naturally does is the best way to keep it healthy.
Get your hair trimmed regularly. This will keep split ends from making your hair break off, which can leave you feeling like your hair doesn’t grow at all.
Go easy on nutritional supplements. Taking megadoses of vitamin A can contribute to slow-growing hair or hair loss. It’s safest to stick to the recommended daily allowance of this nutrient.

Dealing with Hair Loss
Sometimes hair is not just slow-growing, it actively falls out. If you’ve had a serious illness or severe stress, it can make more hair than normal fall out two or three months later. Fortunately, this will grow back on its own after a few months. If hair falls out in patches (in a condition called alopecia areata), your doctor can prescribe oral or topical medication to remedy the problem.

Certain medications can slow hair growth or make hair fall out, including those used to treat acne and control blood pressure and heart disease. Drugs used in cancer treatment can also cause hair loss. If you suspect that a medication is affecting your hair growth, ask your doctor if you can switch to something that doesn’t have this effect.

You can’t make slow-growing hair grow faster, but you can make sure it looks and feels healthy at any length.

Summer Skin Care

2011-07-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

Sunshine, heat, humidity, and chlorine can do a number on summer skin. For one thing, the sun’s rays are particularly strong, so the chances of developing wrinkles, age spots — or even worse, skin cancer — increase. Plus, higher heat and humidity mean more rashes, breakouts, and cloggedpores, while chlorine dries out your skin (and your hair!) Hey, don’t let these potential downers rain on your summer parade. Follow these 10 summer skin tactics and you’ll be good to glow.

Don’t skip the moisturizer: Your skin may be less dry these days, but don’t banish that moisturizer. Instead, switch to lighter, water-based formulas for both face and body, and swap your heavy eye cream for a lighter serum.

Slather on the sunscreen: Choose products that provide broad-spectrum protection (they block both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays) with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Apply sunscreen liberally (at least a one-ounce shot-glass-size amount) before you go outside; reapply every two hours and always after swimming. And don’t let those clouds fool you — apply sunscreen every single day!

Bring on the balm:Lips are susceptible to skin cancer too, so be sure to wear a broad-spectrum sun-protective lip balm with an SPF of at least 15 to keep lips sun-safe and supple.

Switch to summer makeup: Trade liquid foundation for a lighter, mineral-based powder with a minimum SPF of 15. Skip the creamy blush and instead go for a natural-looking glow with a touch of bronzing powder. Use waterproof mascara for streak-free swimming, and ditch that lipstick for a dab of tinted gloss.

Don sun-protective clothing: No need to cover up head to toe, but do consider a long-sleeved shirt, wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses at the beach, at least for part of the day. Remember, tightly woven, darker fabrics are better sun blockers than lightweight, light-hued fabrics, or try clothing especially made for sun protection.

Go for the faux: Minimize your chances of wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer by skipping the suntan altogether and opting for a sunless self-tanner, spray tan, or airbrushing.

Exfoliate regularly: Sun, sand, sweat, and sunscreen only increase the amount of dead skin cells that build up on your face and body. Slough them off with an exfoliating scrub or loofah a few times each week. (A beautiful bonus: Exfoliating will also help your self-tanner go on more evenly and prevent streaking.)

Practice smart shaving: Short shorts and sundresses mean more frequent shaving sessions, and that can irritate and/or dry out skin. This season, be sure to replace your razor often, shave only after you’ve been in the shower for a few minutes (when your hairs will be softer), use a moisturizing shaving cream or gel, rinse thoroughly, and moisturize immediately afterward.

Head off heat rash: High temps and humidity may mean heat rash, especially if you’re overdressed or prone to sweating a lot. Do your best to keep cool and stay dry, and avoid wearing clothes that rub or irritate your skin. A mild heat rash should go away on its own, but if it’s accompanied by swelling, oozing, dizziness, nausea, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention ASAP, since those symptoms may be signs of an infection or a more serious heat-related illness.

Prevent rosacea: This common skin condition can be exacerbated by heat, causing your face to swell, get red, and break out in little pimples. If you’re prone to rosacea, seek refuge in air-conditioning, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, and keep cool by taking cold showers, misting yourself with a spray bottle, and drinking plenty of cold water.

Use these 10 simple strategies for skin care in summer and you’ll have the best-looking — and the healthiest — skin on the beach!

Better blondes

2011-07-19T07:14:00.001-07:00

To give an extra shine to blonde or fairish hair, add a few tablespoons of pure lemon juice to your rinsing water. This lightens your hair and leaves it smooth and shiny.

Brunettes and redheads should try apple cider vinegar in the place of the lemon juice.

Brush your hair long and often to stimulate the natural oils.

Blepharitis: Dealing With Aggravated Eyelids

2011-07-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

“Blephara” is the medical term for the eyelids. "Itis" is the Latin suffix for irritation. Put them together and you have blepharitis, a condition that affects up to 15 percent of Americans. Although it’s uncomfortable and unsightly, blepharitis is usually only a minor annoyance — but it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Blepharitis can also cause considerable psychological distress, because its symptoms can be mistaken for excessive crying, alcohol use, or even drug abuse.

Classic symptoms noticed upon awakening include:

Eyelids crusting or flaking.
Eyelids stuck together.
Red eyes or eyelids.

Other symptoms include:

Excessive tearing.
Frothy tears.
Itchy eyelids.
Swollen eyelids.
A gritty, burning sensation in the eye.
Flaking skin around the eye.
Dry eye.
Sensitivity to light.
Misdirected or missing eyelashes.
Blurred vision.
Inflammation of other eye tissue, especially the cornea.

There are two types of blepharitis:

Anterior blepharitis, which affects the outside front edge of the eyelid where the eyelashes are attached.
Posterior blepharitis, which affects the inner eyelid that makes contact with the eyeball.

Getting to the Root of Blepharitis

Anterior blepharitis is caused by:

Bacterial infection (staphylococcal blepharitis), which causes a mild sticking together of the eyelids, a thickened outside front edge of the eyelid, or misdirected or missing eyelashes.
Dandruff on the scalp or eyebrows (seborrheic blepharitis), which causes mild redness of the eyelids and greasy flakes or scales at the base of the eyelashes.
Less common causes include allergies and lice infestations of the eyelashes.

Posterior blepharitis is caused by:

Malfunctioning oil glands in the eyelids (meibomian blepharitis), which causes poor-quality tears and redness in the inner eyelid.
Other skin conditions. These include acne rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis of the face or scalp, and scalp dandruff.

Preventing Blepharitis

Good hygiene practices can help you avoid blepharitis. These include:

Regular face washing (morning and evening). Be sure to carefully clean your eyelids.
Regular hand washing (as often as necessary).
Avoidance of eye rubbing, especially with dirty fingers, a soiled handkerchief, or other contaminated surfaces.
Removal of all eye makeup before bedtime.
Dandruff shampoo (if dandruff is present).

Home Treatment of Blepharitis

Mild cases of anterior and posterior blepharitis can be managed by avoiding eye makeup, discontinuing the use of contact lenses, using dandruff shampoo if necessary, and practicing this step-by-step daily regimen:

Warm compress. At least once or twice a day, thoroughly wash your hands and apply a warm, clean compress to the affected eye for 10 minutes to loosen the crusts.
Eyelid and eyelash scrub. Moisten a clean washcloth with warm water and a few drops of "no tears" baby shampoo or an over-the-counter lid cleansing solution, and lightly scrub to remove oily debris and scales. Rinse with warm water, and pat dry with a clean towel.

Medical Treatment of Blepharitis

If your symptoms worsen or don't improve after following the above regimen for a few days, make an appointment with your doctor, preferably an eye-care professional. He or she may recommend additional home remedies, such as applying an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to the eyelid immediately after compresses and scrubs, or using artificial tears. If you have posterior blepharitis, you may be advised to regularly massage your eyelid to clean the oil accumulated in the glands.

More severe cases of blepharitis can be managed with a combination of home treatments and prescription medications, which include:

Eyedrops that contain antibiotics and/or steroids. A newer treatment on the market — an eyedrop containing 1 percent azithromycin — is gaining favor with eye doctors because it needs to be applied less frequently than other eyedrops, has more potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, and has continued effectiveness long after the one-week course of therapy.
Oral antibiotics such as tetracycline or doxycycline, which reduce bacterial colonization on the skin and may normalize oil-gland dysfunction.
Treatments for other skin conditions.

A comprehensive eye exam will help your doctor identify and treat any of several complications that may be associated with blepharitis. These include:

Stye, a painful lump on the surface of the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection.
Chalazion, a painful lump on the inside of the eyelid caused by a blocked and infected oil gland.
Corneal ulcer.
Pinkeye.
Eyelid scarring.
Dry eye, which can also be caused by Sjogren's syndrome or diabetes.

Although blepharitis generally doesn’t cause any permanent damage to eyesight, it's a beauty bummer because it's often chronic or recurring. But with proper home or medical management, you can control the itching, irritation, and redness — leaving your eyes to simply be the windows to your soul.

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2011-07-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

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Wedding Hair and Makeup Guaranteed to Last

2011-06-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

DG: Wedding season can be hot. What are your tips for brides, bridesmaids and guests that want their makeup to last all day?

LC: Start by applying a mattifying but non-drying moisturizer like MAC Oil-Control Lotion (Skip the heavy eye-cream). Then, select a long-wear foundation that offers buildable coverage and is formulated to last for hours like Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, which contains SPF (perfect for outdoor weddings!).

Next, prep eyes with an eye primer – Urban Decay Primer Potion is among the best. Choose long wear, waterproof eyeliners and mascaras. I love the waterproof versions of L’Oreal Voluminousand CoverGirl LashBlast. For eyeliner, I live for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, which comes in an amazing shade range, perfect for weddings.

Line and fill in lips with long-wear lip pencil, then add lipstick. Blot. Then reapply lipstick. If you want a glossy finish, add gloss to center of lips only.

Set makeup with translucent powder. My favorite is Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, which photographs beautifully helps makeup stay put.

LC’s what not to do tip: It is not always necessary to touch up makeup with more makeup. A common bridal mistake is continual powdering throughout the day, which will end up looking cakey or blotchy (not how you want to look in your bridal pics!) Rather, invest in blotting tissues. Remember to press tissues over areas with shine. Do not rub tissues around your face as you could ruin the placement of the makeup. My favorite: Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper.

DG: Are brides and bridesmaids keeping their makeup au natural or have you seen some ask for a more dramatic look?

LC: Most brides want to look like enhanced version of themselves, so bridal palettes often include champagnes, taupes, pewters, browns and other neutrals on the eye. They’re asking for pinks, peaches and roses on cheek and lip. Individual false lashes also add to that wedding day allure without looking too “done.”

This summer more brides are also requesting pops of color, in line with this seasons “bights” trend. I personally always recommend a little more color than the bride initially thinks – as color fades over time (particularly with kissing, toasting and so on) and isn’t always truly captured on camera. A nude lip, for instance, often photographs as no lip. This summer brides are also asking for fun shades on lids (violets, for example) and lips (hot pinks, fuchsias, corals). Contouring and highlighting are also more popular of late, which enhances facial features and adds drama.

DG: What emergency beauty loot should you stash in your purse pre-wedding?

LC: In even the smallest clutch, find room for blotting tissues and lipstick (which can do double-duty as blush!)

DG: How can a bridal party and guests keep elaborate up-do’s or even all-down styles in place?

KS: The best way to keep a wedding style looking its best for an entire day is with proper preparation of the hair. Start by using a high quality mousse as soon as you step out of the shower to achieve volume and the longevity needed to last an entire day. I recommend applyingRene Furterer Volumea Foam to the entire head – making sure to saturate every strand. Next, blast your hair approximately 80% dry with a powerful blow dryer like, Salon Tech 2800 Feather Light Blow dryer and then lightly brush your hair with a boar-bristle brush like Cricket Boar #350 round brush to smooth the ends.

To make the hairstyle last all day, it is important to seal in the hair cuticle creating shine and blocking frizz. You can do this by using a versatile flat iron, which can create curls, waves or soft, straight locks. Whether you prefer curls or straight hair this effect can be achieved by using theKiss by Salon Tech Silicone Protection Flat Iron that allows for greater heat generation to best seal the cuticle. Regardless if your hair is going up or down, it is best to finish with a firm hold hair spray such as Shu Uemura Sheer Lacquer Finishing Spray.

DG: Let’s say you have seven weddings this summer (like me!), is there a hair cut you should get at the beginning of the summer that will make up-dos more seamless, or will help a style last throughout the day?

KS: The perfect cut for any up-do is one with seamless layers. Layers add dimension and texture to the shape of the hair, which allows for more options when styling an up-do.

DG: Any hair products that brides and bridesmaids should stash in their purse for touch-ups if necessary?

KS: Bobby pins and a small can Jonathan Product Finish Control Mini Hair Spray — it’s a must for touchups throughout the day!

Getting Rid of Puffy Eyes

2011-06-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Dark, droopy bags under your eyes can make you look dramatically older and exhausted — even if you’re not. Fortunately, there are some effective home remedies and successful medical treatments that can help minimize puffy eyes and dark bags. Here’s how to play down that unpleasant puffiness:

Causes of Puffiness and Dark Bags Under Your Eyes
Most people find that there’s more than one cause for their puffy or tired-looking eyes. Here are some of the most common:

Aging. As you get older, the skin and muscles around your eyes begin to weaken, making it easier for the fatty tissue beneath the skin to redistribute and for the skin to sag.
Allergies. Itchy, swollen eyes are a common allergic reaction.
Fluid retention. Hormonal shifts, a lack of sleep, or even just eating salty foods can cause you to retain fluid, leading to puffy eyes.
Heredity. If your parents had puffiness under their eyes, you may be more prone to developing the same condition.

Home Remedies for Puffy Eyes or Dark Shadows Many home treatments can temporarily minimize puffiness and dark areas under your eyes. Here are a few ideas to try:

Use makeup to create an illusion. Use a very small amount of a lighter-colored concealer on the puffy, baggy under-eye area to camouflage the dark shadows and make the puffiness look flatter.
Use cold compresses. A little cold can go a long way toward reducing swelling around your eyes. You can use cold packs or ice packs, cold slices of cucumbers, teaspoons that have been chilled in the freezer, or tea bags that have been soaked in ice water.
Get good rest. Try to get enough sleep (about seven to eight hours), and sleep with your head elevated to keep the fluid from collecting under your eyes.
Keep your allergies in check. Avoid allergy triggers and take antihistamines to help prevent your body from reacting to allergens.
Avoid salty food. Stick with foods that won’t cause puffiness.

Medical Treatments for Worn-Out or Puffy Eyes
A dermatologist or plastic surgeon can provide a more permanent fix to a puffy eye problem. Consult with your doctor if you want to try one of these options:

Dermatological treatments. Laser treatments and chemical peels can help tighten up the skin and make the dark areas under your eyes look lighter.
Wrinkle fillers. A plastic surgeon can inject fillers like Restylane and Juvederm right under the under-eye hollow to even out the area. The effect usually lasts for about eight months.
An eyelift. A doctor can tighten up the under-eye area by melting away the fat with an electric probe, then pulling the skin tight. It’s an outpatient surgery that can be done relatively quickly — and provides effects that last for decades.

Pores: The Basics

2011-06-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

If you don’t spend much time poring over your pores, chances are they’re small and don’t get clogged too often. But if your pores are on the larger side, you might be dealing with one or more acne-related conditions including blackheads, whiteheads and cysts. Typically, people with oily skin tend to have enlarged pores that secrete excess oil, or sebum. Larger pores are also more likely to get clogged with dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria. Dermatologists generally treat acne-related conditions with topical antimicrobials that help disinfect the skin, and topical retinoids to help unclog pores and prevent white- and blackheads from forming. For more moderate or severe cases of acne, an oral antibiotic like erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, or minocycline may be prescribed.

The fact is you can’t get rid of your pores, or even shrink them, but you can cleanse and care for your skin in ways that make pores less visible. And that includes staying out of the sun -- too much sun exposure (as well as the aging process) reduces the amount of collagen in our skin, and that also causes pores to expand.

Do-It-Yourself Tactics
Try these at-home strategies and you might be able to avoid expensive dermatological procedures and spa treatments.

Use a pore-refining cleanser to help break up excess oil, dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria that can clog enlarged pores.
Give yourself a weekly pore-purifying facial treatment.
Make your own deep-cleansing mask using ingredients such as honey, yogurt, or basic Fuller’s earth clay (find it at a health food store) and adding citrus, strawberries, banana, apple cider vinegar, or rosewater.
Exfoliate a few times a week with a store-bought or homemade scrub, or go for an exfoliating cleansing cloth. More options to try: products that contain chemical or fruit-enzyme exfoliants such as lipohydroxy acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and alpha and beta hydroxy acids, all of which work to dissolve build-up in your pores.
Try store-bought microdermabrasion cleansing cloths and/or polishers, which work similarly but more gently than a professional microdermabrasion treatment.
Put your makeup to work. Products such as primers, concealers, foundation, loose mineral powder, and blotting sheets can help you maintain coverage and make large pores less visible. Just be sure to thoroughly cleanse your face at day’s end to keep pores from getting clogged with makeup residue.

If your issues are more significant, talk to your dermatologist about professional treatments such as:

Dermatological Facials: Many dermatologists and licensed aestheticians offer professionalfacials that include deep cleansing, exfoliation, steaming, extractions, massage, mask, and moisturizing.
Chemical Peels: A professional peel performed by a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician can remove dead skin cells, clear plugged pores, eliminate white- and blackheads, correct discoloration, and generate new skin growth.
Microdermabrasion: During this deep-cleansing procedure, your practitioner “sands” your skin with a handheld device that shoots a spray of fine crystals onto your face and simultaneously vacuums them up. This non-invasive procedure produces instant pore-perfecting results. (Microdermabrasion is also effective at reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, creases, sun damage, and minor scars.)

A final word: Even though people with normal and dry skin tend to have smaller pores than those with an oily or combination complexion, they may still be susceptible to certain pore problems. Plus, skin type can change with age, or as a result of environmental factors, genetics, nutrition, or complications related to other health conditions. If you’re concerned about any skin changes, talk to your dermatologist.

How to Make a Blow-Out Last

2011-06-27T02:15:00.001-07:00

My secret “if I were a celebrity” fantasy is to have my hair blown out every morning. I know it would probably fry my hair, but wouldn’t it be amazing if every day were a good hair day? For now, I save the blow-outs for special occasions, and I go to Danielle Lopreore, who works at the Fred Segal Salon. Wish you could get salon-perfect hair that doesn't fall flat as soon as you get home? Here are the tips I've gotten from Danielle:

Start with wet hair. You can gently towel-dry so it’s not dripping wet, but don’t rub too hard (it’ll get tangled). For the smoothest, most long-lasting results, avoid “rough drying” — fluffing the hair with your hands while drying. While this saves time, it makes hair frizzy.
Don’t use too much product. If your hair is fine or oily, it’ll make your hair limp. Put a bit on the ends if needed.
Divide your hair in sections, and start in front, since this area tends to dry the quickest. Using a round brush and plenty of tension, aim the blow dryer at the roots and move it along the length of your hair to the ends. Heating the hair in the direction of the hair cuticle helps keep it smooth and fights frizz.
For volume and height, hold each section up and in the opposite direction you want it to lie. For extra bounce, pin each section up after drying and let it cool. This helps set the curl so it doesn’t go flat the minute you walk out the door.
To make your blow-out last, spray your hair lightly and leave it alone. Avoid brushing it out or running your fingers through it — this will ruin the bounce and make it frizzy!

Prevent and Treat Bug Bites

2011-06-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

There’s a reason that insects are called pests. But despite the itchy, red bumps they leave behind, insect bites are usually mild and the itching goes away in a day or so, especially if the bug bites come from mosquitoes or biting flies. On the other hand (leg, arm, or toe...), bees, wasps, and fire ants tend to cause more irritation and can sometimes lead to bigger problems.

Bug bites can be avoided, or at least minimized, by following a few precautions for common outdoor pests. According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, the first line of defense against insect bites is to plan ahead — always evaluate your surroundings and prepare accordingly if you anticipate large numbers of insects. It’s always a good idea to apply insect repellent with DEET or picaridin. If you’re concerned about using chemicals, particularly around children, you might want to try lemon eucalyptus and citronella oils, which also work.

Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a common nuisance. When you’re outside, create a mosquito-proof barrier with citronella and citrus-oil-based candles. Wearing loose-fitting layers of clothing helps as well, as mosquitoes won’t be able to penetrate through all the layers. When it comes to perfume, avoid all fragrances that might attract unwanted attention.

Yellow Jackets and Wasps
Yellow jackets or wasps can spoil any picnic, particularly in late summer when scavenger wasps look for anything with sugar in it to bring back to the feeding larvae. Your first step is to keep all sweet and pungent foods under cover. If you’re surrounded by yellow jackets or wasps, don’t start swatting, running, or waving your hands. Exaggerated movements aggravate aggressive yellow jackets and wasps. Keep calm and then slowly move away.

Ticks
The great outdoors can make you more susceptible to bug bites from ticks. Although ticks don’t fly, they seek warm bodies and attach. These blood-sucking parasites typically fall off once they’re full, but their feasting can take a few days.

When outdoors in wooded areas, clothing works as a great tick repellent; make sure that your skin isn’t exposed by tucking your pants into your socks, and your shirt into the waistband of your pants. If possible, apply permethrin to clothes (not skin) to protect yourself from ticks settling on fabric. Spray skin with tick repellent, like DEET. Hats and long sleeves help too.

If you do end up with a tick, forgo the hot match or petroleum-jelly method of tick removal; instead, use a pair of thin tweezers to pull the tick out by its head. The key is to grasp close to the skin and pull the tick firmly until it lets go. Since ticks are known to carry Lyme disease, store it in a jar of alcohol to bring to your doctor for identification purposes. Once the tick is removed, use an alcohol swab to remove any bacteria.

Spiders, Fire Ants, and Bumblebees
Spiders, fire ants, bees, and bumblebees don’t typically bite, unless they feel threatened or attacked. Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, who view humans as a food source, these insects stay away from people. If you are bitten or stung, apply a cold pack to minimize swelling, and then follow with hydrocortisone cream to reduce the bug-bite symptoms.

A person with insect-bite allergies may want to take an antihistamine with diphenhydramine, like Benadryl. If a spider bites you, try to identify it and make sure it’s not a black widow spider, which produces a toxin that affects the victim’s nervous system.

If bug-bite symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips or throat, dizziness, fainting, nausea, cramps, vomiting, or hives, you need to seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Facial Swelling: Banishing the Bloat

2011-06-23T23:23:00.000-07:00

You can use cosmetics to hide a lot of skin conditions, but not facial swelling — a buildup of fluid that can affect the central face, eyes, mouth, forehead, cheeks, or chin, and spread to the neck and upper arms. Other than brushing it off as an accident — or if you're really tough, a bar fight — there's not much you can do to conceal your condition.

Fortunately, facial swelling is usually a mild and temporary nuisance that can be treated at home. But more severe swelling should be evaluated by a doctor, and some cases are true medical emergencies.

Symptoms associated with mild facial swelling include:

Fever.
Pain.
Rash.
Redness.
Tenderness.

Symptoms associated with severe facial swelling include:

Breathing difficulty.
Lip swelling.
Mouth or tongue swelling.
Neck swelling.
Swallowing difficulty.

The Causes of Facial Swelling

More than 250 causes of facial swelling have been identified. Some of the most common include:

Allergic reactions.
Angioedema.
Blood transfusion reaction.
Burns.
Cellulitis.
Conjunctivitis.
Drug reactions.
Injury.
Malnutrition.
Obesity.
Sinusitis.
Stye.
Surgery.
Tooth abscess.

Other causes include skin conditions such as sebaceous cysts, boils, carbuncles, acne, rosacea,seborrhea, and keloids; chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension; infectious diseases such as mumps; and dental infections.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Allergic reactions are a common cause of facial swelling. Hay fever — a reaction to allergens such as pollen, mold, and pet dander — often results in a puffy face. But some allergic reactions are more serious. If you develop swollen lips and eyes and a rash that looks like mosquito bites, you may have hives resulting from exposure to a bee sting, a drug, a food, or even a cosmetic product (hair dyes are notorious for causing severe reactions). If these symptoms are accompanied by breathing difficulty, or if the swelling becomes severe, you should call your doctor immediately or go to an emergency room.

You should also tell your doctor if you experience sudden, painful, or severe facial swelling; persistent or worsening swelling; or swelling accompanied by fever, tenderness, or redness (which could be a sign of infection).

Facial Swelling Prevention Strategies

You can prevent many infectious causes of facial swelling with regular face and hand washing, by dumping old cosmetics (which can become contaminated), and by completely removing makeup before bedtime.

You can prevent allergic reactions by avoiding allergens, drugs, cosmetics, and other substances that have previously provoked symptoms, and by getting appropriate treatment for allergies such as hay fever. If you're highly allergic to bee stings, a particular food, or some other substance, your doctor may advise carrying an EpiPen. This device contains injectable epinephrine and could save your life.

If you're overweight or obese, a sensible weight-loss program may help prevent facial swelling. A low-salt diet and moderate exercise are other ways to prevent or reduce fluid buildup.

Home Treatment of Facial Swelling

If you have mild or moderate facial swelling, home treatment depends on the cause, symptom, or type of swelling. Here are some tips for:

Allergic swelling. Use an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl, or an antihistamine prescribed by your doctor.
Facial edema (swelling of the central face). Massage warm mustard oil or apple cider vinegar into the affected area. Add ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil to your diet.
Injuries. During the first few days, apply a cold compress for 20 to 30 minutes every one or two hours. During sleep, elevate your head by raising the head of the bed or using extra pillows.
Pain. Apply a warm compress for 20 to 30 minutes every one or two hours. Use an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

Facial swelling is usually no cause for panic. With a little tender, loving home care — and appropriate medical treatment if needed — your swelling should quickly subside so you can once again put your best face forward.

Bruising

2011-06-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

No matter how careful you are, there's no avoiding an occasional bruise. Also known as a contusion or ecchymosis, a bruise results when part of your body is struck hard enough to crush muscle fibers and connective tissue. As blood from ruptured small blood vessels pools up beneath the skin, you initially develop a red mark that may be painful and swollen.

As your body responds by breaking down and reabsorbing the blood, the bruise usually changes color from red to blue-purple or even black in a day or two. It then turns green or yellow in five to ten days, and then yellow-brown or light brown after ten to 14 days, before it finally fades away.

Although bruises are usually just a temporary nuisance, they can be a sign of other medical problems, and deep bruises to the muscle and bone can be severe enough to require medical treatment.

Who's Susceptible to Bruises?

Even the toughest athlete will develop a bruise if a blow is hard enough. But some people are more susceptible to easy bruising, from injuries that may be too slight to even remember. Factors associated with easy bruising include:

Increasing age. As we get older, muscle fibers and connective tissue weaken, the walls of small blood vessels become more fragile and likely to rupture, and skin loses some of its protective fatty layer.
Gender. Women of all ages are more likely than men to have tender, easily bruised skin.
Medications and supplements. Medications associated with easy bruising include aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin), and clopidogrel (Plavix), which thin blood and reduce its ability to clot; and corticosteroids, which thin the skin. Blood-thinning supplements such as ginkgo biloba and fish oil may also increase the risk of bruising, especially if they're combined with blood-thinning drugs.

Home Treatment for Bruises

You can camouflage bruises with special cosmetics such as Dermablend and Covermark. You can help speed the healing process by:

Resting the injured area.
Elevating the injured area. If possible, raise the bruise (on your shin, for example) above the level of your heart to divert blood flow to the rest of your body.
Icing it down. Apply anything cold — an ice pack or even a bag of frozen vegetables — to the bruise for a half hour to an hour each day for the first couple of days to decrease blood flow and inflammation.
Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help reduce pain and inflammation.

Because bruises don't break the skin, they usually don't require bandages. But if you have a muscle bruise (contusion), lightly wrap the injured area in a soft bandage or ace wrap.

When to See a Doctor

You should seek medical evaluation if a bruise or bruises:

Develop for no known reason.
Are near your eye.
Become more painful or swollen.
Interfere with joint movement.
Persist for longer than two weeks.

Unusually large, painful, or sudden bruising — especially for no known reason — or easy bruising associated with abnormal bleeding from other parts of your body such as the nose, gums, or intestinal tract may be a sign of a blood-clotting or other blood-related disorder.

These disorders include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a deficiency of clotting compounds called platelets that often occurs in older people. ITP causes red or purple blotches, most often on sun-damaged skin on the forearms or the backs of the hands, that last longer than normal bruises. Skin-thickening prescriptions for ITP may include creams containing alpha hydroxy acid or Retin-A, a vitamin A derivative.

Sometimes, bruising is associated with domestic abuse, either in the home or a health care setting. Nursing-home residents can be the victims of such abuse, which may result in unusually large bruises on the face, arms, chest, or back. All suspected cases of abuse should receive careful medical evaluation.

Although bruises aren't the kind of beauty marks that anyone wants, they're usually just a harmless consequence of you banging into something or something banging into you. With proper home care — and medical treatment if necessary — you can minimize their pain, discomfort, and Technicolor hues.

COME AND CHAT!!

2011-06-22T23:49:00.001-07:00

CHATROOM

10 Tension Tamers to Soothe Your Stress

2011-06-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

You don't have to live with stress! Our lives these days are jam-packed with it — and that can take a toll on your health and your weight. Stress can lead to emotional eating when you're not hungry or skipping your exercise routine, and it can also contribute to a variety of health problems like high blood pressure, headaches, ulcers, and a weakened immune system. Say good-bye to stress with my top tension tamers — they’re simple ways to ease tension, calm your nerves, and take back control of your life.

Lather up! When you're stressed out, a soothing shower or bath also can be just the mood booster you need. It will relax your muscles, which also sets you up for a good night's rest. And the time spent lathering up can act as an effective buffer between the whirl of your everyday life and your bed — a place where all that anxiety doesn't belong!
Burn it off! On stressful days you may want to skip your workout altogether, but hitting the pavement will actually help reduce stress. Exercise causes the body to release endorphins — mood-boosting chemicals — which help reduce your stress level. Go for a brisk walk or take a bike ride to let off some steam.
Take a trip down memory lane. While we can’t always escape our responsibilities and long to-do lists, just visiting the memory of happy times with the people you love can help boost your mood and ward off stress. Post photos of good times with family and friends where you can see them often — on your refrigerator, in frames on your desk, and on the visor in your car. Seeing the pictures will make rush hour traffic a little more bearable!
Turn off the gadgets. I know it’s hard in a world where we are constantly turned “on.” But to keep stress under control, we need to unplug once in awhile. Turn off your phone, computer, and television, and take 15 minutes to connect with yourself. Take a bath, meditate, or read a book.
Soak up some sunlight. Get outdoors! Sunlight stimulates brain chemicals that boost mood and will help melt away stress. Try eating your lunch outside or take a walk around the block to soak up some sun — and leave your stress in the dust!
Plan a girl’s night out. When was the last time you had some fun? If you are constantly battling stress, chances are not recently. Plan a night out with the girls — dancing, bowling, a trip to the movies — whatever you and your girlfriends love to do together! Laughing and enjoying yourself is one of the best stress busters.
Use scented lotion. When moisturizing your skin, opt for lotions scented with vanilla or lavender. These scents have a calming effect on our bodies when we smell them, which will help keep you relaxed — and less likely to hold onto stress.
Volunteer. You may think adding one more responsibility to your plate will only increase stress levels, but helping others causes the release of feel-good hormones in our bodies, which boost mood and ward off stress. Pick a cause you feel passionate about and volunteer once a month.
Buy yourself flowers. Having flowers around is an instant pick-me-up. Research has proved that they boost your mood — perhaps it’s their beautiful colors or lovely smell. Treat yourself to a bouquet of your favorite flowers and put them on your desk or around your home.
Sleep. When you are tired and your body is run down, you are much more susceptible to stress. Make an extra effort to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep; it will leave you feeling energized and better able to handle stressors you encounter throughout the day.

Next time you’re feeling stressed, give one of these tension tamers a try. I guarantee you’ll ease your worry and feel calm, collected, and ready to face your day!

Brightening Dull Hair

2011-06-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

Do you spend a lot of time, money, and effort on your hair, only to find it still looks dull and drab? It could be all that coloring, straightening, curling, and styling that’s causing the problem. To prevent dull hair, it’s best to take a hands-off approach when it comes to your natural color and texture. Too much coloring and bleaching can cause dull hair. The high heat from blow-dryers and curling irons can leave hair brittle. And constant wearing of braids, ponytails, or hair extensions, all of which pull on hair, can lead to hair breakage.

Too much sun is also a bad thing: Overexposure to ultraviolet light can fade your hair color and make hair dry and brittle, leading to breakage and split ends. And, contrary to what you may think, brushing your hair 100 times a day doesn’t give your hair a healthy shine — it causes split ends.

Eliminating Dull Hair
If your hair could use a little help in the shine department, you’ll find everything you need at your local drugstore or beauty supply store. Try the following tips:

De-gunk your hair. Use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products that may have built up on your hair. Be sure to rinse extra carefully — that helps ensure that all the old products are washed out of your hair.
Moisturize. Sometimes dry hair is the culprit. If your hair looks and feels like straw, wash it with a moisturizing shampoo and use a conditioner after every time you shampoo. If you’re worried about conditioner weighing down your hair, apply it only from the bottom half of your hair down to the ends. For hair that’s colored or bleached, using a deep conditioner once a week is a good idea.
Add shine. Hair that looks dull and flat can be perked up with a shine spray, mist, or serum. These products contain silicone, and they can make your hair look shiny and silky. Just go easy on them, so that they don’t contribute to a beauty-product buildup.
Switch brands of hair-care products periodically. Over time, the products you use to wash and style your hair can make it look dull. Try rotating the brand you use every few months.
Use the right brush. A brush with tightly packed bristles smoothes hair, leaving a glossy finish.
Blow-dry your hair on cool or warm. Using the hot setting can damage your hair.
Protect your hair from the sun. Before a day at the beach or by the pool, put on a hat. You can also spray your locks with a sun block designed for hair.
Choose warm tones if you color or highlight your hair. Because warm tones reflect light, they can brighten the hair.
Ask your stylist about a salon gloss treatment. These add shine to your hair for a few weeks without changing its color.

In most cases, the strategic (and proper) use of a few hair-care products is all it takes to turn dull hair to dazzling.

Bad Hair Day

2011-06-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

Having a bad hair day can be enough to make you want to just stay home. Curly hair can frizz, straight hair can go limp, and wavy hair can go either way. Sometimes you just have bedhead — hair that sticks out or flattens exactly where you don’t want it to. Then there are the days when your hair isn’t at its best because you didn’t have time to give it a needed shampoo.

Summer can make the situation even worse. High temperatures and humidity, along with all those afternoons spent in the sun and water, can make hair become dry and harder to control. That’s because the sun’s rays can damage hair, and exposure to chlorine in pools and saltwater at the beach can add to the damage. What to do?

Preventing a Bad Hair Day
Proper hair care can go a long way toward preventing bad hair. Try the following strategies:

Get a good haircut. A good cut makes hair easier to style. Then be sure to get your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep it from growing out of its shape.
Select a shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. If your hair is thin, lather up with a volumizing shampoo. If you have dry or damaged hair, try a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture.
Avoid shampooing every day. Washing your hair too often can dry it out and make it harder to manage.
Stay away from styling products that are high in alcohol, especially if your hair is dry. These can make hair brittle.
Keep your hair natural. Letting curly hair curl and wavy hair wave doesn’t just mean fewer bad hair days — it means hair that’s easier to care for in general.

Fixing a Bad Hair Day
Even with your best efforts, it’s not always possible to keep your hair looking good. Bad hair days do happen. But before you take refuge under a hat, try these tips:

If your curly locks go frizzy, rub a little hand cream between your hands, then smooth it lightly over your hair to tame it.
Rub dry, flyaway hair with a dryer sheet. Just as dryer sheets keep your skirt from clinging to your panty hose, they can keep hair from sticking together, which will make it easier to style.
If your hair won’t hold a curl, use a styling cream or gel to lock your look in place.
No time to shampoo? Use a dry shampoo (a powder that absorbs oil to clean hair without water). Dry shampoos can also add volume.
Accessorize. Pull or brush your hair back and put on a headband. If your locks are limp, clip them away from your face with a barrette. And remember, long hair can always be pulled into a pony tail.
Try a hair extension to add length and fullness to your own hair. Permanent extensions are sewn or bonded to your hair and last about five months; clip-on extensions are attached to your hair with clips that are almost invisible.
Get a wig (or two). Wigs cover up problem hair — and they can also give you an entirely new look.

The bottom line: Home repairs can turn your hair from bad to at least acceptable, so you don’t have to let bad hair ruin your day.

The Best Treatments to Minimize Scars

2011-06-21T02:12:00.000-07:00

You don't need to have major surgery to have a scar — acne, chicken pox, cuts, and burns can all leave permanent marks on your skin. It’s nearly impossible to completely remove a scar, but you can minimize the appearance of one so that it’s close to undetectable. Here are a few strategies to get you started.

Home Treatments to Minimize Scars There are several pretty effective strategies you can use without resorting to a doctor’s intervention. Most revolve around massaging salves or creams onto the affected area several times a day — you need to stick to the regimen faithfully if you want to successfully minimize scars and improve their appearance. Here are a few ideas:

Silicone sheets. Applying silicone sheeting to scars has shown some promise in helping them fade and shrink. You need to apply a piece of silicone to the affected area and leave it on for up to a week at a time.
Pressure dressings. For raised scars — including keloids — a pressure dressing helps “push” the scar down to flatten and heal it.
Hydrocortisone. If your scar itches, applying hydrocortisone cream will keep you from scratching the area and making it look worse.
Sunscreen. If your scar is on your face or another area that's regularly exposed to the sun, it’s important to wear sunscreen daily — because the scarred area will not tan, it will appear more prominent when the surrounding area becomes darker.

Professional Treatments to Minimize Scars For severe scarring or scars on your face or other prominent spots on your body, you may want to seek the help of your doctor in treating the scars.

Surgery. It may seem counterintuitive, but surgery can actually be used to minimize scars. A severe burn scar may be removed through the use of skin grafts, and lasers and dermabrasion can help slice away scar tissue. For less severe scarring, from acne or chicken pox, amicrodermabrasion treatment can help smooth the skin’s surface, minimizing the scars.
Medications. Your doctor may decide to inject steroids into the scar tissue to help make it shrink, or collagen to help smooth out pitted scars from acne or chicken pox. Neither of these is a permanent solution, though, so you may need to go back for more injections in the future.
Other treatments. For scars that are discolored, a doctor may suggest a chemical peel or evenskin bleaching to help lighten the scar and improve its texture so it blends in better with the surrounding area.

6 Ways to Avoid Makeup Melt at the Gym

2011-06-21T02:09:00.001-07:00

Q: I want to schedule more sessions with the cute new trainer at my gym, but I need to figure out how to keep my makeup from dripping all over my face during the workout. How do I pull off a polished look while exercising?

A: Dripping makeup is messy, and it can be a real turnoff — even at the gym. But don’t sweat it! Here are some tips that’ll help you avoid makeup melt and show off your natural glow instead:

Wear less makeup. The gym is one place where you can get away with this, so go for it. Instead of full foundation, just dab on a little concealer wherever you need it.
If you need more coverage, add some tinted moisturizer to help even out your complexion. For oily or acne-prone skin, try Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Enhancer, which is oil free and noncomedogenic. Bobbi Brown’s Tinted Moisturizing Balm works well for dry skin. (Or mix some of your usual foundation with a bit of moisturizer to make your own.)
Skip the blush — your workout will give you a natural glow.
Use waterproof liner and mascara to avoid raccoon eyes. For a clean, natural look, I like Maybelline Unstoppable Smudgeproof Waterproof Eyeliner and L’Oréal’s Panoramic Curl Waterproof Mascara because they add definition and won’t run down your face.
Use a tinted lip balm instead of lipstick, and skip the lip liner so you don’t end up with an odd-looking outline around your mouth by the end of your workout. And no goopy gloss, either — it’ll just get all over your teeth and water bottle.
Carry a towel for blotting the sweat from your face — pat, don’t wipe!

Cysts: Rid Yourself of Bothersome Bumps

2011-06-21T01:40:00.001-07:00

Cysts are balloonlike structures with sturdy membranes containing liquids, semisolids, or even gases. Some cysts are so tiny that they can be seen only with a microscope. Others are so big that they can compromise normal surrounding tissue, including skin and internal organs.

When cysts form just beneath the skin, they’re usually painless, slow-growing, and highly noticeable. When you roll them under your fingers, they often feel smooth to the touch. When cysts form inside the body, however, they often go unnoticed until they’re identified by an imaging study such an X-ray, ultrasound, CT (computed tomography) scan, or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

Although it can be scary to find a skin cyst — especially for women who locate one on a breast — skin cysts are rarely cancerous or associated with severe infections. Because they can resemble cancerous lumps, however, it’s important to have any abnormal swelling or lump evaluated by a doctor. Also, seek medical attention if you have a rapidly growing, ruptured, or painful cyst.

Several different procedures can permanently remove medically or cosmetically problematic cysts.

Types of Cysts

Hundreds of different types of cysts can form anywhere in the body. The most common types of skin cysts include:

Baker’s cysts, which occur behind the knee.
Bartholin cysts, an enlargement of small glands near the opening of the vagina.
breast cysts, a benign condition also known as fibrocystic breast disease.
chalazions, which affect the glands inside the eyelid.
epidermoid cysts (sebaceous cysts), which can affect any area of skin, most commonly the face, trunk, and neck but also the groin.
ganglion cysts, which affect joints and tendons, often in the wrist.
pilonidal cysts, which occur near the tailbone.
trichelemmal cysts, which occur on the scalp.

Cysts also can form on any internal organ. Some of the most commonly affected organs include the ovaries, kidneys, thyroid gland, and the pineal gland in the brain.

Skin cysts almost always appear after puberty and are more likely to develop in men, people with a history of acne or excessive sun exposure, and those with a recent traumatic skin injury. Internal cysts are associated with infections, tumors, genetic and inflammatory conditions, and defects that occurred during fetal development.

Medical Treatments for Cysts

Although it can be tempting to pop a skin cyst, don’t do it. It increases the risk of infection and permanent scarring.

If you have a worrisome cyst, see a doctor or dermatologist, who can make an appropriate diagnosis and order any necessary tests. Because many cysts go away on their own, your doctor may simply advise you to watch and wait.

If your cyst is medically or cosmetically problematic, your doctor may recommend one of several treatments. These include:

Corticosteroid injections, which may cause the cyst to shrink and disappear.
Laser surgery. Your doctor uses a carbon dioxide or other laser to obliterate the cyst, which may minimize scarring on the face or other visible body parts.
Lancing. Your doctor cuts and drains the cyst, which then must be covered with sterile bandages and treated with antibiotics.
Surgical techniques. These include minimal excision, which involves lancing and draining the cyst, then removing only the cyst membrane. Total excision — a more invasive technique — involves removal of the entire cyst and requires stitches.

Although cysts can mar your appearance, they’re seldom dangerous. Sometimes, the best course — after receiving medical assurance that they’re not something more serious — is to simply leave them alone and wait for them to disappear. When cysts become problematic, however, you can rid yourself of these bothersome bumps with effective medical treatments.

Body Wash, Shower Gel, or Bar Soap?

2011-06-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

Standing in the skin and beauty aisle at the drugstore store can seem overwhelming. Bar soaps, body washes, and shower gels all compete for your attention and your dollars. How can you find the best soap for your skin?
What you buy is largely a matter of which type of product you like best — with a few exceptions, says Jami Miller, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the department of dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Dr. Miller cautions against falling for the advertising that surrounds body washes, bar soaps, and shower gels. Most of the messages in these ads are misleading. Instead, you should consider your skin type, specifically whether your skin tends to be sensitive and dry, or oily. Your bathing habits may actually be more important than the product that you choose: it’s best to use warm instead of hot water when taking a bath and to moisturize immediately after toweling off.

Whether you choose a bar or a bottle, many body cleansers may all have the same effect. These products remove dirt, bacteria, and — unfortunately — some or all of your natural body oils.
“Most soaps and body washes remove the oils that keep skin soft and naturally moisturized. Removing that oil makes your skin dryer,” says Miller. One solution is to look for products that state that they are moisturizing. “Many body washes leave a layer of moisturizer on the skin that helps to replenish the oils removed.”

In a Lather Over Lather
Despite what many bath product commercials may suggest, you do not need a lot of foam to get clean. In fact, avoiding lather might be your best bet, especially if you are worried about dry skin.
“The non-soap cleansers that also do not foam tend to leave more of your natural oils behind and thus are less drying,” explains Miller. “Most people can avoid over-drying their skin by selecting a soap for sensitive skin such as Dove, Aveeno, Cetaphil, or CeraVe, and applying a body lotion to still-damp skin after bathing. This seals the moisture back into your skin and replenishes the oils you removed.”

A Conversation About Film
Miller explains the term “film” can have several different meanings, but we usually think of it as a thin layer of oil deposited by bar soap or body wash. It forms a barrier to seal in moisture and, as long as this doesn’t lead to a breakout or make you feel greasy, it’s perfectly fine. Both soap and body wash can leave a film, she says, adding to beware of soaps that leave no film. Soaps that strip off all your oil, making you feel squeaky clean but leaving no moisture barrier, are harsher than those that leave a film.

If a film bothers you, Miller suggests trying newer formulations of soap, shower gel, body wash, and moisturizers. These “more closely approximate the skin's natural lipids and still leave moisture in the skin, but feel less greasy, so you do not feel a film left behind,” she says.

The Facts About Bar Soap
Many people believe that a simple bar soap is the best body cleanser. However, bar soaps may be unpleasantly drying, says Miller. The most important step you can take is to check the ingredients for lye.
“Deodorant soaps and lye soaps tend to strip the skin’s oils and do not replace them. If your skin is really oily, then that is not a problem,” says Miller. “If you use these relatively harsh soaps and your skin becomes dry, you will need to moisturize afterwards.”
If you like using a bar soap, it’s better to choose a beauty bar, which tends to be more moisturizing that regular bar soaps.

The Best Body Cleanser for You
Though oily skin can withstand the effects of most body wash products, all skin types can benefit from these tips:

Choose a mild cleanser that does not contain lye.
Use cool or warm water when bathing, never hot.
Use a moisturizer immediately after drying off.
Don’t over-cleanse — this can lead to dryness.
Watch out for signs of dryness, including redness, itching, and flaking.

If you try several products, moisturize after bathing, and continue to feel dry and uncomfortable, you may need to see a dermatologist for prescription skin care rather than switching to another body cleanser.

Cellulite Treatments

2011-06-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

It’s hard not to notice it when you step out of the shower or put on a swimsuit: the characteristic dimpling of cellulite. However, you might take some consolation in knowing that cellulite adorns the buttocks, hips, and thighs of most women. The cause? Fat deposits that push up against the web of fibrous connective tissues beneath the skin. This web stays taut, allowing fat to bulge through.
While some men have cellulite, it’s much more common in women because the area where women tend to store body fat — around the hips — is the area where cellulite appears. Contrary to what you may think, it doesn’t show up only on curvy bodies. Thin people can have it, too, though carrying extra pounds makes it more noticeable. Other contributing factors include a family history of cellulite, the thickness of your skin, and hormonal changes. And as skin becomes less elastic with age, cellulite becomes more obvious.
Cellulite Remedies
There are numerous products and therapies on the market for cellulite, but only a few have actually been found to help. If you’re bothered by your cellulite, consider the following treatments:

Massage therapy. Special machines gather areas of skin with cellulite and massage them. A technique called Endermologie, which squeezes and suctions this skin, has been approved by the FDA to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Ten to 12 treatments are usually required before you notice a change, and you’ll need regular follow-up therapy to maintain the look. Treatment is expensive.
Laser therapy and radiofrequency systems. The FDA has approved two of these systems to treat cellulite. One combines suction or massage with infrared light and radiofrequency energy. The other combines massage with laser energy. Both require multiple treatments but can reduce the appearance of cellulite for up to six months. Because so many sessions are involved, this therapy is expensive.
Aim for a healthy weight and get regular exercise. While this approach won’t eliminate cellulite, keeping your body as firm and fit as possible can improve the appearance of dimpled skin. Start by making sure you eat a diet low in saturated fat, trans fats, and sugar but rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat sources of protein and dairy products. Then try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
Quit smoking. Smoking damages connective tissue, and this affects the appearance of the skin.

Cellulite Myths
Just as important as what works is what doesn’t. Cellulite creams, dietary supplements, and special salon wraps may be advertised as cures for cellulite, but there’s no scientific evidence to back this up. Drinking lots of water won’t help either, unless you’re dehydrated to begin with.
Some people try to get rid of cellulite with liposuction, a procedure in which a surgeon inserts a narrow tube under the skin and suctions out fat cells. While this can recontour the body, liposuction doesn’t remove cellulite and can actually make it look worse.
Most women can’t avoid getting cellulite, but you can minimize its appearance by maintaining the right weight for you and working out regularly — and doing both of those things will also be a boon to your health.

Beautiful Skin in Just 5 Minutes a Day!

2011-06-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to follow a lengthy or complicated skin care regimen in order to have beautiful skin. In fact, all it takes is a few minutes — and a few healthy habits — to get your complexion glowing. Here’s how to do it.
Wear sunscreen. Dermatologists all consider this the number-one recommendation for your skin’s health — it’ll help slow the aging process, keep skin from getting damaged and prevent skin cancer. You should choose a high-SPF sunscreen and apply it every day, even if you aren’t spending much time outdoors or the day is overcast.
Search out the right skin care products. Choose products that are made for your skin type — dry, oily, acne-prone — and that are as gentle as possible. All-natural products can help keep your skin looking beautiful without using potentially harsh chemicals. Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser, and follow up with a light moisturizer.
Massage your face. Taking five minutes to give yourself a facial massage a few times a week can help you relieve stress and improve circulation to your skin — and give you gorgeous, glowing skin.
Get a little green tea. Keep moist green tea bags handy in your fridge, and put them on your eyes for five minutes when you need a little pick-me-up. The cold temperature and caffeine will help reduce puffiness around your eyes and the antioxidants in the green tea will help refresh your skin and keep it looking youthful.
Exfoliate regularly. We’re not talking about a rough scrub — a good moisturizer with alpha-hydroxy acid in it will help you slough off the dry, dead skin cells and reveal the fresher layer beneath it.
Apply a five-minute mask. Refresh your skin fast with an all-natural (and super fast) egg-white mask. Separate an egg, then apply the white to your face for five minutes before you rinse it off. The egg’s proteins can moisturize and strengthen your skin and help it look fresher.
Live healthier. Many of the best habits for more beautiful skin are habits that will benefit your overall health. Start by eating a healthy diet filled with plenty of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, and drinking at least eight glasses of water per day to keep your skin hydrated. Next, be sure you get your beauty sleep — doctors recommend about eight hours a day for the average adult. And try to minimize the amount of stress in your life, as stress can cause harmful chemical imbalances in your system that could result in premature aging.

Gray Hair

2011-06-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re 16 or 60 when it happens, gray hair is almost certainly going to strike some day. As you age, the pigment-producing substances in your hair shut down, leaving your hair without color. Gray or white hair brings with it new challenges, but the solutions are simple and can leave you with stylish, attractive locks.

Problem: I have only a few gray hairs, but they’re wiry and practically standing at attention.
Solution: Pluck ’em. Gray hair tends to be more dry and brittle, and if you have a sleek style, they can stand out like porcupine quills. If you don’t have many, you can pull them out. Contrary to what you may have heard, you won’t grow two more (or five, or 10, or a dozen) in its place. The pace of graying is different for everyone. If you go gray quickly, it may seem as though multiple new gray hairs grow in every time you pluck one, but they would grow in whether you plucked or not.

Problem: I’m ready to start coloring my gray. What’s the best way?
Solution: Whether you plan to color your hair yourself or have it done professionally, your stylist can give you tips on what works best. Talk to your stylist about your color choices. Many women find that a shade or two lighter than their natural color or something close to their childhood color works well. If your gray is too widespread to pluck but is evenly distributed and your natural hair color is still predominant, your stylist might be able to blend the gray in with highlights or lowlights.

Problem: I’ve been covering up my gray for years. But now that I’m almost all gray, I want to let it go natural. How do I manage the changeover without gray roots?
Solution: Coloring your hair gray is difficult, since gray hair actually lacks color. You can shift your hair color in shades, gradually moving toward gray while your own gray grows in. Or you can use temporary or semipermanent coloring on the roots. These products will cover the gray but wash out with a number of shampoos, and once they wash out you can decide whether you need another application. Whatever you choose, a short hairstyle will help keep the transition time brief.

Problem: I’ve gone gray, and now I need to find a flattering haircut.
Solution: Gray hair and white hair are often coarse and might require you to learn new styling techniques. Because gray hair can be dry, shorter styles generally look more flattering than longer locks. That said, a flattering haircut should work well with the shape of your face, whether your hair is gray, your natural color, or something else altogether. It’s more important to update your hairstyle periodically so it doesn’t look dated, no matter what the color is. Whether you decide to go gray or not, find a stylish, flattering hairstyle you’ll love.