This Disease Is More Common in Women Than Breast Cancer

When you think of diseases and health disorders that primarily affect women, breast cancer is probably the first to pop into mind. While breast cancer certainly is very prevalent worldwide, it’s not nearly as common as the number of women suffering from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition.

The National Institutes of Health defines fibromyalgia as “long-lasting or chronic disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue (feeling tired).”

“The hallmarks of fibromyalgia are exhaustion, insomnia, widespread pain, and brain fog,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. Symptoms typically look similar to that of arthritis or tendinitis with pain being the most common complaint. Find out the fibromyalgia symptoms you might be ignoring.

This National Fibromyalgia Association estimates that nearly 10 million people in the United States and three to six percent of the population worldwide suffer from this condition, with 75 to 90 percent being women. (Compare that to the 236,968 American women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) While the exact causes of fibromyalgia remain unknown, researchers believe it has something to do with a glitch in the nervous system. Some researchers believe that we’re seeing a steady rise over the years due to the increased stress people face in their daily lives.

“Fibromyalgia represents a very severe form of the human energy crisis, where the demand for energy outstrips our body’s ability to keep up,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “When that occurs, we essentially blow a fuse/trip a circuit breaker called the hypothalamus.” That means your brain basically tricks your body into being hypersensitive to stimuli that you normally wouldn’t find painful.

While there’s no known cure for the disease, most medical professionals agree that a combined treatment plan of prescription drugs, a healthy diet, exercise, and enough sleep may help alleviate the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Numerous studies show that regular exercise is key when dealing with fibromyalgia as exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. Read on to learn natural treatments for fibromyalgia.

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The One Beauty Product You Should Avoid After Workouts, According to Dermatologists

More often than not, the first thing you want to do after a tough workout is shower and freshen up. We hear ya! But fitness fanatics, beware: One surprising part of your post-workout beauty routine might be damaging your skin. (No time for a shower? Here’s how to look, feel, and smell fresh after your sweat session.)

No matter how badly you want to revive your sweaty hair after exercising, dermatologists recommend avoiding hair products like hairspray after a workout. Why, you ask? “As your body is still warm, these products will melt and travel downward to your face and clog pores,” New York-based dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman told Byrdie.

Even worse, these products can cause acne and irritation in the long run. Clogged pores difficult to de-clog, and as a result, you’re much more likely to get blackheads, whiteheads, and acne, according to Dr. Todd Plott. Check out even more sneaky reasons for your acne breakout.

Bottom line: While you might want to get your hair in great shape after shaping up your body, put the products away.

Looking for more post-workout advice? Dr. Engelman suggests avoiding heavy, pore-clogging makeup after a workout, too. If you can’t do without a face touch-up, opt for light makeup products like tinted moisturizer, instead. Just look at this way: You’ve never had a better excuse to “let your natural radiance shine,” she said.

That’s not the only gym mistake you’re making. You should never, ever do these things after a workout, either.

[Source: SheFinds]

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The One Beauty Product You Should Avoid After Workouts, According to Dermatologists Health – Reader's Digest

10 Everyday Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Eyelashes

Sleeping with makeup on

We get it—nobody feels like washing their face after a long day, particularly struggling with stubborn waterproof mascara. But keeping your makeup on while you sleep not only leads to breakouts, but is also a top cause of eyelash damage. One of the ways mascara works is by making eyelashes stiff, so they are incredibly prone to breakage once it’s on. Hitting the bed with the formula on crunches your lashes against the pillow surface, and they may break in the process because of their already brittle state. Sharon Lipetz Gjieli, owner of Makeup By Lips LLC, shares, “Always have makeup wipes or makeup remover in your nightstand for the lazy nights when washing your face just isn’t an option.” As a rule of thumb, if you invest a lot of time into applying makeup, be sure to invest the same amount of time into taking it off. (In case you’re wondering, this is how bad it really is to sleep in your makeup).

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DIY Homemade Activated Charcoal Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening

Most of us start our day by brushing our teeth, and many have strong opinions about which toothpaste they prefer. Some prefer plain white toothpaste, some like mint-flavored and some like bubblegum-flavored. There are numerous choices in the market. But are you sure that the toothpaste you are using is safe? You may be shocked […]

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DIY Homemade Activated Charcoal Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening

Most of us start our day by brushing our teeth, and many have strong opinions about which toothpaste they prefer. Some prefer plain white toothpaste, some like mint-flavored and some like bubblegum-flavored. There are numerous choices in the market. But are you sure that the toothpaste you are using is safe? You may be shocked […]

The post DIY Homemade Activated Charcoal Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening appeared first on Top 10 Home Remedies.

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The One Spot You Should Never Skip When Applying Sunscreen (But Always Do)

If there’s any one piece of advice to take from health and beauty articles, it’s that sunscreen is not optional. Not only does slathering up daily cut risk of skin cancer by half, but the sun protection can also keep your skin looking young by slowing aging. Even if you’ve stayed diligent, though, there’s one common spot on your face you likely always miss.

When you’re rubbing in sunscreen, you probably focus on your nose, cheeks, and forehead. But when was the last time you made sure to cover your eyelids? A small UK study found that volunteers were more likely to miss the areas around their eyes than any other spots. Nearly 14 percent left their eyelids unprotected, and 77 missed the spot between the inner corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose.

Skin cancer of the eyelids makes up about five to ten percent of all skin cancer diagnoses, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Most are non-melanoma, with 83 percent of eyelid skin cancer cases basal cell carcinoma and 17 percent squamous cell carcinoma. And while most eyelid growths aren’t cancer, a painless, asymmetric tumor that starts to bleed could be cancer, Richard Allen, MD, PhD, told MD Anderson Cancer Center. (Don’t miss these other 8 things everyone should know about skin cancer.)

Getting the product close to your eyes seems like a bad idea, but some cosmetic companies make eye creams with SPF or sunscreens specially formulated for the eyes. If trying to get sunscreen around your eyes without irritation isn’t going well, wearing a wide-brimmed hat or sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection can save your skin, too.

“Most people consider the point of sunglasses is to protect the eyes, specifically corneas, from UV damage, and to make it easier to see in bright sunlight,” Kevin Hamil, PhD, co-author of the UK sunscreen application study, said in a statement. “However, they do more than that, they protect the highly cancer prone eyelid skin as well.”

Check out these other 6 sneaky things that may be increasing your risk of skin cancer.

[Source: LifeHacker]

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The One Spot You Should Never Skip When Applying Sunscreen (But Always Do) Health – Reader's Digest

Homemade Peel-Off Masks for Glowing, Spotless Skin

Do you want beautiful and flawless skin but are tired of buying the latest skin care product that only provides lackluster results? Then it is time to try some DIY peel-off masks. Peel-off masks are an important part of your skin care routine. These masks are not for daily use. Just use them once or twice […]

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Homemade Peel-Off Masks for Glowing, Spotless Skin

Do you want beautiful and flawless skin but are tired of buying the latest skin care product that only provides lackluster results? Then it is time to try some DIY peel-off masks. Peel-off masks are an important part of your skin care routine. These masks are not for daily use. Just use them once or twice […]

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This Is When You Should Schedule Surgery If You Want to Heal Faster

It doesn’t take much to injure yourself. A simple trip can have you flat on your face. You dust yourself off, reach for the antibacterial ointment and bandages, and prepare to answer a lot of questions about why you’re sporting a Frozen BandAid on your face. With the knowledge that time heals all wounds, you go on with your life, knowing eventually you’ll be good as new. But according to research, time isn’t the only remedy.

A new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, has concluded that timing of the wound also plays great importance in how long it takes to heal. And while you can’t exactly control when you’re going to trip and fall on your face, the findings suggest patients have a shorter time of recovery from surgery if it’s performed during the right time of day.

John O’Neill, a biologist at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, and his team found that skin cells help mend wounds more quickly in the daytime as opposed to at night. (Here’s another reason you’ll want to make sure you don’t have surgery at night.) This is thanks to our circadian clock.

Up until now, biologists and neuroscientists have believed our circadian clock lives solely in the brain. But recent research has found that cells in other parts of the body are also keeping their own time. Researchers have remained puzzled by such findings.

O’Neill and his team wanted to uncover how cells in organs like the liver and lungs are able to maintain their own 24-hour schedule, so they began studying skin cells known as fibroblasts, which are essential for wound healing.

When you trip and scrape your knee, fibroblasts come to the rescue, filling the gap in the skin to create a foundation for new skin to grow. These cells seem to have their own 24-hour clock, so O’Neill and his colleagues looked for proteins within the cells that are in cohesion with daily rhythms.

What they found was that proteins that orchestrate the creation of the cell’s actin-based skeleton worked the daytime shift, directing the fibroblasts to slip into the injury hole and commence the healing process.

The researchers then tested their hypothesis with cells grown in a flat layer in a petri dish. As they assumed, fibroblasts were more diligent at their job during the day.

“You can see by eye, when the cell is wounded only eight hours apart from each other, in a different circadian phase, the [daytime] wounded ones take off, and the [nighttime] one drags,” O’Neill told Science Mag.

The researchers then revealed that mice who suffered wounds in the day healed better than those who suffered them at night. The real test was in humans, however.

O’Neill and his team took their hypothesis to the human level, analyzing data from the International Burn Injury Database for information on the time of day an injury occurred. The results were fascinating: people who suffered burns during resting hours took an average of 11 days longer to heal than people who suffered burns during waking hours.

O’Neill believes that their findings could help people better recover from scheduled surgeries. The study’s findings also point out that our bodies are likely made to respond quicker in the daytime. Find out how to speed up healing, no matter what time of day you’re injured.

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10 Diabetes Symptoms in Men Every Man Should Be Aware Of

You notice dark patches on your skin

Your skin is a window into the health of your insides—check out all the conditions your skin can reveal. Diabetes is no exception. The back of your neck, groin, or underarms may look “dirty,” but the dark, velvety patches in these areas are actually a symptom of insulin resistance. It’s called acanthosis nigricans (AN). “The hormones involved in insulin resistance are also thought to contribute to the skin condition,” says Margaret Eckert-Norton, RN, PhD, CDE, chair of the Endocrine Society‘s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee and associate professor at St. Joseph’s College in New York City. “It’s something that tends to happen gradually over the years,” she adds. Treatment for AN involves addressing the underlying cause—in this case, regaining control over blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes and you’re looking to reverse, check out this step-by-step plan.

The tip of your penis is red and swollen

There are many warning signs that you could be developing type 2 diabetes, including erectile dysfunction. When you have uncontrolled blood sugar, however, you’re at risk for a condition called balanitis. (Blood sugar in your urine provides an ideal environment for bacteria and yeast to grow.) Symptoms include swelling of the foreskin and tip of the penis, and it may be painful or you could experience a discharge. See your doctor, who will instruct you on the best way to keep the area clean and may recommend treatment with an anti-fungal or antibiotic cream (depending on the source of the problem).

Shaving nicks don’t heal quickly

While shaving your face you get a tiny cut that seems to linger forever. “When your sugars are on their way up, it may take longer for a cut to heal,” explains Eckert-Norton. You may also notice more shaving bumps and white heads in your hair follicles in your beard. The sebaceous oil glands in your face are also vulnerable to low-grade infections that you’re at risk for when you have type 2 diabetes, she says. Check out these smart and safe hygiene habits all men should follow.

Your hands and feet are numb and tingly

A more advanced complication of type 2 diabetes is nerve damage, a condition called peripheral diabetic neuropathy. You may feel tingling or pins and needles in your feet, pain or numbness and weakness, according to the American Diabetes Association. Eckert-Norton says that it presents in a “stocking, glove” pattern. “Where your socks go on, peripheral neuropathy happens first, and it eventually gets to your fingertips later on,” she says. Keeping blood glucose levels on target is key to lessening pain and numbness.

You’re so thirsty

Thirst is common with type 2 diabetes—in fact, it can be a sign of at least eight medical problems. You may notice that no amount of water can quench your thirst. That’s due to rising blood sugar levels, which forces your kidneys to get hard at work trying to filter out the excess sugar by ramping up urine production, says Eckert-Norton. You’ll pee more, which can potentially lead to dehydration, and you’ll want to drink more, too. If you notice that you’re running to the bathroom all day or are excessively thirsty (or dealing with a dry mouth), talk to your doctor about your glucose levels.

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You’re seeing “floaters”

Though uncontrolled diabetes can damage eyes, it’s usually not until diabetes is more advanced that you start experiencing symptoms. Over time, high blood sugar damages blood vessels in the retina, causing them to bleed and leading to diabetic retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute. You may notice black floating spots dotting your field of vision, and you may also have blurred vision. If you notice these type 2 diabetes symptoms in men, see a doctor for a dilated eye exam. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you will need an eye exam at least once a year to ensure eyes stay healthy.

Your appetite is out of control

If you inexplicably have an enormous appetite, it may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance means it’s harder for the body to shuttle glucose into cells where it produces energy. As a response, your body also produces more insulin, and that ramps up your appetite and triggers cravings. This is also how weight gain happens, Eckert-Norton explains. She adds that some patients will keep candy bars in their desks to pull out when they feel like they have low blood sugar. The problem is, it’s easy to overcompensate by eating too much—and the wrong types of foods (see: candy bar). Along with seeing your doctor, there are several strategies you can try to keep hunger at bay.

Your mood is low

Among the problems triggered by poor blood sugar, mood disorders are notorious. In a 2012 study in Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, men with type 2 diabetes were more likely to have a depressed mood compared to healthy men. Blood sugar balance is important for maintaining a pleasant mood; when it dips, low blood sugar can contribute to irritability.

Your gums are bleeding

You’ve heard that one reason to stay on top of your oral health is because gum problems can put you at risk for chronic diseases like heart disease. Your teeth can reveal a lot of issues with your body, and one of those issues is diabetes. Gum disease can be one of the diabetes symptoms in men. People with diabetes are three times more likely to develop periodontitis (an infection that damages gums and can lead to tooth loss) compared to those who don’t have the disease. Red, swollen, bleeding gums are a few signs of the condition. It’s important to see a dentist and get this under control, since the infection also works the other way, and can increase blood sugar levels.

You’re dizzy

When you’re thinking about possible diabetes symptoms in men, balance issues may not come to mind. They should be—in fact, there are at least eight medical reasons you might feel dizzy. Inner ear disorders, which can show up as dizziness and balance problems, are 70 percent higher in people with type 2 diabetes compared to those without, according to a 2009 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Diabetes damages small blood vessels, which may, in turn, affect the blood flow to the inner ear structures. The lesson: Even seemingly unrelated problems can be a clue that your blood sugar levels are on the rise.

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These 2 Bad Habits Can Make Your Face Look Way Older, Study Says

The older we get, the more we obsess over looking younger. While genes are the main indicator of how well (or poorly) you’ll age, there are ways to actively fight the visible signs of aging, like adopting these everyday habits that can make you look way younger. But if you happen to indulge in two less-than-healthy habits, your face will age much faster, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Danish researchers tapped data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study to track visible aging signs of 11,500 adults for 11.5 years. The study participants were periodically queried about how much they drank and smoked as part of a general review of their lifestyle habits. Researchers also examined their ears, eyes, and hairlines.

The results revealed that, yes, hard living equals fast aging: Women who downed 28 or more drinks a week were 33 percent more likely to develop discoloration in the eyes linked to aging, compared to women who had less than seven drinks a week. For men, the risk jumped to 35 percent when they had 35 or more drinks a week. Smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for more than 15 years raised the likelihood that a woman’s eyes would betray signs of aging by 41 percent, compared to a non-smoker; the risk jumped 12 percent for male smokers.

“This is the first prospective study to show that alcohol and smoking are associated with the development of visible age-related signs and thus generally looking older than one’s actual age,” the researchers told Science Daily. “This may reflect that heavy drinking and smoking increases general aging of the body.” If you need to cut back on your drinking habits, read these 17 tips for drinking less alcohol.

Because the study only observed the changes, drawing firm and fast conclusions isn’t possible, note the study authors. For example, the researchers couldn’t rule out the impact of stress on the participants.

There is some good news though. Light to moderate drinkers didn’t have any greater visible aging signs than non-drinkers, so drinking in moderation gets a pass. Not a drinker or a smoker? You could still be aging your face with these makeup mistakes that make you look older.

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These 2 Bad Habits Can Make Your Face Look Way Older, Study Says Health – Reader's Digest

This Is the Time of Year That People Lose More of Their Hair—but No One Knows Why

In our society, a full head of luscious locks gives your face an attractive and youthful glow, but we can’t all bask in the fountain of youth forever. As the days go by, Father Time steals our taut skin, our limber joints, and eventually our thick mane of hair. But a new study reveals that age may not be the only hair loss culprit—the seasons play a role too.

In fact, summer and fall are the most popular seasons to search for “hair loss” on Google, according to a study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The researchers used Google Trends, a tool that shows how certain keywords or subjects have been searched over time, to track people’s patterns for hair loss web searches during a 12-year period. As the results pooled together, hair loss searches peaked in summer and fall amongst eight different countries across the globe.

But the catch here is that the study can’t explain why there’s greater hair loss during these two seasons. One hypothesis that’s been circulating in the medical community is the importance of scalp hair, which is needed to protect the tops of our heads from damaging sunburns. But as the days shorten and temperatures cool in late summer and fall, the biological need for this protective head of hair lessens, which means hair loss increases.

And that’s why future research is still needed to confirm the connection and reasoning behind seasonal changes and hair loss.

“This finding is clinically relevant for patients presenting in the summer and fall months with worsened hair loss and has implications in assessing the effectiveness of therapies,” senior author Shawn Kwatra, MD, said in a statement. “Future research will further clarify this association and examine the physiology of the hair cycle.”

Besides cluing you into what season it is, here are eight other things your hair is trying to tell you about your health.

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This Is the Time of Year That People Lose More of Their Hair—but No One Knows Why Health – Reader's Digest

This Incredibly Rare Condition Gives You a Perfect Memory

Whether you’re eight years old or 80, everyone has certain basic types of memory. There is short-term, long-term, and even skill and fact-based forms of recollection, just for starters. But think about it—can you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing on March 14th, 2007? Most people have no clue. If you have highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM), however, you’re likely to remember practically everything about that day.

Sounds crazy, right? But the evidence is solid. Studies show that while most people will forget a certain event after just one week, HSAM participants can recall it for over a decade. Borrow these habits of people with an impressive memory, and you could improve your own retention.

Only around 60 people in the world have been diagnosed with HSAM so far, Curiosity reports. (Here’s where you can learn about one of those 60 people, Markie Pasternak, the youngest person ever with this condition.) And unfortunately, researchers still don’t understand exactly what gives certain people this amazing power. Here’s what they do know, though: While people with HSAM recall memories with the same parts of their brain as everyone else, brain scans have revealed differences in the structure of areas linked to autobiographical memory creation. What’s more, people with HSAM also tend to obsessively collect, clean, or organize things.

Let’s face it—having a perfect memory sounds pretty great. But if you’re not blessed with a foolproof recall, you can always train like a memory champion with these pro tricks to getting a superhuman memory.

[Source: Curiosity]

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We Tried 7 Neck Masks—Here’s What Worked

Best for: Pre-event primping

In a less-than-ideal start, I accidentally applied the protective film from the Talika Bio Enzymes Anti-Aging Neck Mask ($11), thinking it was the mask. After that initial mishap, the “second skin” easily stayed put for 30 minutes. The results were, in a word, impressive. The direct-hit hyaluronic acid and collagen formula had clearly nestled into my deep neck lines, plumping them and making them less visible.

Bottom line: While the groves didn’t vanish completely, I’d absolutely use the mask before a big event. “Deep wrinkles are very hard to eradicate even with lasers,” confirms Debra Jaliman, MD, board-certified NYC dermatologist, Assistant Professor of Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist. Psst…Here are other secrets for putting your best face forward in photos.

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Bridal Beauty Countdown: How to Get Glowing Skin in One Month

Daily: Targeted face mask

Early on, get into the habit of a weekly mask ritual. Take two minutes to sit back and de-stress, while giving your skin some TLC. What’s great about face masks is that there’s a formula (or, more likely, a few) to treat whatever ails you, err your skin. Say buh-bye to dullness with radiance-boosting vitamin C. Try: Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask or Que Bella Professional Vitamin C Peel-Off Mask. Hydrate parched skin with a hyaluronic acid-enriched sheet mask like Innisfree Skin Clinic Mask Hyaluronic Acid or Karuna Hydrating+ Face Mask. Congested skin? Choose formulas containing charcoal or clay (these are the best clays for a clear complexion), which help detoxify, purify pores, and banish breakouts. Try: Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask or Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment. Find out more about the best face mask for your complexion concerns.

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What Your Fears Reveal About Your Personality

Fear of clowns means you value honesty

Does the idea of Pennywise make your heart drop? Not to worry, you aren’t alone. According to an article in Scientific American, clowns are portrayed as “tricksters” whose masks give them the feeling that they can abandon typically acceptable social behavior. So it’s no surprise that coulrophobia is quite common—nearly one in 10 adults fesses up to having it. In a University of Sheffield study, 250 children aged 4 to 16 were asked how they felt about clown images. The conclusion from this study was that the children simply find them to be “frightening and unknowable.” Carlin Flora writes in Psychology Today, “Because reading facial expressions has long been a key to survival, our inability to discern a clown’s expressions (and true intentions) underneath the what covers their face raises automatic suspicions.” People who are afraid of clowns tend to pride themselves on their honesty, transparency, and straightforwardness, and expect others around them to do the same. However, your nonsensical and overly logical nature may sometimes prevent you from kicking back in social situations. Although you don’t need to do it at the circus, don’t be afraid to clown around every once in awhile. (This may shed some more light on why people are so afraid of clowns).

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The Best Face Wash for Your Skin Type

Oily skin

You might be tempted to strip every last bit of oil from your skin, but using an overly drying cleanser can actually make your skin even slicker (along with these 11 surprising reasons your skin is greasy). “If a cleanser is too harsh or pulls too many oils from the skin, this can lead to rebound oil production and can disrupt the natural balance that we need,” says board-certified dermatologist Kally Papantoniou, MD, FAAD. She recommends Neutrogena Rapid Clear Oil-Eliminating Foaming Cleanser, which reduces shine but doesn’t contain harsh ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which are notorious for drying out acne-prone skin. Don’t miss these other 11 beauty secrets women with oily skin should know.

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How to Get Rid of Chest Acne for Good, According to a Dermatologist

What is it?

Chest breakouts are caused by the same condition that affects the face, acne vulgaris. “Regardless of location, the root causes of acne are excess oil and dead skin cells, which clog the pore leading to P. acnes bacteria overgrowth and inflammation,” said New York City dermatologist and RealSelf contributor Sejal Shah, MD. Check out these surprising home remedies for acne.

There’s a chance it’s not acne: Visit a dermatologist to confirm that the pimples you’re seeing are actually caused by acne. Here’s a list of seven skin conditions that look like acne but aren’t. According to Dr. Mazloom, other skin conditions that sometimes appear on the chest, can look like acne. Pityrosporum folliculitis—caused by yeast taking up residence in the hair follicle—can look like acne but isn’t. Dr. Mazloom added, “Isolated chest acne is uncommon. However, certain conditions such as acne fulminans and acne conglobata, which are subtypes of acne can commonly present with acne eruption on the chest. Also medications such as high-dose intravenous or oral corticosteroids, and certain chemotherapy drugs can cause acneiform eruptions commonly on the chest and back.”

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How to Get Rid of Chest Acne for Good, According to a Dermatologist Health – Reader's Digest

Can Activated Charcoal Really Improve Your Skin? Experts Weigh In

You’ve seen ominous-looking black charcoal products in skin care and even dental products. (It’s even been used in ice cream!) Activated charcoal has gotten a lot of media attention, but some experts aren’t convinced it lives up to expectations.

Exposing regular charcoal to high temperatures and a gas such as oxygen makes it develop more pores, turning it into “activated charcoal.” Those pores, plus the carbon in it, attract substances and soak them up like a sponge. Doctors use activated charcoal to remove toxins from people who have overdosed, but it might have some beauty uses too.

The idea is that if activated charcoal can attract toxins in the stomach, it can do the same for your skin. Theoretically, it could act like a magnet to remove the oil and dead skin cells clogging your pores, says Ivy Lee, MD, a dermatologist based in Pasadena, California, and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA. “If it purifies toxins in our GI tracts it will probably purify toxins on our skin as well,” she says. “The tough thing is, there’s not evidence for this. There’s no scientific evidence that it purifies the skin.” Dr. Lee says she wouldn’t rely on charcoal to clear up your acne, but it could be worth a try if a gentle cleanser isn’t working for you.

For instance, activated charcoal could be a good middle ground between gentle cleansers and harsh acne treatments. (Make sure you’re not using too many skincare products, though.) Heavy-duty zit medications could leave your skin parched and flaky, but activated charcoal isn’t as likely to dry your skin, says board-certified dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD, FAAD, contributor for RealSelf.

“Prescription-strength retinoids are fairly drying, and charcoal may not be as drying as something like that, or even some over-the-counter retinoids,” she says. After all, charcoal will strip away some oils, but not as many as a harsh chemical would, says says board-certified dermatologist Kally Papantoniou, MD, FAAD.

If you do use charcoal for acne, don’t expect immediate results. (Here’s another way to get rid of acne once and for all.) Like any product, it might take a couple weeks, or even months, before your skin gets much better, says Dr. Papantoniou. Plus, even if activated charcoal leaves your face shine-free at first, your skin will continue producing oil throughout the day, says Dr. Shah, so you won’t be able to give up your blotting paper for good.

In addition to targeting acne and oil, charcoal cleansers usually have a gritty texture acts as an exfoliant. For most people, that’s fine a few times a week—max—but overdoing it could actually make your skin worse, says Dr. Shah. “If the skin senses it’s too dry, it will produce more oil,” she says. (Here are some other reasons you might have oily skin.)

In fact, grainy charcoal might not be your best bet, even for that occasional exfoliating, says Dr. Papantoniou. You can exfoliate your skin two ways: with physical scrubbing or chemicals. In general, chemicals will be gentler on your skin, says Dr. Papantoniou. “When scrubbing, you’re just getting the superficial top layer off, which can aggravate things,” she says. You might irritate the area, creating light brown or pink spots where the inflammation is. Exfoliating chemicals like glycolic acid or salicylic acid, on the other hand, actually even out your skin tone while removing the dead cells. (But don’t make these exfoliating mistakes.)

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Just like how coarse charcoal can scrub your skin, some products say the black paste could actually whiten teeth naturally by scrubbing away stains. Surface stains on your teeth might be no match for activated charcoal—but neither is your enamel, says American Dental Association dentist Genaro Romo, DDS. “The enamel on your teeth is the white part, the glossy kind of porcelain look that makes your teeth whiter,” he says. “When you take something abrasive, you wear away your enamel, and it never comes back. Now your teeth start to look dull, darker, yellower.” He recommends using whitening toothpaste with a soft toothbrush, which will get rid of pesky coffee stains without hurting your enamel.

Even though it’s far from being a miracle product, activated charcoal could be a good option for anyone looking for a more natural skin-care regimen. Just keep in mind that even natural products can irritate your skin, says Dr. Shah, and they won’t necessarily be as good as the products your dermatologist prescribes. “Yes, active charcoal is great because there is a very natural element to it,” she says, “but by the same token, if you have very severe acne, you’re not necessarily doing yourself a service by not seeking out potentially more effective treatments.”

Feel free to try active charcoal for something different, but stick with these beauty secrets for oily skin if you want lasting results.

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These 3 Skin-Care Products Literally Erased My Hormonal Acne Scars

The teenage years are when most adolescents suffer from acne flare-ups and cystic pimples. Lucky for me, I had clear, porcelain, glowing skin. I never even used skincare products! Yep, not a drop—true story.

I remember how lucky I felt to not have to suffer the emotional stress and embarrassment of having a face covered in craters, redness, hyperpigmentation, and dry flakey skin… until it happened to me.

Around the time I went to college, I started noticing small breakouts along my jawline and had no idea why. I wasn’t doing anything different than I had been doing my whole life. And ironically, the better care I took of my skin, the more acne I got. I was embarrassed and depressed.

Naturally, I ran to the local pharmacy and purchased cult-favorite skin care products, including Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser paired with Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15, which resulted in nothing. Nada. If anything, my skin looked and felt worse.

That’s when I got serious and made an appointment with a dermatologist, who put me on topical and oral medications to treat what turned out to be hormonal acne, due to the fact that I had stopped taking birth control. Board certified dermatologist Debra Wattenberg, MD, explains, “Hormonal acne tends to develop post-teenage years and is commonly distributed along the jawline, neck, and cheeks. It often presents with cysts that are caused by fluctuations in hormones, specifically increases in androgens like testosterone.” Causes of hormonal acne, according to Dr. Wattenberg, founder of NY Skin RX, include irregular periods, discontinuation of birth control pills, and menopause. The cysts that develop from hormonal acne are deep and hard to treat, so Dr. Wattenberg commonly recommends antibiotics, birth control pills, and anti-androgens such as Spironolactone, which dials down male hormone expression in the body. These are the clear signs you probably need prescription acne treatment.

Unfortunately, that’s not the happy ending to the story. Although my acne slowly cleared up, it left behind terrible scars, including hyperpigmentation and discoloration of the skin, which is usually caused by excessive picking at areas of irritation, popping pimples the wrong way (here’s the right way to pop a pimple, if you must), and picking away at pimples as they are healing.

I struggled to find the solution to correct my damaged skin. I tried Sephora’s top picks for scarring from holy grail dermatologists and celebrities such as Kate Somerville, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dr. Jart, and more. Once again, I was left feeling hopeless that my skin would ever be the same.

After months of research on powerful skin care ingredients such as Vitamin C, turmeric, and retinoids, I finally found my skincare saviors: Peter Thomas Roth’s Acne Clearing Wash and Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum mixed with a K-Beauty staple, Skin & Lab’s Red Serum, have worked their magic to completely clear my hyperpigmentation, scarring, and redness. This product combination is a skin care miracle like I have never experienced before.

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Here’s how they work: The Acne Clearing Wash has 2 percent salicylic acid, which helps eliminate the breakout cycle while removing excess oil, makeup, and bacteria. “Salicylic acid helps to destroy the attachments between skin cells, which allows exfoliation of the skin and helps to unclog pores,” explains Dr. Wattenberg. “It also has anti-inflammatory properties.” The formula soothes and conditions the skin with allantoin and pro vitamin B5, leaving it thoroughly clean and residue-free.

The star ingredient in Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum is obviously Vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps to destroy cell-damaging free radicals, according to Dr. Wattenberg. It decreases inflammation from acne and helps to reduce redness, scarring, and pigmentation. This particular formulation has rose extracts to hydrate the skin, and it adds its own anti-inflammatory properties to decrease the chance for discoloration.

Skin & Lab’s Red Serum has one of the most powerful super-fruit products to slough away dead skin and prevents pore congestion. “These products exfoliate the skin, increasing cell turnover, preventing pigmentation, and scarring,” Dr. Wattenberg explains. “The anti-inflammatory effects of the vitamin C prevent superficial reddening of the skin. Salicylic acid can dissolve the keratin plug that causes a blackhead—it dissolves oil and dead skin cells, making pore look smaller. It also decreases oil production because it’s lipophilic, or water-loving, and has the ability to penetrate the pore, destroy the oil and unclog the pore.”

With this trio of products, my skin has not looked and felt this good since 2008. (Yes, that is an accurate number).

I wish I could tell you that the road to finding the products that work best for your skin ailments is quick and easy, pain-free, and not at all emotionally draining, but everyone’s experience is different. Luckily, you’re one step closer to trying something that your skin and soul will thank you for!

Here are more ways to treat five common types of acne scars.

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8 Things Dermatologists Never Put on Their Faces

Loofah

“I wouldn’t recommend using a buff puff or loofah. It all comes down to the transfer of bacteria. Loofah sponges are intimate with many unclean areas of the body and then sit around allowing bacteria to multiply within the nooks and crannies of the sponge. Just like kitchen sponges, this common cleansing tool should be tossed. What to use instead? Your hands and a gentle cleanser.” —Joel Schlessinger, MD, board-certified dermatologist and RealSelf contributor. You won’t even believe how gross it is to share a loofah.

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The Gross Reason Why You Should Think Twice Before Sitting in a Hotel Chair

Let’s face it—staying healthy on vacation isn’t necessarily as easy as it looks. Not only are you running on less sleep than normal, but every new environment exposes your system to hundreds upon thousands of foreign bacteria and germs. (And that’s not the only reason why you always get sick on vacation.)

But if you think the hotel room can keep you safe, you might want to think again. Sure, that temporary home-away-from-home may look clean, but there are plenty of germ-ridden spots in your lodging—and in pretty unlikely places, too. Disease-ridden hotel hair dryers and nasty kettles are just the beginning of your troubles. As for the grossest spot in your hotel room? We’d be willing to bet that it’s the chair.

“Many guests sit on them naked, and yes, some leave stains behind,” Jenna, a hotel maid in New York told Women’s Health. “And much of the time, the stains are basically just dabbed with cleaner until they can’t be seen anymore.” She recommends laying a towel or sheet down before taking a seat.

If you don’t properly check your hotel room for bed bugs, the little pests could make a home out of the chair, too. Not only do they give you the creepy-crawlies on vacation, but you can also carry them back home on your clothes or luggage after your stay.

Plus, don’t even get us started on the germiest spots in airplanes. Thinking about staying home from now on? We don’t blame you—in fact, we’ll probably join.

[Source: The Sun]

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17 Daily Habits of People Who Never Get Acne

They never skip a face-wash

Wondering how to prevent acne? You might start by considering your choice of skin cleanser and how often you use it, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research and assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City. “While having acne does not mean that you are dirty, washing your face has been shown in studies to improve the appearance of acne,” he says. Using a gentle skin cleanser that effectively removes dirt, oil, and makeup from the skin can help maintain a healthy skin barrier. ” The key is to actually wash your face. Every. Single. Night. Skipping your daily face wash regimen, he adds, may lead to breakouts as dirt, oil, and makeup can block your pores. Here’s why adults get acne and what you can do about it.

 

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If You Have Osteoporosis, Living In Certain Cities Could Make It Worse

You just love the hustle and bustle of the big city, but if you live in one of the most polluted cities in America, you could be endangering your bones.

New research in the Lancet Planetary Health suggests that contamination and smog in the air may increase the risk for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis and related fractures.

Researchers crunched hospital admission data for 9.2 million Medicare participants in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic between 2003 and 2010, and found that even a small increase in levels of ambient particulate matter, PM_2.5 —that’s itty bitty bits of dirt in the air—may lead to an increase in bone fractures in older adults. What’s more, this risk was greatest in low-income communities, the study showed.

There’s more: Eight years of follow-up data from 692 middle-aged, low-income adults in the Boston Area Community Health/Bone Survey showed that participants living in areas with higher levels of PM_2.5 and black carbon, a component of air pollution from automotive emissions, had lower levels of a key calcium and a bone-related hormone (parathyroid hormone or PTH) and a greater decrease in bone mineral density than those exposed to lower levels of these pollutants.

This study highlights several firsts, including the first association of pollution with PTH as well as a stronger bone-depleting effect in low-income individuals.

Still, more studies are needed to validate the findings and see how well they hold in other populations, explains study author Diddier Prada, MD, PhD, a cancer researcher at National Cancer Institute in Mexico City, Mexico.

Exactly how pollution can lead to bone loss is not 100 percent understood, but Prada believes it is similar to what has been observed with smoking. “Smoking shows reductions in PTH and in BMD, but also increases the risk of bone fractures,” he says.

The real question is what can be done to preserve bone in the face of pollution. “People should use personal air filters, but we are convinced that the best solution is working on clear air policies, reducing particulate air pollution concentrations and annual average limits, which will be reflected in better human health and reduced costs in health care,” he says.

Other hacks such as slowing down when biking or running outside may help protect your lungs from pollution.

Pollution causes many health problems, not just brittle bones, says Richard S. Bockman, MD, PhD, chief of the Endocrine Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The lungs, heart and all other body systems are also negatively affected. “Particulate matter triggers an inflammatory response in the airways which can lead to asthma,” he says.

“There is not any doubt that pollution, whether particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxides, is toxic, and we should do whatever we can to lower these levels across the board.”

Doing everything to keep our bones strong is an important way to stave off fractures. This includes:

• Getting enough calcium and vitamin D
  Too many people fall short of getting the calcium and vitamin D they need for strong bones, Bockman says. “Every day we lose 300 mg of calcium and if we don’t replace it, we are starving our bones.” Exactly how much you need every day depends on your age and sex. This calculator can give you a more precise idea. Great sources of calcium include dairy and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin D helps the bones absorb calcium. For vitamin D, the current recommendation for men and women younger than 50 is 400 to 800 international units (IU) daily, and this number increases to 800 to 1,000 IU after age 50. Should you get your vitamin D levels checked?
• Exercising
  Regular weight-bearing exercise such as jogging or tennis along with muscle strengthening moves can help keep bones in prime shape.
• Avoiding bone-robbing habits
  Avoid smoking and limit alcohol to two to three drinks per day for stronger bones. There are some other “harmless” habits that could be contributing to osteoporosis too.
• Knowing what you are up against
  If your mother had osteoporosis, you are at risk too, he says. Other risks include being over age 50, female and menopausal. If you are small and thin, you are also at a greater risk for osteoporosis.
• Getting screened
  Current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Guidelines call for osteoporosis screening in women aged 65 years and older and in younger women with an increased fracture risk. There are no screening recommendations for men. Discuss your risks with your doctor to make sure you are doing all that you can to keep fractures at bay. Certain medications are available to help maintain bone density and stave off fractures.

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If You Have Osteoporosis, Living In Certain Cities Could Make It Worse Health – Reader's Digest

This Is How You Can Score a Pro Facial for $50 or Less

If you’re looking for a free facial…

Skin Laundry, which has 12 locations in four states, offers a free 15-minute laser and light facial for first-time costumers. The two-step facial uses a YAG laser to penetrate 2.5 millimeters below the skin’s surface for vanquishing dirt, dead skin cells, debris, excess oil and bacteria. While the laser cleans the skin, it also reduces hyperpigmentation, which causes redness, and boosts collagen, which smooths and tightens the skin. After, the IPL Light system treats sun spots and kills acne-causing bacteria for brightened and cleaned skin. It’s one of eight ways to get rid of acne once and for all—and it’s free. The next time, though, the facial costs $65.

If you want to get glowing skin during your lunch break…

Consider getting a peel, which will also help prevent and treat wrinkles. In 15 minutes, your skin will absolutely glow from a stop at BeautyRx’s Peel Bar at Blushington Makeup & Lounge, with locations in New York City, Texas, and California. While your skin is prepped with a toner and then painted with Dr. Neal Schultz’s Tetrafoliant 30 percent peel, you can sip on a complimentary glass of wine or bubbly. After two short minutes, the peel—which costs $50, a major savings from the regular $225 at Schultz’s Upper East Side office in NYC—is removed and topped with his Nourishing Moisture Cream.

If you want a deep cleansing facial…

Head to your nearest Ulta for Dermalogica’s Deep Pore Cleanse FaceFits treatment. For $10, a technician performs Face Mapping and assesses your unique skin type before performing the facial using a double cleansing technique followed by exfoliating and hydrating products. You’ll leave with Dermalogica’s Skin Smoothing Cream and Skinperfect Primer SPF30 applied for a flawless finish, along with a complete “Skin Fitness Plan” prescription.

If you want bang for your buck…

Head to the Minnesota School of Cosmetology in Plymouth or Woodbury, where a stress relief facial costs $20 and a custom spa facial is $30. Because the service is conducted by a student (under supervision), the high-quality facials are cheaper than most spas. Even better, seniors receive 20 percent off on all services, with the exception of package prices. Check out nine other services seniors didn’t know they could get for free or discounted.

If you want your skin to feel refreshed…

Chicago-based Tasty Facial Bar offers its 30-minute, $59 cleansing facial at a discount of $20 off for first-time clients. At $39 for a facial that cleanses, exfoliates, steams and moisturizes, you can splurge for an added extraction ($20). If you don’t need a professional to tell you what specific skincare problem ails you, try one of these DIY face masks.

If you want a last-minute glow…

Pop into your nearest Sephora and see if the cosmetics store offers one of two free 15-minute mini facials, the Mask & Moisturize or the Peel & Perfect. While you can make an appointment online, walk-ins are welcome. If you’re looking for other services on a tight timeline, check out these 6 incredible beauty salons and lounges.

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If you’re a Groupon junkie…

Los Angeles is a city filled with people chasing youth, which makes a professional facial under $50 hard to find. Groupon, the discount marketplace, is one of eight savvy ways to save big when you shop online. The site has great deals for Los Angeles residents, as well as the rest of the country. CBD Spa at Vortex Advanced Esthetics Spa has a 56 percent discount for one infusion facial; normally $95, the Groupon deal will only cost you $42 (before the tip, which should always be applied to the full-price service).

If your skin is congested…

Head to New York City’s Lower East Side’s Seasons Spa for a budget-friendly facial, which focuses on cleaning pores and removing whiteheads and blackheads. The facial ($50) includes a cooling mint mask—an ingredient known for its cooling properties—that helps prevent redness. For frequent guests, a membership will lower the cost of this 60-minute facial from $50 to $45.

If you’re looking to help your teen get clearer skin…

Urban Euphoria, a salon and spa in Greenwood, Indiana, offers education and guidance to teens 17 and younger through every step of the facial. The 25-minute, $30 facial breaks down the basics of cleansing and moisturizing. Meanwhile, you can treat yourself to a vitamin C anti-aging facial ($50), which fights against free radicals, sun exposure, and biological aging, in the same time frame.

If you’re looking for customization…

Mezzaluna Day Spa, located in Bergen County, New Jersey, offers a $50 customized facial. Within 30 minutes, you can fight signs of aging, prevent acne, and improve your skin’s texture with a specially designed treatment plan.

If one too many people tell you that you look tired…

Face. Brow & Beauty Bar in downtown Miami will brighten up your skin with a mini facial ($40), so even if you are tired, you’ll be home in no time. “The mini facial quickly targets skin ailments for those who are tight on time but need a moment to themselves,” according to the website, which promises a “glow on the go!”

If you want targeted treatment…

Luxury beauty retailer and spa Bluemercury, which has about 140 locations across the country, is a great spot to get a variety of treatments for less than $50. Its eye-zone treatment is only $30, while a glycolic peel clocks in at $35; the same goes for a Vitamin C treatment, also $35. A vitamin oxygen blast treatment is the most expensive, but at $45 still falls $5 short of $50. Most of these treatments will also help avoid that dreaded winter pallor.

If you want an enzyme treatment…

This Kansas City spa offers the works to its customers. Facial Bar has a 30-minute, $50 facial called “The Works” that cleanses and adds one to two enzyme- and/or acid-applications. The esthetician will also add a treatment serum cocktail and mask before finishing the service with SPF-infused moisturizer, the most important part about leaving the house every morning. Not wearing sunscreen, even on cloudy days, is one of the biggest mistakes you may not know you’re making when it comes to protecting your skin.

If your skin looks ashy…

Beauty Spa by Amy, located in Lexington, Massachusetts, offers microdermabrasion services for $49. This crucial skincare service exfoliates all the dead skin piling on your face, revealing smoother skin underneath. It also helps products like squalane oil penetrate deeper into the skin.

If you have back acne…

Oftentimes, the skin you can’t see gets little attention. In2u Beauty Bar in Miami offers a $50 back facial service to help treat ingrown hairs and acne-prone skin. Added bonus: The beauty bar also uses products that are completely organic, vegan, andgluten-freee. If you’re looking to make the switch to all-natural products, here are the 11 most effective natural beauty products you can buy.

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I Tried an At-Home STD Testing Kit. Here’s What Happened.

I’m a total wimp when it comes to going to any type of doctor’s office. While I can appreciate the importance of doctors and totally agree that you should see yours regularly for check-ups, I try to put my appointments off as long as possible, especially my yearly gyno visit (because who really wants to ask these 10 totally embarrassing questions at the lady doctor?). So when I found out that I could do an at-home STD testing kit, I could hardly contain my excitement. No getting completely undressed and wearing one of those paper robes that never seem to fully cover you and somehow always manages to rip right down the butt (probably due to all the nervous sweating). No having to put my feet in the stirrups. And no trying to make small-talk while my inner most lady parts are probed and poked.

Thanks to myLAB Box, I was able to do an entire STD test (vaginal swab and finger prick) from the comfort of my very own living room while sitting on the couch in PJs. MyLAB Box was founded by two female entrepreneurs who champion the “safe is sexy” motto with the premise of providing quick, easy, and at-home STD tests. The company offers numerous kits that test for diseases like HIV, chlamydia, herpes, and gonorrhea. You have the option to pick which kit you want and how many tests you want done. For example, there’s four panel, eight panel, and 13 panel test kits, along with single tests that range anywhere from $79 for one test to $499 for a comprehensive test for two people. Men and women have access to most of the same tests, however, may have to give different samples, like urine, blood, and swabbing either the inside of the penis, vagina, or anus. (By the way, did you know you can get an at-home colonoscopy test these days too?)

I tried out the four panel Safe Box which tested for HIV, chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhea, and trichomonas vaginalis. The kit arrived in a tiny box that had all of the necessary items, like those extra long Q-tip things, alcohol pads, band aids, gauze, a finger prick, and liquid filled test tubes. Before doing the tests, I created my online account where I was able to track my shipment and access lab results.

Time to test

Now I was expecting a detailed novel when it came to instructions, (after all, this is medicine), but they were actually pretty brief. Too brief in that I really had no idea what I had to do with what equipment. And the pictures they provided only made things more confusing. What the heck was I looking at? Is that the female anatomy?

After semi-figuring out what I was supposed to do with each tool, I began the test. I swabbed the inside of my vagina with the long Q-tip and immediately stuck it in the test tube. “Wow, that was easy,” I thought. While I was a lot more comfortable doing it myself, I did worry that I did it incorrectly or didn’t stick the Q-tip up far enough. Don’t doctors go to medical school to learn all this? I, clearly, did not.

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Things got a little harder for me when it came time for the blood test. When I was younger, I had to be pinned down by both my mom and the nurse when it came time to get my shots. I’d kick and scream and cry and yell “I hate you” over and over again, so you can imagine how thrilled I was that the STD testing requires a finger prick. Luckily, the kit comes with two of everything because the first time I attempted to do the finger prick blood test, I chickened out and had to toss the first finger pricker in the trash. With a little encouragement from my big sister via text (Thanks, Court!), I was able to do it the second time around. After pricking my finger, I squeezed out the blood and filled four tiny circles on a mini sheet of paper that reminded me of face oil blotting sheets.

The entire test took about 15 minutes to complete. And even though the instructions could definitely use some improvement, the test was easy to do overall, even for us non medical professionals. Once everything was finished, I put the test tubes in plastic hazard bags back into the original box and then into the USPS shipping envelope they send you with the kit. I dropped it in a regular ol’ blue mailbox and that was it. I was expecting to receive my results the next day because they do say results within 24 hours on their website, but in reality, it took exactly a week, which was frustrating. I put the box in the mail on a Tuesday morning and received an email about my results the following Tuesday around 6 p.m. My results were negative. (Phew!) But if something came back positive, myLAB Box provides you with a free physician consultation over the phone and the necessary medication, which is pretty awesome. They do, however, suggest that you go in and see your actual doctor too. (And if you need help finding a doctor, here are 7 secrets to finding a doctor you can trust.)

All in all, I would totally do another STD testing kit from myLAB Box. I love the idea of being able to do it from your own home. That being said, as much as I hate going to the gyno (those metal stirrups give my nightmares), I still think it’s important to go see your actual doctor who can do a physical examination. When it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Nutella Just Changed Its Recipe—and the Reactions are Hilarious

We’ll say it, loud and proud: We’re nuts about Nutella. Sure, we may know what Nutella is made up of, but that doesn’t stop us from slathering this delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread on toast or—let’s face it—spooning it straight from the jar. But unfortunately, there’s some bad news in the Nutella fandom: Its recipe has been tweaked right under our noses.

Most of us wouldn’t complain if Nutella became just a teensy bit healthier, of course. But there isn’t much of a silver lining to the new modifications. According to a Facebook post from the Hamburg Consumer Protection Centre, a German consumer group that noticed the change, Nutella’s sugar content increased from 55.9 percent to 56.3 percent. And although the spread’s fat content decreased, it only did so by 0.1 percent (31.0 percent to 30.9 percent). The spread also contains more skim milk powder, which likely replaced some of the beloved cocoa.

All in all, the new Nutella contains more sugar and looks a bit lighter in color. So if you do indulge, beware of the clear signs you’re eating too much sugar.

Ferrero hat seit vielen Jahren zum ersten Mal erkennbar die Rezeptur von Nutella geändert. Der Anteil an…

Posted by Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg on Thursday, November 2, 2017

So far, many Nutella lovers have not taken the news well. Furious fans took to the Internet, expressing their irritation that someone would dare meddle with the tried-and-true favorite.

How dare they tamper with Nutella's recipe. Leave the chocolatey goodness alone

— roshy ✖️ (@RoshhNosh) November 7, 2017

If the rumors of #Nutella changing their recipe are true, I am boycotting them. http://pic.twitter.com/583I7virnR

— Gian WHAAAAAA..? (@Talchy) November 6, 2017

As if #Nutella wasn't bad enough yet, there's more milk in it now, more fat, less cacao. & Still palm oil.
Choose a different brand, people!

— Stephanie (@highonmusic1) November 5, 2017

Nutella have changed the recipe! 😱 Whyyy!
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
It's lighter in colour & has more sugar in it…#NutellaGate http://pic.twitter.com/6kz4mnTaik

— Noémia Melo Ferreira (@meloferreira2) November 7, 2017

Ferrero, the corporation behind Nutella as well as Kinder chocolates and Tic Tacs, recently released a statement that confirmed the new recipe. The company assured fans that “the quality … and all other aspects of Nutella remain the same,” The Guardian reported.

If this doesn’t change a thing about your dedication to cocoa and hazelnut, you’ll love these mouthwatering Nutella recipes.

[Source: Mashable]

from Health – Reader's Digest http://bit.ly/2mc8Vmv
Nutella Just Changed Its Recipe—and the Reactions are Hilarious Health – Reader's Digest

9 Reasons You Should Add Bentonite Clay to Your Beauty Routine

Bentonite clay purifies pores

“We’re now painfully aware of the negatives effects of pollution and free radicals on the skin,” says Biba de Sousa, an esthetician in Beverly Hills. Bentonite clay is a pore-cleansing powerhouse. When activated with liquid, it acts like a magnet and a sponge, binding to and sopping up positively charged impurities (think heavy metals, excess sebum, bacteria, etc.). “Simply put: It pulls pollutants and ‘sludge’ out of the skin,” de Sousa says. Bentonite clay isn’t the only detoxifier that deserves a spot in your beauty routine. Check out these purifying skincare ingredients.

from Health – Reader's Digest http://bit.ly/2ylr9mX
9 Reasons You Should Add Bentonite Clay to Your Beauty Routine Health – Reader's Digest

This Is How Much Money Your Poor Health Is Costing You Each Year

Although it’s not always the case, on the whole, organic foods are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. This price disparity might lead one to believe that opting out of the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and recliner diet/workout plan may end up hurting your wallet in the long run. But according to a new study reported by Men’s Health, picking the healthy path might really help you in the long run, to the tune of 150,000 bucks. (Throw in this easy $40,000 savings hack in alongside your healthy habits and you’ll be golden.)

A new report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research examined the correlation between overall health and financial well being using a study group of 958 working-aged men. Each participant was asked to report their health on a scale of 1 to 5, with the 1-2 range being considered “poor health.”

The study found that, on average, a participant’s health had a positive link to their overall financial status. For example, participants who spent 16 to 20 years in the 1-2 range saw an annual loss of $4,000 annually, while participants who spent 1-5 years in the same range saw an average of $1,000 lost annually. The researchers posit that unhealthy people tend to accumulate less wealth than healthy people, a concept they label the “wealth-health gradient.”

Now, back to that $150,000 number. When the study was seen through until the age of 65, the disparity in money losses between healthy participants and unhealthy participants was stark: the average unhealthy participant had a net loss of $150,000. Now, to the factors; what exactly played a part in this huge financial gap?

“People in bad health work less, earn less, face higher medical expenses, die earlier, and accumulate much less wealth compared to those in good health,” the paper states. “The largest component of these costs being the loss in labor earnings.”

Fortunately, staying in a state of poor health was not the norm in the study; 72 percent of men in the study had experienced less than five years of poor health throughout the study.  The study also reconfirmed the notion that activity does increase life expectancy. (This one type of workout is particularly effective at keeping men fit forever.)

[Source: Men’s Health]

 

from Health – Reader's Digest http://bit.ly/2hd5HK6
This Is How Much Money Your Poor Health Is Costing You Each Year Health – Reader's Digest