- Publius Syrius
Go easy on medicated lotions, creams, gels
Story Highlights
With muscle creams, rub in a quarter-sized dab not more than 3-4 times a day
Pain-relieving methyl salicylate rubs may interact with prescription blood-thinners
Self-tanners' color can throw lasers off; allow self-tanned skin a week to fade
By Leslie Goldman
Lidocaine, methyl salicylate, hydrocortisone. You probably don't think twice about using over-the-counter creams with these ingredients when you need to soothe a sore muscle or bug bite, prep your legs before hair removal, or combat that vaginal itch. If the product's available without a prescription, it can't hurt you, right? Wrong.
One study estimates that women apply 175 chemicals a day from cosmetics, creams, and toiletries alone.
Take Arielle Newman, for instance, a New York City-area high school track star who died last year from a sports-cream overdose. She'd used large amounts of popular OTC pain-relieving ointments like Icy Hot and Ben-Gay on her sore muscles. The key ingredient in such products is methyl salicylate, which built up in Newman's body, may have interacted with other aspirin-based meds she was using, and caused her to go into cardiac arrest.
Another case: In 2005, Shiri Berg, 22, of North Carolina died of a lidocaine overdose. Following the instructions she'd been given by the staff at a local hair-removal clinic, she generously applied a numbing gel to her legs, then covered them in plastic wrap. On her way to the clinic to get hair lasered from her legs, Berg passed out. She went into convulsions, then a coma. Eight days later, she was dead.
Women dying in the name of hair removal? Athletes putting themselves at risk by using mentholated muscle soothers? Extreme situations, to be sure. But with all the stuff each of us slathers on our skin (one study estimates that women apply 175 chemicals a day from cosmetics, creams, and toiletries alone), it's no surprise that potential hazards are lurking.
Your skin is designed to protect you from countless insults: from air pollution to murky lake water, from dirty gasoline-pump handles to staph. Skin cells provide a physical barrier, sort of like bricks and mortar, to keep the bad stuff out -- most of the time, says Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "The cells aren't as tightly packed as real bricks, though, which means things can squeeze by and pentrate." That's good news if you want, say, an antiaging wrinkle cream to wage war against your crow's feet or an anti-itch product to tackle that exercise-induced rash on your inner thighs. Bad news when strong chemicals meet sensitive or thin skin, cause an allergic reaction, or dangerously flood your bloodstream.
Here, we investigate 14 ingredients commonly found in products you may be using right now -- and we tell you how to stay safe.
Methyl salicylate
Most OTC muscle creams (including Ben-Gay, Icy Hot, and Tiger Balm) contain one or more of three main ingredients: the cooling agents menthol and camphor, and the pain reliever methyl salicylate. The last one is similar to topical aspirin, says Matt Zirwas, M.D., director of The Ohio State University Medical Center Contact Dermatitis Center. And what happened to track-star Newman is essentially the same thing that could happen with an aspirin overdose, he says.
The safe way to use muscle creams? Rub a small amount (about the size of a quarter) into the painful muscle or joint area not more than three or four times a day to prevent accumulation. If you're applying more than a four-ounce tube a week, that's probably too much, Zirwas says. And watch your aspirin intake -- too much can increase your risk of overdose (in addition to the creams, Newman may have been using a pain-relieving patch and taking aspirin), as can wrapping or using a heating pad on ointment-covered skin.
Rubs with methyl salicylate may also interact with blood-thinning prescription drugs, such as Plavix or Coumadin, used to prevent blood from clotting, says Brian J. Krabak, M.D., sports-medicine physician at the University of Washington's department of rehabilitation medicine. Because of its toxicity, any product containing 5 percent or more of methyl salicylate (also called wintergreen oil) has to carry a warning label stating it must be used as directed and kept out of children's reach.
Lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine
If you've ever numbed a mole before the doc removed it or undergone laser hair removal, you've probably used a topical anesthetic that contains one of the "caines" -- lidocaine, benzocaine, or tetracaine -- which are commonly used in various strengths in medical and cosmetic situations. Most OTC types contain small amounts (less than 5 percent) of numbing ingredients and should be safe when used according to package instructions, experts say.
There are dangers, however, if your skin is too numb to detect that it's being harmed. If you have no feeling at all during a bikini wax or hair lasering, for instance, you won't be able to tell whether the wax is too hot or the laser is too strong.
An allergy is also possible, particularly when using vaginal-itch treatments with benzocaine, Zirwas says. A benzocaine product may temporarily help the problem, he says, "but a half-hour or an hour later, the itching will return -- often worse -- so women apply more cream," he says. "Sometimes we see patients who are using these creams 10 times a day." The results can be a severe vaginal rash. Zirwas' advice: "If the itch comes back an hour after you apply the cream or if you develop a rash, suspect that you have a benzocaine allergy and see a doctor."
When topical anesthetics are seriously overused, there can be big trouble. Shiri Berg applied a product called Lasergel Plus 10/10, a powerful anesthetic containing 10 percent lidocaine and 10 percent tetracaine. Experts have said the gel, a prescription-strength compound given to the 22-year-old without a prescription by a hair-removal spa, was too strong and applied over too large an area for Berg's system to handle. After her death, the Food and Drug Administration pointed out that risks rise when a topical anesthetic is left on the skin for extended periods of time or applied to broad portions of the body, especially if a bandage, plastic, or another type of dressing is used as a covering. This is exactly what Berg did, not knowing either the strength of the product she was using or that there was any danger. Even more surprising: Berg was not the first woman to die from the overzealous use of numbing cream. Blanca Bolanos, a 25-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, suffered a similar fate (convulsions, then a two-year coma ending in death) after using a cream of 6 percent each lidocaine and tetracaine prior to laser hair removal.
The safe way to use numbing creams? Apply them sparingly -- use as little as possible, most experts say. And always know the ingredients in and the strength of the product. Click here for tips on correctly applying creams.
Hydrocortisone
An anti-inflammatory topical steroid that shrinks swollen tissue by constricting blood vessels, hydrocortisone is often used to stop the itching caused by chronic skin conditions like eczema and contact dermatitis, and it's also an ingredient in vaginal and hemorrhoidal creams. OTC topical steroids can contain just 1 percent hydrocortisone, which should be safe, says Dina D. Strachan, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in New York City.
Be careful, though, when applying the creams to sensitive spots such as the eyelids, armpits, and groin (all places where eczema, rashes, and allergic reactions are particularly common). In these locations, skin is thinner and more folds exist, so skin hits skin often, which can cause medications to penetrate more deeply. These areas are also prone to stretch marks, irritation, hypopigmentation (lightening), and "a crinkly, cigarette-paper appearance," Strachan explains -- a good reason to avoid that old beauty-queen trick of using hemorrhoidal cream to de-puff eye bags, experts say. In fact, last year the makers of Preparation H issued a warning cautioning consumers to avoid applying hemorrhoid cream to the face. Health.com: The year's best beauty products
Overuse of topical steroids containing hydrocortisone can cause the skin to develop a resistance (called tachyplaxis) to the medication, says Daniel Behroozan, M.D., dermatologic surgeon and founder of the Dermatology Institute of Southern California, and clinical instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine. As a result, "in order to have the desired medical effect, a stronger and more potent steroid may be needed, which may cause more potential side effects."
Estrogen
Women experiencing vaginal itching and irritation due to menopausal changes sometimes turn to OTC products that contain estrogen, a practice that worries Wen Shen, M.D., assistant professor of gynecologic specialties at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Such creams get absorbed through the skin and metabolized into estrogens in the body. That means they can cause the same side effects as estrogen pills, such as elevated blood pressure, breast tenderness, increased risk of breast cancer, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and endometrial hyperplasia, which can lead to uterine cancer," she says. "If a woman is thinking about using anything with estrogen, she really needs to get it through her physician."
The same goes for OTC progesterone creams used to treat PMS and menopause symptoms, says Michael Krychman, M.D., medical director of sexual medicine at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California. "You have to be very careful. You don't always know how much you're getting or how much you're absorbing with these products," he says. "That makes it very easy to get too much." A lot of women who are trying these OTC creams on their own may not even have lowered hormone levels, at all, he says. Consult your doctor before using.
Hydroquinone
Want to "fade away" those age spots? Be careful if you're thinking of using hydroquinone, a popular ingredient in products claiming to lighten age spots, melasma (excessive pigmentation usually caused by the sun), or postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (a condition that can afflict darker-skinned women). Such products are often available over the counter but should be used only under a doctor's supervision, Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., says. Ironically, in certain skin types the opposite -- ochronosis, or darkening of the skin -- can occur. In many cases, this happens in darker-skinned individuals, she says, adding that hydroquinone has been under FDA investigation for discontinuation in OTC products because of possible cancer-causing activity in rats exposed to large amounts. Health.com: How I beat hypochondria
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
Wonder why self-tanners have such a distinctive scent? It's the dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar derived from plants like beets and sugarcane, that combines with your body's chemistry to produce a "tan" and the smell. The odor won't hurt you, but the tan might -- if you're thinking of getting hair lasered from your darkened skin.
"Lasers work by detecting pigment," Fusco says. That's why laser hair removal works best on people with a good degree of contrast between their hair and skin, such as fair-skinned women with dark hair. "The stains in self-tanners can throw off the laser, leaving you with first- or second-degree burns or discolored skin," she explains. As a caution, allow self-tanned skin about a week to fade before going in for a laser procedure.
Vitamin A, glycolic acid
Retin-A and other vitamin A-based products (such as glycolic acid) are often used to treat acne, as well as to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by boosting collagen production. The downside: They thin the very top layer of skin, which can make you more sensitive to sunlight and to procedures like chemical peels, phototherapy (light treatments), or even a simple eyebrow waxing. If you're scheduled for, say, a waxing or a peel, it's a good idea to stop using any vitamin A-based products one week prior; and don't resume for another week. Also, avoid blackhead-removing strips, which can remove a top layer of skin more easily while on such medications. And check in with your doctor to be on the safe side.
Neomycin, bacitracin
Strangely, one of the treatments most often recommended to help heal burns, stitches, and other wounds is now thought to cause an allergic reaction in up to 10 percent of users. For those people, neomycin or bacitracin, the active ingredients in products like Neosporin, may cause an inflammatory reaction, angering the wound and making it appear infected. The result: A minor cut can take even longer to heal and have a potentially adverse cosmetic outcome, Behroozan says. "For that reason, most dermatologists are now avoiding products with neomycin and recommending plain Vaseline or Aquaphor Healing Ointment for superficial wounds," he says. "They promote a moist environment for better wound-healing without potentially causing allergic contact dermatitis."
Paraphenylenediamine (PPD)
Ever get a temporary tattoo on a beach vacation? Many of them are made with "black henna," which contains paraphenylenediamine, or PPD, a strong allergen that's also in hair dye. If you've had a product with this chemical applied to your skin directly, as is done with a tattoo, you're at risk of developing a strong allergy later from hair dye. "You can have a horribly intense reaction," Zirwas says. "I've seen people hospitalized for up to a week -- eyes swollen shut, lips swollen, too." Zirwas estimates that just 2 percent of women will develop an allergy to hair dye, but everyone should do a patch test when coloring hair at home and look for PPD-free dyes.
Betaine
Very gentle shampoos often contain a lathering agent called betaine, and they're fine for about 99 percent of the U.S. population. But for the approximately 1 percent who develop a betaine allergy, even a product created for the most sensitive skins can cause a red rash around the eyes and along the neck, with flaking, peeling, and itching. If you have this kind of contact dermatitis that just won't go away, try betaine-free products such as Free & Clear shampoo, Cetaphil soap, or Head & Shoulders shampoo, Zirwas says.
Copyright 2007 HEALTH Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Additional reporting by Allison Avery and Brittani Tingle
With muscle creams, rub in a quarter-sized dab not more than 3-4 times a day
Pain-relieving methyl salicylate rubs may interact with prescription blood-thinners
Self-tanners' color can throw lasers off; allow self-tanned skin a week to fade
By Leslie Goldman
Lidocaine, methyl salicylate, hydrocortisone. You probably don't think twice about using over-the-counter creams with these ingredients when you need to soothe a sore muscle or bug bite, prep your legs before hair removal, or combat that vaginal itch. If the product's available without a prescription, it can't hurt you, right? Wrong.
One study estimates that women apply 175 chemicals a day from cosmetics, creams, and toiletries alone.
Take Arielle Newman, for instance, a New York City-area high school track star who died last year from a sports-cream overdose. She'd used large amounts of popular OTC pain-relieving ointments like Icy Hot and Ben-Gay on her sore muscles. The key ingredient in such products is methyl salicylate, which built up in Newman's body, may have interacted with other aspirin-based meds she was using, and caused her to go into cardiac arrest.
Another case: In 2005, Shiri Berg, 22, of North Carolina died of a lidocaine overdose. Following the instructions she'd been given by the staff at a local hair-removal clinic, she generously applied a numbing gel to her legs, then covered them in plastic wrap. On her way to the clinic to get hair lasered from her legs, Berg passed out. She went into convulsions, then a coma. Eight days later, she was dead.
Women dying in the name of hair removal? Athletes putting themselves at risk by using mentholated muscle soothers? Extreme situations, to be sure. But with all the stuff each of us slathers on our skin (one study estimates that women apply 175 chemicals a day from cosmetics, creams, and toiletries alone), it's no surprise that potential hazards are lurking.
Your skin is designed to protect you from countless insults: from air pollution to murky lake water, from dirty gasoline-pump handles to staph. Skin cells provide a physical barrier, sort of like bricks and mortar, to keep the bad stuff out -- most of the time, says Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "The cells aren't as tightly packed as real bricks, though, which means things can squeeze by and pentrate." That's good news if you want, say, an antiaging wrinkle cream to wage war against your crow's feet or an anti-itch product to tackle that exercise-induced rash on your inner thighs. Bad news when strong chemicals meet sensitive or thin skin, cause an allergic reaction, or dangerously flood your bloodstream.
Here, we investigate 14 ingredients commonly found in products you may be using right now -- and we tell you how to stay safe.
Methyl salicylate
Most OTC muscle creams (including Ben-Gay, Icy Hot, and Tiger Balm) contain one or more of three main ingredients: the cooling agents menthol and camphor, and the pain reliever methyl salicylate. The last one is similar to topical aspirin, says Matt Zirwas, M.D., director of The Ohio State University Medical Center Contact Dermatitis Center. And what happened to track-star Newman is essentially the same thing that could happen with an aspirin overdose, he says.
The safe way to use muscle creams? Rub a small amount (about the size of a quarter) into the painful muscle or joint area not more than three or four times a day to prevent accumulation. If you're applying more than a four-ounce tube a week, that's probably too much, Zirwas says. And watch your aspirin intake -- too much can increase your risk of overdose (in addition to the creams, Newman may have been using a pain-relieving patch and taking aspirin), as can wrapping or using a heating pad on ointment-covered skin.
Rubs with methyl salicylate may also interact with blood-thinning prescription drugs, such as Plavix or Coumadin, used to prevent blood from clotting, says Brian J. Krabak, M.D., sports-medicine physician at the University of Washington's department of rehabilitation medicine. Because of its toxicity, any product containing 5 percent or more of methyl salicylate (also called wintergreen oil) has to carry a warning label stating it must be used as directed and kept out of children's reach.
Lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine
If you've ever numbed a mole before the doc removed it or undergone laser hair removal, you've probably used a topical anesthetic that contains one of the "caines" -- lidocaine, benzocaine, or tetracaine -- which are commonly used in various strengths in medical and cosmetic situations. Most OTC types contain small amounts (less than 5 percent) of numbing ingredients and should be safe when used according to package instructions, experts say.
There are dangers, however, if your skin is too numb to detect that it's being harmed. If you have no feeling at all during a bikini wax or hair lasering, for instance, you won't be able to tell whether the wax is too hot or the laser is too strong.
An allergy is also possible, particularly when using vaginal-itch treatments with benzocaine, Zirwas says. A benzocaine product may temporarily help the problem, he says, "but a half-hour or an hour later, the itching will return -- often worse -- so women apply more cream," he says. "Sometimes we see patients who are using these creams 10 times a day." The results can be a severe vaginal rash. Zirwas' advice: "If the itch comes back an hour after you apply the cream or if you develop a rash, suspect that you have a benzocaine allergy and see a doctor."
When topical anesthetics are seriously overused, there can be big trouble. Shiri Berg applied a product called Lasergel Plus 10/10, a powerful anesthetic containing 10 percent lidocaine and 10 percent tetracaine. Experts have said the gel, a prescription-strength compound given to the 22-year-old without a prescription by a hair-removal spa, was too strong and applied over too large an area for Berg's system to handle. After her death, the Food and Drug Administration pointed out that risks rise when a topical anesthetic is left on the skin for extended periods of time or applied to broad portions of the body, especially if a bandage, plastic, or another type of dressing is used as a covering. This is exactly what Berg did, not knowing either the strength of the product she was using or that there was any danger. Even more surprising: Berg was not the first woman to die from the overzealous use of numbing cream. Blanca Bolanos, a 25-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, suffered a similar fate (convulsions, then a two-year coma ending in death) after using a cream of 6 percent each lidocaine and tetracaine prior to laser hair removal.
The safe way to use numbing creams? Apply them sparingly -- use as little as possible, most experts say. And always know the ingredients in and the strength of the product. Click here for tips on correctly applying creams.
Hydrocortisone
An anti-inflammatory topical steroid that shrinks swollen tissue by constricting blood vessels, hydrocortisone is often used to stop the itching caused by chronic skin conditions like eczema and contact dermatitis, and it's also an ingredient in vaginal and hemorrhoidal creams. OTC topical steroids can contain just 1 percent hydrocortisone, which should be safe, says Dina D. Strachan, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in New York City.
Be careful, though, when applying the creams to sensitive spots such as the eyelids, armpits, and groin (all places where eczema, rashes, and allergic reactions are particularly common). In these locations, skin is thinner and more folds exist, so skin hits skin often, which can cause medications to penetrate more deeply. These areas are also prone to stretch marks, irritation, hypopigmentation (lightening), and "a crinkly, cigarette-paper appearance," Strachan explains -- a good reason to avoid that old beauty-queen trick of using hemorrhoidal cream to de-puff eye bags, experts say. In fact, last year the makers of Preparation H issued a warning cautioning consumers to avoid applying hemorrhoid cream to the face. Health.com: The year's best beauty products
Overuse of topical steroids containing hydrocortisone can cause the skin to develop a resistance (called tachyplaxis) to the medication, says Daniel Behroozan, M.D., dermatologic surgeon and founder of the Dermatology Institute of Southern California, and clinical instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine. As a result, "in order to have the desired medical effect, a stronger and more potent steroid may be needed, which may cause more potential side effects."
Estrogen
Women experiencing vaginal itching and irritation due to menopausal changes sometimes turn to OTC products that contain estrogen, a practice that worries Wen Shen, M.D., assistant professor of gynecologic specialties at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Such creams get absorbed through the skin and metabolized into estrogens in the body. That means they can cause the same side effects as estrogen pills, such as elevated blood pressure, breast tenderness, increased risk of breast cancer, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and endometrial hyperplasia, which can lead to uterine cancer," she says. "If a woman is thinking about using anything with estrogen, she really needs to get it through her physician."
The same goes for OTC progesterone creams used to treat PMS and menopause symptoms, says Michael Krychman, M.D., medical director of sexual medicine at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California. "You have to be very careful. You don't always know how much you're getting or how much you're absorbing with these products," he says. "That makes it very easy to get too much." A lot of women who are trying these OTC creams on their own may not even have lowered hormone levels, at all, he says. Consult your doctor before using.
Hydroquinone
Want to "fade away" those age spots? Be careful if you're thinking of using hydroquinone, a popular ingredient in products claiming to lighten age spots, melasma (excessive pigmentation usually caused by the sun), or postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (a condition that can afflict darker-skinned women). Such products are often available over the counter but should be used only under a doctor's supervision, Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., says. Ironically, in certain skin types the opposite -- ochronosis, or darkening of the skin -- can occur. In many cases, this happens in darker-skinned individuals, she says, adding that hydroquinone has been under FDA investigation for discontinuation in OTC products because of possible cancer-causing activity in rats exposed to large amounts. Health.com: How I beat hypochondria
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
Wonder why self-tanners have such a distinctive scent? It's the dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar derived from plants like beets and sugarcane, that combines with your body's chemistry to produce a "tan" and the smell. The odor won't hurt you, but the tan might -- if you're thinking of getting hair lasered from your darkened skin.
"Lasers work by detecting pigment," Fusco says. That's why laser hair removal works best on people with a good degree of contrast between their hair and skin, such as fair-skinned women with dark hair. "The stains in self-tanners can throw off the laser, leaving you with first- or second-degree burns or discolored skin," she explains. As a caution, allow self-tanned skin about a week to fade before going in for a laser procedure.
Vitamin A, glycolic acid
Retin-A and other vitamin A-based products (such as glycolic acid) are often used to treat acne, as well as to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by boosting collagen production. The downside: They thin the very top layer of skin, which can make you more sensitive to sunlight and to procedures like chemical peels, phototherapy (light treatments), or even a simple eyebrow waxing. If you're scheduled for, say, a waxing or a peel, it's a good idea to stop using any vitamin A-based products one week prior; and don't resume for another week. Also, avoid blackhead-removing strips, which can remove a top layer of skin more easily while on such medications. And check in with your doctor to be on the safe side.
Neomycin, bacitracin
Strangely, one of the treatments most often recommended to help heal burns, stitches, and other wounds is now thought to cause an allergic reaction in up to 10 percent of users. For those people, neomycin or bacitracin, the active ingredients in products like Neosporin, may cause an inflammatory reaction, angering the wound and making it appear infected. The result: A minor cut can take even longer to heal and have a potentially adverse cosmetic outcome, Behroozan says. "For that reason, most dermatologists are now avoiding products with neomycin and recommending plain Vaseline or Aquaphor Healing Ointment for superficial wounds," he says. "They promote a moist environment for better wound-healing without potentially causing allergic contact dermatitis."
Paraphenylenediamine (PPD)
Ever get a temporary tattoo on a beach vacation? Many of them are made with "black henna," which contains paraphenylenediamine, or PPD, a strong allergen that's also in hair dye. If you've had a product with this chemical applied to your skin directly, as is done with a tattoo, you're at risk of developing a strong allergy later from hair dye. "You can have a horribly intense reaction," Zirwas says. "I've seen people hospitalized for up to a week -- eyes swollen shut, lips swollen, too." Zirwas estimates that just 2 percent of women will develop an allergy to hair dye, but everyone should do a patch test when coloring hair at home and look for PPD-free dyes.
Betaine
Very gentle shampoos often contain a lathering agent called betaine, and they're fine for about 99 percent of the U.S. population. But for the approximately 1 percent who develop a betaine allergy, even a product created for the most sensitive skins can cause a red rash around the eyes and along the neck, with flaking, peeling, and itching. If you have this kind of contact dermatitis that just won't go away, try betaine-free products such as Free & Clear shampoo, Cetaphil soap, or Head & Shoulders shampoo, Zirwas says.
Copyright 2007 HEALTH Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Additional reporting by Allison Avery and Brittani Tingle
My Life Quiz
http://www.monkeyquiz.com/life/rate_my_life3.html
This is how I rated my self as of August 12, 2008, very Interesting huh>
Your Life Analysis:
Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score is reasonably high. This means that you are on a good path. Continue doing what is working and set about to improve in areas which continue to lag. Do this starting today and you will begin to reap the benefits immediately. (Read more on improving your life)
Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the mind.
Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have an excellent body score, which means you are incredibly focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Continue in that focus, and your body will remain healthy and strong. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the body.
Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is relatively high, which means you are rewarded by your beliefs. Spirituality is clearly important to do. Never let it slip, and continue to learn and grow. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the spirit.
Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is quite healthy. You have a social network you can depend upon. Count your blessings, but never forget that these bonds need to be maintained. Keep your friends and family close.
Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is in good shape, meaning that things are going well. Do all you can to maintain it, and continue to grow and move ahead. Read advice from other quiz-takers on finding and maintaining love.
Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. Your finances are somewhat in the middle, neither bad or exceptional. Keep doing what works for you, and improve what doesn't. Focus on long-term financial stability as your goal. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving your finances.
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  7.8 |
| Mind: |  6.8 |
| Body: |  9.3 |
| Spirit: | 7.6 |
| Friends/Family: | 7.1 |
| Love: | 7.3 |
| Finance: | 6.7 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
This is how I rated my self as of August 12, 2008, very Interesting huh>
Your Life Analysis:
Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score is reasonably high. This means that you are on a good path. Continue doing what is working and set about to improve in areas which continue to lag. Do this starting today and you will begin to reap the benefits immediately. (Read more on improving your life)
Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the mind.
Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have an excellent body score, which means you are incredibly focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Continue in that focus, and your body will remain healthy and strong. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the body.
Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is relatively high, which means you are rewarded by your beliefs. Spirituality is clearly important to do. Never let it slip, and continue to learn and grow. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the spirit.
Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is quite healthy. You have a social network you can depend upon. Count your blessings, but never forget that these bonds need to be maintained. Keep your friends and family close.
Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is in good shape, meaning that things are going well. Do all you can to maintain it, and continue to grow and move ahead. Read advice from other quiz-takers on finding and maintaining love.
Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. Your finances are somewhat in the middle, neither bad or exceptional. Keep doing what works for you, and improve what doesn't. Focus on long-term financial stability as your goal. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving your finances.
Prayer Request
Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?
(Evan the Almighty –movie)
(Evan the Almighty –movie)
BEAUTY OVER 40
by Valerie Monroe
Would you come here for a second? A little closer. Okay, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly. Can you see my mustache? No? You're sure? That's probably because I shaved this morning. Not with a real razor; I used one of those little femmy things that looks like an eyeliner pencil, except on one end there's a blade which, if you hold the handle right, slices off hair. Egad, now you know.
If, like me, one of your aspirations is to one day be, by any measure or evaluation, really, really old, you're most likely going to have to deal with more than a mustache. You will probably get a full coat of down on your face, and a long stray hair here and there on your chin. The hair on your head will probably get thin, as will your eyebrows and eyelashes. (Oh, I nearly forgot—your pubic hair, too.) You'll get spots on your hands and bunions on your feet. Your nose and ears may appear to have grown out of proportion to your face. And that expression "long in the tooth" will endearingly apply to you: A receding gum line will make your teeth look bigger.… I can't believe you're still reading this. Okay, as long as you're staying, I'll tell you how you can look beautiful as you age.
Look great at any age! Here are five things they don't tell you about aging—and how to overcome their little ways of ruining your beautiful life.
The Hair on Your Face
Though a significant minority of women of all ages have coarse dark hair growing on their chin and upper lip because of a genetic predisposition, most women who have excess facial hair have an underlying hormonal issue, says Doris J. Day, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. As we age, our bodies lose estrogen; testosterone, unopposed, causes us to grow more hair where men have it, on our faces (and to grow less on our heads). If you occasionally have several dark (or white) hairs on your lip or chin, it's fine to whack them off with a razor; plucking isn't the best option, because the force of the pluck can irritate and leave a bump, says Day. Most dermatologists don't recommend shaving for several reasons, among them the fact that the down on your face feels soft because it's been there for a long time; shave it off, and it's going to grow back stiff or coarse (though no thicker than before). Laser hair removal works only in certain situations, says Loretta Ciraldo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. It's not effective on white hair, and if your skin is olive or darker, laser can cause postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, which looks like a dark stain, so it could leave you with something like a mustache even though there's no hair on your lip. Electrolysis—a procedure in which the follicle is destroyed by heat through an electrical current—is a good solution for stray hairs, says Ciraldo, but it's not good for large areas. The prescription cream Vaniqa inhibits the enzyme that hair follicles need to grow. Ciraldo advises applying it twice a day at first; if the hair stops growing within three months, she then suggests application once a day, followed by every other day, to determine the minimum amount needed to prevent recurrence of growth.
Being downier can present an unattractive problem with makeup. "Peach fuzz on the face can 'grab' powder and foundation," says Maria Verel, celebrity makeup artist. There are a couple of tricks to prevent that. Apply foundation the way you apply moisturizer: Rub it in and let it set (or dry), says Verel. Then buff it off with a cloth or a clean, slightly damp sponge. If you also wear powder (or a powder foundation), after application, lightly mist your face with water to settle the powder. You can just let that be, or pat it dry.
Thinning Eyebrows
Are your eyebrows getting patchy? Perhaps you'd like to consider an eyebrow transplant. Or perhaps you wouldn't: In the restoration procedure—which takes two to three hours in a doctor's office—individual hair follicles from the back or side of the head (where they aren't noticeable) are removed and placed into the brow area to re-create whatever density you like, says Washenik. But wait a minute: Why wouldn't the hair grow as long as it would if it were still on your scalp? It does, says Washenik. The transplanted follicles don't know that they've been moved, so you get something like bangs growing from your browbone. To avoid this potentially tragic state of affairs, forget transplants and try an eyebrow pencil or powder. Choose one that's a shade lighter than your haircolor, and with feathery strokes, fill in the patchy areas, says brow expert Sania Vucetaj. Brows grow a little longer as we age; brush them upward and trim.
Your Nose and Ears Seem to Be Growing
Looking in the mirror one morning, I noticed this unpleasant surprise: My ears seemed to be larger than they used to be; not a lot, but definitely bigger. Then I started discreetly examining my friends and other older women. Slightly bigger ears on most of them. Was I imagining it? Evidently not. Though our ears are 90 percent grown by age 6, and our noses are almost fully grown by the time we're teens, both do change shape and appear to enlarge as we age. One theory about the nose is that it has a large number of sebaceous glands, which have a high cell turnover rate and therefore growth potential, says Neil Sadick, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City. But both the ears and nose droop as soft tissue (skin, fat, and muscle) relaxes and structural support changes (bone recedes with time, so there's less foundation to hold the skin and cartilage up), says Alan Matarasso, MD, clinical professor of plastic surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City. Plus, loss of elasticity and collagen in the skin causes sagging. He's seeing increasing requests for rhinoplasty and earlobe surgery among patients having facelifts. Heavy earrings can stretch the soft tissue of your earlobes; wear light ones. But if you've been hanging major bling from your ears, there's earlobe reduction, an in-office procedure that takes about 15 minutes per ear, requires a local anesthetic, and heals well, says Robert Klausner, MD, medical director at the Center for Cosmetic Surgery in Bonita Springs, Florida. You can't entirely prevent your nose and ears from drooping, but you can minimize it by following Matarasso's advice: Avoid the sun, smoking, and weight fluctuation, and start using prescription-strength skincare products, including retinoids (which help preserve and regenerate collagen), in your 20s.
What Big Teeth You Have!
If you're long in the tooth, it's because your gums are deteriorating and have begun to shrink away from the crown portion of your teeth, exposing some of the root, says New York City dentist Marc Lowenberg. The length of the average front tooth is ten to 12 millimeters; with recession, including root exposure, it can become as long as 15 to 17 millimeters. In the same way that our skin loses collagen fibers, our gum tissue loses mass. The best preventive measure is to keep your gums free of bacteria—by brushing and flossing twice a day—because bacteria cause gum disease, which worsens recession. Also, overly vigorous brushing can scrub away gum tissue, so avoid it.
Your Hands Are Veiny and Spotted
I love old, veiny, spotted hands. There's something beautiful, very wabi-sabi (the Japanese appreciation of transience) about them. Especially with a big, chunky, burnished pink-gold ring or some other imposing adornment, old hands look to me as if they've earned the right to carry heavy, important jewelry. But if you prefer the soft, plump, unmarked hands of youth, use the same antiaging products you use on your face, says Matarasso. That should include a retinoid, an AHA moisturizer, and—this is critical—sunblock. If you haven't been good about sunblock, you can have hyperpigmentation spots lightened with laser; veiny hands can be plumped up with Restylane, collagen, Sculptra, and fat injections. I'd rather use the money I could spend on rejuvenation on a cocktail ring.
Would you come here for a second? A little closer. Okay, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly. Can you see my mustache? No? You're sure? That's probably because I shaved this morning. Not with a real razor; I used one of those little femmy things that looks like an eyeliner pencil, except on one end there's a blade which, if you hold the handle right, slices off hair. Egad, now you know.
If, like me, one of your aspirations is to one day be, by any measure or evaluation, really, really old, you're most likely going to have to deal with more than a mustache. You will probably get a full coat of down on your face, and a long stray hair here and there on your chin. The hair on your head will probably get thin, as will your eyebrows and eyelashes. (Oh, I nearly forgot—your pubic hair, too.) You'll get spots on your hands and bunions on your feet. Your nose and ears may appear to have grown out of proportion to your face. And that expression "long in the tooth" will endearingly apply to you: A receding gum line will make your teeth look bigger.… I can't believe you're still reading this. Okay, as long as you're staying, I'll tell you how you can look beautiful as you age.
Look great at any age! Here are five things they don't tell you about aging—and how to overcome their little ways of ruining your beautiful life.
The Hair on Your Face
Though a significant minority of women of all ages have coarse dark hair growing on their chin and upper lip because of a genetic predisposition, most women who have excess facial hair have an underlying hormonal issue, says Doris J. Day, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. As we age, our bodies lose estrogen; testosterone, unopposed, causes us to grow more hair where men have it, on our faces (and to grow less on our heads). If you occasionally have several dark (or white) hairs on your lip or chin, it's fine to whack them off with a razor; plucking isn't the best option, because the force of the pluck can irritate and leave a bump, says Day. Most dermatologists don't recommend shaving for several reasons, among them the fact that the down on your face feels soft because it's been there for a long time; shave it off, and it's going to grow back stiff or coarse (though no thicker than before). Laser hair removal works only in certain situations, says Loretta Ciraldo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. It's not effective on white hair, and if your skin is olive or darker, laser can cause postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, which looks like a dark stain, so it could leave you with something like a mustache even though there's no hair on your lip. Electrolysis—a procedure in which the follicle is destroyed by heat through an electrical current—is a good solution for stray hairs, says Ciraldo, but it's not good for large areas. The prescription cream Vaniqa inhibits the enzyme that hair follicles need to grow. Ciraldo advises applying it twice a day at first; if the hair stops growing within three months, she then suggests application once a day, followed by every other day, to determine the minimum amount needed to prevent recurrence of growth.
Being downier can present an unattractive problem with makeup. "Peach fuzz on the face can 'grab' powder and foundation," says Maria Verel, celebrity makeup artist. There are a couple of tricks to prevent that. Apply foundation the way you apply moisturizer: Rub it in and let it set (or dry), says Verel. Then buff it off with a cloth or a clean, slightly damp sponge. If you also wear powder (or a powder foundation), after application, lightly mist your face with water to settle the powder. You can just let that be, or pat it dry.
Thinning Eyebrows
Are your eyebrows getting patchy? Perhaps you'd like to consider an eyebrow transplant. Or perhaps you wouldn't: In the restoration procedure—which takes two to three hours in a doctor's office—individual hair follicles from the back or side of the head (where they aren't noticeable) are removed and placed into the brow area to re-create whatever density you like, says Washenik. But wait a minute: Why wouldn't the hair grow as long as it would if it were still on your scalp? It does, says Washenik. The transplanted follicles don't know that they've been moved, so you get something like bangs growing from your browbone. To avoid this potentially tragic state of affairs, forget transplants and try an eyebrow pencil or powder. Choose one that's a shade lighter than your haircolor, and with feathery strokes, fill in the patchy areas, says brow expert Sania Vucetaj. Brows grow a little longer as we age; brush them upward and trim.
Your Nose and Ears Seem to Be Growing
Looking in the mirror one morning, I noticed this unpleasant surprise: My ears seemed to be larger than they used to be; not a lot, but definitely bigger. Then I started discreetly examining my friends and other older women. Slightly bigger ears on most of them. Was I imagining it? Evidently not. Though our ears are 90 percent grown by age 6, and our noses are almost fully grown by the time we're teens, both do change shape and appear to enlarge as we age. One theory about the nose is that it has a large number of sebaceous glands, which have a high cell turnover rate and therefore growth potential, says Neil Sadick, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City. But both the ears and nose droop as soft tissue (skin, fat, and muscle) relaxes and structural support changes (bone recedes with time, so there's less foundation to hold the skin and cartilage up), says Alan Matarasso, MD, clinical professor of plastic surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City. Plus, loss of elasticity and collagen in the skin causes sagging. He's seeing increasing requests for rhinoplasty and earlobe surgery among patients having facelifts. Heavy earrings can stretch the soft tissue of your earlobes; wear light ones. But if you've been hanging major bling from your ears, there's earlobe reduction, an in-office procedure that takes about 15 minutes per ear, requires a local anesthetic, and heals well, says Robert Klausner, MD, medical director at the Center for Cosmetic Surgery in Bonita Springs, Florida. You can't entirely prevent your nose and ears from drooping, but you can minimize it by following Matarasso's advice: Avoid the sun, smoking, and weight fluctuation, and start using prescription-strength skincare products, including retinoids (which help preserve and regenerate collagen), in your 20s.
What Big Teeth You Have!
If you're long in the tooth, it's because your gums are deteriorating and have begun to shrink away from the crown portion of your teeth, exposing some of the root, says New York City dentist Marc Lowenberg. The length of the average front tooth is ten to 12 millimeters; with recession, including root exposure, it can become as long as 15 to 17 millimeters. In the same way that our skin loses collagen fibers, our gum tissue loses mass. The best preventive measure is to keep your gums free of bacteria—by brushing and flossing twice a day—because bacteria cause gum disease, which worsens recession. Also, overly vigorous brushing can scrub away gum tissue, so avoid it.
Your Hands Are Veiny and Spotted
I love old, veiny, spotted hands. There's something beautiful, very wabi-sabi (the Japanese appreciation of transience) about them. Especially with a big, chunky, burnished pink-gold ring or some other imposing adornment, old hands look to me as if they've earned the right to carry heavy, important jewelry. But if you prefer the soft, plump, unmarked hands of youth, use the same antiaging products you use on your face, says Matarasso. That should include a retinoid, an AHA moisturizer, and—this is critical—sunblock. If you haven't been good about sunblock, you can have hyperpigmentation spots lightened with laser; veiny hands can be plumped up with Restylane, collagen, Sculptra, and fat injections. I'd rather use the money I could spend on rejuvenation on a cocktail ring.
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