Cosmetic Enhancement?
Queen Cleopatra of Egypt set the trend for thousands of years. A little green copper and black kohl around the eyes and some red iron ore on the cheeks and lips and, voilà, Madonna had nothing on her. Since then, most women (and a few men) older than 12 have practiced the fine art of makeup to hide wrinkles, look younger, and attract mates. Early cosmetics were made of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury that ate away at the skin if they were used long enough. Safer cosmetics have been in use for the last 200 years. Even so, toxins such as lead keep cropping up in makeup.
While the FDA supervises the cosmetics industry, that control is with a very long leash. Most creams and cosmetics contain many ingredients, and any one of the ingredients can cause contact dermatitis, a type of allergic reaction. Fragrances are the main culprits, but preservatives, chemicals (such as p-phenylenediamine and glyceryl monothioglycolate), UV sunscreens, resins, and nail acrylates cause many allergic reactions. If you suffer an allergic reaction, you may need a dermatologist or an allergist to perform a patch test on you to determine the cause.
Some other dangers to be aware of:
In the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, kohl is still used as an eyeliner. More than half of these products contain lead. Users have been found to have high body lead levels, which can lead to nerve damage. Lead has also recently been found in lipsticks manufactured in China.
Powders improve facial color and also absorb oil. They are made of either talc (magnesium silicate) or zinc stearate with added magnesium carbonate (chalk). Since inhaled talc and titanium dioxide cause lung injuries that some scientists think eventually lead to cancer, it’s a good idea to avoid powders with them. The industry is beginning to respond by creating “green” cosmetics. Powder made from velvety smooth cornstarch can safely replace the minerals that are toxic to your lungs.
Because germs can contaminate mascara, preservatives must be used. Mascara is probably the most dangerous of cosmetics, with risks of bacterial and fungal eye infections and allergic reactions to the preservatives, all occurring close to the eye. The dyes can also permanently color the inside of the eyelid.
For a list of specific product recommendations, see www.realage.com, where we have enlisted the help of cosmetics specialist Paula Begoun.
2
Head of Class
YOU Test: Mane Squeeze
Grab a group of hairs on your head (aim for about 60—or the amount that would fit through a straw). Starting at the base, gently tug at the hairs, pulling up and out.*
Result: If more than a tenth of the hairs that you clumped together at the beginning come out when you pull, it’s a sign that you may be experiencing some accelerated hair loss.
When it comes to appearances, some of us may be predominantly defined by our faces, some by our bodies, and some by our addiction to tattoo ink (nice skull, Grandma!). Many others, of course, are largely judged by their hair. And for good reason. Your hair—on your scalp, face, or back—is your body’s fashion statement. While you’re born with a natural color, shape, and style of hair, you also have the power to control how good (or bad) it looks, how long (or short) it is, and whether it’s black or blond (or blue). With a few snips or tricks, you can tell the world you’re wacky (Britney’s shave job and Sanjaya’s famous faux-hawk). You can say you’re sexy (pick your favorite celeb). You can let it grow (Rapunzel) or hack it off (Kojak). You can be the inspiration for millions (thank you, Ms. Aniston) or the proud butt of jokes (sorry, Mr. Trump).
Sure, hair is great for running your fingers through and growing make-a-statement goatees, but hair used to be more purposeful than simply serving as bodily ornamentation. Today, the hair on our scalps protects us against the sun, and our eyelashes act as our first defense against bugs, dust, and other irritating objects. But back when clothes were as scarce as skyscrapers, the hair in our nether regions camouflaged our reproductive parts from generation-threatening spears. And by lining our armpits (we docs call them the axillae) and groins, our dry hair actually acts as a lubricant, allowing our arms and legs to move without chafing. Then and now, our body hair serves as a protector against malaria (see more on body hair in Chapter 2). The anopheles mosquito—a low-flying bug that likes the legs—hates hair, in part because hair warns its victim to start swatting. While their bite is painless, our hair signals their presence before they bite (it’s why kids are at greater risk—they have less hair on their legs). That’s most likely the original purpose of hair: It served as an early-warning system of bodily threats. We seem to ignore the armor function of our hair today, removing it every chance we get, except on our heads and eyes.
FACTOID
In the poker game of stench, shampoo trumps smoke. Ever wonder why you can’t shake the cigarette smell from a night at the bar? Your hair acts like a paper towel—it’s absorbent. And it also often has a mild electric charge, particularly in very low humidity, and this can attract charged pollutant particles. This is a time to lather up, as the toxins in smoke are more harmful to your hair than shampoo.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
In one of life’s injustices, many of us have the frustrating experience of losing hair in the places we want to keep it (the scalp) and growing it in the places where we want to lose it (perhaps the back and shoulders for men and the chin and around the belly button for women). Though there are plenty of remedies that can eliminate unwanted hair, such as Nair and other hair dissolvers, waxing, and shaving, the latest hair zapper is laser therapy. Here’s how it works: The brown pigment in the hair soaks up the laser light, acting like a firecracker fuse leading to the follicle 2 millimeters under the skin. The laser’s heat travels down through the hair to zap the follicle so it can never grow hair again. It doesn’t work with blond, red, or silver hair because there’s not enough brown pigment to fry. It takes several treatments to remove lots of hair in one area (it removes about 20 to 40 percent each time). The coolest thing is that the laser works like military weapons, seeking out and frying hairs, even ingrown hairs, diving beneath the surface of the skin (as long as part is above the skin). They can grow, but they can’t hide.
Now, growing a mustache may very well be a rite of passage for teenage boys,* but it can also be one for menopausal women, because of hormonal changes. About 30 percent of women report unwanted hair on the face. The cause? A predominance of male hormone, often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome or menopause, which accelerates hair growth. This excess hair is generally a harmless condition, but you can treat it a number of ways, including bleaching, plucking, laser therapy, or electrolysis (an electric current damages follicles so hairs don’t grow back). Electrolysis (as long as it’s done by someone who’s trained to do it) can work well for those with unwanted blond or white hair, since lasers aren’t as effective for them. If you’re going to wax any part of your body, ask to have room-temperature wax, not hot wax; the cooler kind will generally do less damage as the wax rips the hair and follicle from your skin. Wait a year after stopping Accutane or steroids before considering waxing. If you don’t, you might be not only hairless but skinless. Another remedy: losing weight. Weight loss (works in women and men to decrease unwanted hair and increase wanted hair) can decrease male hormone levels and slow down the growth of unwanted mustaches.