I’m not shy about saying that I’m 48 years old. That means in a year and a half I’ll be 50 – a half a century. Wow, that sounds kind of shocking when you say it that way, but it is what it is, right?

There’s a difference between wanting to look good and wanting to look like something you’re not. Looking good, looking healthy, is great. Looking like you’ve been to the plastic surgeon too many times, injected too many substances into your face, or you wear way too much make up to try to hide the lines isn’t so great.

All that aside, if you could take a pill, that no-one would know about,  no tell-tale signs of surgery, no thick layers of make up, would you take it? If so, you may be interested in this news story from the United Kingdom: Anti-ageing pill developed that ‘cuts wrinkles and makes skin look younger’

Apparently, the food company Nestlé and cosmetics company L’Oréal have teamed up to develop a lozenge-size pill that uses as its base the compound lycopene, the red carotene pigment in tomatoes to promote the regeneration of new skin cells and protect old ones from damage.

The pill, called Innéov Fermeté, is already on sale in a few parts of the world (Europe and South America) and is pending release elsewhere.

But, does it work? The scientists behind the production say “yes.” They are claiming a success rate of an almost 9% improvement in the skin’s elasticity in the face. This improvement could take up to three months to be obvious though.

The drawback? The price. The estimated price for the pill in the United Kingdom will be 25 pounds, or about 40.00 U.S. dollars for a 10-day supply.

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Image: Newscom.com

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Venezuala has the honor (?) of holding the most international beauty pageant winners in the world. The women are known for their beauty – but a lot of that beauty is created, not natural. Of course, this isn’t unusual, cosmetic surgery to enlarge breasts, “fix” eyes, remove sags, and to make other so-called improvements aren’t unusual, even in the beauty pageant world. But it seems that Venezuala may have the corner on the market when it comes to expectations that the women will have surgery to be as beautiful as possible, whether they can afford it or not.

Women feel that the surgery is so important that they’ll do just about anything to finance their procedure be it using credit cards or even downsizing their home. The need for cosmetic surgery is so pervasive that families begin talking about it at a young age and some surgeries, like breast enhancements are even considered a right of passage. A plastic surgeon quoted in this article, Using your plastic for plastic surgery.., says that three or four out of every seven Venezualan women have breast augmentation.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

According to news reports out of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) annual meeting, injecting Botox into the pectoralis minor muscle in the chest, causes the back muscles to lift the breast, giving the appearance of a breast lift. It only works, however, on small-small breasts (A or B cups).

The technique also helps fight against slouching, say doctors and patients. The women say that it’s more difficult to slouch after they’ve had the injection. On the other hand, some doctors say that improving your posture would give you the same results as the Botox breast lift at a considerably lower cost. Botox into both breasts can run from one to two thousand dollars, while fixing your posture is free.

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Post from: Healthbolt

Well, you’re in luck. These days, all you have to do is go online and have virtual plastic surgery.

Once, these type on online applications were only available at the plastic surgeons office. But now anyone can use them anywhere.

Simply upload a photo at FaceTouchUp.com and then drag the cursor around to reshape and contour the nose. Then, with the help of viewing tools, you can compare the before and after photos to see what difference a ‘nose job’ would make.

But why stop at the nose. You can also make cosmetic changes to other facial features such as lips, chin, the eyes, cheeks, and ears. In other words you can just about create a ‘new you’.

And just as easily, you can click on the erase button and return to reality.

This latest online virtual plastic surgery application, by the way,  was designed with the help of some of the world’s leading plastic surgeons.

(image source)

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Happy Sexbolt Saturday, everyone!

I have a feeling that for some of you, hitting the bars and lounges is on your To-Do list for this evening, am I right? And for some of you, hooking up might also be on that very same list.

Well, let me say that it’s only because I care about you and your reputation that I’m informing you it has now been proven as a scientific fact that the oft-feared “beer goggles” are really for real. Really.

The scoop? When people have been drinking, others appear more attractive to them. And not just members of the opposite sex. Nope, when heterosexual subjects who had been drinking were shown photos of same-sex folks, they also rated those people as being more attractive. I guess now we know why Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” became an instant bar fave, eh?

While this info is not really all that surprising (considering t-shirts that beckon you to ‘Keep Drinking Until I’m Hot’ have made the rounds for years), it’s still pretty cool that the medical community recognizes this phenomenon and now we feel a little more vindicated for having succumbed to the force of the all-mighty beer goggle once or twice.

So have fun this weekend, my sexy friends. Just be sure you and your designated driver (and hottie-checker) work out some sort of signal if your find your eyes becoming a little fuzzy before a hook-up.

Cheers!

Post from: Healthbolt

So what’s a tired soul to do?

Pay to take a nap. In a pod.

That’s right, a new craze called nap pods are hitting the scene, and for about a buck a minute, you can pay to be temporarily transported to dreamland in the nap pod of your choice.

Going with the alpha pod leaves you with a spa-like experience, since it releases aromas and has a heated, vibrating bed, a CD player and headphones. In essence, the real world around you just disappears. The energy pod, on the other hand, reclines and has headphones with music piped in.

I’m sure by now most of us know the benefits of a power nap. But is a midday rest worth spending money on? Those who have tried the pods insist it’s a more refreshing nap, in part because of the solidarity of it, and totally worth the moola.

I must say, I’d be tempted to try it. But I can’t say I’d snooze in a pod with any regularity. How about you?

Story source (with photos of nap pods)

Post from: Healthbolt

Anyway, it happens to all of us. We shave, we nick. But here’s a quick tip on how to stop the bleeding in a hurry:

Step 1: Use a cotton ball or swab to dab a little witch hazel onto the cut. Witch hazel is a natural astringent which tightens surrounding tissues and slows bleeding.

Step 2: Hold an ice cube or ice pack to the nick. The coolness helps to clot the blood.

See, easy right? I told you.

So this, my dear friends, has been your Healthbolt Happy Living Tip of the Day. You may now go forth and de-fuzz without worry.

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Image details: Couple carrying shopping bags served by picapp.com

If you think shopping belongs in the Summer Olympics (or Winter, for that matter), do we have the news for you! Seems that browsing and buying gives more than your credit card a workout – it’s good for the human body and mind, too!

How so, you ask? We’re happy to share:

* Conversing, haggling and all-around interacting with other folks forces you to think and act quickly

* Comparison shopping strengthens the brain’s math and reasoning capacities

* Positive visual stimulation keeps the brain engaged and feelings of happiness present

* Walking from store to store, bending and stretching for items, and carrying all those packed-to-the-gills shopping bags counts as exercise, which releases mood-boosting chemicals – the same ones which protect you from age-related side-effects like memory loss.

Great news, huh? Of course, maxing out your credit cards and agonizing over purchases can also lead to stress, so try to keep your shopping on the fun side for maximum benefit.

So, what are you waiting for, people? Go get your shop on! I know I am!!

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Image details: Head shot of woman wearing sunglasses served by picapp.com

Lip gloss: it’s a woman’s staple. For some guys, too, I ’spose, but who am I to judge?

Anyhoo…the use of lip gloss tragically misleads many a person into thinking their lips are protected while out in the sun. Well guess what? They’re not.

In fact, the same super shininess that makes lip gloss lip gloss, can actually be quite detrimental by inviting the sun’s rays right onto your kisser. Think of it as hoisting up a magnifying glass to your lips in the middle of the Sahara. Not cool, right?

Now while no links have actually been made between lip gloss and skin cancer, it is safe to say that when heading out onto the boat or beach this summer, packing an SPF-enhanced lip balm, rather than a shiny sun-seducing gloss, may make good sense. For the best protection, look for a balm with SPF 30 or greater.

And by all means, use sunscreen everywhere else, too, people! Sheesh.

Have fun.

For more medical-y reading on this subject, head to MSN.com

Post from: Healthbolt

Tuesday, May 20, will see links from many of the wonderful blogs over at Beauty and Style, each offering up creative ways on how to protect your skin and raise awareness. Once the collaborative list is posted on the main b5 blog, I will come back here and add the link. Until then, enjoy this post focusing on two celebrities who have made skin cancer awareness a mission of theirs.

And we hope to see you milling around Theme Day tomorrow for some great ideas to care for your skin in style.

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It’s true, skin cancer is not all that fun to talk about. But it is vitally important we do talk about it. And having two Hollywood A-listers at the helm of skin cancer awareness is a step in the right direction.

Two fabulous celebs, Kristen Bell (of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Marcia Cross (of Desperate Housewives) are two pretty ladies who have sworn to shun the sun and get their glow elsewhere (or not at all).

Ms. Bell signed on to the Glow in the Dark campaign, sponsored by Jergens.com. Jergens will donate $1 for every similar pledge made by the public toward The Skin Cancer Foundation. Jergens, of course, is quite well-known for their Natural Glow self-tanning products.

And the gorgeously porcelain Ms. Cross is embarking on her second year as the spokeswoman for the Olay and ASDS-sponsored program which offers free skin-cancer screenings during May, June and July. For more info on these screenings, which are held at participating dermatologist offices, visit skincancertakesfriends.org.

It’s really quite scary how skin cancer can affect the palest of pale and the tannest of tan. It’s not choosy. So you need to be. Make one of these fabulous celebs your sun-care role model and consider taking part in one of these programs today.

Oh, and remember to spread the word…and the sunscreen.

Images: Newscom

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