BellaSugar

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Is on the Rise

BellaSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:21 -0700

In case you haven't heard it enough, you need to wear sunscreen every day. Need more proof? Recent studies published in the Archives of Dermatology have concluded that more and more people are being diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer. In fact, treatments for this form of cancer have increased by about 77 percent between the years 1992-2006, making it the most common type of cancer. And scarily enough, it affects the population more than all other cancers put together.

What is non-melanoma skin cancer, anyway? Non-melanoma skin cancer involves the way either basal cell or squamous cells grow, and while both are rarely fatal and usually treatable, the latter can metastasize. "This is only going to get worse," dermatologist Dr. Suephy Chen told Business Week. "Our population is aging. Those people who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s when there was not a big sun-protection message out there are now coming into their 50s and 60s and are starting to develop skin cancers."

Most non-melanoma skin cancers grow on areas of the body such as the neck, backs of hands, ears, shoulders, and face - all the places where sun exposure is most prevalent. Fortunately, it isn't that hard to protect yourself. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen, don't hit up tanning beds, and stay out of the sun from around 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during its most intense hours.

No Perfume Allowed, Says the Motor City

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Want to work for the city of Detroit? You'd better not have an odor - any odor. After the Motor City recently paid out $100,000 in settlement money to an employee who said her co-worker's perfume made it difficult for her to do her job, everybody working for the city will now be urged to avoid "colognes, aftershave lotions, perfumes, deodorants, [and] body/face lotions." Also verboten: scented candles, perfume samples from magazines, and air fresheners.

We recently asked you about what you do when there's a strong fragrance in the workplace, and most of you weren't fans of scented colleagues. But given that deodorant, face lotion, and magazine perfume strips are being embargoed, are Michiganders going too far? Or is this response a logical measure to what's proven to be a pricey issue for a cash-strapped city?

Consumer Reports Files Petition Over Industry Misuse of "Organic"

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:23 -0800

Today, the publisher of Consumer Reports and the Organic Consumers Association filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission. They're asking for action against the widespread false use of the word "organic" on beauty, skin care, and personal care products.

Makes sense, since many beauty products claim to be organic or natural when they're actually nothing of the sort. The OCA is also concerned that by blatantly misusing the word "organic," irresponsible personal care companies are destroying consumer trust in the idea of organics as a whole.

What do you think? Should cosmetic and personal care companies be held to the same standard as farmers and manufacturers? And do you trust the term "organic" less because of the way it's thrown around?

Source

Get a First Look at Whitney Port's New Beauty Ad

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:00:37 -0800

The City's Whitney Port has a sweet new spokesmodel gig with Zeno. She'll be promoting its new, less expensive acne zapper, the Hot Spot ($40), which is FDA-cleared just like its predecessor.

Whitney will be kicking off a TV campaign soon, but we've got the first look at the print ads that will start appearing in May. What do you think? And now that Hills girls Whitney and Lauren Conrad have beauty endorsement deals, could Heidi or Audrina be next?

L'Oréal Debuts Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Dye

BellaSugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:59:15 -0800

L'Oréal's new INOA (Innovation No Ammonia) permanent dye is debuting to a lot of fanfare, since ammonia is not only damaging to your hair shaft, but it's bad for your health as well. Only thing is, ammonia-free permanent colors have existed for years already - they just never caught on in most salons. And L'Oreal's even put out an ammonia-free permanent color before: Natural Match, which was available cheaply for home coloring and got discontinued just before INOA's debut. INOA, like Natural Match, is supposed to provide full, even coverage without damaging the hair shaft. Unlike its predecessor, which retailed for about $12, INOA costs about 15 percent more than traditional salon hair color - so expect already pricey salon coloring to get more expensive.

If you want ammonia-free permanent color at the salon but don't want to go the INOA route, there are two other brands, Organic Color Systems and Teinture, already available at some salons. If you could choose to go ammonia-free, would you?

A Woman Shaves Her Bikini Area . . . While Driving

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:05:33 -0800

Meet Megan Barnes, a Florida woman who recently decided to groom her bikini area . . . while driving. Allegedly, she was shaving the area before a date with her boyfriend. With her ex-husband steering the car from the passenger seat, Barnes collided with a pickup truck. (Nobody was hurt.) She kept driving before the fuzz pulled her over; turns out she was driving with a suspended license and had been convicted of a DUI the previous day. She's been charged with one felony and two misdemeanors and is waiting for her day in court. Talk about a hairy situation.

Source

The Recession Slices Into Cosmetic Surgery Profits

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:15 -0800

Cosmetic surgery may be more talked-about than ever, but it's actually declining as of late. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2009, elective cosmetic surgeries and procedures were down 2 percent from 2008. The number of surgeries dropped by 17 percent, and nonsurgical procedures such as Botox were essentially flat.

Sounds like a huge change, but here's another number to put it into perspective: 10 million. That's the number of total procedures, surgical or nonsurgical, that were performed last year. (Eighty-five percent were nonsurgical, suggesting that people are more comfortable with needles than scalpels.) Statistics may be down, but that's still a lot of people.

Why are the numbers sinking? It's the economy, stupid. Dr. Phil Haeck, a Seattle plastic surgeon, told the WSJ that people are more worried about losing their jobs than losing their wrinkles. "Job priority is number one, cosmetic surgery is number two," he said. (Number two? Really?!) But that doesn't mean the outlook is completely ass-backward for surgeons. Bringing up the rear are butt lifts (up 25 percent) and butt augmentations (up 37 percent). Could the drop in cosmetic procedures mean that we're on our way to accepting ourselves more, or do you think it's just a temporary setback for the industry?

Source: Flickr user (and med student) Aleera*

Solange and Zooey Want to Sell You Mascara

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:30:09 -0800

What do Solange Knowles and Zooey Deschanel have in common - besides their singing abilities and a great sense of style? They, along with model Alejandra Ramos Munoz, have been dubbed spokeswomen for Rimmel London, joining the likes of Kate Moss, Coco Rocha, and Georgia May Jagger. Starting with TV and print ads that will run later this year, each new spokesmodel will represent different Rimmel collections and brands. "Zooey, Solange, and Alejandra each bring a distinct look and personality to Rimmel London," Bernd Beetz of parent company Coty told WWD. I'd have to agree that all three women bring something unique to the table, and I'm looking forward to seeing the trio in action. How about you?

Can Injecting Your Blood Into Your Face Make You Look Younger?

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:15:23 -0800

A new procedure called the Selphyl System (self-fill, get it?) is purporting to "rejuvenate" patients (like the woman at right) by drawing blood, then using a centrifuge to separate the components out. Then, the platelets and fibrin are injected back into the face.

Supposedly, your body reacts to the injections by producing a bunch of collagen, thereby making your face appear fuller over time. Results take three weeks to develop and last for up to 18 months, and the procedure costs about $1,100. Not for me, but I can see it creating a lot of interest. What do you think?

Botox: Now For 16-Year-Olds?

BellaSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:01:09 -0800

In botulism news, a 16-year-old British girl is being given Botox by her mother, the self-proclaimed "Human Barbie" who's had almost a million dollars in plastic surgery herself. Given the context, I guess, the story isn't terribly surprising. What most concerns me about this is that the young girl who's using it says she's "met plenty of girls my age who are having these procedures," and "everyone at my school was talking about having B." (B as in Botox, obviously.)

How is Botox something a teenager would even be thinking about, you ask? The girl in question says it's mainly preventative, so that she won't "look haggard and ugly by the time I'm 25." (Because, as we all know, people look like a California Raisin by their mid-20s.) I can understand the logic behind trying to prevent wrinkles before they ever start, but there's something inherently bonkers and backward about worrying about that as a teenager, no?