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i came across this and thought i'd share.
Debate over beauty and health issues is always raging. But at times, thanks largely to this scientific study or that, some definitive answers seem to emerge-at least until the next study comes out. We rounded up experts to weigh in on a variety of questions of current interest and to decide: Who's right, and who's just talking nonsense?
Does dairy cause cellulite? While the correlation between cellulite and dairy products, which are loaded with saturated fat, seems to make sense, it's very difficult to prove. According to David Seres, M.D., a New York-based internist who specializes in medical nutrition, "Cellulite has been ignored by science-only about 100 articles on it have been written since 1966. But there are a huge number of unproven but credible-sounding claims made as far as the cause and treatment are concerned." Seres points out that Medline, the search engine for the National Library of Medicine, yields not a single article in which cellulite and dietary fats are mentioned together. "The cause," he says, "is still not definitively clear." He adds that fat should make up about 25 to 30 percent of total calories. "It's really about eating what your body needs and not more, about matching your caloric intake with what your body burns."
Can you increase your metabolism? Yes, by lowering your percentage of body fat through exercise and nutrition. Of course, we all need body fat to survive-it should fall no lower than 7 percent of body weight-since it provides insulation and padding for our internal organs. But the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn, because muscle is metabolically active, while body fat just sits there. Leslie Cooperstein, C.C.N., a clinical nutritionist in private practice and at the Sports Club L.A. in New York, says, "Keeping saturated-fat consumption low and eating foods that have a moderate effect on your blood sugar help keep your body-fat level down, which in turn helps metabolism." Complex carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, give the body ample time to metabolize them; refined sugars and refined carbohydrates-pretzels, for example-boost blood sugar too quickly and get stored as fat. The best exercise plan to raise your metabolism? David Kirsch, owner of New York's Madison Square Club, swears by cross training. "The key is to combine aerobic and strength training," he says. "Sixty to 90 minutes is ideal, but 45 minutes is enough. And do it at least three times a week."
Night cream: Yes or no? Many believe that sleeping bare-faced is the ideal, but it's not for those with dehydrated or aging skin. According to Annette Hanson, founder of the Atelier Esthétique, a school for aestheticians in Manhattan, skin needs a protective layer of nourishment at night. The goal, she says, is to recondition skin by infusing it with essential fatty acids, such as borage seed oil and wheat germ oil, that can't be synthesized by the body. "As long as you keep skin hydrated and plump," she says, "you'll reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles." Dermatologist Norman Orentreich adds that creams penetrate more easily at night, when skin temperature typically rises. Night creams are especially important for more mature skin: "Women over 45 have significantly less oil-gland activity than younger women. The benefit of putting cream on your skin at night is simply that you can apply something a bit heavier on your face that you couldn't get away with during the day."
Can anything get rid of stretch marks? The good news: They can sometimes be erased with lasers and, to a lesser degree, collagen-boosting creams. The bad news: A lot of variables determine just how dramatic the improvement will be. Arielle Kauvar, a New York dermatologist, explains that stretch marks undergo two phases. When they're fresh and still red-a window of opportunity that may vary from a month to a year-a vascular laser can often eliminate both the color and the texture. "Once they're white, it's a lot trickier," she says. "Treatments with a nonablative laser can result in a 30 to 50 percent improvement." A typical program, for both stages, might consist of 10 laser treatments spaced over four to five weeks.
Does liposuction keep fat from returning to the treated areas? "When you have liposuction, the fat cells are removed, and those cells don't grow back," says New York plastic surgeon Stafford R. Broumand. "It's just common sense." Still, liposuction is not an open invitation for a person to binge, since extra pounds have to settle somewhere. "Fat would go to the next place where a person usually gains weight," Broumand says. In women, the top trouble spots are the hips and outer thighs, while for men they're the lower abdomen and the "love handles."
Is it true that Chilean sea bass is bad for you? No. The pollution of the waters off Chile have led some to speculate that "Chilean" means tainted. Perhaps, then, this fish ought to revert to its original name: the Patagonian toothfish, from its origins in the remote waters off Patagonia. Eric Ripert, executive chef of New York's Le Bernardin, says that because of "extreme weather conditions, the water where these fish are caught is very deep and very pure." Maybe the pollution notion is what led to the rumor that Chilean sea bass live mostly on garbage: false again. But even though the fish is off the hook, so to speak, many conservation groups recommend avoiding it-though only to help save its skin. "When a type of seafood becomes de rigueur," Ripert notes, "it runs the risk of being overfished."
Is it bad for your hair to shampoo every day? Most experts agree that shampooing is here to stay, and how often to do it depends on the individual. "Without a doubt, shampooing is the most effective way to keep hair shiny and healthy," says trichologist Philip Kingsley, founder of the Philip Kingsley Trichology Centers in London and New York. "If it's not, you're either using the wrong product or using it incorrectly." He says that those who want to avoid the harsher effects of the widely used detergents sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate could opt for gentler formulas containing triethanolamine lauryl sulfate (available in most better-quality shampoos). New York dermatologist Dennis Gross also sees no problem with daily shampooing. "It's a good idea to shampoo every day because it will promote stronger, healthier hair and also prevent scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis," says Gross. "If hair seems dry and brittle, then shampoo as needed. But if it looks healthy, there's no reason to stop."
What's the best way to cure a "turkey neck"? The answer depends on how advanced the problem is. Robert Guida, a plastic surgeon in New York, explains that in order to determine the best procedure, one must first assess how significant the sagging is. "For someone with a severe, turkey-gobbler type of neck, the most permanent result is either a mini-lift or a full face-lift," he says. "When the skin and muscle is that loose, usually after the mid- to late 40s, nothing else will take care of it." For patients whose necks aren't sagging as much, there are other options. "Sometimes, when patients are in their 30s or 40s, the bands on the neck can become very prominent," Guida says. "Injecting these bands with Botox will definitely soften their appearance, but it doesn't always work on everyone." Finally, for some, sagging has to do not with muscles but with excess fat. And whenever fat is the root of the problem, liposuction is the fastest solution.
"Setting The Record Straight," by Jane Larkworthy, Patricia Reynoso and Dahlia Devkota, has been edited for STYLE.com. The complete article appears in the October issue of W.
Top 10 Beauty Myths: Setting the Record Straight: W Feature Story on Style.com
Debate over beauty and health issues is always raging. But at times, thanks largely to this scientific study or that, some definitive answers seem to emerge-at least until the next study comes out. We rounded up experts to weigh in on a variety of questions of current interest and to decide: Who's right, and who's just talking nonsense?
Does dairy cause cellulite? While the correlation between cellulite and dairy products, which are loaded with saturated fat, seems to make sense, it's very difficult to prove. According to David Seres, M.D., a New York-based internist who specializes in medical nutrition, "Cellulite has been ignored by science-only about 100 articles on it have been written since 1966. But there are a huge number of unproven but credible-sounding claims made as far as the cause and treatment are concerned." Seres points out that Medline, the search engine for the National Library of Medicine, yields not a single article in which cellulite and dietary fats are mentioned together. "The cause," he says, "is still not definitively clear." He adds that fat should make up about 25 to 30 percent of total calories. "It's really about eating what your body needs and not more, about matching your caloric intake with what your body burns."
Can you increase your metabolism? Yes, by lowering your percentage of body fat through exercise and nutrition. Of course, we all need body fat to survive-it should fall no lower than 7 percent of body weight-since it provides insulation and padding for our internal organs. But the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn, because muscle is metabolically active, while body fat just sits there. Leslie Cooperstein, C.C.N., a clinical nutritionist in private practice and at the Sports Club L.A. in New York, says, "Keeping saturated-fat consumption low and eating foods that have a moderate effect on your blood sugar help keep your body-fat level down, which in turn helps metabolism." Complex carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, give the body ample time to metabolize them; refined sugars and refined carbohydrates-pretzels, for example-boost blood sugar too quickly and get stored as fat. The best exercise plan to raise your metabolism? David Kirsch, owner of New York's Madison Square Club, swears by cross training. "The key is to combine aerobic and strength training," he says. "Sixty to 90 minutes is ideal, but 45 minutes is enough. And do it at least three times a week."
Night cream: Yes or no? Many believe that sleeping bare-faced is the ideal, but it's not for those with dehydrated or aging skin. According to Annette Hanson, founder of the Atelier Esthétique, a school for aestheticians in Manhattan, skin needs a protective layer of nourishment at night. The goal, she says, is to recondition skin by infusing it with essential fatty acids, such as borage seed oil and wheat germ oil, that can't be synthesized by the body. "As long as you keep skin hydrated and plump," she says, "you'll reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles." Dermatologist Norman Orentreich adds that creams penetrate more easily at night, when skin temperature typically rises. Night creams are especially important for more mature skin: "Women over 45 have significantly less oil-gland activity than younger women. The benefit of putting cream on your skin at night is simply that you can apply something a bit heavier on your face that you couldn't get away with during the day."
Can anything get rid of stretch marks? The good news: They can sometimes be erased with lasers and, to a lesser degree, collagen-boosting creams. The bad news: A lot of variables determine just how dramatic the improvement will be. Arielle Kauvar, a New York dermatologist, explains that stretch marks undergo two phases. When they're fresh and still red-a window of opportunity that may vary from a month to a year-a vascular laser can often eliminate both the color and the texture. "Once they're white, it's a lot trickier," she says. "Treatments with a nonablative laser can result in a 30 to 50 percent improvement." A typical program, for both stages, might consist of 10 laser treatments spaced over four to five weeks.
Does liposuction keep fat from returning to the treated areas? "When you have liposuction, the fat cells are removed, and those cells don't grow back," says New York plastic surgeon Stafford R. Broumand. "It's just common sense." Still, liposuction is not an open invitation for a person to binge, since extra pounds have to settle somewhere. "Fat would go to the next place where a person usually gains weight," Broumand says. In women, the top trouble spots are the hips and outer thighs, while for men they're the lower abdomen and the "love handles."
Is it true that Chilean sea bass is bad for you? No. The pollution of the waters off Chile have led some to speculate that "Chilean" means tainted. Perhaps, then, this fish ought to revert to its original name: the Patagonian toothfish, from its origins in the remote waters off Patagonia. Eric Ripert, executive chef of New York's Le Bernardin, says that because of "extreme weather conditions, the water where these fish are caught is very deep and very pure." Maybe the pollution notion is what led to the rumor that Chilean sea bass live mostly on garbage: false again. But even though the fish is off the hook, so to speak, many conservation groups recommend avoiding it-though only to help save its skin. "When a type of seafood becomes de rigueur," Ripert notes, "it runs the risk of being overfished."
Is it bad for your hair to shampoo every day? Most experts agree that shampooing is here to stay, and how often to do it depends on the individual. "Without a doubt, shampooing is the most effective way to keep hair shiny and healthy," says trichologist Philip Kingsley, founder of the Philip Kingsley Trichology Centers in London and New York. "If it's not, you're either using the wrong product or using it incorrectly." He says that those who want to avoid the harsher effects of the widely used detergents sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate could opt for gentler formulas containing triethanolamine lauryl sulfate (available in most better-quality shampoos). New York dermatologist Dennis Gross also sees no problem with daily shampooing. "It's a good idea to shampoo every day because it will promote stronger, healthier hair and also prevent scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis," says Gross. "If hair seems dry and brittle, then shampoo as needed. But if it looks healthy, there's no reason to stop."
What's the best way to cure a "turkey neck"? The answer depends on how advanced the problem is. Robert Guida, a plastic surgeon in New York, explains that in order to determine the best procedure, one must first assess how significant the sagging is. "For someone with a severe, turkey-gobbler type of neck, the most permanent result is either a mini-lift or a full face-lift," he says. "When the skin and muscle is that loose, usually after the mid- to late 40s, nothing else will take care of it." For patients whose necks aren't sagging as much, there are other options. "Sometimes, when patients are in their 30s or 40s, the bands on the neck can become very prominent," Guida says. "Injecting these bands with Botox will definitely soften their appearance, but it doesn't always work on everyone." Finally, for some, sagging has to do not with muscles but with excess fat. And whenever fat is the root of the problem, liposuction is the fastest solution.
"Setting The Record Straight," by Jane Larkworthy, Patricia Reynoso and Dahlia Devkota, has been edited for STYLE.com. The complete article appears in the October issue of W.
Top 10 Beauty Myths: Setting the Record Straight: W Feature Story on Style.com
