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Beauty may be truth, and truth beauty, but the very nature of appearance itself is shrouded in mystery. Women share secrets, silently admire legendary beauties, and all too often, fruitlessly slave under age-old misconceptions. Behind the veil, however, lie years of scientific research, so we turned to the experts to find out which myths live up to the hype, which hold a grain of truth, and which are just urban legends. Here, they distinguish fact from fiction—once and for all.
MYTH: Junk foods, fried foods, and chocolate cause acne.
FACT: “Even though these foods are not good for your health, scientific studies have failed to show any relation to acne,†says Dr. Sid Danesh, a Beverly Hills dermatologist whose treats many of Hollywood’s A-list. If a link does exist, it may lie in the transfer of oils from greasy foods to the hands and then to the face.
MYTH: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker.
FACT: “The hair shaft is dead tissue, so cutting it cannot make hair any thicker,†Danesh explains, pointing out that the same holds true of fingernails. Shaving regrowth may feel fuller because the hair is being cut at its broadest point, the base; with waxing and tweezing, hair re-emerges with a fine, tapered end.
MYTH: If you wax, your hair will grow back thinner.
FACT: “This is true,†confirms Jonice Padilha, co-owner of celebrity favorite J. Sisters International Salon and Spa. “You’ll notice a difference after four to five treatments.†Why? Regular waxing weakens the hair follicle, causing the hair to grow back progressively thinner.
MYTH: Skin needs to breathe.
FACT: “This is another myth,†says Danesh. Rather than drawing its oxygen from the environment, “the oxygen for the skin is provided through the blood vessels.†Some makeup and skin-care products may irritate specific types of skin, but usually this is caused by individual allergic reactions, not oxygen deprivation.
MYTH: Soap is bad for your skin.
FACT: Although soap isn’t fundamentally bad, there is a grain of truth to this myth. “Too much soap, especially harsh ones, can indeed make the skin dry, irritated, and itchy, and flare up eczema in predisposed individuals,†Danesh maintains. If you find no such reaction with your skin, though, feel free to keep using your soap—each person’s skin is different.
MYTH: Pores can be opened, closed, and shrunken.
FACT: Contrary to what you might hear at the cosmetics counter, according to Danesh, “the size of the pores cannot change spontaneously.†However, he is quick to point out that “male hormones can enlarge pores, and one acne medication—Accutane—can actually shrink them.â€
MYTH: Crossing your legs will give you varicose veins.
FACT: “This is partially true,†Danesh says. “Crossing the legs can cause small spider veins on the area of friction, but it does not cause the larger varicose veins.†Contributing factors to varicose veins include genetics, pregnancy, obesity, and habitually standing for prolonged periods of time.
MYTH: Dry skin leads to wrinkles.
FACT: Wrong again. Wrinkles are caused by sun damage, smoking, repeated facial gestures, and, of course, aging—but not by dryness. “However,†Danesh reminds us, “dryness can enhance the appearance of wrinkles.â€
MYTH: Cutting your hair will make it grow faster.
FACT: Again, hair is composed of dead cells, so cutting it will neither make it grow faster nor thicker, Danesh affirms. But, as Padilha notes, "a good haircut can help create the appearance of fuller hair.â€
MYTH: Split ends can be repaired.
FACT: While there are scores of products that claim to mend split ends and damage, “the only way to eliminate a split end is to cut it off,†Padhila asserts. She recommends regular trims to keep damage to a minimum, since once an end is broken, the split can continue all the way up the hair shaft.
MYTH: Once you hit 30, your metabolism slows down noticeably.
FACT: “Clinically, the significant difference occurs for women not at age 30, but at the age of 45,†reveals nutritionist Dr. Richard Kowal. “At that point, the difference between staying weight-neutral and losing pounds can be a banana, a smoothie, and half a potato over the period of a week†In other words, an extra 800 calories becomes harder to burn off in your mid-40s. “At this point, a woman who wishes to lose weight must be extremely ascetic in her regimen,†Kowal maintains.
MYTH: Drinking soda and eating sugar creates cellulite.
FACT: While there is no direct link between the two, these foods can cause weight gain, which can, in turn, lead to dimply thighs. “Cellulite is primarily caused by genetic propensity,†Kowal discloses. “But it is definitely much less of a problem in women who are not overweight.â€
MYTH: Crash diets will crash your metabolism.
FACT: While a crash diet of 800 calories a day or less will not ruin your metabolism, “the low blood sugar that can result from such eating can backfire and cause serious cravings,†warns Kowal. On the other hand, sometimes one week of extreme dieting can be “very effective in jumpstarting a weight-loss plan.†Although he doesn’t personally recommend crash dieting, he has found that “some people respond well to the challenge of a severe regimen, and the initial weight loss can encourage them to continue to stick to a sensible eating plan. It all depends on the individual.â€
http://beautyaddictmag.com/thescoop/features/tattletales.html
MYTH: Junk foods, fried foods, and chocolate cause acne.
FACT: “Even though these foods are not good for your health, scientific studies have failed to show any relation to acne,†says Dr. Sid Danesh, a Beverly Hills dermatologist whose treats many of Hollywood’s A-list. If a link does exist, it may lie in the transfer of oils from greasy foods to the hands and then to the face.
MYTH: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker.
FACT: “The hair shaft is dead tissue, so cutting it cannot make hair any thicker,†Danesh explains, pointing out that the same holds true of fingernails. Shaving regrowth may feel fuller because the hair is being cut at its broadest point, the base; with waxing and tweezing, hair re-emerges with a fine, tapered end.
MYTH: If you wax, your hair will grow back thinner.
FACT: “This is true,†confirms Jonice Padilha, co-owner of celebrity favorite J. Sisters International Salon and Spa. “You’ll notice a difference after four to five treatments.†Why? Regular waxing weakens the hair follicle, causing the hair to grow back progressively thinner.
MYTH: Skin needs to breathe.
FACT: “This is another myth,†says Danesh. Rather than drawing its oxygen from the environment, “the oxygen for the skin is provided through the blood vessels.†Some makeup and skin-care products may irritate specific types of skin, but usually this is caused by individual allergic reactions, not oxygen deprivation.
MYTH: Soap is bad for your skin.
FACT: Although soap isn’t fundamentally bad, there is a grain of truth to this myth. “Too much soap, especially harsh ones, can indeed make the skin dry, irritated, and itchy, and flare up eczema in predisposed individuals,†Danesh maintains. If you find no such reaction with your skin, though, feel free to keep using your soap—each person’s skin is different.
MYTH: Pores can be opened, closed, and shrunken.
FACT: Contrary to what you might hear at the cosmetics counter, according to Danesh, “the size of the pores cannot change spontaneously.†However, he is quick to point out that “male hormones can enlarge pores, and one acne medication—Accutane—can actually shrink them.â€
MYTH: Crossing your legs will give you varicose veins.
FACT: “This is partially true,†Danesh says. “Crossing the legs can cause small spider veins on the area of friction, but it does not cause the larger varicose veins.†Contributing factors to varicose veins include genetics, pregnancy, obesity, and habitually standing for prolonged periods of time.
MYTH: Dry skin leads to wrinkles.
FACT: Wrong again. Wrinkles are caused by sun damage, smoking, repeated facial gestures, and, of course, aging—but not by dryness. “However,†Danesh reminds us, “dryness can enhance the appearance of wrinkles.â€
MYTH: Cutting your hair will make it grow faster.
FACT: Again, hair is composed of dead cells, so cutting it will neither make it grow faster nor thicker, Danesh affirms. But, as Padilha notes, "a good haircut can help create the appearance of fuller hair.â€
MYTH: Split ends can be repaired.
FACT: While there are scores of products that claim to mend split ends and damage, “the only way to eliminate a split end is to cut it off,†Padhila asserts. She recommends regular trims to keep damage to a minimum, since once an end is broken, the split can continue all the way up the hair shaft.
MYTH: Once you hit 30, your metabolism slows down noticeably.
FACT: “Clinically, the significant difference occurs for women not at age 30, but at the age of 45,†reveals nutritionist Dr. Richard Kowal. “At that point, the difference between staying weight-neutral and losing pounds can be a banana, a smoothie, and half a potato over the period of a week†In other words, an extra 800 calories becomes harder to burn off in your mid-40s. “At this point, a woman who wishes to lose weight must be extremely ascetic in her regimen,†Kowal maintains.
MYTH: Drinking soda and eating sugar creates cellulite.
FACT: While there is no direct link between the two, these foods can cause weight gain, which can, in turn, lead to dimply thighs. “Cellulite is primarily caused by genetic propensity,†Kowal discloses. “But it is definitely much less of a problem in women who are not overweight.â€
MYTH: Crash diets will crash your metabolism.
FACT: While a crash diet of 800 calories a day or less will not ruin your metabolism, “the low blood sugar that can result from such eating can backfire and cause serious cravings,†warns Kowal. On the other hand, sometimes one week of extreme dieting can be “very effective in jumpstarting a weight-loss plan.†Although he doesn’t personally recommend crash dieting, he has found that “some people respond well to the challenge of a severe regimen, and the initial weight loss can encourage them to continue to stick to a sensible eating plan. It all depends on the individual.â€
http://beautyaddictmag.com/thescoop/features/tattletales.html
