Plastic Surgery Pittsburgh

Biyernes, Hunyo 5, 2015

62 Percent of Women Think They're Prettier Than Their Best Friend

A psychologist weighs in on what’s behind this “cuter-than-thou” phenomenon.

Every woman should think she’s pretty. After all, if you don’t toot your own horn, who will? But new research found that most of us don’t need to be convinced of our own hotness: We already think we’re prettier than our best friends.

According to a survey of 3,306 people from Skout, a mobile app for meeting new people, 62 percent of women think they’re more attractive than their best friend. And apparently we get more confident in our looks as we age. The survey also discovered that 40-somethings have the most confidence, with 64 percent saying they’re better-looking than their BFF.

We can’t tell if this is a good or bad thing. One the one hand, self-confidence! On the other, statistically speaking, we can’t all be prettier than our best friends.

What gives? It’s all about perception, says Kelly Tonelli, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Irvine, California. She says we typically see our friends as they really are but have a skewed perception of our own appearance.

Why? It’s because we probably formed an idea about our looks a while ago. As a result, we may think we look younger, fitter, and more attractive than we actually are because we created those self-image perspectives at a time when we probably were.

It’s why we’re often surprised at how we look in photos, says Tonelli. Overall, we mentally focus on the good stuff about our appearance and are surprised when we see the reality doesn’t quite match up with our own possibly out-of-date perception of ourselves.

But while perception doesn’t always match up with reality, Tonelli says it’s not a bad thing: “This can be great for our self-confidence,” she says. However, she points out that we can get a reality check at some point through photos or feedback from others, which can be jarring.

And of course, there’s the whole thing about your BFF thinking she’s more attractive than you (which we all know isn’t true).

Worth noting: Men tend to think a little differently about their appearance compared to that of their best friend. The survey found that just 52 percent of men say they’re better looking than their bestie, which suggests their feelings on this might be more in line with reality.

Of course, it’s not a competition. Both you and your best friend are gorgeous in your own way. And when you can celebrate the beautiful things about each other, you both win.

Gif courtesy of giphy.com

Could Fluoride Actually Be Ruining Your Teeth?

Find out if there really is too much of a good thing.

You know from visiting your dentist twice a year that fluoride is essential to keeping your mouth healthy. The mineral protects teeth from decay, leading to fewer cavities and less pain. While all water contains fluoride naturally, it’s not in a high enough amount to prevent decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)—so to make sure we all get enough of the stuff, the U.S. has been adding fluoride to its water supply for the last 70 years.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new recommendations for lowering the level of added fluoride in water from a range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter to 0.7 milligrams, explaining that this is the optimal level for water fluoridation in community water systems. “Having optimal fluoridated drinking water has been shown to reduce tooth decay in children and adults,” says Sally Cram, a dentist in Washington, D.C., and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA).

The previous recommendation had been in place for 50 years. So why the change now—and should you be worried that you’ve actually been getting too much fluoride?

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Here’s the deal: The HHS issued this recommendation because our lifestyle has changed, says Cram. We now get fluoride from so many other sources—toothpaste, mouth rinse, professionally applied gels, and prescription fluoride supplements—that we don’t need quite as much in our drinking water to adequately protect our teeth from decay.

Still, you really have no reason to freak out about getting too much fluoride, says Cram, since it won't have any negative health effects on your teeth. Not getting enough, though, could leave you vulnerable to dental issues.

That being said, if you have a child under 8 years old, you may have a reason to be concerned: They can develop something called dental fluorosis, which appears as white spots on the tooth surface, says Shawn Sadri, a cosmetic dentist in New York City. However, this is purely cosmetic and won't actually cause any dental health issues, says Cram. In fact, this only happens to a kid’s baby teeth—once their permanent chompers break through the gums, fluorosis is no longer an issue.

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Here’s how fluoride does its job: "It works by stopping or even reversing the tooth decay process," says Sadri. "Tooth decay is caused by certain bacteria in the mouth. When a person eats sugar or even carbohydrates, these bacteria produce acid that removes minerals from the surface of the tooth. Fluoride helps remineralize tooth surfaces and prevents cavities from forming."

Want to make sure you’re getting enough fluoride? Communication with your dentist is key. “When you go to your dentist, have a chat, and he or she can make recommendations based on your personal history,” says Cram. “You may have different needs than someone who always has cavities, and they can provide you with that information.”

The Perfect Shoe for Every Type of Runner

We've got kicks that are minimalist, maximalist, and everything in between

We polled more than 1,000 women about their biggest problems with exercise gear to come up with our 2015 Fitness Awards winners. Nearly two out of three readers said they would splurge on running shoes over any other fitness item. Your top concern? Comfort. These five hit the spot on a scale of cush to cloud 9.

In case you're ready to click and buy:

Brooks PureConnect 4, $100, brooksrunning.com

Puma Ignite, $100, puma.com

New Balance Fresh Foam Zante, $100, newbalance.com

Asics Gel-Nimbus 17, $150, asicsamerica.com

Hoka One One Clifton, $130, hokaoneone.com

For more 2015 Fitness Awards winners, including best trackers and headphones, pick up the May 2015 issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.

Huwebes, Hunyo 4, 2015

This Workout Playlist Will Help You Feel More Connected to Your Body Than Ever

“If we can learn to listen exteriorly, then we can learn to listen interiorly, as well.”

Every week, Your New Favorite Playlist introduces you to workout-worthy tunes from a different fitness brand. This week, I.Am.You shares a playlist from a recent class.

Lots of workouts aim to give you a total-body workout. But at I.Am.You, it's not just about your bod—it's about your mind, too. "Every class links philosophy, anatomy, and music," says Lauren Imparato, founder and CEO of the studio. "The music is a refelction of the physical and philosophical themes, and the physical and philosophical themes are a reflection of the music."

The result? "A 360-degree lens for wellness based on yoga, nourishment, mindset, and music," says Imparato. "It's really to provide you the tools you need to become the best you on any day." To help her clients acheive that, Imparato works with vintaj, I.Am.You's resident mixologist, to create playlists that tap into all different genres. "We want people to learn to listen and learn to hear sounds on the outside of themselves." Because the better you get at listening to the sounds around you, she says, the better you'll be at listening to what's happening inside your body, too.

Here's the mix from a recent class; use it to get more in tune with your body during your next workout:

You can download a similar playlist on Spotify. Not ready to sweat this second? Sample some of the songs:

I.Am.You is located in New York City. Online classes are available at yogavideo.iamyoustudio.com.

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Miyerkules, Hunyo 3, 2015

3 Annoying Skin Problems That Are Being Caused by Allergies

And how to fix them!

This year’s allergy season has been reported as one of the worst ones ever, thanks to the harsh winter we had and the delayed start of spring. Dubbed the "pollen tsunami," our sinuses don't stand a chance against all the stuff in the air. In addition to making you sneeze and giving you itchy eyes, allergies can also do some serious damage to your skin. Luckily, there are ways to help ease these side effects. Here are some of the main skin issues you can experience when you have allergies—and how to fix them.

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Puffiness
"Your skin can become very swollen and irritated from allergies," says Debra Jaliman, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and the author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist. This is due to seepage of serum (a clear fluid in the blood that triggers allergic reactions) into the skin. Jaliman recommends anti-inflammatory antihistamines to reduce swelling (look for Allegra or Zyrtec, both of which are available OTC, if you're a first-time allergy sufferer). You can also place ice packs directly on the under-eye area for relief.

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Redness
"The skin around the nose can become red from blowing your nose excessively," says Jaliman. "There are tissues impregnated with aloe, which are much gentler [than the normal kind]." Our favorite is Kleenex Lotion Facial Tissue with Aloe & Vitamin E ($2, drugstore.com). If the redness persists, she recommends using aloe vera gel on the affected skin to naturally reduce redness and inflammation.

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Flakiness
The constant friction from using all those tissues can also leave your skin dry and cause it to peel, says Jaliman. To keep the skin hydrated, the right moisturizer is key. "I tell my patients to use only fragrance-free products,” she says, since fragrances are allergens themselves and can cause even more irritation. She likes Cetaphil, Cerave, Vanicream, and EltaMD.

Your Step-By-Step Guide to Coregasming

Because you can never have too many reasons to get to the gym.

When you want to achieve a solo O, two options come to mind: your digits or your handy-dandy vibrator. But now, Debby Herbinick, sex researcher and author of the new book The Coregasm Workout, suggests that you consider another method: your sweat session at the gym.

The coregasm is an O experienced by both men and women that's triggered by exercise, says Herbenick. Many women who've experienced the pleasurable workout side effect say it feels like a less-intense version of a vaginal orgasm that begins in the lower abs before moving toward the vagina, she says.

So how can you achieve the pleasant sensation? There's a workout for that. Recent research investigating exercise-induced orgasms suggests that there are certain workouts and moves that tend to result in coregasms, says Herbinick.

"We don't know how many women are capable of experiencing an orgasm from exercise," says Herbenick, "but we do know that some of the women in our studies started to experience them after following the coregasm program for several weeks—including me."

Intrigued? Here, the three-step process for turning your workout into a pleasure-fest.

Step One: Get Your Heart Pumping
"Most of the women who experience coregasms start their workout with 20 to 30 minutes of cardio, usually on the elliptical or the treadmill," says Herbenick. But that doesn't mean you should just hop on and walk it out for a half hour, she says. "We've never seen a case of coregasms happening with little to no effort, she says. "It typically occurs after a person has reached what feels like muscular fatigue," says Herbenick.

Step Two: Work Those Lower Abs
After cardio, Herbenick says to dive right into an intense abs workout without taking a break. That's because previous research suggests that cardio activates the sympathetic nervous system, which could make you aroused and likely to coregasm, she says. To engage the muscles at the bottom of your core, try an exercise like crunches, hanging leg raises, or leg lifts, says Herbenick. In her research, these moves were frequently mentioned as triggering an orgasm during exercise, though more research needs to be done to explain why, she says. Keep up the movement even as you start to get tired, says Herbenick.

Step Three: Bring On the Coregasm
When you start to notice some arousal, which usually comes after you reach the point of quivering muscles or like you're close to not being able to perform the move anymore, keep up the movement as long as you can, says Herbenick. Then, be open to the orgasm, she says. "Once it feels like it's coming on, you should relax and be receptive to feeling the orgasm without stopping the abs exercise," she says.

What If the Exercise O's Aren't Coming?
If you don't have a coregasm the first time you try this method, Herbenick says it doesn't mean you'll never achieve one. Her research shows that the stronger your core becomes, the more likely you are to have an orgasm during your abs workout. "I don't want women to feel like this is something they must achieve, but it's a new way to explore your sexuality," says Herbenick.

Worst-case scenario: You'll have freakishly amazing core to show for your efforts.

All gifs courtesy of giphy.com.

You Can Now ‘Rejuvenate’ Your Vagina by Injecting Your Own Blood into It

But you shouldn’t.

If you could have your own blood drawn and then injected into your vagina, you would, right? Hahaha. It sounds crazy, but that’s what two doctors in Europe are banking on.

The process is part of a new treatment called Rejuvula, which promises to plump and tighten your vagina, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reports. The treatment uses your own blood plasma, which is then injected into your vaginal tissue.

The goal, doctors say, is to activate stem cells in your vagina, enhancing your sexual response, giving you a higher libido, and enabling you to have more frequent orgasms. It also reportedly has health benefits, helping women who have pain during sex.

The treatment will also supposedly make the skin around your vagina look younger and smoother.

The therapy was developed by anti-aging specialist Daniel Sister, M.D., founder of Dracula Therapy (which involves injecting your blood into your face), a.k.a. the vampire facelift, and nurse Claudia McGloin. As of right now, the treatment is only available in Sister’s clinic in London and McGloin’s clinic in Ireland, according to the Daily Mail.

But we’re talking about injecting blood into your vagina. It sounds incredibly painful—and does it even work?

Maybe, says board-certified ob-gyn Pari Ghodsi, M.D. Here’s why: The therapy is based on the science of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). PRP is a concentrated blood sample that contains high levels of platelets. Platelets contain growth factors that have been found to help stimulate tissue generation and repair. Studies have shown that this therapy is helpful with healing wounds, urologic procedures, bone healing, and dermatologic cosmetic procedures.

“I could see how PRP may aid in the growth of vaginal tissue, but I do not see how this would aid in increased orgasm or increased sexual desire as Dr. Sister claims,” says Ghodsi. “Both orgasm and desire are multifactorial, and having plumper vaginal tissue does not guarantee either.”

There are a few other things to consider. Susan Lin, M.D., an ob-gyn in San Mateo, California, points out that there are medications to help rejuvenate the area that don’t involve putting needles into your vagina. They're also a fraction of Rejuvula’s $1,228 cost. (One is called Intimate Restore, and Lin says it’s a new class of topical serum that’s designed to rejuvenate the vagina without injections.)

Ghodsi also points out that, for all of the hype, there really isn’t any evidence that this procedure actually works. “Anything that does not have proven scientific data behind it, people should be cautious of,” she says.