Author: Lisa Williams

Can Deodorant Give You Cancer?

Many are concerned as stories fly from inbox to inbox a few years ago, giving many readers reason to pause when they read the message on the use of antiperspirant can cause cancer. Dr. Philippa Darbre, an oncologist at the University of Reading in the U.K., has published more than 30 research papers on those substances found in underarm antiperspirant products. Her research has detected parabens – a category of chemical that acts as a preservative in some underarms and personal care products. Dr. Philippa’s experiments suggest that combining parabens with human cells create activity that may contribute to the development of cancer. However, her attempts to find these links in human have produced inconsistent results. Current evidence from reputable organisations like the American National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research U.K. suggest the link between deodorant and breast cancer is unconfirmed. But it seems despite the absence of evidence to support the correlation, their search to prove the theory persists. So why take the risk? Well, regardless, don’t sweat it! Continue Reading

Korean Beauty Pageant Or Clone Parade?

If Stepford had a beauty pageant, it might have looked like Miss Daegu 2013. “Korea’s plastic surgery mayhem is finally converging on the same face.” – This caption to the above picture by blogger ShenTheWise fuelled a firestorm of speculation that the Korean plastic surgery craze is causing these 18 different women to look like clones. Keen eyes spotted bad airbrushing with Photoshop, which could have accounted for the stark similarities (down to the same smile) we see in the picture montage. Others argued that any group of pageant participants, no matter which country, tend to fit a certain aesthetic or narrow ‘standard’ of beauty, as seen in the Miss USA contestants. Same Stylist? Same Surgeon?: In case you’re wondering, they’re not the same person. These Miss USA beauty contestants show uncanny resemblance to each other even though the country is ethnically diverse.    It remains a well-known fact that South Koreans have more plastic surgery than any other nation, says data released in January. A surprisingly high number of women Continue Reading

All You Need to Know About a Non-Surgical Facelift

As you age, you will see one of the following signs of aging on your face and neck such as: Relaxation of the skin of the face causing sagging Deepening of the fold lines between the nose and corner of the mouth Fat that has fallen or has disappeared Jowls Loose skin and excess fat of the neck that can appear as a double chin or “turkey neck” The loss of youthful contours in the face can be due to variety of factors, including thinning of the skin, loss of facial fat, gravity, sun damage, smoking, as well as heredity and stress. Types of facelifts There are two main options to correct the aging changes in the face and neck— surgical facelift and non-surgical facelift. A surgical facelift aims to correct the aging changes of the face and neck through surgery.The vast array of facelift techniques can be bewildering: deep plane, high SMAS, short scar, skin only, MACS lift, SMASectomy and the list goes on. Other procedures that might be Continue Reading

How to Banish Bingo Wings for WOW Arms

As sleeves become non-existent with the rising summer heat, bat wings have nowhere to hide. Notoriously difficult to tame as they are, wobbly arms can become toned and sculpted with a good understanding of the nature of those beasts.   TO GET WOW ARMS, YOU NEED: Good Genes: Genetics play a big role in determining your body shape, how easily muscles respond to training, and how thick or thin your skin (revealing underlying muscles) is. Exercise & Diet: Regular exercise (including strength & cardio) and a healthy diet will determine how much body fat you have and how toned your muscles are. The less body fat and more toned the muscles, the better your arm definition. Taut Skin: Firm taut skin shows off lean toned arms like a form-fitting frock. Age and drastic rapid weight-loss may cause lax skin which can be tightened by treatments like Thermage.   LET’S TALK EXERCISE:   Physical trainer, Muhammad, from Absolute Living demonstrates four simple moves you can do at home to get arms Continue Reading

Peak Performance – Bringing Out the Best in your Cheeks

  “A woman’s face is her work of fiction.” – Oscar Wilde. If that was true, her cheeks would have been a crucial plot device. Whether you are thinking of a fresh-faced Lolita or a sleeping princess, she’ll always be blessed with a set of full, softly blushing cheeks – a symbol of youth, good health and nutrition, and wistful young love. Unfortunately, cheeks are frequently neglected by most women even though those soft creamy peaks take up much more of the face than bright eyes or pouty lips. In fact, the midface forms an important structural support for the face. As fatty tissue over the cheekbones gets gradually depleted by the late 20s to early 30s, cheeks slowly deflate and curvy feminine facial contours fade away. With less fat to fill out the overlying skin, skin sagging, laugh lines and wrinkles become more pronounced as well. It’s no wonder that increasingly, the area of the body plastic surgeons and doctors are making more voluptuous is the cheeks. After all, Continue Reading