photo via WebMD

Today’s Question: Sorry to shock you with this not-so-lovely photo. We’re not sure how someone got such a close-up shot of our leg without us noticing, but what exactly is this photo of: a varicose vein, a spider vein, or a burst blood vessel?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: If you feel like you lose 100 strands of hair a day, you’d probably be about right. Researchers estimate that’s about how many hairs fall out of our head daily.

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Don't Vein on My Parade: Daily Health Quiz

photo: Thinkstock

Today’s Question: Having strands of hair fall out during the course of the day is normal. What’s the average number of strands that fall out daily?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Okay, okay — it seems like yesterday’s quiz was a no-brainer for most of you. Being super-tired can cause a decrease in leptin, which tells you when you’re full. Not sleeping enough also means that your body has an increase  in grehlin, a hormone that makes you want to eat like there’s no tomorrow. We kind of like that idea, but we like sleep more.

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Hold on to Your Hair: Daily Health Quiz

In addition to being cute, they’re eco-friendly — every pair is fashioned from found wood. Said wood is thin and lightweight, which means no fear of developing those same droopy earlobes your Great Aunt Mildred had. We like these for casual everyday wear, but they’d also look great with a cocktail dress and a swept-up do.

Forget our friend — we’re keeping these for ourselves. And you can snag them for just $12 by clicking the “Get It Now” button below and buying them directly from us and our partners at OpenSky.

Hash And Cheeze Small Asymmetric Shield Earrings In Gold

$12

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Eco-Friendly Shopping: Buy These Super-Cute $12 Earrings Directly From Us

But according to Scientific American, not every natural, DIY beauty treatment is actually good for your skin. They consulted with Leslie Baumann, director of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine in Florida and author of The Skin Type Solution and the blog Skin Guru, to find out which natural skincare remedies work and don’t work (and the scientific explanation behind it):

1. Exercise – Exercise has a host of benefits, not excluding what it does to your skin. It increases blood flow throughout the entire body (including to the skin) and it increases cell turnover, making skin fresher and giving you the “afterglow” effect post-workout. Just be sure to use sunscreen when outside, and wash skin after working out to prevent sweat from clogging pores and causing breakouts.

2. Smoking – All you need to know that smoking is bad for skin is to look into a smoker’s face: Not pretty. Smoking increases the presence of free radicals in the body, increasing production of metalloproteinase, an enzyme that breaks down collagen, making the skin sag and wrinkle. It also decreases oxygen flow to the skin, and repetitive cigarette puffing causes wrinkles around the mouth.

3. Diet – Swapping in antioxidant-rich berries and fruits for sugary desserts is a good move for your skin. Sugar increases risk of acne, and because it essentially weakens the skin’s collagen, it also speeds aging. Antioxidant-rich foods, on the other hand, help prevent damage from free radicals, preventing cell damage. Berries, green tea, wine, gingko, and citrus are all easy, tasty ways to get a dose of antioxidants every day.

4. Water – Hyper-hydrating by drinking water all day is said by many to help moisturize and “plump” the skin, but keeping skin moisturized isn’t so simple as sipping H2O. Skin’s ability to retain moisture has more to do with making sure you eat enough of the right kinds of oils, but water won’t necessarily do all the work.

5. Oil – Slathering the body with oil might help moisturize, but it can also clog pores and cause breakouts. Ingesting oils is a better way to moisturize, according to Baumann, who says that eating omega-3 supplements and taking a linoleic acid supplement can help reduce redness and keep skin moisturized.

6. Vitamins and Supplements – Doctors debate over whether supplements really work, but dermatologists say that certain vitamins do actually help skin. Vitamins C and E, lycopene (found in tomatoes), and lutein (common in spinach and kale) help prevent aging, and can be taken as supplements, but the best way to make sure you’re getting skin-happy nutrients is to make sure they’re present in your diet, not just your pillbox.

7. Fruit Masks – Slathering grocery store finds on your face is a popular DIY beauty treatment, but not all of them are doing your skin favors. Lemon is a great natural exfoliant, and avocado does help moisturize skin, but berry masks don’t actually infuse your skin with antioxidants, and some fruit masks can actually contribute to clogged pores and irritate skin.

8. Cucumbers and Tea Bags – Using cucumbers and tea bags to de-puff eyelids might seem like outdated remedies, but they’re still a worthwhile trick to keep in the bag. Cucumbers are naturally cooling and anti-inflammatory, and chamomile tea bags have soothing properties, as well. Black tea bags can also help irritated skin; their caffeine constricts blood vessels and reduces redness.

9. Homemade Scrubs – Home exfoliating is, surprisingly, a win-win situation: It’s cheaper than buying expensive scrubs and masks, and it can do good things with your skin. Just avoid using large granules, like walnuts, and don’t use sugar: Even topically, it can be bad for the skin.

10. Beauty Rest – Have you heard that sleep is good for you? If you haven’t: Get with the program. Getting enough sleep keeps your body from over-producing cortisol, which increases blood sugar levels and makes skin age faster, plus it gives your chance to regenerate and repair itself overnight. Skimping on sleep isn’t good for your looks or how you feel.

via Scientific American

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Natural Skincare Products Under a Microscope: Scientific Explanations For Why They Work (Or Don't)

Do you think these ten role models are setting a bad example for Americans? Are they making our country fat? Tell us what you think in the comments section, below.

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Is Paula Deen Making You Fat? And 10 More Icons Who Harm Your Health

In an article published in ScienceDaily, researchers say that women in urban areas tend to put more effort into their looks because their social and professional mobility depends on it. Those living in rural areas, on the other hand, don’t have the same pressure to impress: Where people have their choice of friends and colleagues in cities (and usually choose more attractive cohorts), those in less populated areas have less options, making attractiveness less crucial.

So instead of wishing you’d been born a Nordic beauty, just pretend like your friendships and job depend on your looks. We guess.

via The Beauty Brains

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Does Where You Live Make You More Attractive?

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Tyra Banks on Beauty

via Ecorazzi

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Chrissie Hynde Launching Eco-Vegan Fashion Line: Daily Do-Gooder

image via Jezebel

London Fog? You effed up.

It was a really good idea to choose Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks for your new print campaign. She looks good in everything, especially trench coats. She’s also widely celebrated for her womanly figure. In fact, we have a feeling her curves have something to do with why you chose her. And then you went and Photoshopped her bodacious shape right out of the shot.

Obviously, people will start talking about before-and-after shots when one of Hollywood’s shapelier actresses looks oddly thin in a print ad campaign (just like we’re talking about it now). But London Fog: If only you’d left the images of Christina alone, then maybe we would’ve bought that leopard-print trench coat. Except that we can’t afford it.

via Jezebel

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Christina Hendricks Gets Retouched? Shady Move, London Fog

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