Wed, March 03, 2010

Beauty Urban Legends

Fact or Fiction?

Whether you first heard them from your mother or at your first slumber party, beauty urban legends cause us to buy promising skin creams and follow off-the-wall regimens. Here, we've listed the most common beauty myths out there - and their answers.

1. Myth: I pluck one gray hair, multiple gray hairs will grow back in it's place.
Fiction. This isn't true - which is good because some of us were starting to worry! While plucking gray hairs won't make more grow back in its place, it's not a good habit to get into since it can damage the root.

2. Myth: Cocoa butter will help get rid of stretch marks.
Fiction. There are plenty of creams and lotions that claim to eliminate or at least minimize stretch marks. While we would love for all of these to work, stretch marks are caused by weight gain or loss, and usually can't be reversed.

3. Myth: Certain cleansers can make your pores smaller.
Fiction. Pore size is genetic, so although there are tons of products out there claiming to shrink the size of your pores, they don't work to minimize pores permanently. What they can do is temporarily make your pores appear smaller. Hey - we'll take what we can get!

4. Myth: Crossing your legs causes varicose veins.
Fiction. There are plenty of ways to potentially develop varicose veins, but none of them are related to crossing your legs (sigh of relief). Some examples of what could causes varicose veins include genetics, obesity, trauma to the skin, etc.

5. Myth: Sleeping on your back may prevent wrinkles.
Fact. After hearing this, we're never sleeping on our sides again! The American Academy of Dermatology says that sleeping in certain positions may result in "sleep lines." After time, these lines can turn into deep-set wrinkles, so flip over and get your shut-eye on your back.

6. Myth: Chocolate makes you break out.
Fiction. Chocolate won't cause a breakout, but it is true that a poor diet can irritate your skin, so try to limit your chocolate cravings!

7. Myth: Cucumbers will help de-puff your eyes.
Fact. Eye puffiness can be genetic, but there are definitely things you can do to reduce darkness and those puffy bags we loathe! Cucumbers can do the trick - and so can anything that's cold and can be easily applied to your eyes. The coldness restricts blood vessels which reduces swelling and puffiness. Just make sure to limit the application to about five minutes for optimal results.

8. Myth: 8 hours sleep can help me lose weight.
Fact. The experts tell us to aim for 8 hours a day, but if that just seems impossible, shoot for 6-8. Obviously we're not eating while we're sleeping, but in addition, not getting enough sleep can prevent us from burning as many calories as we should throughout the day...so get back in bed and rest up! (You don't have to tell us twice!)

9. Myth: Your cell phone can make you break out.
Fact. Okay this is gross, but...apparently cell phones are premiere breeding grounds for germs. Some experts say the average cell phone has more germs than doorknobs and even toilet seats - yuck! Make sure you take a clean cloth to your cell phone screen every so often to help get rid of any breakout-causing germs!

10. Myth: Waxing or shaving will make my hair grow back thicker.
Fiction. Contrary to popular belief, shaving and waxing will not make hair grow back thicker. Most people think this is true because when hair grows back in after waxing/shaving, the hair is a bit shorter than normal, therefore seeming thicker and coarser while longer hair appears more fine.

11. Myth: Popping a zit is fine if only done once in awhile.
Fiction. Please try your hardest to leave your skin alone - especially during a breakout! Messing with a zit will spread oil and bacteria to the clean parts of your skin. Plus, popping a zit will undoubtedly aggravate your pores and won't leave you with the fresh-looking skin you were after in the first place!

12. Myth: Obsessive face washing can eliminate acne.
Fiction. We know it seems backward, but over-washing your face will dry it out and remove natural oils, which will put your face into over-oil production mode. Stick to washing your face twice-daily, once in the morning and once at night.

13. Myth: Drinking lots of water will keep my skin healthy.
Fact. Drinking water will definitely keep you hydrated and healthy and those benefits apply to your skin too! Next time you're craving a soda, reach for a tall glass of water instead - trust us, your skin will thank you!

14. Myth: Tanning in the sun clears up bad skin.
Fiction. No way! Sun exposure just causes additional skin irritation and damage. Make sure to cover your face with a good oil-free sunblock to prevent any additional irritation if you're going to be out in the sun.

15. Myth: Spot reducing exercise works.
Fiction. If this were true, we'd be the happiest people on earth! Sadly, you can't just pick one spot and do certain exercises to trim fat where you want. Aim for total body workouts like running or swimming with light free weight exercise to lose more weight and look fit and trim overall.

16. Myth: Coconut oil is an effective skin hydrator.
Fact. Coconut oil contains natural moisturizers that will help breathe life into dull skin. If you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, then steer clear!

17. Myth: You don't need sunscreen on a cloudy day.
Fiction. The sun's damaging UV rays are still in full effect even on a cloudy day. In fact, the cloud cover sometimes gives a false sense of security, since some think that cooler temperatures and less sunshine can't lead to skin damage.

18. Myth: Ignoring a need for glasses can lead to wrinkles.
Fact. Ignoring the need for glasses means more squinting, right? And more squinting leads to...you guessed it - wrinkles. In fact, any repetitive facial movement can lead to wrinkles so wear your glasses and sunglasses!

by realbeauty.com

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