WASHINGTON (AP) — After a storm of complaints, the Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled simplified forms to apply for insurance under the president's new health care law. You won't have to lay bare your medical history but you will have to detail your finances.
By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five senators - four Republicans and one Democrat - could face voter backlash for opposing President Barack Obama's bid to expand background checks for gun buyers, opinion polls released on Monday showed. According to the surveys conducted by Public Policy Polling, a private firm based in Raleigh, N.C., respondents said they are more apt to oppose than support these lawmakers for re-election for joining other senators in rejecting a bipartisan background check measure on April 17. ...
NEW YORK (AP) — They sweep. They swab. They sterilize. And still the germs persist.
By Alexei Anishchuk RAMENSKY, Russia (Reuters) - At least 36 people were feared dead after a fire raged through a psychiatric hospital north of Moscow on Friday, killing some patients in their beds and others who were trapped by barred windows. The fire broke out in the early hours and swept through a single-storey building at the hospital in woods in the village of Ramensky, officials said. Twelve bodies had been found by mid-morning, the Emergencies Ministry said, as grey smoke billowed from the charred yellow-brick building. ...
RizosMios really wants to know...I’ve been using rhassoul clay for awhile now. Its mineral contents include magnesium and calcium, two minerals that are also found in hard water, in which one is recommended to buy special filters for shower heads if one lives somewhere with hard water. Would anyone have any idea why these two minerals work well in clay but not in water?
The Beauty Brains respond:
The answer lies in the fact that not all minerals are created equal.
Clays are technically known as hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates and they do indeed contain a variety of minerals. In the case of rhassoul clay the composition is as follows:
Silica- 58%
Aluminum- 2.47%
Iron- 0.64%
Sodium- 2.3%
Magnesium- 25.2%
Calcium- 2.34%
But the important thing to note is the form in which these minerals are contained. These minerals are tied up in large chemical structures and are not free to interact. This is why clays are so stable.
In hard water, it’s a different story because minerals are not locked up in these larger structures. The calcium and magnesium are “loose” ions that are free to interact with other things (like soap). Since the Ca and Mg ions have a stronger charge (+2) than the Sodium or Potassium (+1) that was used to make the soap, the Ca and/or Mg ions replace the Na or K, forming an insoluble salt that is typically called “soap scum.” This is the residue you find on your hair, skin and bathtub.
You can enjoy the benefits of clay based products without worrying about hard water buildup.
Image credit: http://farm2.staticflickr.com
LONDON (AP) — Chinese scientists have for the first time found strong evidence of how humans became infected with a new strain of bird flu: from chickens at a live market.
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent LONDON (Reuters) - Health groups said on Thursday they could rid the world of polio by 2018 with a $5.5 billion vaccination and monitoring plan to stop the disease taking hold once more now there are only a handful of cases worldwide. Experts say the plan offers the best chance yet to eradicate a disease that until the 1950s crippled many thousands of people every year but has been brought almost to extinction though effective vaccine campaigns. ...
By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The African Union on Wednesday brought together for the first time for peace talks Sudan and insurgents fighting government troops in two states bordering South Sudan, in a conflict that has affected almost a million people. Fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-North, in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile around the time of South Sudan's secession from Khartoum in 2011. The violence has displaced or severely affected more than 900,000 people, according to the United Nations. ...
By Ronnie Cohen SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval on Tuesday defended his state against a report that a Las Vegas psychiatric hospital improperly sent hundreds of discharged patients by bus to California and other states, a practice known as patient dumping. The Republican governor acknowledged that the state-run Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital improperly discharged at least one mentally ill man but said a new discharge policy put in place in recent weeks would prevent future missteps. ...
Lynsey says…I have been a hairdresser for six years and a cosmetology teacher for two. While I have used this trick a few times (and even have Equal stashed in my color bar), I never knew why it worked either. I did a little research about the pH of aspartame and bingo: it changes the pH of the chemical reaction during a color process.
Aspartame, when mixed in a solution, is highly acid producing (one of the reasons Diet Coke eats the enamel off your teeth). When mixed into the alkaline emulsion of hair color plus peroxide, it effectively neutralizes the solution. The acid produced by the aspartame reduces the irritation of a highly alkaline process.
The only effect I can see this having on hair color is that the color may not stick. An alkali solution is needed to fully lift the cuticle and admit the color molecules. An acid (like a conditioner or hair mask) is applied afterward to seal the color in by collapsing the cuticle.
Love your blog and glad to see someone else nerding it up over beauty!
The Beauty Brains respond:
Lynsey’s comment originally appeared on our post on “Can you make hair dye less irritating by mixing it with artificial sweetener” but we thought it raised an important enough point to justify a follow up blog post. But first we have to give a shout out to Lynsey: Thanks for your kind words about the blog. We’d be nothing without fans like you. And as a fan, we hope you’ll appreciate the message of today’s post which is that you shouldn’t believe everything you read unless it’s presented with reliable data!
Case in point, Linsey’s comment about aspartame being highly acidic. This sounded a little off to us because aspartame would have to be VERY acidic to act as she described. So, rather than rely on Internet information, we did some old school science and collected data ourselves.
In this case the data is the pH of a solution of aspartame. If what Linsey says is true, this solution should be very acidic. Luckily, expensive equipment isn’t needed to collect pH data – anyone can measure pH using paper strips that cost about about ten bucks. So we poured some Equal into water and tested the pH of “aspartame in solution.”
These pH strips change color to match a specific pH. As you can see from the picture above, when we dipped the strip into the aspartame solution the resulting pH is very close to 7.0 which is neutral. This is a LONG way from being “very acidic” which would require the pH to be below 4 (probably closer to 2 or 3.)
With all due respect to Linsey, the data shows that her statement is simply not true. Aspartame is NOT acidic. But why then, is Diet Coke so acidic that it “eats the enamel off teeth?” Well, since we’re not the “Dental Brains” we won’t comment on the enamel dissolving properties of Diet Coke but a quick peek at the ingredients shows this particular diet soda contains both phosphoric acid and citric acid. Now THOSE ingredients will lower pH!
Our “religion” is science and we preach that you should be skeptical, that you shouldn’t believe everything you read, and that you should look for corroboration from primary data or multiple reputable sources. In this case, anyone can verify what we’ve said by spending few bucks on pH strips: Aspartame is NOT acidic enough to lower the pH of hair dye. Q.E.D.
WASHINGTON (AP) — More parents need to talk with their teens about the dangers of abusing Ritalin, Adderall and other prescription drugs, suggests a new study that finds discouraging trends on kids and drug use.
7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan is from the Editors of Good Housekeeping and its premise is simple: follow this 7 week plan and you’ll look and feel younger.
We don’t doubt that’s true since the book is full great advice on the basics: drink a lot of water, protect yourself skin from the sun, exfoliate, and get plenty of sleep. It’s tough to overstate the importance of these fundamentals, especially they’re backed up with specific details on the best ways to hydrate, which kind of products to exfoliate with, and how often to use them.
Good Housekeeping has collected advice from a reputable team of experts on both the beauty and nutrition side. Our only regret is that there was no cosmetic chemist on their expert panel. Without someone who knows formulations, the advice of professionals like aestheticians and dermatologists can fall short at times.
Perhaps the best part of this book is the simple breakdown of what you need to every morning, noon, and night to care for your skin. There’s no appeal to use high-priced procedures and over-hyped products, they just tell you to religiously adhere to a basic care routine. They help you understand when an at home or at store product is appropriate to use and when you need to seek dermatologist help.
We were relieved to see plenty of discussion devoted to proper sunscreens use which is probably the single most important tool you can have in your anti-aging arsenal. And there’s lots of information on retinoids which rank as the second most important class of ingredient when it comes to fighting skin damage. They even do some myth busting which we love, for example they say there’s no science to back up the wives tail that you need to rinse your hair with cold water to “close the cuticle.”
The only thing we really didn’t like about the book is that some of the authors do swerve toward pseudoscience on occasion. For example, they recommend using caffeine to reduce under eye puffiness. But for the most part this book offers solid beauty advice that you will can easily put to good use. It contains close to 400 pages of useful content organized into 11 easy to read chapters covering skin, makeup, hair, diet, fitness, and more. We loved that the book is written like a blog, meaning that it’s broken down into easily digestible bits and that each article guides you through the content with clear, outline-like headings. All in all this is a book filled with solid, no nonsense advice and we recommend it.
Disclaimer: we did receive a complimentary copy for review. You can purchase 7 Years Younger
By Michael Martina and Maxim Duncan LUSHAN, China (Reuters) - Rescuers struggled to reach a remote, rural corner of southwestern China on Sunday as the toll of the dead and missing from the country's worst earthquake in three years climbed to 208 with almost 1,000 serious injuries. The 6.6 magnitude quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in the southwestern province of Sichuan, close to where a devastating 7.9 quake hit in May 2008, killing 70,000. ...
Res-Q Ointment is the 15th best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. It sounds sort of like a drug product because it promises to “comfort life’s bumps and bruises.” Let’s look at the label to see what makes it so rescue-y.
Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil
Emollients with some moisturizing properties.
Beeswax
The “backbone” of the formula that gives it body and texture.
Symphytum officinale (comfrey) root extract
A natural source of allantoin, a skin healing agent.
Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter
Natural moisturizer.
Triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil
Lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil
That’s right, lavandin NOT lavender. This is a hybrid of two lavender plants that is supposedly beneficial for inflammation, respiratory and circulatory conditions.
Tocopheryl acetate
Vitamin E acetate.
Symphytum officinale (comfrey) leaf powder
See above.
Tocopherol
Another form of Vitamin E
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract
Smells good and may help you remember stuff.
Glycine soja (soybean) oil, Canola oil
Two more natural oils.
Chlorophyll
Natural plant pigment which may help with wound healing.
Assuming this is the complete ingredient list (you never can tell on Amazon.com) there’s no preservative. So even though the product has no water in it that could support microbial growth, if you dip your wet, dirty fingers in the product it could become contaminated.
If you’d like to buy Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment
By Michael Martina and Maxim Duncan LUSHAN, China (Reuters) - Rescuers struggled to reach a remote, rural corner of southwestern China on Sunday as the toll of the dead and missing from the country's worst earthquake in three years climbed to 203 with almost 1,000 serious injuries. The 6.6 magnitude quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in the southwestern province of Sichuan, close to where a devastating 7.9 quake hit in May 2008, killing 70,000. ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China reported another death and four new infections from a new strain of bird flu on Saturday, raising the death toll to 18, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The H7N9 virus has been found in 95 people, mostly in eastern China. The latest victim is a 69-year old man surnamed Xu from Zhejiang province who passed away Friday night after emergency treatment failed, Xinhua said. Zhejiang province reported three new infection cases with all three patients in critical condition. The eastern costal province of Jiangsu also reported another bird flu infection. ...
Although psychiatrists disagree on whether going to bed angry is really that bad, snoozing in the middle of a fight can cement hard feelings, making the quarrel last longer. Put arguments to bed for a better morning. If nighttime forgiveness is out of reach, at the very least express gratitude towards the person you’re mad at. Every little bit helps!
Do it Today: Tonight, when taking time to discuss issues with family and friends, try to reach a happy conclusion before hitting the hay.
A study shows that listening to sarcasm can actually boost people’s problem-solving acumen.
Why anger can sometimes benefit health.
By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's competition body accused GlaxoSmithKline of market abuse for striking deals with three generic drugmakers that paid them to delay launching cheap copies of its antidepressant Seroxat. GSK, Britain's biggest drugmaker, said it believed it had acted lawfully. If it is found to have broken the law, it could be fined up to 10 percent of its worldwide turnover, which amounted to 26.4 billion pounds ($40.4 billion) in 2012. ...
Working out in the great outdoors can be absolutely invigorating. And getting your sweat on outside is not limited to running; you can strength train at a park using benches as props. Here are five full-body exercises that feel more like play than strength training. Press play, learn the moves, then take your workout outside.
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) — At 97, retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole can still fly and land a vintage B-25 with a wide grin and a wave out the cockpit window to amazed onlookers.
How to Make Kids Smarter and Ease Existential Terror
By Dominique Patton BEIJING (Reuters) - China's poultry sector has recorded losses of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) since reports emerged of a new strain of bird flu two weeks ago, an official at the country's National Poultry Industry Association told Reuters on Tuesday. Authorities have slaughtered thousands of birds and closed live poultry markets in Shanghai and Beijing in an attempt to reduce the rate of human infection and allay growing fears about the H7N9 virus. However new cases are being reported daily. ...
GENEVA (Reuters) - An international team of flu experts will go to China this week to help with investigations into the deadly H7N9 virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. The new strain of avian flu has killed 14 among 63 people known to have been infected, but no human-to-human spread of the virus has been confirmed. "We're still trying to find out more information about the reservoir (of the virus). ...
GENEVA (Reuters) - An international team of flu experts will go to China within a week to help with investigations into the deadly H7N9 virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The new strain of avian flu has killed 14 among 63 people known to have been infected, but no human-to-human spread of the virus has been confirmed. China confirmed on Saturday a seven-year-old child had been infected by the virus in the capital Beijing, the first case outside the Yangtze river delta region in eastern China where the new strain emerged last month. ...
The Los Angeles Times, publishing yesterday, took a look at suicide rates in the U.S. Army and a program at Ft. Bliss, Texas, that seems to be making a difference. The latest data it could obtain was from 2011. A look at the available data reveals that the military does not have current data or does not make it public. Making some sense of the numbers and what they mean is difficult.
Next time you open the refrigerator to grab a tomato or a head of lettuce, you might want to give them an extra good wash. A study from NSF International revealed that your fridge’s veggie drawer might be the worst host of bacteria and germs....
By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Margaret Thatcher's funeral this week may be the costliest political advert in history, if critics are to be believed - but her death is reminding Conservatives that their current prime minister pales against her ideological conviction and power. Pollsters say David Cameron may get a small lift in the polls from public nostalgia for such a historic figure, even as figures on the right of his party pine openly for a leader who would have scorned his consensual quest for the center ground. ...
BEIJING (AP) — A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that a new strain of bird flu had spread to China's capital after sickening dozens of people in the eastern part of the country.
By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Francine Wheeler blinked past her tears, looked straight into the camera and asked Americans to push for tougher gun laws, drawing on courage she said comes from the memory of her 6-year-old son, Ben, murdered in his first-grade classroom in Newtown, Connecticut. "His boundless energy kept him running across the soccer field long after the game was over," said Wheeler, describing her son during what is usually President Barack Obama's weekly Saturday address to the nation. ...
BEIJING (AP) — A 7-year-old girl has become Beijing's first confirmed case of a new strain of the bird flu virus that has killed 11 people and sickened 37 others in eastern China, officials said Saturday.
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese capital reported on Saturday its first case of a new strain of bird flu, state news agency Xinhua said, the first time it has been found in a human outside of eastern China. The seven-year-old girl is in a stable condition in a Beijing hospital, the report said. Two people who have had close contact with the child have shown no signs of being infected so far, Xinhua added. The girl's parents are engaged in the live poultry trade, it said. ...
By Peter Griffiths and Dasha Afanasieva LONDON (Reuters) - British shops are rationing sales of baby milk after Chinese visitors and bulk buyers cleared their shelves to send it to China, where many parents fear the local versions are dangerous. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), whose members account for 80 percent of the sector, said many stores had imposed a two-box limit on each customer to deter the "unofficial exports" to China. ...
SPONSORED: If you’ve been following along on Instagram lately (you do follow BEAUTY EDITOR on Instagram, don’t you?), then you’re probably wondering why I’ve taken to posting a bunch of selfies and talking incessantly about my hair colour.
No, I haven’t become a raging narcissist.
But even still, I’m not going to be shy here—I have to admit my colour DOES look pretty great these days.
Why’s that, you ask? Well, it’s half down to the amazingly talented Toronto-based colourist Tony Chaar, who does my strawberry blonde base ‘n’ highlights combo that fools just about everyone I meet into thinking it’s natural. (Toldja! He’s majorly skilled.)
But I wouldn’t get compliments galore if I wasn’t also taking good care of it with the right products. (Dry, damaged, faded colour is always a beauty don’t.)
So that’s where Dove Hair comes in. You already know I’m a super-fan of their incredible Dry Shampoo. Now, I’m excited to announce that I’m working with them as an ambassador for their brand new Colour Care range, a new line of hair care products designed to nourish hair and keep colour vibrant for up to 8 weeks.
Can you say match made in heaven?
I am probably the most hair colour-obsessed beauty blogger on the planet—and as you probably know, red is one of the toughest shades to keep from fading.
My problem with many colour-care lines, though, is that they’re way too moisturizing for my fine, straight hair. In other words, I turn into an oil slick in T minus 24 hours post-washing.
The Dove Hair line is EASILY the most lightweight colour range I’ve ever tried. It consists of a low-sulfate Shampoo (yay!), Conditioner, Daily Treatment Conditioner and Leave-On Conditioner. So many conditioning options! I alternate between all three, and happily, none of them have been too heavy—but they still leave my hair smooth and soft.
I’m also SO down with Dove as a brand. You know, the whole “real beauty” thing—where it’s all about, in this case, how great hair colour makes you FEEL. Here’s a cute vid that shows what I mean:
Nice, right?
You can see how my 8-week Dove Colour Care test went on Instagram, but now the best part…
We’re giving 20 lucky Canadian readers the chance to test-drive the full Dove Colour Care range!
Each testing pack is valued at approximately $40 and includes the Colour Care Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment Conditioner and Leave-On Conditioner.
To apply, all you have to do is complete this short entry form!
I hope you love this stuff as much as I do!
This opportunity is open to residents of Canada. The first interested 20 visitors with recently coloured hair will receive the Colour Care Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment Conditioner and Leave-On Conditioner. If you are selected to participate, we would love to hear from you after four weeks of testing to see how the products are working for you. Please note that Unilever may wish to quote your reviews for these products in future advertising campaigns and by participating in this program, you agree to allow your review to be used (in part or in whole) in TV, digital, print or outdoor advertising.
Duchess Gummy Buns says…Here’s the link to someone who claims that you can make your own cleansing conditioner. My question is will this even work? And does mixing the two seem pointless?
The Beauty Brains respond:
First, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that “Duchess Gummy Buns” is the best screen name. Ever.
Second, the site that DGB referenced says that you can mix a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner as DIY version of WEN. Specifically, the recommendation is to take three parts conditioner to one part shampoo and mix it in your hand. Or, you can pre mix a larger quantity and save it an extra bottle.
We respectfully disagree with this particular DIY recommendation for a couple of reasons. First, there’s the question of performance. By pre-mixing the two you are (to some degree) compromising the performance of each. The shampoo won’t clean as well because it will be overwhelmed by the conditioner and the conditioner won’t condition as well because some of the ingredients that should deposit on your hair will form a complex with some of the cleansing agents. (In fact, depending on the type of products you mix, you could form a insoluble anion-cation complex that will make your hair feel gummy and be hard to remove.)
Then there’s the question of preservation. If you do mix large quantities of two different products and save them for later, the resulting mixture may not be properly preserved. Just because two products are preserved doesn’t mean the preservatives will still work properly when mixed together.
We’re not saying you CAN’T do it, obviously the person who wrote this post likes the way it makes her hair feel, but it really doesn’t make much sense based on how these products work. And if you’re really striving for a WEN-like effect you should use a silicone-free conditioner like VO5 or Suave.
Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org
By Bill Berkrot (Reuters) - An experimental drug that spurs the immune system to fight cancer appeared to be safe and demonstrated anti-tumor activity against a variety of cancers in a small early stage study, researchers said on Tuesday. The drug, called MPDL3280A, was discovered and is being developed by Roche's Genentech unit. The Phase 1 trial of the drug in 30 patients with advanced cancer was designed as a dose escalation study to test for toxicity at higher doses. But researchers were also pleased to find early signs of effectiveness of the drug. ...
By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline, Britain's biggest drugmaker, is placing a small but important bet on a new way of treating diseases by targeting electrical signals in the body. The company said on Wednesday it would offer a $1 million prize to stimulate innovation in the field, as well as funding up to 40 researchers working in external laboratories. The initiative is a long-term gamble on the promise of a new kind of medicine, using electrical impulses rather than the chemicals or biological molecules found in today's drugs. ...
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When Mary Yeaman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006, she could barely bring herself to leave her house. Her muscles were weak, and she was having a hard time coping.
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the huge agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid got rare bipartisan praise on Tuesday, but faced tough questions about healthcare reform and a recent controversial decision on Medicare Advantage payment rates. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, which will decide whether to advance her nomination, Marilyn Tavenner said her role would be to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a business, and as a partner with many healthcare entities for the benefit of all. ...
First time trips to any doctor can be a stressful affair. Figuring out what to bring and what you need to discuss can sometimes overwhelm people. If you don’t have a regular dermatologist now, it’s a relationship that you’ll want to build. Dermatologists in studies have consistently demonstrated more accuracy in diagnosing skin conditions and spotting cancer (Archives of Dermatology).
So what should you be prepared to for a first time trip to the dermatologist?
*Editor’s Note: Dr. J.D. Zipkin, M.D. contributed information to this article.
A dermatologist can tell you about any concerning skin abnormalities and also look for problems you might have missed.
Short answer? You should build a relationship with a dermatologist early.
Melanoma is the most common cancer for people between the ages of 25- and 29-years-old and the second more common cancer for people between the ages of 15- and 29-years-old (American Academy of Dermatology). And one study found that there’s been an increase in the rate of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in men and women under 40-years-old (Journal of Investigative Dermatology).
Generally speaking, since you’ve likely spent time in the sun, and more than once been sunburned, you’ll want to be sure you’re getting checked regularly.
Other reasons you might want to go early? A dermatologist can help you deal with specific skin conditions like psoriasis and vitiligo that might pop up in your teens and 20s. A dermatologist can also help you get started on an anti-aging routine early, when it’s preventative (your skin starts losing collagen around age 21).
Younger is better. Having a doctor who knows what your body looks like healthy can help your doctor identify changes and problems.
Remember to bring a list of your questions and concerns, we well as a pencil and paper to write down what the dermatologist tels you.
Make sure you have a copy of your medical history. You’ll have to fill out a detailed medical history form, but the more information, the better. Some of the things that might not seem important to you in terms of your skin could tell your dermatologist about what to look for and potential issues that you might have.
Be sure that you have a list of all of your medications (even if you think they aren’t relevant, they might be!), as well as a list of all of the products you use on your skin (even those that are over the counter, as well as detergents). This is particularly important, as you might be less likely to share crucial information if you don’t think it’s relevant, even if it is. It also helps if you’ve had a new problem crop up.
Write down a list of questions about what you want to know about your skin over the week beforehand. Be sure to make note of any particular things on your body — moles, skin tags, odd patches, etc. — so that you can be sure to bring attention to them. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to sit at an appointment and try to remember everything you wanted to cover, especially at a first appointment. A list of questions and specific issues you’d like your doctor to explain to you will help you to ask anything important. All that will help the appointment go smoothly.
And keep that paper and pen in hand. There’s a good chance you’ll want to write down some of what the dermatologist tells you.
Don’t bother with makeup. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you usually get dolled up before you go out, you might forget that you want clean skin for a dermatologist appointment. And don’t forget your nails — they should be polish-free. Your nails can be very telling of your health, so make sure they’re visible.
Wear lose-fitting clothing. Since your skin covers your entire body, your dermatologist might want to look at all of it, section by section. Wearing clothes that are easy to change in and out of will make gowns easier, which then allows the doctor to look at one area and then cover it up and go to the next area.
If you’re headed to the dermatologist for the first time, there are a few things that will ensure a smooth appointment.
Here’s what you need:
By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fate of one of President Barack Obama's key gun-control proposals appeared on Monday night to be in the hands of two senators: one Democrat, the other Republican, both of them longtime opponents of restrictions on guns. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania are seeking a compromise on expanding background checks for prospective gun buyers. ...
