Beauty can be dangerous
Hey there, gorgeous. The road to good looks can be downright painful if you aren’t careful when applying beauty products.
Not to worry. The March issue of Real Simple magazine offer tips for treating a range of beauty injuries. Its first advice: Keep on hand a fragrance-free cleaner and moisturizer, antibiotic cream and a heavy-duty but gentle ointment so you’re ready to treat any problems.
Following are a couple of common mishaps and what to do about them:
You’ve singed your forehead with a curling iron. Wrap ice in a thin cloth and apply it to the burn, says Carolyn Jacob, associate clinical instructor of dermatology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Next, apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to the burned area. At night, use a gentle cleanser to wash the burn, and then apply a moisturizing ointment such as Aquaphor. Cover the burn with a bandage. If the burn starts to blister, go to a doctor.
You’ve poked your eye with a mascara wand. This could cause a corneal abrasion, or a scratch to the cornea. First, use lubricating eyedrops to flush out any makeup. This also helps to wash away any inflammatory chemicals the body produces that make the eye red and puffy, says Marguerite McDonald, a cornea specialist with Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, N.Y. Then wrap a bag of ice in a paper towel and apply it to the eyelid. See an ophthalmologist if there is pain or blurry vision that doesn’t improve in 12 to 24 hours.
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Foods make you doze
A bite of the right kinds of foods could help you get a better night’s rest, says a special feature on sleep cures in the March issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal.
Here’s what to stock up on:
* Bananas — They contain tryptophan, an amino acid that increases serotonin in your brain and blood, improving relaxation, says Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director at Duke Diet & Fitness, Durham, N.C. Also good are dairy products, turkey, peanut butter and tofu.
* Jasmine rice — Eaten four hours before bedtime, it was shown in a study from Australia to help people doze off faster. Other starchy foods, such as potatoes and cereal, can do the same.
* A high-carbohydrate, low-protein snack — Think apple slices with peanut butter, crackers with just a little turkey (too much can rev up the brain) or oatmeal with low-fat milk.
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Reasons for night coughs
When a nighttime hack persists after three weeks, it’s time to consider the cause. If your cough isn’t the result of asthma or allergies, ask your doctor to assess you for the following, suggests a story in the March issue of Shape:
* Sinusitis: This has been targeted as the cause in up to 37 percent of chronic cases, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.
* Iron deficiency: Low iron can cause swelling and irritation in the back of the throat, found a study from the University of Turin in Italy.
* Acid reflux: Stomach acid could wash into the lungs, making you cough.
* ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure: One side effect could be dry cough.
