Ambrosia Services: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Putting a finger on it

Experts debate nail polish risks to women, babies

By LaMont JonesPittsburgh Post-Gazette

The debate rages about the dangers of nail polish to women and their children. Some fear a chemical in certain polishes can cause cancer and fertility problems.

D o beautifully polished nails pose a safety risk for women and their offspring?

That’s a quandary facing a growing number of cosmetics companies, salons and customers as health and environmental advocates step up their attack against a controversial ingredient contained in most nail polishes – including some popular brands.

The chemical dibutyl phthalate acts as a binder to improve the lasting power of nail lacquer. But it’s also been linked to cancer in lab animals and underdeveloped genitals and other long-term fertility problems in newborn boys.

And while many customers, nail technicians and salespersons aren’t aware of the debate – and are just as likely to have never heard of DBP – environmental groups have mobilized to get DBP removed from all nail polishes sold in the United States.

Estee Lauder is among some major brands that have done that. But many others have not, including salon favorite OPI, cult fave Essie and ubiquitous bargain brand Sally Hansen. In 2004, OPI was forced to remove DBP from its polishes sold in Europe after the European Union banned it along with many other personal-care product ingredients known or strongly suspected to cause cancer, mutations or birth defects.

But the ban didn’t necessarily mean that a substance had been proven to be harmful. The Phthalate Esters Panel of the American Chemistry Council and other proponents of phthalate use noted that risk assessments conducted by the European Union under the supervision of the European Chemicals Bureau expressed no health concerns about how DBP was used in cosmetics.

OPI has no plans to remove DBP from polishes sold in the United States, saying that the level is so low that it poses no health risk. Most exposure to the chemical comes from inhaling it rather than absorbing it through nail and cuticle contact.

Manufacturers of nail lacquers sold at retail in the United States are required to list ingredients on the packaging.

Polishes formulated for salon use, however, are exempt.

“There’s lots of science showing reproductive toxicity,” said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics watchdog coalition, about DBP.

“We’re concerned about workers who use the products all day long and especially about pregnant women and developing babies and kids, the most vulnerable. (Dibutyl) phthalates affect the male reproductive system, lowered sperm count, sperm damage and birth defects.

“The size of the person and the timing of the exposure are as important as the amount of exposure,” Malkan added.

Proponents of DBP use in cosmetics are correct that nail polishes that include the ingredient have not been conclusively proven to be toxic to humans. Nor, however, has it been proven that DBP in polishes does not cause harmful long-term effects.

And although nail polishes must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, laws do not require cosmetics companies to prove that products are safe before putting them on the market.

Thus, when it comes to dibutyl phthalates in nail polish, “it’s not possible for the public to know the levels and whether they are low or high enough to be harmful,” said Lauren Sucher, spokeswoman for the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research and watchdog organization in Washington, D.C. “We know the names of the ingredients, but we don’t know the amounts of the ingredients in the recipe,” she said.

Often when products are tested before being put on the market, Sucher pointed out, they are checked only for immediate and acute reactions – not long-term health problems such as cancer risk or reproductive toxicity.

Dibutyl phthalates were removed from Creative Nail Designs formulas last year as the controversy continued to heat up. Doug Schoon, vice president of science and technology at the company based in Vista, Calif., said the move was forced by a reactionary European Union.

“This is all just a political snafu that this poor ingredient has been caught in,” said Schoon. “This has turned into a legal and regulatory fiasco that has nothing to do with ingredient safety.”
He added that “most people don’t know or care” about DBP.

Patricia Macartie, an owner of Eden, a Place of Beauty salon in Peters, Pa., took exception to that.

“Tell me why European women care more about themselves than American women,” she demanded.

Schoon noted that DBP has been declared safe at current levels in cosmetics by dermatologists and toxicologists with the Phthalates Working Group and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, which was established in 1976 by the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association with support of the FDA and the Consumer Federation of America, an advocacy group that works to advance pro-consumer policies.

People come in contact with DBP and other phthalates in many forms, including children’s plastic toys and vinyl shower curtains. A study published in September 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the presence of dibutyl phthalates in every person tested – and the highest levels in women ages 20 to 40. The CDC suggested that cosmetics might be a source.

Health and environmental groups began to search product labels and found that nail polish was the only product that listed phthalates as an ingredient.

The Environmental Working Group published the findings in a November 2000 report titled “Beauty Secrets.”

In 2002, along with Women’s Voices for the Earth and Health Care Without Harm, EWG issued another report titled “Not Too Prettty” that included other products that contained phthalates. More than 70 percent of products tested at an independent lab contained at least one type of phthalate, from face creams, lotions and shampoos to hair sprays, deodorants and fragrances.

In the wake of the reports, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been trying to persuade nail polish manufacturers to remove dibutyl phthalates. The Campaign’s “Compact for Safe Cosmetics” encourages cosmetics companies to sign a pledge “to not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in their products and to implement substitution plans that replace hazardous materials with safer alternatives in every market they serve.”

More than 300 companies – including The Body Shop, Kiss My Face and California Baby – had signed the covenant by May 15. The Campaign is pressuring industry giants Unilever, Avon, L’Oreal, Revlon, Estee Lauder and Procter & Gamble to sign on, too.

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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

EU set to force beauty firms to show real face of cosmetics

Deutsche Presse AgenturPublished: Monday August 28, 2006

Brussels- The European Commission on Monday said it was obliging cosmetics companies to inform costumers on all undesirable effects and on the exact composition of their beauty products.

The new rules will apply to all cosmetics produced and sold in the 25-member European Union, a commission spokesman said.

Upon the request of consumers, cosmetics firms will have to unveil all undesirable effects of their products that have been reported to the company.

Such effects would include irritant and allergic reactions, cosmetic acne, phototoxic effects, photosensitivity, itching and anaphylactic shocks.

Anaphylaxis occurs when a person is exposed to a trigger substance, called an allergen, to which they have become sensitized.

The effectiveness of marketing claims such as "age-defying", however, do not fall under the scope of the regulation, the spokesman said.

EU member states will be in charge to ensure that the industry complies with the new obligations, he said, adding that Europe's cosmetics manufacturers had agreed to provide on-request information about their products.

However, the commission would take action if the industry refused to answer costumers' requests or if information provided turned out to be false or misleading, the spokesman stressed.

A deadline for companies to answer consumers' requests was not set, but they must react "in a reasonable time period", he said.

Under the new rules, companies are also obliged to disclose upon request the exact amount of cosmetics' ingredients which are qualified as dangerous.

According to the commission, these include explosive, oxidizing, easily flammable, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant substances.

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Monday, August 28, 2006

How Board Helped Hair Product

Aug 12, 2006
Official Board Markets
With a history of successfully developing and marketing ethnic beauty products such as hair and scalp treatment conditioners, braid relief sprays, and hair relaxers, Dr. Miracle’s has built a reputation within the ethnic hair care segment for creating consumer friendly hair products and in showcasing those products in packaging true to their natural brand.

Last year the company introduced a new No-Lye Relaxer targeted to African-American women looking for an effective and comfortable alternative to traditional hair straightening products that contain lye.

In preparing to launch one of the first-in-the-category hair relaxers packaged in a folding carton, Dr. Miracle’s had wanted to wrap the No-Lye Relaxer in a package that would feature highly detailed graphics. The company had two goals for the external packaging: to maintain the brand’s all-natural, “home-grown” image and to present the life-like graphics incorporated into the design in eye-catching color.

Drastically Different--
“We knew we were going to need something drastically different from the one- and two-color cartons we’d produced in the past,” says Ollie Johnson, executive vice president and co-founder of Dr. Miracle’s. “We wanted to keep the ecologically friendly look of kraft, but as with any of our beauty products, we wanted the packaging to display beautiful women using our hair relaxer—a graphic quality we were unsure we could achieve on the kraft-colored chipboard we’d previously used.”

The company turned to Frank Altomare, an independent manufacturer’s representative, who recommended MeadWestVaco’s Kraftpak® natural brown virgin fiber paperboard as the solution to its problems.

“The challenge was finding a substrate that would maintain the home-spun brand image of Dr. Miracle’s while providing superior printability and runnability,” he states.

He advised that inherent color variation and substantial dust byproduct made most uncoated products inappropriate for the high-end printing machinery that would be used to produce the cartons. But this wasn’t true with Kraftpak.

“It’s uniform, provides excellent printability and, like an SBS without the coating, is cleaner when running through the printing press,” he says. “Additionally, printing high-end graphics directly on corners that would eventually be folded required a board that allowed little to no cracking on the fold.”

Let’s Do a Test Run--
To convince the executives at Dr. Miracle’s that Kraftpak would not only perform well through the converting process but also yield eye-catching graphic detail, Altomare turned to Don Schroeder and his team at Great Northern Corp.’s Oshkosh, Wis.-based Stratagraph operation. The Stratagraph product line uses a UV-based dry trapping ink process to achieve graphic color and detail. Altomare convinced Dr. Miracle’s to produce a few test runs using this process, which he saw as the next generation of printing.

“A normal sheet substrate process—wet ink on top of wet ink—makes printing lifelike graphics on an uncoated substrate nearly impossible,” says Schroeder, Stratagraph’s president. “Our in-line process lets us print the silhouette of the image in one color—in this case white—to seal the uncoated board, and then print the remaining colors, all in one pass. This allows us to produce graphics with brilliant whites and skin tones, which enables Stratagraph to stand out boldly from other printers.”

With the carton now appearing on shelves in Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s, Sally Beauty Supply, and over 5,000 other beauty and barber supply stores across the country, the reaction from both the public and the health and beauty product industry has been tremendous.

“We have had numerous responses from our customers and our peers commenting on the package quality and how well it matches our company’s messages of being natural, ecologically friendly and, perhaps most importantly, effective,” says Johnson.

Dr. Miracle’s was so impressed with Kraftpak’s graphic reproduction that it chose to use it to create its point-of-purchase displays and shelf talkers as well.“This project was a winner for everyone involved, and demonstrates Kraftpak’s advantage in high-end, high quality printing applications that require a natural or environmentally friendly image,” says Kathy Singletary, Kraftpak sales manager.

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Sunday, August 27, 2006

The wonders of soya

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Papaya, calamansi, pineapple, coconut oil, green tea extracts, milk... name it, they are being tried and used by several beauty and cosmetic companies to beautify every woman who desires to have a fine and fair skin.

Now, Neutrogena has discovered the wonders soy can do for the face. The breakthrough skin care ingredient, essential soy, is proven to lighten the skin safely and effectively, leading to naturally fair skin.

The essential soy ingredient now works with other natural extracts in all three new Neutrogena Fine Fairness products for cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, offering women a product that cleanses and moisturizes the skin, to achieve healthy fairness and enhance one’s beauty.

Through this, Neutrogena launched three new additions to its Fine Fairness line – Neutrogena Fine Fairness Cleanser, Neutrogena Fine Fairness Toner, and Neutrogena Fine Fairness Lotion SPF 15, all with essential soy, at C3 Events Place, 18 Missouri St., North East Greenhills, San Juan.

The launch unveiled these latest innovations from Neutrogena in an event to nourish the body, mind, and soul.

Dr. Leilani Senador, officerin–charge of the Department of Dermatology at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center along the South Superhighway in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, discussed the importance of healthy and nourished skin to attain beauty.

Senador explained that having a healthy skin is the first step in achieving beauty, because when the skin is healthy and well taken care of, women feel confident, more secure, and better about themselves.

She also cited soy as an effective ingredient in keeping the skin healthy, clean, and fair.
"Essential soy comes from the highest quality soybean extract clinically proven to penetrate deep into the skin’s surface to improve overall fairness and clarity. It also has all the ingredients, nutrients, and proteins that the skin needs to help restore the skin’s natural protective barrier, helping it retain much–needed moisture to keep the skin soft and smooth," Senador said.
Dra. Evangeline Handog, former president of the Philippine Society of Cutaneous Medicine (2 terms), explained how soy effectively lightens the skin.

"Soy is not only an effective and delicious way to nourish the body. Now, soy has also been found to nourish and lighten the skin. It has been proven to reduce melanin and dark spots for a more even and vibrant skin tone. Moreover, it contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins to make the skin softer and smoother," Dr. Handog said.

She added that combined with the soy protein, phytonutrients play a vital role in the health and beauty benefits of soy.

"Isoflavones act as antioxidants to protect collagen from damage caused by "free radicals" that cause skin aging. This nutrient helps keep the skin supple and youthful. The isoflavones are also similar to hormone estrogen, which is connected to a host of health tissues that help prevent diseases of the heart, cancer, and osteoporosis," Handog said.

She added that saponins are natural detergents found in soy. Saponins have detergent or surfactant properties because they contain both water and fat–soluble components. These surface–active properties make saponins excellent foaming agents that help cleanse the skin.
The combined antioxidant and cleansing properties of soy make it a powerful ingredient to enhance elasticity and fairness of the facial skin.

"More than being an effective way to better health, soybeans have been proven rich in naturally occurring phytonutrients such as isoflavones and saponins to help hydrate and cleanse the skin," Handog stressed.

Tere Chong, group brand manager for the Adult Skincare Franchise of Johnson & Johnson, recalled how Neutrogena started in 1930, when founder Emmanuel Stolaroff started a small specialty cosmetic company called Natone.

"Natone was a simple merchant of cosmetic products, catering to beauty salons before venturing to the retail market in 1940. In 1954, on a business trip to Europe, Stolaroff heard of an unusual soap developed by a Belgian chemist named Dr. Edmond Fromont. Fromont’s patented formula produced a mild, clear soap that rinsed quickly and easily from the skin, leaving essentially no soap residue. This was the advent of what is now known as the Neutrogena amber bar soap," Chong said.

She noted that Neutrogena was launched in 1999 and has grown as a brand that houses five product lines with a total of 30 products.

Nikki Lee, Neutrogena assistant manager, said the launch of the new Neutrogena products with essential soy provide women with a full suite of products that deliver real skin improvements for healthy, glowing, and naturally fair skin.

"Neutrogena continues to boost research and development investment to create a line of safe, mild, and premium quality skin care products. And through the years, this has led to a wide acceptance of the brand by medical professionals. The introduction of the new Neutrogena Fine Fairness products with essential soy is a testament to the brand’s commitment to give consumers with dermatologist–recommended products that provide real improvements in the health and beauty of the skin," Lee said.

Lee introduced and detailed the new Neutrogena products such as:
1. Neutrogena Fine Fairness Cleanser with essential soy – it gently improves overall skin clarity and roughness leading to a fairer, hydrated, more even–toned skin. Its purifying formula thoroughly cleanses and rinses away dead skin cells, dirt and surface oil that contributes to dull, uneven toned skin. After using the product for one week, women will be proud to have smoother and more radiant skin; and within two weeks, fairer and more even–toned skin will be visible.

2, Neutrogena Fine Fairness Toner with essential soy – it effectively works to reduce skin roughness and spots, while improving skin tone evenness, clarity, and fairness.

3. Neutrogena Fine Fairness Lotion SPF 15 with essential soy – a facial moisturizer that delivers continued hydration while reducing appearances of melanin and uneven pigmentation to provide a healthy and fair skin tone. This daily moisturizer works in three ways: it hydrates and revives dull, dry skin; it shields the skin from the sun’s harmful ultra-violet–rays; and lightens the skin to keep it naturally fair and glowing. Its mild, pure, and clean fragrance helps keep the skin healthy and moisturized all day long.

The Neutrogena Fine Fairness line also includes the Neutrogena Fine Fairness Block with SPF30, which provides UVA, UVB and IR protection and Vitamins E and B; Neutrogena Fine Fairness UV Compact which provides maximum coverage for hiding sunspots, freckles, blemishes, and other skin imperfections naturally; Neutrogena Fine Fairness Essence Upgrade 30g that exhibits a "smart whitening" action, working harder on the dark spots where more whitening is needed; and the Neutrogena Fine Fairness Hydrating Mask, an intensive dual function facial treatment mask with skin- lightening Vitamin C.

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Saturday, August 26, 2006

Drinking Tea Is Better For Health Than Plain Water

25 Aug 2006

If you drink three or more cups of tea a day you might be doing your health more good than drinking plain water, say researchers from King's College, London, UK. This new study found, among other things, that the urban myth that tea dehydrates could not be further from the truth - tea hydrates as well as water does, say the researchers.

You can read about this new study in the The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Not only will tea rehydrate you, it may also protect you from developing heart disease, and even cancer. Apparently, three or more cups a day may also protect your teeth and strengthen your bones. The researchers say they are not sure why, but believe that flavonoids, polyphenol antioxidants, which are found in abundance in tea, may play a major role. Flavonoids help prevent cell damage.

Team leader, Dr Carrie Ruxton, a Public Health Nutritionist, said tea is better for you than water because all water does is rehydrate you. Tea rehydrates you and provides antioxidants. With tea you get two benefits.

Dr. Ruxton, in a BBC interview, said "Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid. Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth.”

The team found that people are drinking less tea in the UK than they used to - possibly because they are consuming more soft drinks. The biggest tea drinkers in the UK are over 40 years old.

The Research was funded by The Tea Council.

Written by: Christian NordqvistEditor: Medical News Today

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Friday, August 25, 2006

Beauty Back-Ups Not Banned

August 18, 2006 - The list of banned items on board planes includes a number of things to help you freshen up. But we have found some great alternatives, some of which we didn't even know existed.

Amy Hay travels frequently for work.

Amy Hay/Frequent Flyer: "So I like to carry-on a bag because I'm only going for a night. There's no reason to check anything."

But the new security restriction banning liquid and gel items is making taking a carry-on a big challenge. What do frustrated female flyers miss most?

"Just the little finishing touches that make you feel refreshed. You've arrived and you're ready to have that meeting."

"Being able to have lotion and fragrance."

Beauty expert and make-up artist Carie Brescia says many fragrance lines offer perfumes in a solid form.

Carie Brescia/Beauty Expert: "What you want to do is take the product and put it on your pressure points, a little bit on the neck and on the wrists."

A great substitute for a moisturizer?
Brescia: "Have a little tube of chapstick. You can rub it on your finger and press it onto dry areas of your face."

Forego liquid foundation for pressed powder and since traditional mascara is banned, use cake mascara. La Femme's version is $6.95 online. Or try another of Brescia's tips.

Brescia: "What you can do is take a really good eyelash curler and curl your lashes really good and that will immediately open up the eyes."

Instead of liquid cleanser, carry cleansing cloths. Many of them include a moisturizer and the dry cloths foam up with a little water.

And guys, we know you're missing things too.

Since toothpaste and mouthwash are banned try Oral-B brush-ups. The dry, textured teeth wipes are a toothbrush and toothpaste in one.

Also online, we found Smart Fixx H20 styling strips that turn into hair gel once you add a drop of water, as well as hair sheets that help tame frizzies and condition your hair.

One last tip for ladies, make your lipstick multi-task., get a neutral color and use it for your cheeks and eyes, too.

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Black beauty

By Cheche MoralInquirer

Posted date: August 17, 2006

A LOT HAS BEEN SAID about the little black dress. It never gets dated -- the classic staple any woman’s wardrobe should have. It spells sophistication and chic-ness, glamour and drama.

The venerated LBD has gone through many incarnations, adapting to forms and shapes commanded by the trends. In this coming season, you will find the black dress take on new sculptured silhouettes, or the not-so-little form as it morphs into outlines that literally speak volumes.

Remember that black is the safest route to take to ease yourself into a trend. It’s the sensible path that assures you’re in tune to the season’s hottest looks, yet it also guarantees that you can work that new black piece into your wardrobe long after the trend is over.

Take, say, a black bolero sporting bubble sleeves, or a classic black top to go with the metallic sheen of a lamé skirt. Then again, how can you go wrong with anything black in the season’s layered looks?

Even in technology, black remains the classic choice. After seasons of producing candy-colored and immaculate white laptops and desktop computers, for instance, Apple has revisited tradition with its new black MacBook Pro.

In the highly competitive cell phone industry, where these little high-tech gadgets are now being touted as the ultimate fashion accessories, the cell phone has taken every imaginable shape, size and color. One company, Samsung, has upped the bar by introducing the slimmest phone in the market, the Ultra Slim X820. Unlike its competitors, Samsung’s tack is straightforward and no-nonsense. No blinding surface metal sheen, just the sleek purity of this sliver of a black bar.

A classic in the making? Given the fast pace of technology, only time can tell. But for the moment, as they say, once you go black, you never go back.

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Affordable beauty — but at what cost?

As the nail salon industry grows, health care officials worry about the risks Vietnamese workers face

By Momo Chang, STAFF WRITERInside Bay Area

OPEN-TOED shoes, bikinis and vacationing folks have meant double the number of clients this summer for some nail salons, where customers get anything from manicures and pedicures to waxes and facials.

The increase over the years of "discount salons" — now an unpopular term associated with unsanitary conditions — has brought down the price for a manicure from about $25 to as low as $7.

As the nail salon industry has burgeoned, making mani/pedis affordable for the average Jane or Joe, demand for workers in the Vietnamese-heavy industry has increased.

About 80 percent of California's manicurists and salon owners are of Vietnamese descent, while the numbers are about 40 percent nationwide, according to NAILS, an industry trade magazine.
As places like Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose become saturated with salons, entrepreneurs and workers are moving to suburbs and to other states.

A cosmetology school director says that many of his graduates begin in an Oakland salon and then move on to work in or open shops in Fairfield, Pittsburg, Livermore, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Palo Alto and Mountain View.

California is home to about a quarter of the nation's nail technicians. The number of licensed manicurists in the state has tripled — from 35,000 in 1985 to 105,000 in 2005, according to the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. There are currently 38,000 cosmetology establishments in California, which includes nail shops, hair salons and barber shops.
Despite some of the well-publicized sanitation issues focusing on consumers' health risks, including a recent lawsuit against a salon for an infection that allegedly led to a client's death, community health advocates say the mostly immigrant, limited English-speaking, and uninsured salon worker population is most at risk.

While the idea of beauty and getting one's nails done conjures up pretty images, nail salon employees actually work with heavy, industrial-strength chemicals — including a few commonly used ingredients that are linked to birth defects and cancer.

Vietnamese cottage industry
"All are new immigrants," says Cecilia Ngu, longtime San Francisco nail salon owner and now instructor at the International College of Cosmetology, gesturing toward the dozen or so manicurists-in-training practicing on clients.

The school, which opened its San Francisco branch in May and already has 100 students, is just outside the border of Little Saigon near the Tenderloin district.

Ngu said that many of the students studying for their manicurist license have only been in the United States for a couple of months. They attend school for 400 hours — 2[1/2] months full time — compared to 600 hours for a skincare or 1,600 for a cosmetology license.

In California and several other states, aspiring nail technicians can take the manicurist license and not have to know a word of English.

Since 1996, 60,551 have taken the state's manicurist licensing test in Vietnamese, according to state board data. The only other language it's administered in is English, while the cosmetology test is only given in Spanish and English.

In total, there are 15,904 licensed manicurists in the nine-county Bay Area, and 1,286 in San Joaquin County. The largest numbers are in Santa Clara (6,562), Alameda (3,475) and Contra Costa (1,770) counties. A least 37,420 in the Bay Area are licensed as cosmetologists, who can also give manicures.

Many attribute the relative ease of obtaining a license and the Vietnamese-language test as reasons why so many Vietnamese turn to this industry.

And as many salon workers have moved up to managers, owners and beauty product suppliers positions, people began paying attention to the buying power of Vietnamese salons.
Just this spring, three Vietnamese-language beauty and nail magazines launched at the same time. One of those is VietSALON, an offshoot of NAILS.

"The industry kind of grew once the Vietnamese opened up the market," says Hannah Lee, executive editor of NAILS and VietSALON.

Many interviewed say nail salon workers can make "good money," but the average nail technician makes $18,500 a year and does not get benefits, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As to why this has become a burgeoning industry, Oakland-based Asian Health Services outreach worker Kim Dung Nguyen says, "The younger generation is the one just arriving from Vietnam, and they have no English skills. You make a couple thousand dollars a month right away, and you don't need to know a lot of English. You go to Vietnamese beauty school, you get training, you pass the test. It's easy."

Salon workers in-training
Jimmy Luong dons wire-rimmed glasses, a lavender shirt, a matching tie and black slacks. At 49, Luong, who is of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, says his cosmetology school is "his baby."
At his flagship International College of Cosmetology school, just a block from the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, students listen attentively to a lecture in Vietnamese by an outreach worker from Asian Health Services.

Later, the outreach worker, Phuong An Doan-Billings, says the majority of workers in this industry are uninsured.

"For people who work in the nail salon industry, if you don't have children, or if you're under 65, you have to be on your own," she says.

Of the 40 or so students listening to the presentation in Vietnamese, 12 are men. Luong points out two men in their 50s who are taking the manicurist course; one of them, a 57-year-old, was recently laid off from work in the high-tech industry.

"We try to give them a chance to go to school," says Luong, who personally gives scholarships to those who can't afford the $2,730 for the manicurist course, the cheapest one.

He points to an advertisement in Vietnamese that offers the course for $750 and says he realizes many who seek work in this area are low income.

At the Oakland school, which opened in 1999, Luong estimates he graduates 1,000 students a year with about 100 enrolled right now. The San Francisco school, which just opened in May, is on pace with the Oakland school.

Many are studying for the manicurist license, while others are studying for skincare and cosmetology licenses. A cosmetology license allows one to practice nails, skincare and hair cutting.

Luong says that the demographics at his two schools are vastly different. In Oakland, more than 50 percent of his students are Vietnamese, while another 30 percent are other Asians such as Cambodian, Mien, Lao, Chinese and Thai. Another 20 percent are Latino. Luong predicts that Latinos will begin operating nail salons in the next few years.

Luong says his San Francisco students are mostly recent Chinese immigrants.

His Oakland school, a neat, airy space where students diligently work on walk-in clients, boasts an 89 percent passing rate for licensing tests.

Luong is a pioneer in the industry. As an immigrant in 1992, he took the manicurist course at the Hayward Beauty School, then began translating for other Vietnamese students. Soon, he began teaching at the school and then became a supervisor. Seven years later, he started the Oakland school.

"The first thing you do when you come to America, you're looking for someone who speaks your language," says Luong. At his Oakland and San Francisco schools, he has instructors who speak Vietnamese, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese.

He sees his role very simply: by operating clean schools "with heart," he's helping new immigrants.

"I like to help give the people a chance." As for coming to America, he says, "If you think you come here for enjoyment, I don't think so. You either work, or you study."

Salon workers
Dozens of nail salons line International Boulevard, from the Eastlake district all the way to San Leandro. Similarly, 12 nail shops are within a 3-block span on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt in Oakland.

All are small, independently owned nail shops. Almost all are owned by Vietnamese. But within the nail shop world, salons differ.

In a day-long visit to six nail salons with Lenh Tsan, an outreach worker for the Asian Law Caucus, she points out potential stops.

Several on International Boulevard in East Oakland have gates with the door closed, and Tsan says the fumes in there are almost unbearable.

A part of Tsan's work is to educate workers on how to protect themselves, including wearing gloves and more heavy-duty masks. Several workers began wearing eye goggles, to prevent eye irritation.

At a shop in East Oakland, the shop manager, who goes by Pham, is concerned about getting fined by the state because they recently sent her a letter stating new sanitary regulations for foot baths.

"They always concentrate on the consumers, it's always been that way," says Pham, 50, as teenagers walk into the shop early afternoon to get their nails done. "When there is something wrong, they always point to the workers. That is the only time they talk about the workers."
Pham has worked in the industry for 16 years, and says she is concerned about longterm health problems, such as arthritis and repetitive stress syndrome.

And one of her friends who has worked in the nail industry for many years has uterine cancer, but Pham said she doesn't think it's possible to get cancer from working in a salon.

At the shops along Grand Avenue, most had doors open with clients walking in and out during the weekday afternoon.

Hai-Yen "Jeanie" Bui, 23, is an Oakland High School and Laney College graduate. She has worked in the salon industry for three years and currently works at a family salon on Grand Avenue.

Bui says she's not concerned about the chemicals, several of which are linked to cancer or reproductive harm, only about the fumes that cause her eyes to water.

"If you look at all the bottles, nothing says anything about birth defects," she says.

Later, though, she says that in her training program, instructors taught them things about sanitation, disinfection, how to make people look pretty and client safety, but "they never talked about your own safety." Bui says she hopes to go back to school and teach cosmetology courses at Laney College.

Jennifer Trinh, 51, owns a shop near downtown Oakland with one employee.
Trinh, who supports her parents and two younger brothers, exudes older sister aura. She says she expected to go back to school when she came to the United States, but economic circumstances led her to work in the nail industry.

Trinh says that when she sees a younger nail salon worker, she encourages them to work only part time and to get an education. At the same time, she doesn't see herself leaving this industry.

"I love all my customers," she says. "They are really nice to me. They taught me English. That's why I've stayed here for 16 years."

Though she loves her work, Trinh has had some health problems, including skin rashes. She has also heard of other nail salon workers having miscarriages, lung and liver cancer.

"I'm always scared (about the health risks)," she says. The rashes on her hands comes and goes, something, she says, that "never heals."

Health concernsOf the many products used in a nail salon, several contain chemical compounds known to cause birth defects and cancer.

Toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate are just some of the common ingredients in nail polishes, hardeners and glues, and all are listed under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more commonly known as the "Proposition 65 list," to either cause cancer or reproductive harm — such as birth defects or miscarriages.

Other chronic health problems crop up among workers, from nose bleeds, infections, skin rashes, headaches and dizziness to difficulty in breathing.

"The majority of them know that the environment they work in is not healthy," says outreach worker Nguyen. "They are well aware when they smell the chemicals that it's not good for their health. But they have no choice, they come here, and that's the only skill they can learn right away to support their family when they just arrive to the U.S."

When asked how workers can and should protect themselves, Luong, who operates the two cosmetology schools, says that he does train new workers on best practices, such as wearing dust masks.

While dust masks may prevent large particles from being inhaled, such as nail filings, many chemicals still penetrate through.

Some alternative products with less harmful ingredients exist, but few salons use them.
Alameda County's Green Business Program coordinator Pam Evans says that currently, they have not certified any nail salons in part because they are aware of the many toxic chemicals used in nail products.

Evans says she is not even sure if it's possible to have a "green" nail salon, and that they would probably have to set up different standards for the industry. "Meanwhile, we're just sort of staying away from it," she says.

Environmental groups, breast cancer research advocates, health care professionals and legislators have tried to regulate the billion-dollar cosmetics industry. A few years ago, Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, tried to ban phthalates in products (it's also used to make baby bottles, among other things), though unsuccessfully.

Last year, the state approved Senate Bill 484 by state Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, which makes manufacturers of cosmetic products reveal if any of their ingredients contain chemicals on the Proposition 65 list. Currently, products are protected from releasing all ingredients because formulas are seen as "trade secrets," so oftentimes, workers don't know what chemicals they are working with.

In addition, there's the myth that because there are no warning labels on the products then it must be safe to use.

Ask cosmetics makers, and they will say only traces of those toxic chemicals exist.

While customers are also exposed to toxic chemicals, salon workers — many who toil hours a day in poorly ventilated spaces just to make some extra money — are exposed day in and day out.

Luong is adamant that it's up to workers to protect themselves, a notion echoed by many instructors at his schools.

But when asked what they can do and if they have control over their environment, he hesitates, then shakes his head.

"Yes, that is true," he says finally. "They don't have control."

New faces, same stories
Kim Dung Nguyen, an outreach worker for Asian Health Services, knows many friends who work in the industry.

She says that three of her friends, all in their 40s and 50s who have worked in nail salons for more than 15 years, have had breast cancer, yet they are still working in the salons.

"But we cannot say it's because of the nail salons," says Nguyen, noting that there are no studies that have been done to determine whether working in a nail salon leads to cancer.

Many nail salon workers stay in the industry for decades, contrary to the myth that people only work in it for a couple of years and then transition to a different job.

At the same time, immigrants now have role models to look up to — ones who are successful, like manager Pham, salon owner Trinh, school director Luong, and instructor Ngu. They can start at the very bottom, then work to become managers and then one day open up their own shop.

The relative ease of getting trained and licensed as a manicurist continues to funnel new immigrants to the field.

And for many, a lifelong career in this industry just compounds health risks. Most do not have other skills to move on to another industry.

"Most of them stay (in this industry for) quite a long time," says Nguyen. "They have no choice, unless they can learn something else."

Contact Momo Chang at mchang@angnewspapers.com.

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Monday, August 21, 2006

'REAL' MAN ARE BACK
Aug 9 2006
Males ditch beauty cream
By Dave King
BLOKES are ditching

their moisturisers and beauty creams in a trend dubbed the "menaissance".

Researchers say male grooming habits are going back to basics.

The new "real" men are happy with a shower and shave, rather than a full beauty regime. The study found around nine out of 10 Br itish men prefer the simple approach to maintaining their appearance. Only a tiny minority admitted to being metrosexuals - males who use a range of skincare and beauty products.

Metrosexual role models include TV presenter Jonathan Ross and footballer David Beckham.
Menaissance men include hell-raising actor Colin Farrell and cricketer Freddie Flintoff.

Worry

One of the few remaining metrosexual strongholds was among the nation's David Brents.
More than two out of three men in managerial jobs use creams and lotions to smooth out worry lines.

The study was carried out by medical insurer PruHealth.

Medical director Dr Chris Dark said: "The research indicates a decline in male grooming, which suggests British en are reverting back to type.

"But I'd urge more men to get active both to maintain their appearance and also to improve their health."

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Saturday, August 19, 2006

Standard Developed For Collection Of Suspicious Powders

Federal, state, and local agencies have reached consensus on the first validated national standard for collecting, packaging, and transporting samples of visible powders that are suspected of being biological threat agents, such as anthrax. The new standard meets the needs of the first responders to test the powders on site, and the needs of the federal agencies to conduct tests on the same, uncontaminated powder samples for forensic and confirmatory analysis.

The national sample collection procedure was developed and approved by AOAC INTERNATIONAL, which is a worldwide provider and facilitator in the development of analytical standards. The new standard is applicable to nonporous surfaces only and incorporates reference guidance for packaging and transport of suspicious powders to comply with all appropriate federal regulations regarding bio-safety and bio-security.

The development and testing of the standard were supported by the Science & Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to a need for a coordinated effort with federal agencies and emergency responders to standardize activities related to anthrax and other biological agent incidents.

"The development of this AOAC/ASTM standard represents an important step towards building consensus between the emergency responder communities and the federal agencies on national standards for responding to possible terrorist attacks," said Bert M. Coursey, Director of DHS Office of Standards. [For reference to ASTM, see last page of release.]
The purpose of the sampling procedure is to have a standard that is accepted and followed by emergency responders for suspicious powder collection in order to reduce exposure risks, reduce the variability associated with sample handling and analysis, and increase the reliability of sampling visible powders from nonporous surfaces.

Emergency responders need to sample a suspicious powder in order to do a presumptive analysis. Federal agencies also need a sufficient quantity of the powder to do confirmatory testing. The new method provides both groups with sufficient powder to perform their tests in a manner that protects the powder from contamination. Training emergency responders who collect and disseminate the powder is planned.

"The development of a national standard for the collection of suspicious powders is an important step forward," said Chief John Eversole (Ret), Chairman, Hazardous Materials Committee, International Association of Fire Chiefs. "This standard provides a uniform and systematic procedure whereby accurate, presumptive information can be determined by the First Responders and ensure the preservation of sample evidence for confirmatory analysis and criminal prosecution. Our next step must be to broaden the scope to do sampling in other situations."

"This is a major achievement. With this standard, a confidence can exist among all of the partners engaged in the response, testing and investigation of suspected biological agent releases," said David Ladd, Director, Hazardous Materials Emergency Response for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Fire Services.
The sample collection standard is a two-step procedure that is performed after an initial risk assessment is conducted and a visible powder is deemed a credible biological threat.
The first step of the procedure, or Method A, covers the bulk collection and packaging of the suspicious visible powders from solid nonporous surfaces. Bulk samples are collected and transported in a manner that permits public health and safety, and law enforcement agencies to obtain uncompromised samples for confirmatory analysis and forensic testing. The second step, or Method B, covers swab sampling of residual suspicious powders for presumptive on-site biological screening.

A study was conducted in March 2006 to validate the reliability of the sampling procedure at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground. The study demonstrated that the sampling procedure can be used by trained emergency responders in simulated emergency conditions to consistently recover samples. The study also proved that sufficient number of Bacillus anthracis spores can be detected by emergency responders to make a presumptive, on-site determination even after all bulk samples have been collected. The evaluation study was designed to determine the recovery efficacy on seven environmental surface types that included stainless steel, food-grade painted wood, rubber, tile, concrete, finished wood, and plastic.

The study involved six teams, including four National Guard Civil Support Teams, the Navy's Chemical Biological Incidence Response Force (CBIRF) as well as a hazmat team from the Florida Hazard Materials Response Unit. Team members were dressed in Class C personal protective equipment during the entire study so that the efficacy of the sample collection procedure could be tested under as close to real-life conditions as could be attained.

The development of the sample collection standard was a cooperative, interagency effort involving many stakeholder organizations including federal, state, and local governments. Member organizations serving on the AOAC Sampling Standard Task Group included the federal agencies NIST, CDC, FBI, DOD, EPA, the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, and the DHS Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP). State and local organizations represented included the New York State Department of Health, State of Florida, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the U.S. National Guard. Volunteers from ASTM Committee E54 and the AOAC Official Methods Board also provided extensive review and input.

The standard developed by AOAC has been published by ASTM INTERNATIONAL under the title Standard Practices for Bulk Sample Collection and Swab Sample Collection of Visible Powders Suspected of Being Biological Agents from Nonporous Surfaces, E2458. It is available by contacting ASTM INTERNATIONAL, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700 West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, www.astm.org.

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Friday, August 18, 2006

Susan Yerkes: Ahhh: Spa may cure beauty ills

Web Posted: 08/06/2006 06:00 PM CDT

San Antonio Express-News

In these health-conscious, pampering-prone times, we've all heard of spas. And more recently, for the time-pressured — and who isn't? — day spas, the spa concept's shorter sister.
But a medspa? That was a new one on me — at least until recently, when Dr. Laura Bennack tossed a low-key little bash to celebrate her new place.

Yup, it's a medspa.

According to the International Spa Association, medical spas (medspas, get it?) are the fastest-growing segment of the spa industry, and the next logical step in services aimed at fast-paced lives.

Medspas, we're told, combine nonsurgical cosmetic surgery practices (laser hair removal, chemical peels, Botox injections, laser hair removal, etc.) with the pampered tranquility of the spa, in the relatively short time it would take to get de-haired, de-wrinkled or de-veined (don't think of shrimp, please) in a medical office.

Bennack's new Radiance Medspa, plunked into a trendy '09 setting on Broadway just a block from the nearest Starbucks (what's a spa without a latte?), is the first South Central Texas franchise of a national medspa chain.

For most of the "soft opening" guests, it was the first look at the hot new concept — luxurious waiting room with soft lights, plush chairs, low music, faux fireplace, flat-wall fountain ... even a huge HDTV featuring a lulling undersea video. (The colorful footage came from a South Pacific dive trip shot by Bennack's friendly ex, Alan Wulfe, who was among the party guests.)

To Bennack, the medspa offered a new, less-stressful place to practice her profession, she said.
Her first career was as a CPA, she said. Then she went to law school and practiced as an attorney. Next, medical school. Then she became an emergency room doctor, and continued that career for about 10 years.

Now she's nearing the big 5-0. In fact, the event was part birthday bash, complete with a colorful cake and 49 candles.

A day job as full-time physician medspa owner is far less hectic than an ER doc's job, she noted. And she gets to see her friends, to boot.

Hairless and happy The Radiance soft-opening bash (there's a bigger, grand opening planned Sept. 7) was a family affair.

Bennack's hubby Ron Peterson, her children, Lacey and Brian Wulfe, both grown now, were on hand, along with their dad, Alan, and his new spouse, Debbie Wulfe. Sisters Shelley McCullough (with hubby Bob), Cindy Hinson, who came in from North Carolina, and Diane Bennack were also on hand. All four are daughters of Frank A. Bennack Jr., vice chairman of the board and former chief executive of the Hearst Corp., which owns the San Antonio Express-News. Margie Alford, Britt Simmons Kleberg and architect Gabriel Duran-Hollis (whose DHR architects designed the space) were among the diverse guests.

Dr. Carl Blonde, an S.A. kidney specialist, brought along his daughters, 13-year-old Julia, Mireille, 11, and Olivia, 9, potential customers.

And while the sound vibration chair and laser machines and the shower with a fountain right in it were all attractions, one guest and customer stole the show with a silent testimonial that may just have been an '09 party first.

One of Bennack's first clients, Alamo Heights hairdresser Daniel Vega, was fresh from a morning laser session with Bennack, and he happily hiked up his shirt to give a glimpse of his hair-free back.

Susan Yerkes' column appears on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Call her at (210) 250-3542, or e-mail syerkes@express-news.net. Cheers!

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Thursday, August 17, 2006

The price of beauty published:

Monday August 14, 2006

Shanya Gottshalk, Gleaner Writer

Manicures are important to keep hands beautiful.

Looking good is not cheap, and let's face it, staying beautiful can be expensive. But most women are more than willing to pay for it no matter what the cost.

Hair
Hair care is essential to maintaining and preserving beauty. If you want beautiful hair, you have to take care of it. The cost for relaxing or perming at a good or "reputable" salon ranges from $1,000 to $1,500. There has to be a 'touch-up' every four to six weeks. Kerry Spencer of Salon Innovation stated why it costs to relax hair.

"It is not just relaxing. It involves conditioning and the quality of the relaxer which can straighten your hair better. You can actually feel the difference in your hair, afterwards" said Miss Spencer.

PRICES
Weekly shampoos cost at least $500.

Braiding starts from $3,000 and the cost for micro-braiding is approximately $4,000 at most beauty salons.

To add hair extensions whether bond-in or sewed-in cost from $2,000 and up.

In comparison to the more reasonable hair salon, the cost of relaxing ranges from $600 to $800.
Braiding ranges from $1,000 to $2,500, and the cost of adding hair extension is usually between $900 to $1,200.

Nails
Having well-groomed nails is important for males and females. Beautiful fingers and toes say a lot about our personal grooming. One of the hip trends for 2006 is sporting long fingernails. For females, that means having refills weekly. The cost of getting a manicure at a reputable salon or spa is approximately $1,200, and to get a pedicure costs approximately $1,500. That is approximately $2,700 spent on your hands and feet every week.

On the other hand, the cost of a complete manicure and pedicure at some spas and hair salons starts at $1,000 and does not exceed $2,000. Avoiding soaking the nails can preserve the acrylics and so there will be no need to refill nails that often.

Face
Everyone wants his or her face to look young, wrinkle free and acne free. So getting a facial every month is a must. Deep facials usually cost approximately $3,000 and up at most high-end spas. If it is too much hassle to go to the spa monthly, we can use our daily facial cleansers.

Facial cleansers like Neutrogena and Aveeno cost from $600 upwards for one of the products in the complete line. Buying the whole product line in order for it to work effectively can cost up to $3,000. For other spas the cost of a facials such as the European, Acne and the Normal Rejuvenating facials cost between $1,500 and $2,500.

"Home facials are always good. Mix cornmeal and milk together to a paste and use it on your face and use cucumber on your eyes to prevent redness," said Ms. Spencer. There are also at-home facials that can be used with Neutrogena products instead of a making the frequent visits to the spa or salon.

Body
To relieve tension, a full body massage costs between $3,000 and $4,000 at reputable spas. Another service offered by the spa is the Leg Cellulite, which involves the use of a machine to remove cellulite from a person's leg. This costs $4,000.

Now when it comes to beauty, expensive does not necessarily mean better. Here is a suggestion: Try starting a beauty regimen that saves the pocket from the "cuts and bruises" of the expensive prices above. Taking care of ourselves and looking beautiful are important. However, buying cosmetics that work effectively and going to the spa or salon that is reasonable will still enable us to be beautiful while at the same time not putting too much pressure on our pockets.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Eating Disorders: The Quest for the "Perfect Body" can be Deadly

BY KATRINA E. STACKHOUSE,

SOUTHERN HEALTH CONTRIBUTOR

"It's funny really, well, maybe not literally funny, but I really don't know when my struggle with anorexia began.

"I guess I had been dealing with it for a while. I remember the rest of my family being so skinny. I remember being in first grade and not wanting to eat because I was constantly thinking, "why am I so fat?" It was always so normal for me; I didn't even realize I had an eating disorder until I started college.

"As I said before, my entire family is slim. They've never had to worry about being overweight. I have a very slow metabolism...if I even looked at chips or French-fries, I'd gain a pound. My mom used to take me walking when I was younger to try to help me shed the extra weight.

Eventually I started working out for hours a day on my own, but it seemed like nothing worked.
"I was always the fat kid in my mind. Looking back, I really was fairly thin; I just wasn't as thin as my mother and my sister. It didn't help that I have had bouts with depression throughout my life that have left me feeling out of control. Food seemed to be the only thing in my life I could control."

- Suzanne Milano, a Southern Illinois University student studying cinema, photography, radio and television.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NETA) states that as many as 10 million females and one million males in the United States are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder.

Eating disorders (ED) as defined by NETA are illnesses with a biological basis, modified and influenced by emotional and cultural factors. The most common types of ED are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge/Compulsive Eating Disorder.

In the United States, eating disorders are more common than even Alzheimer's disease and many young women and men battle with it on a daily basis.

Anorexia Nervosa

According to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately 90-95 percent of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls. Anorexia is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women, typically appearing in early to mid-adolescence.

"Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to eat or maintain a healthy weight for one's age, height, size," explains Nancy Albus, assistant clinical director and individual therapist at Castlewood Treatment Center, a residential treatment facility and day hospital program for individuals needing treatment for eating disorders.

"There is also an intense fear of being fat in spite of being at a low or normal weight," says Albus. "Anorexia is like a self imposed starvation. Often the individual starts out restricting a certain type of food and as the disease takes hold, more and more foods become restricted."
"Soon the individual is powerless and so fearful of so many foods that they are unable to physically put the food in their mouth," she adds.

Binge Eating

Binge eating or Compulsive Over-eating, is the second type of eating disorder. This disorder indicates that a person eats an amount of food that is significantly larger than most individuals would eat during one sitting. Binge Eating is often done without thought to hunger or fullness.

"It isn't eating or grazing on food, but eating large amounts of carbohydrates or high calorie food and being unable to control its consumption," says Albus.

"Binge eaters usually have strong feeling of being out of control and use food to fill in voids they feel inside. The individuals use secrecy to hide and cover their symptoms. Food is their source of comfort," she adds.

NETA estimates that the prevalence of binge eating is estimated to be approximately one to five percent of the general population, affecting women slightly more often than men. NETA also estimates that about 60 percent of people struggling with binge eating disorders are female and 40 percent are male. Like other forms of ED, binge or compulsive eating is often associated with symptoms of depression.

Bulimia

Bulimia is the third common eating disorder in which one over eats and then releases the food from their body by either regurgitation or through the use of laxatives.

"With bulimia, an individual eats either a normal amount or too much food and purges through vomiting, laxatives, or over-exercising," explains Albus. "Some people will consume so much food that they are actually in pain because of the amount of consumption."

According to NETA, bulimia nervosa affects one to two percent of adolescent and young adult women with approximately 80 percent of them being female. Unlike anorexia, people struggling with bulimia nervosa will often appear to be of average body weight.

Persons suffering from bulimia nervosa are frequently associated with symptoms of depression and struggle with social adjustment.

How Do They Begin?

"Eating disorders are serious and can, for some, be life threatening," explains Albus. "It starts as a person's attempt to cope with life and can be brought on by a stressful situation or trauma like a death, rape, or abuse."

"It can also be an individual's way to cope with life. In this instance the person uses the refusal of food or the intake of food for comfort or control because they feel so powerless in their everyday lives," Albus adds.

She also notes that for many, an eating disorders can start with "disordered eating," which stems from the disruption of the normal eating cycle as a way to lose a few pounds.

"Often we see these type of eating patterns emerge as people rush to get in shape for a special event like a spring break trip or a wedding," says Albus. "With disordered eating the individual receives a lot of attention for weight loss and desires more."

"Disordered eating can very quickly become an obsession which can then lead to an eating disorder. When a person's attitudes about food and weight lead to very rigid eating and exercise I see this as the possible buds or seeds leading to a disorder for some."

"Others can have disordered eating patterns which never lead to an eating disorder," Albus says.

Who Suffers from Eating Disorders?

When we imagine the prototype for this type of behavior, the general public is often quick to assume that these issues only affect small populations of young, White women and teens; as they are the poster faces of ED as represented by the media.

However, experts state that this stereotype is highly inaccurate. Eating disorders affect men and women as well as minorities.

It has been speculated that women from racial and ethnic minority groups identify with alternative standards of beauty, in comparison to the standard, so they may be less susceptible to ED.

According to NETA, over the past few years, there has been increasing evidence of disordered eating occurring among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. In a study confirming the fact that minorities also struggle with ED, the Minnesota Adolescent Health Study found that dieting was associated with weight dissatisfaction, perceived overweight, and low body pride in all ethnic groups.

"While any person may develop an eating disorder, those at highest risk are adolescent females," says Kimberly Darnstaedt, the director of the Youth and Family Division, at Franklin-Williamson Human Services. "In general, about 10 percent of the patients seeking treatment for eating disorders are male."

"It should be noted however, that the eating disorders experienced by these males show little difference from those experienced by their female counterparts. In addition to age and gender risks, there are also certain groups of athletes that are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders. These include gymnasts, runners, dancers, and wrestlers. All of these sports place a high importance on weight restriction," Darnstaedt adds.

Some Causes

With such a high number of Americans suffering from this condition, many wonder what specific factors cause eating disorders. Research suggests that eating disorders begin with some type of biological, social, or emotional trigger, but there have been no concrete causes.

"There is no one cause for eating disorders," says Darnstaedt. "The research suggests that eating disorders have many contributing factors which include psychological factors."

"Some of these factors include low self-esteem, feelings of lack of control, and depression or anxiety," Darnstaedt adds.

"From a biological perspective, there is some evidence suggesting that eating disorders have a genetic factor as they often run in families. There also appears to be some specific biochemical imbalances common among eating disorder patients."

Darnstaedt suggests that social and cultural factors can also lead to the emergence of an eating disorder. As our society becomes more and more obsessed with personal appearance many people struggle with negative self-image.

"The social/cultural factors most commonly linked to eating disorders are the cultural pressures to be thin and a high societal value (placed) on physical perfection," Darnstaedt says.
"Other factors can include family problems, problems with peers or history of physical or sexual abuse," she adds.

Effects on Oral Health

In addition to the harm one can causes their body, eating disorders also have harmful effects on one's oral health. According to NETA, up to 89 percent of bulimic patients show signs of tooth erosion that is usually associated with regurgitation.

The harmful habits and nutritional deficiencies that often accompany disordered eating can have severe consequences on one's dental health resulting in the loss of tissue and erosive lesions on the surface of teeth; changes in the color, shape, and length of teeth; and increased sensitivity to temperature and pain.

"Changes in the mouth are one the first physical signs of an eating disorder," says Julie Horn, a registered dental hygienist, at Family and Cosmetic Dentistry of Southern Illinois located in Herrin.

"Specifically, bulimia is very damaging to your dental health; it causes the erosion of your tooth's enamel," says Horn. "This erosion is caused by disruptions of your mouth's PH balance, which should normally be at 5.0 at all times for optimal oral health."

Horn adds that in addition to erosion, persons with ED may need to undergo reconstructive processes to get their teeth back to their original condition. "If a person has been bulimic for two years or more, the erosion will begin on their back molars, eventually they may even need veneers," Horn adds.

Treatment

There are many treatment options available for those who suffer from an eating disorder. "Treatment for eating disorders ranges from individual counseling and nutrition therapy to intensive inpatient treatment," Darnstaedt explains. "Because an eating disorder can have devastating effects on the body, severe cases may result in the need for hospitalization in an acute care medical facility."

Darnstaedt notes that not all cases can be handled swiftly; some cases can be extremely treatment resistant and can take months or years to treat. In these cases, long-term residential treatment may be required.

Facilities like Castlewood Treatment Center located in St. Louis, MO offer a safe and comprehensive option for recovery from eating disorders.

"We have all of our clients evaluated to determine the best place to treat their eating disorder," says Albus. "Our residential program is very intense and runs every day." "Treatment for ED depends on the intensity of the eating disorder. Outpatient treatment with a therapist or psychiatrist, who has experience in the treatment of eating disorders, is the first place to start."

"Usually a dietician is also a part of the outpatient program to help establish a healthy meal plan and address any exercise issues. If that doesn't appear to be enough then the next level of care would be an Intensive inpatient Program," Albus adds.

For more information about eating disorders, their symptoms, and treatment resources please contact the National Eating Disorders Association on their website at www.NationalEatingDisorders.org, or contact Castlewood Treatment Centers at 1-888-822-8938 or visit them online at www.castlewoodtc.com.

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Monday, August 14, 2006

Getting Sexy ... at the Drugstore

Friday , August 04, 2006

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

Going to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription or restock on toiletries didn't used to conjure up erotic fantasies or top lists of titillating experiences. Until recently, that is.

Warning: Readers should consider sitting down with a cold glass of water before continuing.
Trips to chains like CVS, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and Walgreens have become anything but sterile, thanks to the expansion of mainstream sexual products like sensual sprays, lubricants, massage oils and condoms — all geared toward enhancing sex for women.

Click Here for the Fashion and Lifestyles Center

Turning the heat up at the drugstore has apparently turned mainstream America on. Customers have gotten busy buying goodies like Trojan's new condom with a vibrating ring (part of its female-targeted Elexa line, which also includes an intimacy gel) and lubricant maker K-Y Brand's "luxurious massage oils" that promise to "enhance romance and intimacy."

"We have started actively targeting women with our products," said Jim Daniels, Trojan's vice president for sexual health marketing. "Given the sales result — our sales rate is very high on this — consumers' response has been exceptionally favorable."

The once strictly medicinal K-Y has also seen interest peak in response to its naughty-and-nice image makeover. Wal-Mart reported that K-Y Touch Massage oils — one of which doubles as a personal lubricating cream — glided onto its list of Top 10 new beauty and health products in 2005.

"It's nice that major companies are creating stuff like that that you can buy in the drugstore rather than having to go into a sex shop," said Los Angeles newlywed Lori Skope, 30.

But other consumers, including parents, are concerned about the trend, believing it to be more evidence of what they see as the erosion of morality and good taste in America.

"All of this falls in the category of the coarsening of the culture that does concern us tremendously," said Charmaine Yoest, a spokeswoman for the Family Research Council, a conservative group whose causes include the push to adopt more stringent indecency standards for television. "A lot of this stuff is just plain vulgar. As a mother myself, I find it very troubling."

Yoest, who has five children, worries that because there are no age regulations on sales of condoms and lubricants, kids and teens could easily get their hands on them.

"Your children are exposed to things younger and younger that they wouldn't have been in another day in age," she said. "As a parent, it's getting harder and harder to control it."

In fact, while K-Y's products aren't under any legal restrictions, Trojan's are.

The vibrating ring, for instance, is prohibited from being sold in Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Virginia, all of which have laws that limit or forbid the sale of products designed to stimulate genitalia.

Some of the brouhaha over sex toys for the masses stems from the TV ads for them.
One K-Y spot shows a prim, pretty 30-something wife with a playful twinkle in her eye luring her husband away from his reading and into the bedroom with warming massage oil.

In another commercial, sparks fly between an attractive couple who are flirting and spraying K-Y's newest addition, the aerosol lubricant they call Sensual Mist.

Trojan and other condom manufacturers — including LifeStyles, which has come out with "4Play" items for women, including one product with a vibrating ring and another with edible body paint — cannot advertise on network television, though they are able to run suggestive cable TV spots and print spreads.

But that's still too much for some moms and dads.

"What's a parent to do?" wondered Yoest, who admitted she hadn't seen the K-Y or Trojan ads. "Commercials are one of the biggest problems because the regulations are so loose."

Another controversy surrounding the tantalizing under-covers offerings involves whether or not their marketers are misleading sexually frustrated couples.

While some of the items can be helpful, the danger lies in thinking of physical intimacy as a simple matter and the treatments — whether they're Viagra or vibrating rings — as magic cure-alls, according to one sex expert.

"With the people I see, the problem is almost never that they don't have the correct sex toy or product — which is not to say those can't be useful for some women," said Alexandra Myles, a Massachusetts couples and sex therapist. "The notion of a quick fix to correct low sexual desire or give you better orgasms gives people a false focus."

There's also still the embarrassment factor that comes along with buying what are essentially toned-down sex toys in the neighborhood pharmacy.

"Some people might be too shy to buy them," said Skope, who doesn't think she'd consider the new Trojan line because she's married and no longer uses condoms, but might be inclined to try the K-Y oils.

Trojan and K-Y, for their part, have taken different tacks to explain why they're expanding into the couples-intimacy and female-sexuality arenas.

Daniels said Trojan was marketing all its new condom packs as responsible sexual health products, after the company conducted research that yielded some "alarming" statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.

Among the findings: 65 million Americans have some sort of incurable sexually transmitted disease; 3 million of the 6 million annual pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended (a finding released earlier this year by the Guttmacher Institute, though the last year the data are available is 1994); and just one-third of condom purchases are made by American women.

"We know women bear the burden of pregnancy and women are about twice as likely to get an STD," he said, referring to the fact that the number of reported female cases of some sexually transmitted diseases is double that of male cases. "To get people to use condoms more often, we made it more pleasurable by putting it with a vibrating ring."

When used consistently (during every act of sexual intercourse) and correctly (exactly as they should be), condoms have been proven to be, in the words of the CDC, "highly effective" in protecting against most sexually transmitted diseases and have a 3 percent failure rate (over a 12-month period) in preventing pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization.

K-Y says it is targeting committed adult couples who want to spice up their relationships with greater physical and emotional intimacy.

"Over the last few years, there's really been a greater trend toward nesting — spending more time with the people important to you," said Danny Weiss, marketing director for the company's women's health division.

"Popular culture has made people feel that they're entitled to a healthy intimate relationship. We've really tried to develop a marketing campaign that addresses that interest that consumers want to keep relationships alive and make that time together special."

Myles is glad American society has become more open about sex, rather than hiding it away from view as was the case in bygone eras.

"We can talk about anything now in our culture. In the '50s, when I grew up, you couldn't talk about anything. Thank God we've gotten to this point."

But she knows the new sizzle in drugstores won't excite all Americans.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she said, "if there were a contingent of people who think Satan is responsible for all this."

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

Beauty: Physical or Spiritual?

In the eye or heart of the beholder?

Amin George Forji (amingeorge)

As a schoolboy in my homeland of Cameroon, one of my favorite hobbies, for which I was most remarkable at school, was "The Debate."

My school used the event to get us involved in interactive communication. Contests were traditionally organized between different classes, before a school assembly, and, to say the least, the arguments of the contestants were usually a tough challenge.

One of the toughest times I had was in Nov. 1989, during a debate on beauty. We boys from class six were matched against class seven girls, the topic being: "Who is more beautiful? Men or women?"

As contested as the arguments were, the jury had an equally difficult time in deciding the winner and in the end decided it was a draw. Almost two decades later, I still see people disagreeing on this subject. As in those younger days, the subject is still a taboo in every generation. People agree to disagree and disagree to agree about its true meaning.

Many prefer to comfort themselves and others by saying beauty is relative and in the eye of the beholder. Is this assertion true? What is the true meaning of the term beauty?

Definition of Beauty

Again, the subject of beauty remains one of the most controversial topics in human intercourse, an attribute everyone wants.

Yet, everyone most of the time prefers to leave the word undefined. The aversion is so strong that some now claim that beauty and its related concepts are difficult if not impossible to define. One reason for this may be that, no matter how careful anyone is with his or her definition, it will normally exclude many who might otherwise be termed beautiful.

To better understand the debate, it is imperative to glimpse what dictionaries say about the word.

The Cambridge Online Dictionary defines the term as "having an attractive quality that gives pleasure to those who experience it or think about it." Its Advanced Learners Version describes the term as "the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at, or someone or something that gives great pleasure, especially by being looked at."

A glimpse at the above definitions leaves something to be desired. They have one missing element that has always been a subject of debate -- character, or inner beauty, as it is otherwise called.

The definitions above are all focused on physical looks, which are only one form of beauty. If we were to rely on just these attributes, many would certainly find themselves excluded, who don't have such physical commendations, but do have wonderfully good manners. There is a school of thought that holds that beauty is humility.S

o how significant is the definition of beauty in human intercourse? One reason why people, especially women, want to be termed beautiful, whether or not they actually believe it themselves, is because it gives them a sense of security and enables them to command the respect they feel they deserve.

Beauty vs Ugliness

At the close of our Nov. 1989 debate, one of the girls who opposed us came to me outside in the corridor and asked:"

Apart from the debate, do you really believe that anyone is made ugly?"

My quick answer to her was: "I think if there were no ugly people, there would be no such word as beautiful."

In fact, unlike beauty, it is generally easier for people to agree on a definition of ugliness. Simply put, a person is ugly if he or she is not attractive in physical terms.

A beautiful person looks nice, while an ugly person is not as nice, physically speaking. Still, the concepts tend to go beyond their literal meanings. Beyond looks, things like height, speech, and shape also play a big role in people's conclusion about what makes a person ugly. Women pay particular attention to their body, smile, and skin complexion, attributes they believe make all the difference in the eyes of a man.

Ugly must be differentiated from bad. An ugly person is not a bad person, just someone who is not considered to be very attractive in looks. A bad person on the other hand is anyone capable of doing "bad," and can, in fact, be either beautiful or ugly, depending on what is at stake.

Beauty and ugliness grow together. It easier for a "beautiful" person to become ugly than an "ugly" person to get to be called beautiful.

Anyone can become ugly if they neglect their looks and health. Cosmetics have played a great deal in our understanding of these concepts. Does this therefore mean that these terms are just about how we care for ourselves? Well, that is just one way of looking at the subject.

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Saturday, August 12, 2006

This crop of employees makes beauty salon a shear delight

By John LeptichTribune

Five hair stylists at a trendy north Scottsdale beauty salon give volume to the word permanent. Beverly Anderson, Maureen Steg, Dorothy Larkin, Kandi Massey and Mary Zieder have worked at Scottsdale Strands in the Scottsdale Promenade at 70th Street and Shea Boulevard for 20 years this month. Unlike many salons, turnover is nonexistent at Scottsdale Strands in part because of the family atmosphere encouraged by co-owners Anderson and Steg.

The women, all Scottsdale residents who started at the former Shampoo Plus, have watched each other marry, have children, divorce, remarry and share good and bad times for two decades. It's an unusual mix of women who are not only colleagues, but friends.

That atmosphere has permeated the salon, where customers notice it and keep coming back for more.

"They are truly friends and you notice it right away," said customer Dolores Madden of Palo Verde. "It's just a really homey shop. People like each other. There's a happy-golucky atmosphere. I've been coming here for many years."

Steg thinks employee and customer relations are vital to a successful business. To that end, she encourages stylists to have rapport with each other and their customers.

"We all really do work together and care about each other," said Steg, 62. "When we left the other place we were at, we all moved together."

Talk about sticking together.

"We've been like sisters all these years," Steg said. "We can pull each other up when we're down. When one girl is sick, she can expect calls from the others to see how she's doing and if she needs anything. We rally around each other."

Steg says a lack of jealousy is a key factor in the group's longevity.

Customers come first and there's no fighting for business.

"Everyone thinks we're unique," Steg said.

Even short-timer Claire LaVelle, who has worked at the salon for only three years, realizes the value of kinship and camaraderie.

"When I first walked in for a job, I had a feeling this was the last place I was ever going to work," said LaVelle, 57. "I was getting out of a bad situation and this has been a fantastic change for me."

Zieder, who has worked at the shop since she was 18, said it's a happy place with a good customer base and truly service-oriented.

Anderson, 45, said honesty has been an important part of the equation. If something is bothering someone they let it out rather than allowing the situation to fester.

"People have a sense of warmth," Anderson said. "When you come into our shop, you know instantly that you're welcome."

Massey, 40, Larkin's daughter, says the longevity is definitely unusual.

"Most women can't get along anywhere near this long," she said. "I don't know of any place else that has what we do."

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