Bizarre Beauty Treatments / The Strange and Unorthodox Things We Do To Look Good

Think you’ve heard it all? Well, wait to hear some of the things we have to report on that people are trying in the pursuit of beauty. Some have been around for a bit, while others are still trying to make their way into the mainstream. Some you may have heard of, or perhaps have even tried, and still some may have you thinking we’re just making a joke. Well, we’re not. These unorthodox beauty treatments, while still on shaky ground, are still in demand. And let’s face it, some people are willing to try anything.

Imagine Never Using Eyeliner Again?
That’s right. This one’s been around for a bit and most people have heard of it. Although it didn’t gain as much momentum as more mainstream beauty treatments, it still had it’s fair share of clientele, including many celebrities: Permanent makeup. Permanent makeup consists of needling pigment into the skin to mock eyeliner, brow-shading, or lipliner. Referred to as “micro pigmentation”, it is a form of tattooing, which is considered by the Food and Drug Administrative (FDA) to be cosmetic. The main reason this bizarre beauty treatment didn’t pick up more momentum is because of it’s adverse effects on clients whose symptoms included intense swelling, cracking, bleeding, blistering, infection, and scarring. These side effects, although initially thought to be connected to only certain pigments that were taken off the market by the FDA, were later found to be caused by pigments themselves, no matter what shade.

Are Those Real?
The latest in artificial beauty: eyelash extensions. You may be on the fence about just how strange this beauty treatment is. Some may feel it’s a bit of a frivolous place to spend time or money, and still others may say this is only because they haven’t tried it yet. All the rage in Hollywood, with Madonna sporting the “blingy” jeweled version, and Jennifer Lopez touting the mink ones - this is undoubtedly a little strange to some. Artificial lashes are glued, in individual strands, onto the real lashes themselves. The process can take two to three hours and prices vary, (obviously the mink version will be slightly more than the synthetic version).

The Grand-Prize Winner
I hereby declare the winner of the Unorthodox Beauty Treatment Contest to be the weight-loss staple. Yes, you heard right - the weight loss staple. Although this strange and bizarre treatment boasts a great number of satisfied clients, you can’t help but do a double-take at it’s mention. The weight-loss staple is a small piece of metal that is clamed into the ear’s cartilage and claims to work by activating the stomach’s acupressure point. There has been no scientific evidence to support the claims made by the weight-loss staple, and doctors stress that since there is penetration of the skin, there is always risk of infection.

These beauty treatments, some stranger than others, leave us wondering what will be next…

Supplements: Which Kind is Right for You? Do You Even Need Them?

In the past, all people needed to do in order to stay healthy and in shape was hit the gym and eat right. However, the concepts of nutrition, health and wellness have expanded to the point where it takes much more to really guarantee that you are on top of your overall health. Among the many changes that people now incorporate into their daily lives includes the use of supplements.

Fitness and nutrition experts often swear by the use of supplements as a way to increase your energy, provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals and even boost the look and feel of your muscles. However, to the average, everyday person, knowing what role supplements should play in their lives can be difficult to determine. If you don’t know all of the information to help you decide, you could end up using the wrong type of supplement or you may find that you don’t even need them. It is a good idea to do some research beforehand so that you’ll know which supplements, if any, can help you with your nutrition, health and/or exercise goals.

Although most people tend to think of protein supplements and similar products used by gym goers and body builders, these are not the only types of supplements that are available. Perhaps the most basic kind of supplement that everyone can benefit from is the multivitamin. Specially formulated with the proper levels of essential vitamins and minerals, multivitamins make sure that we receive the right amounts of these nutrients on a daily basis. Let’s face it: we’re not always able to eat as healthy as we want and even the best efforts cannot always guarantee that we’re taking in the proper levels of vitamins and minerals. If you happen to lead a hectic lifestyle, have a poor diet or want to make sure that you’re covering all of your bases, then you’ll want to make sure to take your multivitamin once a day or as directed on the label. There are multivitamins for adults, teens and even young children. It is not mandatory to take multivitamins, however, it helps a lot.

Aside from multivitamins, the other types of supplements on the market include those used by fitness enthusiasts, namely creatine, protein and glutamine supplements. You can find these in pill, powder or beverage form. These products serve a number of purposes, including conditioning and strengthening the muscles, tissues and replenishing energy levels during and after a workout. Creatine, protein and glutamine supplements can be purchased at any health food store and vitamin shop as well as online. If you are not an active gym goer, chances are you don’t need these types of supplements.

Some people tend to have a deficiency of some kind. This can include not producing enough of a certain vitamin or mineral in the body. In these instances, specialized supplements are needed. For example, those with a vitamin E deficiency can simply take vitamin E pills to increase their levels and make sure they can avoid the deficiency in the future.

Exercise Takes Two!

It can be hard to maintain an exercise regimen when you have a hectic schedule. It’s also hard to stay motivated when you’re the only one exercising. One way to make your exercise regimen more interesting is to involve your significant other as your workout buddy. Certain exercises designed for more than one person can make staying fit more fun and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Life is hectic enough with work, school, kids and the daily wear and tear of a weekly routine. Often relationships can be put on the backburner because of other priorities. However, a great way to get more quality time with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend is to do activities together, such as exercising.

Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done. After a long day at work or school, the last thing most couples want to do is make a trip to the gym. Often there isn’t enough time to fit in a good workout and if you have children, dealing with a sitter or sticking them in the gym’s daycare (if they have one) can be an extra hassle.

Make things easier on yourself by staying physically fit together in the comfort of your own home. How is that possible? First thing’s first: make time. Exercise workouts don’t have to be hours long. Even if you can only manage to fit in 30 minutes, if done on a daily basis or a few times a week, that can be all you need. To throw another factor into the mix, make your exercise routine fun by performing exercises designed for more than one person. This method of exercise makes things more fun and allows the two of you to become more hands on with your workout.

Try this exercise out as a fun way to add variety to your workout:

“Pass It”:

· Both you and your partner should be sitting on the floor facing each other with your knees up and together (think of the way you would position yourself to do a sit-up). Both of your toes should be touching but not overlapping.

· One of you should be holding a round ball no smaller than a tennis ball and no bigger than a basketball.

· To begin, whoever has the ball should lie down with their arms to their chest, holding the ball, while the other person stays in the upright position.

· As you do your sit-up with the ball in your hands, pass the ball off to your partner, who then lies down.

· Remain sitting up until your partner has come back up and hands the ball back to you.

· Each person should do a full sit-up (or crunch) 8-10 times and then rest. Repeat as desired.

Don’t have a ball to use? Follow these same steps but instead of passing a ball back and forth, share a quick kiss as you complete each sit-up. That may be all the motivation you and your partner need!