Teenage Pop Singer Charise Preps for Role on Glee with Botox

Hollywood is a youth focused town – big surprise. As such most actresses go to great lengths to stave off anything resembling a wrinkle or crows-feet. It’s no surprise when a 40+ aged actress or maybe even a 30 something actress starts scheduling Botox sessions to keep getting work, but you know the competition’s getting fierce when teen actresses start getting Botox injections.

18 year old singer Charice, who was recently cast in the hit TV show Glee, underwent Botox and Thermage treatments. These procedures are commonly used to reduce winkles.

Mixed messages have been given regarding the purpose of the Botox injections. The dermatologist that gave the injections said it was to narrow the appearance of her round face, which had gotten wider due to excessive gum chewing. Her representative (Hollywood speak for PR person?) said the injections were given to reduce jaw pain resulting from excessive gum chewing. Of course if the injections really were for jaw pain, perhaps Charise should simply tell her to lay off the gum chewing.

While the reasons for the Botox injections are debatable, the Thermage procedure isn’t. This is a skin-tightening procedure – something no teenager needs. Some older women would kill to get the smooth unwrinkled skin of an 18 year old.

These procedures could be an example of a teenage girl with body image issues or a talented teen on the rise getting bad advice. It could also be a part of the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures amongst Asians. Typically people think of eye lid surgery as being a popular procedure among Asians, but procedures that change the jaw line to create a narrower oval shaped face are also common.

Regarding the use of Botox, it's part of a growing trend of teens with the means to use cosmetic procedures to enhance their looks. 

According to data collected by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Botox procedures for people 18 and under increased from 8194 (2008) to 12,110 (2009). In 2009, teens accounted for 0.5% of the total Botox injection procedures done. Hopefully most of these injections were not for purely aesthetic reasons. The FDA’s medication guide for Botox discourages the use of Botox on kids under 18.

Teens, especially teenage girls have a hard enough time with image issues and dealing with adhering to preconceptions of what’s pretty or beautiful. The last thing they need to see is a talented teenage pop singer getting Botox injections and skin-tightening procedures just fit in on a fictitious high school.

Proactiv Spokesperson Katy Perry’s Acne Flare Up

Sometimes celebs want to be “seen,” other times, not so much. Singer Katy Perry was definitely not ready for her photo-op, when a photographer recently took an extreme close up of her, while she happened to be having an acne flare up.

Not good for Katy, especially sense she’s a spokesperson for Proactiv’s skin care line - and let’s assume that she’s actually using the products.

Katy’s an example of an adult that appears to have an ongoing acne problem. She attributes her flare ups to stress.

Generally speaking when a person on an acne program has a flare up it’s either because they haven’t been following the program consistently or the program isn’t a good fit for that person’s skin.

It doesn’t matter how good the product is, if you don’t use it consistently be ready for the occasional flare up. This is something I try to reinforce with my clients. Acne programs are meant to clear up current breakouts and prevent future flare ups. This means, don’t stop using your products just because your acne "goes away." Also, if you do follow a program religiously and still have breakouts, it’s time to try something else. 

Fortunately most people with acne aren’t being stalked by photographers with high-powered lenses when this happens. Nevertheless, it’s always nice to be ready for your close up.

Vaseline Releases Skin Lightening Facebook Application

Do you have concerns about skin lightening and would like to see how you’d look with a little bleaching? If you’re a Facebook user, you’re in luck. Vaseline skin care has released an application that lets you upload a photo and wipe out dark sports or lighten you skin in general. Of course, this is only useful for those who don’t have Photoshop or some similar software which could do the same thing but better.

This application was developed to promote Vaseline’s skin lighteners and was specifically targeted to males in India with darker skin tones where fairer skin is seen as more attractive and beneficial when it comes to dating.

Don’t be Deceived by High SPF Numbers

When shopping for sunscreen, many people assume that the higher the SPF number (e.g., 100) the greater the protection. In truth you do get more protection, but not as much as you might think. An SPF of 15 provides about 93% protection. An SPF of 30 provides 97% protection. These numbers don’t leave much room for improvement.

While an SPF of 100 sounds impressive, it’s not offering significantly more protection than an SPF of 30. In fact, if the FDA has its way, manufacturers may no longer be able to sell sunscreens with SPF numbers of 50+.

Check out this recent article in the Los Angeles Times on the SPF numbering issue.

Save your money. Buy a sunscreen of SPF 30, and apply liberally every two hours, and you should be fine.

Research Shows Botox May Reduce Both Wrinkles and Emotional Expressions

People often joke about how unemotional or cold people can look after having one too many Botox injections. But, a recent study indicates that Botox injections may do more than reduce wrinkles by immobilizing the muscles behind our expressions. Noting the affect of facial expressions on emotions, the researchers theorize that the injections may also affect the level of emotions a person expresses.

This hypothesis does have some basis. It’s been often thought that facial expressions can affect how a person feels. That's why some people tell others having a bout of the blues to fake a smile to change their mood. Also, a common tip among people who work on phones (e.g., tech support workers, customer support, or sales people) is to smile, even though the person on the other end doesn’t see them, because it affects the tone and energy expressed in their voice.

If additional studies replicate the same results, you can just add “reduced emotional response” to the list of Botox’s side effects.

Click here to read the actual study.

Davis, J.I., A. Senghas, F. Brandt, and K.N. Ochsner. 2010. The Effects of BOTOX Injections on Emotional Experience. Emotion Vol. 10, No. 3, 433-440.

Melanoma linked to Indoor Tanning

If you’re a habitual tanning bed user, you may want to break that habit now. A recent study done by the University of Minnesota'sSchool of Public Health and Masonic Cancer Center has found conclusive evidence linking the frequent use of indoor tanning with the development of melanoma.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes - the cells that produce pigment. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.

Where as prior research results found only weak correlations between indoor tanning and melanoma, the methodology used in this study – according to the researchers - appears to leave little room for debate.

Frequent indoor tanners may want to put there money elsewhere. The cost of the time in a tanning booth to get that perfect golden tan may be hire than they think.

Sunscreens and Cancer Risks

Sunscreens are supposed to help reduce the risk of skin cancer, not cause it. Right? Well, there's new data indicating that this may not be the case, that retinyl palmitate - a form of vitamin A commonly used in sunscreens - might actually cause cancer.

A Times article reports that recent studies have found a possible correlation between retinyl palmitate and the development of tumors in rats exposed to the chemical.

As alarming as this may seem, remember that these are early studies – done on rats. Much more research needs to be done – and on human skin – before any real conclusions can be made.

Nevertheless, if you’d like to avoid sunscreens using retinyl palmitate, check out the Environment Working Group’s sunscreen guide for a list of alternatives.

Do not toss your sunscreen. Aside from wearing a hat, a long sleeve shirt and pants, sunscreens are the best known tool to help reduce skin cancer risk.