We’ve all seen photos of the crazy people who participate in a polar bear plunge: typically some sort of charity fundraiser where people don their swimsuits in the middle of winter and jump into a hole cut in the ice of a frozen lake, pond, or river. As insane as it may be, the crazy act of jumping into ice cold water seems justified by the fact that a) it’s done for a good cause, and b) it usually only lasts a few seconds. It’s a bucket list item, something you do once in a lifetime just to say you’ve had the experience.
So it seems even crazier, if not almost sadistic, that so many runners subject themselves to ice baths on a regular basis.
An ice bath, incase you’ve never heard of it, is typically the act of a runner submerging themselves, usually still fully clothed almost immediately post run, into a bathtub full of ice and ice cold water.
Yes, it’s as miserable and as painful as it sounds. The first time I submerged my post long run legs into a bathtub full of water and ice cubes (and rubber duckies and toy boats, such is the life of a running mom), I thought for sure that I had lost my ever loving mind.
But the idea is that the ice bath will help promote recovery in your muscles faster, and prevent or at least subdue the onset of post run muscle soreness. In theory, the extreme cold is thought to constrict blood vessels (acting as light compression), flush waste products, and reduce swelling and tissue breakdown caused by running.
Note that I said “in theory”.
Experts go back and forth about the effectiveness of ice baths. While many tout the benefits of icing, others argue that many non elite athletes (i.e., us average Joes) do not work at high enough levels to warrant an ice bath. And what’s worse, recent studies have concluded that the ice baths may actually delay recovery time.
So what’s a runner to do?
As with many things in the world of running, results may vary by individual. Therefore, if you are interested in seeing if ice baths work for you…give it a try. But keep in mind that while ice baths may or may not be beneficial or even a placebo, they can most definitely be dangerous. So if you are going to try to give your running legs a polar plunge of their own, keep the following tips in mind:
1) Start Slow. This goes for both temperature AND time submerged. Most experts recommend a water temperature of 54 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal ice baths and 6-8 minutes of soaking…BUT that doesn’t mean you need to start there. Work your way up to those recommended numbers with shorter submersion times and warmer temperatures. Keep in mind that temperatures warmer than 60 degrees, but still relatively cool, can still be beneficial.
2) Limit exposure. No one wants frostbite or hypothermia, so listen carefully to your body. Now, in my opinion, nothing is comfortable about an ice bath. But you need to be aware of more than simply discomfort. If things start to go numb, especially extremities like toes, get out of the water. If shivering becomes uncontrollable, or you start to feel unwell, get out of the water. Limit time in the tub to a maximum of 10 minutes.
3) Listen to your body. Everyone has their own tolerance for cold, and yours might not be as low as the recommended 54 to 60 degrees. Further, the ice bath simply might not work for you, so don’t keep subjecting yourself to the painful and daunting ice baths if you don’t notice any benefits, or worse, notice delayed recovery or any other negative side effect.
4) Don’t say I didn’t warn you, there is nothing fun about ice baths. BUT, if they help you recover faster and become a stronger runner, then the 6 to 8 minutes of chilly discomfort might be well worth it.
Month: September 2015
It seems like a no-brainer. If you want to lose weight, eat healthy food and skip the junk. Why does it seem so difficult to stick to eating healthy foods when you are trying to drop a few pounds?
I struggled with cravings for junk food and sometimes resented the fact I couldn’t eat like I used to. I found it unfair that other people could eat junk and maintain a healthy weight while I seemed to gain weight by just looking at a piece of cake or smelling a bar of chocolate.
Healthy food doesn’t seem as appealing as junk food. I get that. You may like carrot cake a lot better than carrots or prefer ranch dip to hummus, but making healthier choices is not only possible but also enjoyable.
I think there are several reasons why it can feel hard to eat healthy when you are trying to drop pounds.
1) Junky foods are appealing.
Sure you’ve probably met people who say they hate fast food and would never touch a cinnamon roll at the mall, but the truth is that most people do find those types of foods appealing. Food manufacturers are experts at marketing foods to look good and appeal to your senses.
If I’m honest, I will tell you that I still look at some junk foods as slightly appealing, but now that I know what those foods did to my health and how difficult it was to lose weight while including them in my diet, they have lost most of their appeal. I am pretty sure that will happen to you as well.
Be firm in avoiding junk foods and over time their pull and appeal will lessen. I promise.
2) Healthy food takes time and planning.
It is easy to run into any grocery store and grab a deli sandwich, a frozen dinner that takes two minutes to heat up, or a box of cereal for lunch, breakfast, or dinner. It is much more difficult to do the same thing with healthy foods. Most healthy foods take some preparation.
For example, you have to cook oatmeal, cut up and wash vegetables before you cook or eat them, trim the fat off steaks and chicken before cooking, and do a lot more cooking at home when you are trying to eat healthy.
There is no quick fix for the fact that good food generally takes longer to prepare, but you can lessen the time required by planning ahead. Shop once a week and do a lot of prep work when you come home from the store. Precook meat and freeze it, wash vegetables, boil eggs, make overnight oats, and portion out yogurt and fruit for the week ahead.
3) Your friend group revolves around food. And not healthy food.
I had this issue when trying to eat healthier. My friends liked to go out to eat and they teased me when I ordered a salad or simple grilled chicken breast. They wanted me to join in on their food festivities.
It’s hard not to give in to this kind of pressure, but once your friend group realizes you are serious about changing your eating habits they will do one of two things. They will begin supporting you or they will begin to join in. Either one is a win for you.
4) Healthy food takes some getting used to.
If you have ever seen a baby try food for the first time you know that he or she gobbles up pureed pears and spits out peas. At least all seven of my kids did. If you haven’t regularly eaten vegetables, lentils, couscous, and other healthy foods you might not like them.
Start by disguising vegetables in tomato sauce or in soups and slowly add new healthier foods to your menus. Over time you will develop an appreciation for healthier foods. The longer you stay away from junk food the more appealing good food becomes because you appreciate the taste and how it makes your body feel.
Categories
Music & Marathons: Is It Worth the Risk?
Our society is completely plugged in these days. From cell phones, to laptops, to tablets, to TV’s…it seems we cannot function for long periods of time without some sort of electronic distraction. One of the big “hot debates” in the running community is whether or not runners should run with ear buds, listening to music as they cover their miles.
Running purists will say that the musical distraction completely takes away from the enjoyment of running.
Runners who really want to enjoy the sport, but secretly still hate it at the same time, will tell you they absolutely need the distraction in order to keep going.
And then there are the rest of us, who are caught somewhere in between. Those of use who love to hear the spring birds chirping or to have a few quite minutes away from the kids/work/life…yet can’t last five minutes on a treadmill without some tunes.
You may be reading this and wondering to yourself “well, what difference does it make anyway? If you want to listen to music, listen to it; if you don’t, then don’t.” And you would be correct, if it weren’t for one huge factor:
Safety.
In fact, safety is such a concern when it comes to running with music, that countless race directors have actually started banning the use of ear buds in their races. They take the safety concern so seriously that often times runners spied wearing ear buds on the course will either be pulled from the race or disqualified.
So what’s the big safety deal?
For starters, the list of things you might not be able to hear while plugged into your tunes is long: traffic, dogs, trains, someone approaching from behind, emergency personnel, bicycles, skateboards, the rumble of an approaching storm, sirens…you get the idea. Being plugged in makes you completely oblivious to your surroundings, which could result in injury to yourself and others. In a race situation, you might not hear someone yelling “on your left” as they try to pass by you, or EMT’s or other officials trying to get through on a bicycle to an emergency. Again, this might not only cause or contribute to injury, but it might really anger some of your fellow runners.
Don’t be that guy (or girl).
Now, on the other hand, there are definitely some compelling arguments as to why music might not be so bad after all.
Tunes can drown out the sound of your own breathing, something many runners will cite as a major distraction when they are trying to push themselves.
Music might help you pass the time while putting in a number of miles on the often boring treadmill.
Motivational lyrics might help you push a little further than you might have thought you were capable of.
So, what is a music loving runner to do?
1) Learn to run WITHOUT your music, even if only for some of your training runs This will teach you to be independent of the music, and allow you to still have the mental fortitude to push through tough miles and finish a race if ear buds are not allowed. Or even if your iPod battery dies.
2) If you INSIST on running with ear buds, practice running with only one bud in, and the music turned to a low-moderate level. Make sure you are able to hear and stay aware of your surroundings.
3) If the race rules say no ear buds, then be respectful of your fellow runners and the race director…and leave the ear buds at home.
Bottom line, safety truly is the most important factor in the “to wear ear buds or not to wear ear buds” argument. Think about the big picture before deciding if ear buds are worth the risk for each particular run or race. I think we can all agree that a boring, quiet run is still better than no run at all.
One of the number one questions that both men and women ask their trainers is, “How can I lose weight fast?” I love that clients think we have a magic wand like the fairy godparents of fitness who can magically make those stubborn pounds melt away.
Truth be told, it takes effort both in and out of the kitchen and gym to lose those extra pounds that have creeped on. Like Rome, it didn’t happen overnight, so give yourself some time and patience, and it can happen. Here are fifteen great ways to start losing the weight.
1. Get Your Cardio On! Jump into an aerobics style class be Zumba or dance fitness six times over a two week time period. Active movement burns calories and increases your metabolism.
2. Make Dinner Light. Try the no carbohydrate rule after 3p.m., making dinner a light salad or protein filled snack instead. Dinner has been known to be the more likely meal to turn into fat than they breakfast due to sleep patterns.
3. Sleep More. Get a good night’s sleep – at least eight solid hours is suggested. Sleeping well has been shown to increase metabolism and fight obesity.
4. Reduce Drinking! Yes, I said it. To lose the weight, you have to cut back on the alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are full of sugar and unwanted calories.
5. Take The Stairs. The average person should be walking 10,000 steps a day. Why not take the stairs to your office? Park farther away from the store. Any way you can, get those steps in.
6. No Time To Workout. How about adding in mini-workouts to your day; Take ten minutes at lunch to be active. Walk around the building, then drop and go for a quick Pilates Fab Five abdominal series.
7. Reduce Eating Out. Start your weeks off planning meals at home. You’ll know exactly what you are eating and can control your portion size. Make eating out a treat once a week.
8. Hydrate. Switch usual drinks out for water. Don’t like plain water? Add a little lemon to it. On average, we should all have eight glasses of water a day. In hotter months be sure to increase your intake by a few more glasses. Water helps to flush your body of unwanted toxins and fat.
9. Add Fitness Technology. There are so many new great fitness apps and gadgets. I never am without my Fitbit. It tracks my steps, my meals, water intake, exercise and more. Even cooler, I can add friends. We can track each other, poke and encourage one another.
10. Try Pilates. Pilates reduces stress, increases stamina, increases metabolism, tones and sculpts the body. Pilates is also a great fat burner!
11. Give Up Snacking. Evening and late night snacks are packed with unwanted calories and fat. Instead, try a glass of warm water with lemon or a distressing tea at night. You’ll stay hydrated while giving your stomach that “I’m full” feeling.
12. Quit Smoking. Did you know that smoking prevents proper food digestion and reduces metabolism while potentially increasing body fat? It’s true. There’s no time like the present to give yourself the gift of health.
13. Walk. It’s that easy. Grab your fitness app, track your steps and get in three miles every day for one week. You will feel better, and see a difference in your body composition.
14. Decrease Sugars, Carbohydrates and Caffeine. For one week, try to decrease or give up these three all together. Your body will have a sense of an internal cleanse, body fat will decrease, stamina will increase, mental clarity will increase and weight will start to decrease.
15. Journal. Keeping a diet diary will hold you accountable. It also gives you an opportunity to see when and how much you really eat and exercise. After one week you will be able to alter your routines and habits for a more positive health regimen.
The perfect diet is kind of like a unicorn—a nice-sounding, mythical creature that lots of people claim to have seen but doesn’t actually exist. However, it turns out that there may actually be a perfect diet (could unicorns be far behind?), but there’s a catch: This diet doesn’t include any food at all, or at least for long stretches of time.
It’s called intermittent fasting. The science behind it is still a little, well, thin (most of the existing research has been done on animals), but the benefits that have been discovered thus far are nothing short of amazing. Let me give you a few examples. Intermittent fasting (we’ll talk about what, exactly, that means below) may:
- Decrease blood insulin levels, which accelerates fat burning
- Increase production of human growth hormone, which also accelerates fat burning and muscle building
- Help you reduce the number of calories you eat
- Increase your metabolic rate, meaning you’ll burn more calories
- Cause less muscle loss than traditional diets that reduce calories on a daily basis
- Make your body resist oxidative stress, which is a factor in aging and a number of chronic diseases
- Reduce inflammation, which is a factor in many diseases and conditions
- Reduce many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol; it may also help prevent brain damage caused by a stroke
- Prevent cancer and reduce some of the nasty side effects of chemotherapy
- Increase production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which helps keep brain neurons from dying
- Prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Pretty impressive, don’t you think?
Okay, so what is intermittent fasting?
It’s pretty much what it sounds like: You fast for short periods and then go back to your regular diet. There are a variety of approaches. Some proponents suggest fasting 16 hours every day (for men; 14 for women), half of which can happen overnight so you won’t notice it as much.
Others suggest fasting a full 24 hours once or twice per week (no food at all, but water and other calorie-free drinks are okay). Still others say to fast 20 hours per day and do all of your eating during the remaining four hours. Unfortunately, these and other similar approaches will be really challenging for most people.
If it looks like fasting does that count?
Then there’s the fast-mimicking diet (FMD) advocated by Valter Longo, a researcher at the University of Southern California. Longo and an international group of colleagues did studies on mice and found that putting them on a very-low-calorie diet just four or five days per month boosted their immune system, reduced inflammatory diseases and the incidence of certain cancers, slowed bone density loss, and improved cognitive abilities in older mice.
He also did several human trials, putting the volunteer subjects on a highly restricted diet for only five days per month for three months. At the end of the study, the subjects had reduced risk factors relating to aging, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease—with no negative side effects.
The diet Longo used was meant to produce the same effects in the body as fasting while still allowing for some nutrition. If you were to try this (which you shouldn’t do without first checking with your healthcare provider), you’d eat whatever you normally do for 25 days.
Then the actual diet starts. On day one, you eat 1,090 calories, broken down into 23 percent carbs, 56 percent healthy fats, and 10 percent protein. For the next four days, you cut back to 725 calories: 47 percent carbs, 44 percent healthy fats, and 9 percent protein. That’s 34 to 54 percent of a normal person’s daily caloric intake. Repeat twice more. Do the same three-month cycle a few times per year.
If you’ve ever tried intermittent fasting or you decide to give FMD a whirl, let us know how you did and what results you saw.
Categories
What's the Deal With Compression Socks?
Stand at the finish line of any running race and you will likely see countless runners wearing knee high socks or leg sleeves. Believe it or not, those socks actually serve a purpose…and it’s not simply to make a fashion statement.
No longer just for your grandma and her varicose veins, compression socks and sleeves are a craze that has swept the endurance racing community. But how exactly do they work, and what’s more, DO they really work? Let’s take a closer look…
The claims made by manufacturers are lengthy, including but not limited to: the promises of faster recovery time, decreased muscle fatigue, and cramping prevention. The idea is that the slight and sometimes graduated (tighter at the bottom, lessening towards the knee) compression of the tightly woven fabric acts as a gentle massage to your muscles, squeezing veins and helping to promote and increase blood flow. With increased blood flow comes increased oxygen delivery to the muscles, which in theory CAN assist with all of the promises mentioned above.
Which brings us back to your aforementioned Grandma: because the compression does indeed help increase blood flow, doctors have recommended them for years to post surgery or bed ridden patients, or even those with varicose veins, to help prevent pooling of the blood in legs, or worse, blood clots. So there is no denying that compression socks work for something.
But…
Scientists truly are on the fence as to whether or not compression socks live up to the claims that the sock manufacturers make for athletes. While proof of their effectiveness in athletic performance is inconclusive, a few things are for sure.
The first being: compression socks can’t hurt you. In the case of faster recovery and fresher legs, the placebo effect might certainly be to blame. Many runners will swear, scientific evidence or not, that the compression socks help them either in running performance or recovery. Personally, I always wear compression socks for runs that include steep climbs. The tightness of the socks feels like it holds my calf muscles and helps prevent cramping, and I really do notice a difference.
The second point is that compression socks can indeed help to prevent deep vein thrombosis, or blood clotting in your legs. Believe it or not, when flying on an airplane, athletes are more susceptible to DVT. Yes, you read that right, athletes are at a greater risk. A combination of typically lower blood pressure and heart rate, combined with the possibility of dehydration (especially if traveling after a race), and of course, sitting still for long periods of time (as one typically does on an airplane) are a potentially lethal combination for developing DVT. The simple act of wearing compression socks on your flight (or anytime you will be sitting for a long period of time, especially after a long training run or race) can help greatly minimize this risk by promoting blood flow to and from your lower extremities.
So, let’s get to the point:
In summary, the buzz surrounding the compression sock trend may simply be hype, or there may be some useful truth to it. So if you are interested in the possible benefits of compression socks, there really isn’t a reason to NOT give them a try! Head to your local running store to find socks designed specifically for endurance athletes. Look for a graduated compression, with a rating of 22 – 32 mmHg of pressure, and of course, find the right sock size for your foot and lower leg.
And while you’re at it, find a color or pattern sock that stands out. If nothing else, you can make a bold running fashion statement!
Have you ever had a day where everything just seems to go wrong? You get a flat tire, were late to work, forgot your lunch, filed a report incorrectly, and it all culminated with you laying on your couch moaning in pain from a mind-numbing headache. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just a stress headache.” These type of headaches are considered tension headaches, and the root cause is still up in the air. Doctors and scientist haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly why the pain occurs, but they have been able to pinpoint the exact locations (Mayo Clinic).
If you were to visit a holistic doctor or an apothecary they’d give you some pretty definitive opinions as to where that headache was stemming from – negative thoughts, that point right before stress sets in. Recently there has been more investigation whether negative emotions and thoughts directly correlate with physical pain. Negative emotions circulate through the body and can sometimes rear its angry head as a physical symptom, whether it’s outright pain, discomfort, or tension. Health coaches, therapists, and workout instructors are placing more credence in the theory that physical pain can sometimes be a manifestation of a negative thought or emotion that you’re ignoring. Developing tangible symptoms is your body’s only way to grab your attention and force you to deal with your physical and emotional state (Healthy and Natural World).
Louise Hay, an American motivational author, has written numerous self-help books aimed at guiding people through tough, mental journeys. In 1998, she penned “Heal Your Body A-Z: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them,” which describes how physical maladies can be attributed to mental thoughts. Hay also designed an emotional pain chart where visuals were constructed to create a link between emotional and physical trauma. As time has progressed her newfangled idea has slowly gained momentum and manifested itself in the Centripetal Force Studio, where the practice of physiotherapy is utilized to the extreme. Physiotherapy is a therapy that uses physical touch as its main source of healing, whether it’s through massage, ultrasound, heat, or exercise. Centripetal Force Studio identifies emotional issues and physical issues, links them together, and ultimately provides the person in therapy insight into how these two aspects can affect physical health.
Emotional Pain Chart
The emotional pain chart presents mental thought patterns that form your experiences. Below are some common ailments that most of you have likely encountered:
-Neck Pain: This neck pain has been associated with individuals who are refusing to look at situations through a new perspective. Classic character traits are stubbornness and inflexibility.
-Shoulder Pain: This can be representative of your ability to carry emotional burdens in a negative way based upon your attitude. Shoulders can become tense and cramped from the overall unease and discomfort that you may be experiencing from daily struggles.
Knee Pain: Unyielding pride and an overzealous ego has been linked to knee pain. Fear, inflexibility to give in, and an inability to go with the flow are also common descriptors.
Weakness: A classic remedy to weakness is mental rest. On an hourly basis, your emotions are pulled a million different ways. Whether it’s irritation, excitement, or disappointment our emotions take a toll, and that’s why it’s important to give your mind a rest so your body can heal too.
If you take time to peruse the pain chart it may seem a little “new-agey,” but it makes sense. Why couldn’t your thoughts be affecting your physical health? Is it really that far of a stretch to assume that your irritability could cause that elbow or hip pain? The American Psychological Association (APA) has identified that stress affects physical health, but stress stems from day to day thoughts. So next time you’re tempted to mentally berate Her for wearing those shoes with that dress, or smugly pat yourself on the back for burning 500 calories at the gym, take pause. Those toxic thoughts are not only polluting your mind but quite possibly your everyday health (APA).
Dry Drowning
Dry drowning. It sounds terrifying like it has to be a work of fiction, but recently dry drowning has been a buzzword that’s circulated through mom groups and Facebook posts. I recently was scrolling through my Facebook feed when a mother from my mom’s group posted this outrageously titled article. “Dry Drowning.” I laughed to myself thinking it was another scare tactic that I had become all too familiar this past year after having my first child. But, for once, I had time to kill waiting in the pediatrician’s office. As I read, my attitude changed from slight indifference to absolute horror. When they called my daughter’s name I couldn’t have flown quicker through that door.
When the physician finally arrived she only got out a “How is…” before I cut her off.
“Dry drowning, is this a real thing? Should I not be letting her get in the pool this summer since she’s only a baby? I was thinking of doing a mommy and me swimming class, but CLEARLY that’s not an option. Why have I never heard of this before?” My torrent of questions filled the room quicker than you could come up for air.
But alas, like every physician mine was no different in calming my well warranted but rather unnecessary concerns. She was quick to point out that there are two types of “dry drowning” (greaaat), but the amount of children that are affected are so low that there aren’t even statistics on the matter.
The Breakdown
Secondary drowning only occurs when your child is around a body of water, whether it’s the pool, lake, or bathtub. They’ll inhale a small amount of water, cough it up, and then proceed on their merry way. The water that they’ve inhaled, which you think they’ve coughed up, can sometimes become trapped in their lungs. When the body cannot efficiently remove the water the lungs become irritated and secrete a fluid, as a result children drown, not in water, but in their own bodily fluids. Dry drowning occurs when water is inhaled, but it doesn’t make its way into your child’s lungs. It instead causes a spasm that eventually causes the airway to become constricted and closed (CBS).
Recently, there have been stories across media outlets with mothers posting pictures and stories in order to raise awareness of these tragic situations because they can be so easily prevented. Since there is hardly any dialog about this type of drowning, unnecessary deaths have occurred. It sounds incredibly scary, but it’s actually very easy to spot and even easier to fix.
Signs
Signs may appear hours or up to a day after the incident. If you noticed your child spluttering in the water it’s important to keep this type of disaster in the back of your mind, and if you see any of these signs you should IMMEDIATELY take your child to the ER instead of the pediatrician. Dry or secondary drowning will typically present itself with one or more of these symptoms after a close call in the water:
-Coughing: if your child continues to cough and wheeze with labored breathing then he or she needs to be evaluated.
-Working for breath: rapid shallow breathing, intense concentration, overly pronounced movements between their ribs or above their collarbones, and nostril flaring are all signs that your child is struggling for breath. This is not normal if they’re at a resting period or if it goes on longer than a minute.
-Sleepiness: it’s normal for your child to be whipped after a day at the pool. However, there’s a big difference from being sleepy and needing a nap, to being incredibly lethargic and unable to do normal activities. If you feel like your child is abnormally tired it’d probably be a good idea to get a green light from a physician before putting them to sleep.
-Forgetful or odd behavior: if your child is losing oxygen he or she may begin to act erratically. They can forget things, feel sick, woozy, or becoming increasingly agitated.
-Vomiting: throwing up is a huge red flag that should instantly be taken seriously. This is a definite sign that they’re not getting enough oxygen and the vomiting can result from their short breaths, gagging, and inflammation in the lungs (Parents).
What’s Next
There’s not a set cure-all for this type of situation. Once your child has been inspected at the ER the physician may just have you keep an eye on him or her. This can be rather nerve-wracking and you can always opt for an overnight for safety precautions. In other cases, if their oxygen levels are too low they may bive them oxygen until their levels become stabilized. In situations where their respiratory functions are failing, they may hook them up to a ventilator, but again this is a very extreme and rare scenario.
Prevention
The best way to prevent this kind of scare is to enroll your children in swimming lessons. Clearly mishaps may happen in these as well, but if they’re better equipped to fair water then the chances of this happening down the road are even slimmer. It’s also important to not leave young children unattended next to a lake or pool as they can quickly topple in at the blink of an eye. Flotation devices are another method that ensures water safety. Overall, dry and secondary drowning are incredibly rare, but it is extremely important to educate yourself so that you can identify this situation not only in your child but other children as well.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to educate other mothers with this information and be able to breathe easier next time you’re out for some swim time fun!
Anyone else amazed at how a little UV light and some gel leads to gorgeous nails for weeks? I’ll be the first to raise my gel polished nails and say I love it. Not all good things are actually good for you though. Doctors are speaking up when it comes to gel nail polish. I see it as the same as junk food. It tastes great, but it’s not exactly something you should eat all the time. Gel polish works sort of the same way.
Don’t swear off the long lasting polish just yet. I have some good news to mix in with the bad.
How Gel Manicures Work
Most of us have probably dreamed of a manicure that lasts for two weeks or more. I thought I’d found a dream come true with my first gel manicure. For those who haven’t tried one yet, the polish portion of the manicure takes three steps. First, apply a special base coat that’s cured under a UV light. Next, two coats of gel polish are applied with each coat being cured under the UV light. Finally, a top coat is applied to protect the polish.
Notice anything different here? Most manicures don’t require a UV light. Here’s where part of the danger comes from and the one doctors are most concerned about.
Dangers of UV Light
I apply facial moisturizer with SPF on my face religiously every day. I don’t want to risk any skin problems from being exposed to the sun. If we protect our faces from harmful UV rays, why not our hands and nails?
The chemicals in gel polish require a curing process to harden and set on nails. Otherwise, it’d chip quickly and wear away just as quickly or faster as normal polish. You leave your hands under a UV light for at least five minutes or more with every gel manicure. It might not seem like much, but it doesn’t take that much UV radiation to damage the cells in your skin. In fact, the concentration of UV light used is up to five times more powerful than the average tanning bed. That bit of information alone has made me rethink my nails.
Doctors weigh in.
JAMA Dermatology, a journal of the American Medical Association, published a report concluding that ultraviolet light could be harmful to our health. The scariest part to me was the part saying damage could occur in just a few dozen manicures.
Many of us probably have that many or more per year. The study has only confirmed what many nail stylists already feared. Those gorgeous, long lasting manicures could boost our skin cancer risk.
The report has shed some light on the popular trend, but many doctors are saying to take the news with a grain of salt. They say more testing needs to be done to prove just how harmful these manicures really are. Some say there’s not enough UV light to warrant any worry at all.
Should you worry?
As with any potential health risk, it’s good to know about it upfront. I’m still on the fence myself. I have slacked off on how often I’ve gotten gel manicures though. I’ve even tried a few of those at home brands designed to work almost as well without a light. I wasn’t nearly as impressed with those polishes, but if they help reduce my risk of skin cancer, I don’t mind using them in between professional manicures.
Personally, I think if you’re worried about the risk, try to reduce your skin’s exposure during the curing process. Many women are already applying sunscreen to their hands before the manicure. Others place towels or gloves on their hands with just the tips of their fingers exposed. I’ve tried the sunscreen myself and it’s really easy to do. Texting gloves that leave all your fingertips exposed are great options too.
UV light isn’t the only concern.
I know I sound like a major party pooper here, but the UV light isn’t the only thing to worry about. I’ve had first-hand experience with the other issues that come with gel nail polish and those alone make me want to ease up on how often I get my nails done.
Leaving any nail polish on for more than a week could damage your nail. You’re basically cutting off all air to the nail itself.
With gel nail polish lasting two to three weeks, you’re leaving chemicals on your nails non-stop. These cause nasty yellowing along with weakening the nail itself. This is all just with the polish itself and doesn’t even begin to delve into how bad the removal process is.
Removal equals damage.
Acetone is a harsh solvent, but it does wonders at removing nail polish. It’s also the only type of nail polish remover strong enough to tackle a gel manicure. Unlike other polishes, you have to soak your nails in acetone to dissolve the polish. Some salons even sand away the layers. Do you really think your nails and fingers enjoy this process?
The removal process alone weakens the nails. Some women have even had damage to the skin around the nail. If we keep getting gel manicures back to back, the nails or the skin around your nails have no time to heal. I’m guilty of this myself. It took nearly a month for my nails to look and feel normal again.
Before Your Next Manicure
Remember I said I had good news too? Most doctors and nail stylists agree on one point. Gel manicures aren’t dangerous in moderation. Saving them for special occasions or during your busiest times might be best.
The salon you choose also makes a difference. The techniques some salons use are far less harmful. For instance, some salons now use gel brands that use an LED light versus UV. Other salons skip the acetone dip and opt for small acetone soaked pads just slightly larger than your nail. This means less acetone on your skin. I recommend asking a salon about their procedures before scheduling a manicure. If you know anyone who has used the salon, ask them about their experience. It’s okay to shop around for the safest salon.
Enjoy your gel nail polish, but wait two to three weeks after removing it before applying it again. Of course, you could always take my approach and use at home, no light brands. I know the next gel manicure I get, I’ll definitely try the new LED option if possible. Anything that makes me safer while helping me look better, I’m all for it.
I remember not being able to leave for school without at least two lip glosses and a small body spray. After high school, I kind of left some of my favorite products behind. I guess I thought they were just for teens.
There weren’t as many cruelty-free brands back then, but there are lots now! For a brand to be cruelty-free, it must not be tested on animals, the ingredient suppliers must not test on animals, and it must not be sold in a country that requires animal testing (like mainland China).
The cruelty-free status of a brand can change over time. Some brands become cruelty-free and others start testing on animals (often because they want to sell in a country that requires it). Remember that it doesn’t matter where a product is made—only where it is sold. It’s important to do your research to see if a brand is truly cruelty-free.
Some of those same cruelty-free beauty products we used when we were teenagers definitely deserve a second look now. They worked well then and they’re still incredible today!
Bonne Bell Lip Balms
I’m a Bonne Bell girl when it comes to lip balms. I’m still in love with their lip collection. It’s the perfect blend of moisture with a hint of shine and color. The off-the-wall flavors are still fun for adults!
The Body Shop Mists and Lotions
Remember when perfume meant body mists and scented lotion? Me too. I’m skipping the expensive perfumes with questionable ingredients and going back to an old high school favorite from The Body Shop.
Strawberry and peach were some of my favorites. I love the light fragrances of the mists along with the deep moisturizing properties of their lotions. I like to layer the scent to give myself a natural, fruit-based fragrance all day long.
The Body Shop has always been cruelty-free and has a firmly anti-animal-testing stance. But please note that they are owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free.
Physicians Formula BB and CC Creams
I’ve tried other brands, but Physicians Formula still works best for my sensitive skin. I’m now more in love than ever since they introduced their Organic Wear Beauty Balm Creams. The coverage is incredible and it feels like you’re not wearing anything.
Burt’s Bees Facial Cleanser
Throughout high school, Burt’s Bees lip balms were a big hit with me and my friends. I’m still a huge fan! Their facial cleansers are a bit more recent. They keep my sensitive, acne-prone skin under control. While I usually opt for the Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser, the Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser is amazing, too.
Wet n Wild Eyeshadow
I’m a little addicted to eyeshadow and I always loved Wet n Wild’s color palettes. After leaving their shadows behind after high school, I’ve finally started using them again. I couldn’t be happier.
Their line has improved, and I’m loving the Perfect Pair Eye Wand with matching shadow and liner in a single pencil. It’s quick, easy to use, and lasts for hours.
Don’t ever think you’re too old to wear your favorite high school beauty products! Just like you, they’ve only gotten better over time.