Month: March 2019

Categories
Favorite Finds Motherhood

24 Underrated Parenting Products That Actually Work

Parenting can be really tough sometimes. The pacing, the lack of sleep, and the seemingly endless loads of laundry that pile up. Add to that the stress of the cost of raising a kid in the 21st century.
According to a report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average middle-income family will spend more than $12,500 per year on child-related expenses. Many of these expenses come from buying products that are supposed to make parenting easier—or your baby happier. Sometimes they’re great…other times they’re not. It’s so frustrating as a parent to spend money on something (and get excited about what it offers) that doesn’t live up to its claim.
Let us help you save time and money! If you’re in the middle of “baby central,” or if you’re preparing for it, here is a list of must-have products (according to other parents) that will put your hard-earned money to good use, because they really work!

1. Sleeping Baby’s Zipadee-Zip

Babies aren’t known for being good sleepers (though if yours is, we’re jealous!). Fix that problem with the sleep sack to end all sleep sacks: the Zipadee-Zip.
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Promising Review: “Great concept, I love that I can dress baby for a nap and reinforce the “sleep routine ” quickly and without changing her into pjs. Bonus, she doesn’t scratch herself in her sleep anymore.” –Elsie
Get yours here—definitely worth it for nights full of good sleep!

2. NoseFrida’s “The Snotsucker”

This is an absolute must to have on hand. One bad baby cold and you’ll realize the reason why this product is a necessity.

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Amazon

Top 50 Reviewer on Amazon said: “Hands down this is one of the best inventions for babies ever. A friend had one on her baby registry years ago and I thought it sounded disgusting. I bought it (a Nosefrida) and she showed me how it worked. In no way does the snot get anywhere near your mouth, ever. It works so much better than those awful bulb things you can buy from the stores or what the hospital sends you home with.” –Caley G
Pick one up here.

3. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste

If you’ve never seen or experienced [linkbuilder id=”6675″ text=”a baby having”] a bad case of diaper rash, you’re lucky, because it’s just awful—and something that you’ll do anything to avoid ever happening again.
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Promising Review: “2oz is the perfect size for my diaper bag. We buy the bigger 4 oz tubes locally but needed travel size. We have only gone through two large tubes so far and my baby is almost 7 months. She would get baddddd diaper rash as a newborn. ” –Rive Reviews (Lone Wolf of 1)
Get a 16-ounce tube here.

4. Oball Classic Ball

This fun plastic play toy is inexpensive and easy for little hands to hold (which strangely enough is not true of a lot of baby toys).
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Promising Review: It is soft and the open Oball form allows an infant to hold it and explore it. I gave it to my grandson when he was just 3 months old and he loved it. –Mouffette
Get one here.

5. BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush

Baby butt cream works well because it’s thick and doesn’t allow moisture to penetrate. These same properties make getting butt cream off your hands a nightmare. Enter BabyBum Brush!
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Use this to apply the cream on your baby’s bottom and save yourself hours of scrubbing at the sink.
Promising Review: “I have been a nanny for over 5 years now, and that means I’ve applied diaper cream with my fingers (yuck!) probably hundreds of times. It’s one thing I’ve always hated because the cream would get stuck under my finger nails and I had to spend time washing it out after each diaper change that required cream.” –Brianna
Get it here.

6. Back Seat Mirror by Cozy Greens

Hours of frustration, wails from a child, and hundreds of car “pullovers” were avoided with the invention of this simple tool.

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The mirror goes on the back seat so you can see how your baby is doing and baby can see and be comforted by you.
Promising Review: “I was so tired of the mirrors sliding off the headrest every time I took a turn (I have leather seats) and not to mention the mirror cracking after a few months. I finally decided to spend the extra money and get a good quality mirror.” –mamapanda
Get one here.

7. Adan + Anais Baby Muslin Blankets

These are like the SUVs of blankets. They pretty much do it all: swaddle your baby, act as a burp cloth, dry your baby after a bath, or wipe up spit up.

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Aden + Anais

They’re soft yet super absorbent. Throw them in the wash, dry with high heat, and they’re good as new!
Promising Review: “I purchased these three years ago and I’m now just writing a review. Why? I’m still using them and all are holding up so extremely well.” –Redsilas
Get a four-pack here. (Trust us, they’re worth it!).

8. Boppy Pillow

This product is extremely useful, and its function changes as your baby grows older. Moms use it during the infant stage to elevate their baby during breastfeeding.

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As the baby grows, it can also act as a support to lie on. Once baby is past 6 months of age, the pillow can prop them up to ensure proper seating (and that the baby doesn’t fall over).
Top Review: “The Boppy is a great all-around, multi use baby pillow. I’ve found that the Brest Friend is better for breast feeding because it fastens around your waist. However, I’m glad to have the traditional Boppy because it’s great for baby to lounge in and for tummy time. The black and white brocade pattern cover is so pretty and has held up really well in the wash as well.” –Super JuJu-Bean
Get one here.

9. Marpac Hushh for Baby Portable White Noise Sound Machine

If you’ve ever tried to get anything done while your baby is sleeping, you know that every noise you make is amplified exponentially.

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This portable sound machine provides background noise so that you can move about freely without waking your baby.
Jason on Amazon.com said: “This is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. My neighbors have seven large breed dogs that live outside and bark at everything, this helps me sleep through it. I might get one for my kids too, maybe they’ll sleep in every once in a while…”
Get yours here.

10. Boogie Wipes

Wiping seemingly endless mucus from your baby’s nose can make their tender skin inflamed and raw.

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Boogie Wipes

Boogie Wipes are soft and natural, and they clean up baby’s nose without hurting their skin. Don’t use a diaper wipe on baby’s face.
Ann O’Edd had a field day on Amazon by saying: “They do exactly what they are designed to do, remove boogies, and ones that dry out (due to toddler sabotage), can be used as ear plugs to muffle the cries of toddlers as you, cruelly yet gently, remove the boogers the toddler was so deeply and emotionally connected to.” 🙂
Get a three-pack here.

11. Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump

The biggest problems with pumps are that they’re too big, they’re not strong enough, or there’s only one pump. Medela is the gold standard in breast pumps, and they made themselves a winner with moms with this model.

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It’s got varying settings, it’s small and light, and there are two pumps. This is a game changer!
Amazon Customer said “Yes, I own both! I’m a full-time working mom of 2 sweet boys, 2.5 yrs and 6 mos. I purchased the Ameda with my first and used it full time (3x a day, 5 days a week) for 4 months. I purchased the Medela with my second and have used it full time (3x a day, 5 days a week) for 3 months now and still going strong. I have a LOT to say about these pumps, but the bottom line is Medela is far superior.”
Many nursing mothers seem to agree. This pump has an average rating of 4.4/5 with over 1,600 reviews!
Get it here.

12. Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles

Gas and bubbles are always an issue when you bottle-feed your baby.

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Dr. Brown’s

The Dr. Brown’s bottle’s ingenious construction has made feeding time so much more manageable—and babies’ bellies happier.
I bought these when my kids were young and I have to say I’ve extremely pleased the lack of air bubbles these bottles create. Less air bubbles = less burping = more happy baby. Though these take a little bit longer to clean, your baby will be a whole lot happier with these bottles.
Get a four-pack of the eight-ounce original bottles here.

13. Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

Babies can’t eat certain foods because the size or shape of the item might make them choke.

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Amazon Customer said “I bought these for my 6 month old and can NOT believe how much better teething is going!”
Not only does this product allow your baby to eat foods that normally wouldn’t be safe, but it also provides hours of entertainment as your baby sucks and plays with their food. (P.S. the clean up is worth it!)
Get two of them here.

14. JJ Cole Car Seat Cover

Onesies, jackets, and blankets are always an issue when you’re trying to transport your baby in a car seat (and trying to keep them warm at the same time).

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This showercap-style car seat cover makes traveling easy and comfortable. Plus it’s approved by car seat technicians so you know it’s safe for your little one.
Hollie Golightly on Amazon said: “Love this. keeps baby warm, easy to use. slips on, stays put, doesn’t get in the way. zipper looks more ‘natural’ in real life.. not as gold as the seller photo appears, which was a pleasant surprise.”
Get one in Graphite here. (Other colors available but prices may vary).

15. Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack

Bottles and nipples must be fully dried to keep them clean and sanitary, but keeping them upright is always an issue.
This drying rack solves the problem in a cute and fun package!


Nathan Christie said “This is an excellent drying rack, which fits all types of bottle and pump parts, big or small. The blades of grass are a harder plastic than I was thinking, but they are still flexible enough to fit pretty much any item. You can dry a lot of items on this at once.”
Get it here.

16. Summer Infant SwaddleMe Original Swaddle

Babies love to be swaddled! But we challenge you to find an overwhelmed new parent who can do it effectively and without frustration. If your little one is too young for the Zipadee-Zip, the SwaddleMe is for you.
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It’s its ease of use that makes this product so awesome. Its comfy fabric and foolproof swaddling mechanism make even the most sleep-deprived caretaker a pro.
Sharon said: “Honestly, after three babies, there are very few items of baby gear I would say are a ‘must-have.’ This is one of the few.”
Get a three-pack here.

17. WubbaNub Plush Pacifier Toy

Most parents have a love/hate relationship with pacifiers. They’re constantly falling out of a baby’s mouth and onto the floor, which upsets the baby, which upsets the parent.

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WubbaNub

This smart company figured out that adding a slight weight to the end of a binky helps it stay in the baby’s mouth (keeping everyone happy). Brilliant!
Nicole from Amazon remarked: “I place two of them in her crib at night so if she wakes up and cant fall back asleep, she just finds one, puts it in her mouth, and goes back to bed!”
Get the penguin WubbaNub here—there are several other animals to choose from as well!

18. The Mommy Hook

You’re shopping with your baby, and you’ve got the car seat, the bottle, the blanket, and a ton of toys. There’s just one problem: There’s no room for your stuff.

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The Mommy Hook solves this problem and allows you to hang your bag off of the shopping cart so it’s organized and easy to get to.
“I have tested it, and it can strongly hold 8 shopping bags!!” –TaraMichelle.
After a long day at the mall, this will no doubt save those forearms in the long run.
Get one here.

19. Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym

Parents swear by this because it provides hours of heavenly, distracted playtime for their babies. HOURS.

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The great thing about it is the arches and toys can be disconnected if you need a flat mat for just tummy time. It’s great for babies of all ages!
Darya said: “Best Baby Play gym. I love Skip Hop pretty much everything, love the colors, toys, textures, have a lot of Skip Hop toys and baby gear, this little gym is amazing baby enjoys it several time a day since birth, she is 5 months old now and love grabbing toys and shaking them around. ”
Get yours here.

20. Puj Tub

The sink always seems to be the most comfortable and convenient place to bathe a newborn, and the Puj Tub makes doing this often-difficult task a breeze!

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Puj

Unfold it and hang it flat for easy drying. You’ll never struggle to find a place to store a tub again.
Get one from Amazon here.

21. Baby K’tan Baby Carrier

This wrap-style carrier is a big hit among parents of newborns and babies under one year. It offers the comfort and flexibility that parents love in wrap carriers but avoids the messy, complicated “over” wrapping.


It’s also super portable and easy to throw in a diaper bag or backpack.
Bigslacker said this is “Almost perfect“: “I just received the carrier and simply love it! I wish I had it from day one as it is very helpful in carrying baby at home. My son is 5 weeks old and Baby K’tan works great.”
Get the original from Amazon here. (Multiple sizes and colors are available, but prices may vary.)

22. Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier

Show us a comfortable baby carrier and we’ll show you happy parents! If you’re in the market for something a little more structured than a wrap, the Ergo is your new best friend.


This super padded, super comfy product allows the baby to face both ways and fits moms and dads of differing and heights and weights equally well.
Get one from Amazon here.

23. Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

The quality of baby monitors can range from just awful to blissful, which can make your life hell or heaven.

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Amazon

The DXR-8 Video Monitor by Infant Optics is the first baby monitor with interchangeable lens technology. Video is streamed real-time to a slim 3.5 inch LCD color display providing a crystal clear image without grainy or pixelated textures.
I only write reviews for products that I, hands down, could not live without…and this is one of them! –Christine
Get one from Amazon here.

24. The Spuni

Spuni has a unique design that promotes the natural latching instinct that a baby develops during breast and bottle feeding.

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Amazon

Spuni is the perfect tool to help your baby transition to solid food.
T. said: “These spoons are the best! We have one in every color. We’ve tried other baby spoons and all of the others were either too wide (hard to get in baby’s mouth) or too deep (food was still in the spoon after each bite). They don’t have high ‘walls’ on the side, so Baby is able to get all of the food out of the spoon.”
Buy one from Amazon here.
Now that you’ve done some research be sure to check out the registry services offered by Amazon, Target and Buy Buy Baby. They will help you to easily organize exactly what you need and exclude what you don’t to make sure you’ll have the essentials.

Categories
Healthy Relationships Wellbeing

Vain Valentines: 5 Signs You're Dating A Narcissist

“I’ve been out of the relationship for 10 years, and I’m so much happier now.”
Mary Magnetico, a chef at Chestnut Creek Baked Goods in Grahamsville, New York, says that she was married to a narcissist. At the beginning of the relationship, he was an entirely different person.
“You’re made to feel special,” she tells HealthyWay. “That usually happens rather quickly. They proclaim their love for you—and very fast, too.”
Gradually, the relationship turned serious. That’s when Magnetico began noticing some of the signs.

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“[Narcissists] try to isolate you from friends and family,” she says. “I learned, years later, that my ex would go behind my back and trash talk me—all while making himself look good. …Then came the insults. They’re master manipulators, and they feel a deep sense of entitlement. Rules don’t apply to them, because they’re just so superior to the rest of us.”
Magnetico left the relationship, but her story’s not too unusual. Clinically, narcissism is a rare diagnosis, but it’s often considered as part of a spectrum (some theorize that it might even be on the autistic spectrum).
Obviously, narcissistic tendencies make relationships difficult. While researching this piece, we received dozens of responses from people who claimed to have been in relationships with narcissists. Interestingly, every one of those responses came from women. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising; according to one scientific review, men are more likely to be narcissists than women.
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But what is narcissism, exactly? How can we recognize narcissistic disorders in our partners—or in ourselves?
To be clear, only a licensed physician can make an actual diagnosis. However, many narcissistic behaviors can serve as red flags.

1. Narcissists have fragile egos.

“I think, a lot of times, people consider narcissism to include a lot of grandiosity, and a lack of shame or remorse or empathy, and all of those are certain key components of narcissism,” says Kate Balestrieri, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and co-founder of Triune Therapy Group in Los Angeles. Balestrieri designed a workshop to help people heal from the trauma of being in relationships with narcissists.

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“But clinically, we look at things like: ‘Does someone have a very fragile sense of self?'”
In other words, while we might think of narcissists as self-centered jerks, they’re operating as a result of deep-seated insecurities. Those insecurities often show up in the narcissist’s social behaviors.
“They’re very quick to align themselves with organizations [or] people that would be high in status—the best of the best,” Balestrieri says. “They have a need for admiration. …If my ego is fragile, I need a lot of other opinions to bolster my sense of self, so underneath all of that grandiosity is a pretty low and fractured sense of self-worth. And a lot of shame, usually.”
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People with narcissistic disorders often overcompensate for that shame by bragging about the ways that they’re superior to others. Those beliefs are real—but fragile.
“They might go on and on about how great they are,” Balestrieri says, “or how much this person likes them, or that person likes them, or they got accepted into a certain organization. They’re really aligning themselves with anything that further capitulates their fantasies around fame, or importance, or superiority, or just being great.”
Those insecurities can certainly affect romantic relationships.

2. Narcissists have an inflated opinion of their partners.

“The journey of dating a narcissist has several distinct phases,” says Sal Raichbach, PsyD, of Ambrosia Treatment Center. “At first, they’ll make you feel special. Since they feel they’re special, only other special people can understand them. Over time, though, this feeling will carry less weight. You’ll start to feel like they don’t even really know you, mainly because you don’t spend much time talking about yourself.”

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Balestrieri agrees, noting that narcissists often fixate on their partners’ best qualities, but in shallow or superficial ways.
“If you just meet someone and they start telling you straight away that they love you and you’re amazing and you’re the most beautiful person in the world, the most incredible partner that they’ve ever met—it’s just all about kind of inflated, kind of fantastical thinking and projection—that’s a pretty big red flag,” she says.
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When a narcissist stops receiving the kind of positive feedback they need to satisfy their insecurities, they can quickly change. Suddenly, that loving partner might become an enemy.
“We see narcissists do what I call ‘shame rage’ often,” Balestrieri says. “If they make a mistake, do they put other people down to try to make themselves feel better? That’s a big indication that you’re in the presence of a narcissist.”

3. Narcissists require tremendous amounts of attention.

“Narcissists like to talk about themselves, which is another obvious sign,” Raichbach says. “Instead of sharing and listening to you, they’re emotionally evasive and expect you to save your breath for reinforcing their specialness.”
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Over time, they’ll demand more attention from their partners. According to Balestrieri, that can manifest in insidious ways.
“Someone with [narcissism] might be pretty antagonistic, actually,” she says. “And negative attention is better than no attention. The thing that would get to the narcissist’s core the quickest is being irrelevant, and when we don’t give a narcissist attention, they feel irrelevant. Often, they can get provocative and antagonistic as a way to at least secure that [attention].”


To a narcissist, the line between “positive” and “negative” attention might be razor thin. Narcissists often behave in less agreeable ways than non-narcissists, particularly when they have low self-esteem.
“Think about the little boy who goes to the refrigerator and says ‘Mom, mom, mom, mom—look at me, look at me!'” Balestrieri says. “She’s on the phone, and he finally turns over a carton of orange juice and smiles—because now, he has mom’s attention, even though he’s doing something naughty.”

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“A narcissist can show up like that, too. They can be a hero or they can be a villain. It doesn’t really matter. As long as they’re getting that supply. …It’s not just about violating rules so much as it’s about just doing whatever they can to stay relevant and in the forefront of people’s minds.”

4. Narcissists are fixated on envy.

Envy often plays some sort of role in romantic relationships, but people with narcissistic tendencies might become obsessed.
“[Narcissistic people] definitely can be interpersonally exploitative,” Balestrieri says. “Someone who’s narcissistic can get really fixated on envy, and they often think that people are jealous of them.”

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She says that, once again, the narcissist’s fragile ego drives the behavior.
“They can live in a kind of a hot bed of their own envy [towards] other people, because they’re constantly comparing themselves to others to derive a sense of self,” she notes. “They can be really haughty, arrogant, or dismissive while devaluing of other people.”
In a romantic relationship, that creates a predictable series of events. Narcissists gradually turn against their partners, eventually becoming negative or even outright hostile towards them.
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“There’s a cycle that we often see play out with narcissists where they idealize a partner or friend,” Balestrieri explains. “Then, the minute there’s some kind of falter in the fantasy of who that person is, they devalue them—almost knocking their knees out from under them—and then discard them.”
To the narcissist, this type of behavior is a defense mechanism.
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“That’s a way that narcissists stay safe,” she says. “They’ll say, ‘You’re amazing…but if you stop being amazing for whatever reason, you’re no longer someone that I want to align my star with. So you’re useless to me.'”

5. They push against your personal boundaries.

According to researchers, narcissists tend to have problems with empathy, although they’re not necessarily sociopaths (people largely incapable of expressing empathy). As part of their quest for attention, however, they can push against personal boundaries, which can have dramatic effects.
“Something narcissists will do is often push your boundaries and try to get you to show up more for them than you want to initially,” Balestrieri says.

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For example, a narcissist might compel their partner to make sacrifices or major commitments early in a relationship. Refuse, and you’ll likely experience some negative consequences, potentially including verbal and emotional abuse.

If you’re involved with a narcissist, seek help from a professional.

Narcissists often have trouble with empathy, but they’re not inherently bad people. With therapy, they can treat some of the underlying insecurities that prompt their manipulative or harmful behaviors.
[pullquote align=”center”]“…if you’re going to be in a relationship with a narcissist, you have to have solid boundaries.”
—Sal Raichback, PsyD[/pullquote]
“If you’re seeing signs, know that narcissistic personality disorder is not curable,” Raichbach says. “That said, it can be managed if they’re willing to commit to long-term therapy.”

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We’d like to reiterate this point: Only a psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose narcissistic personality disorder, and if you’re involved with a narcissist—and you want to continue the relationship—the best course of action is to seek professional help. With that said, if you’re in a committed relationship with a narcissist, Balestrieri recommends looking at your own boundaries.
“That’s a really acute part of examining how you want to proceed with a narcissist,” Raichbach says. “You might decide to stay with this person, [or] you might decide to retract and find other people to interact with, but if you’re going to be in a relationship with a narcissist, you have to have solid boundaries. You have to be willing to enforce them, and you have to not get caught up in the guilt that can come with [enforcement].”
“You have to be prepared not to provide the ‘supply’ that [the narcissist will need] all the time,” she says, “or be prepared to lose yourself.”

Categories
Wellbeing

12 Signs That A Thyroid May Not Be Working As It Should

Do you have an overactive or underactive thyroid?

According to the American Thyroid Association, about 12 percent of Americans will have thyroid conditions at some point in their lives. By their estimate, 20 million Americans currently have thyroid conditions, but over half are completely unaware.
Why is that? Most people aren’t aware of the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. In fact, a large portion of people are unaware of what the even thyroid does.
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The thyroid is a gland that controls metabolism and sends hormones throughout the body. It’s shaped like a butterfly, and it’s located near the base of your neck.

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“It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism by controlling how many calories you burn, as well as how fast or slow your brain, heart, liver, and other organs work,” endocrinologist Christian Nasr, medical director of the Thyroid Center at the Cleveland Clinic, told Health.com.
Because it plays a critical role in your overall health, you should know some of the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.
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Before we get to the symptoms, however, an important note: If you have any of these symptoms, seek assistance from a qualified physician. Only a doctor can diagnose thyroid issues, and this article is intended to raise awareness, not to function as medical advice.
With that said, let’s look at 12 of the most common symptoms, as explained by medical professionals and sources.

1. Fatigue

1. Fatigue

A recent study in the journal Frontiers found a link between hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and chronic fatigue syndrome.
While further studies will help us understand the link, the Frontier findings make sense. The thyroid controls metabolism, which affects your weight and your ability to store and use energy. If the gland isn’t functioning properly, you may notice regular fatigue, even after you’ve had 8 to 10 hours of quality sleep.

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However, note that between 50 and 70 million people in the United States have sleep or wakefulness disorders. Sleep disturbances are also linked to a number of other diseases and disorders, including depression, hypertension, sleep apnea, and more, so you should undergo a sleep study to definitively diagnose the issue.

2. Anxiety and Depression

According to Harvard Health Publishing, when the thyroid gland creates too much or too little of the hormone it uses to regulate metabolism patients often report mood disturbances.

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These can manifest in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of your condition, but if you’re feeling anxious, jittery, nervous, or depressed, there’s a chance that your thyroid is to blame.

3. Constipation

Without getting too graphic, hypothyroidism is associated with constipation.
This is because your thyroid’s main role is—you guessed it—metabolism, and it therefore controls the function of your digestive tract. When your body isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, you’ll have trouble “producing,” to use a very strained euphemism.

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Thyroid hyperactivity, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect, causing excessive trips to the bathroom. Any sudden changes in your digestive habits are a good reason to see your doctor, since they can be indicative of other medical conditions.

4. Random Sweat

“Is it hot in here, or is it just me and my hyperactive thyroid?”

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If your body is having a tough time regulating its energy production, you may start sweating at apparently random times. You may also feel extremely warm, even when the room is cold. You might also feel perfectly comfortable as you’re sweating up a storm, though this symptom depends on the person.

5. Weight Management Issues

This is the thyroid dysfunction symptom that most people know about: if you have an underactive thyroid, you might gain weight easily.

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If you have an overactive thyroid, you might have trouble putting weight on.
Try not to get too obsessed with overall “weight,” though, since that can be misleading. Body fat percentage is a better metric to track, since weight varies considerably throughout the day.
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More importantly, pay attention to how you feel, and note any sudden changes in your appetite. If you’re eating a lot, but you’re always hungry and you can’t put on weight, hyperthyroidism might be the culprit.

6. Changes in Taste

Thyroid dysfunction can change how you taste certain foods, since your body will incorrectly gauge how much nutrition you need—and what type of nutrition.
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If you suddenly start craving certain foods and your appetite changes dramatically, you could be producing a different amount of thyroid hormone.

7. Thinning Hair

Severe and prolonged issues with your thyroid, according to the British Thyroid Foundation, can cause hair loss. When your thyroid isn’t functioning correctly, your body wrongly assumes that it needs to divert resources to essential body functions. In other words, your body thinks that it has very limited energy reserves, so it goes into a “conservation mode” that de-prioritizes anything that doesn’t keep you alive.

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Unfortunately, your hair might be one of the top targets of these misguided conservation efforts. People with thyroid issues (especially hyperthyroidism) often notice thinning hair. In some cases, they’ll lose hair entirely, but the good news is that adequate treatment will usually restore hair.

8. Muscle Soreness

Thyroid issues can be painful. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical symptoms include aching extremities, muscle pain, tenderness, and stiffness. If you have arthritis, the condition may be worsened by thyroid dysfunction. Severe thyroid issues can also manifest with painful aches in the neck (where the thyroid is located).

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You might also notice cold sensations in your fingers and toes along with occasional numbness. This is, again, due to changes in your body’s energy regulation.

9. Visible Lumps

If you notice lumps in your neck, these could be signs of a thyroid condition, but they could also be a goiter—an enlarged but perfectly functional thyroid—or simply enlarged lymph nodes.

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The American Thyroid Association suggests that if you notice any visible change, see a doctor right away for proper diagnosis.

10. Dry Skin

While hyperthyroidism may make you sweat too much, as mentioned earlier, it’s also possible your body might not sweat enough due to hypothyroidism. The lack of moisture can quickly result in dry, flaky, or itchy skin.

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The limited hormone production will also affect other parts of your body; you might notice cracked, brittle fingernails and toenails, for instance. Of course, dry nails and skin can also be caused by a lack of hydration, so make sure you’re drinking enough water.
The Mayo Clinic recommends eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day, noting that any fluid counts toward the daily total.

11. High Blood Pressure

It is known that both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can result in high blood pressure, although scientists disagree about the specific mechanism that causes that high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

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The most popular theory is that low thyroid hormones will slow the heartbeat, affecting the flexibility of blood vessel walls and eventually resulting in high blood pressure. Likewise, high thyroid hormones cause the heart to beat faster, creating a more direct effect.
In either case, sudden changes in blood pressure always warrant a medical examination, so if this is something you’re experiencing, you should speak with your physician.

12. Menstrual Cycle Changes

Women with thyroid issues may experience sudden changes with their periods, although this isn’t always directly linked with thyroid hormone production.

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Instead, metabolism changes may prompt a woman’s body to go into an anemic state (meaning a deficiency of red blood cells). This can cause fertility issues, so, again, it’s a symptom that shouldn’t be ignored. If you notice any changes in your menstrual cycle, tell your doctor right away.

So, what do you do if you have hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or thyroid disease?

First things first: get to your doctor. No internet article can provide treatment advice—it can only make you aware of the potential symptoms and issues they cause.


Typical treatment strategies involve short-term hormone therapy, which can restore normal functionality very quickly. Your doctor may also look into the causes of the thyroid condition, as some are commonly caused by autoimmune disorders, medications, and other obvious triggers that will need to be addressed for a long-term cure.

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Remember, medical diagnoses should always be handled by a qualified physician. Many of the symptoms on this list can also apply to other conditions, so don’t assume that you have a thyroid issue when you speak with your physician.
There’s good news, however: if you do have a thyroid disorder, you can often treat it safely and effectively in a matter of months.

Categories
Wellbeing

8 Things Your Nail Salon Doesn't Want You To Know

What’s more relaxing than a trip to the nail salon?
Well, pretty much everything, when you realize what goes on behind the scenes.

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To be fair, many manicurists and pedicurists run well-cleaned, wonderful shops—we certainly don’t want to denigrate the profession as a whole. Each year, Americans spend over $7 billion on nail services, and the vast majority walk away happy.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind before heading in for your next appointment. For starters…

1. There might be hidden fees.

Let’s start with one of the most obvious (and least dangerous) secrets. Manicurists tend to charge by the service, but they’re not always upfront about what’s included for that single fee. For instance, they might charge separately for a base coat, a nail strengthener, and the polish.

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The only way around this trap is to start a conversation. Ask what’s included for the fee you’re paying. When the manicurist goes to work, if you’re not sure what they’re doing, ask them before they begin. You have every right to refuse services or products that you don’t need—and that you’d really rather not pay for.
Keep in mind that you can always bring your own favorite nail-care products. When you walk into the salon and hand the manicurist your own favorite base coat and polish, they’ll usually be happy to charge you just for the application. Again, though, make sure that’s a conversation you have before they get started.

2. There’s only one way to ensure sterilization, and your salon probably isn’t using it.

You’ve read the horror stories about people getting terrible infections from contaminated tools at a nail salon. There’s a simple reason why that happens: It’s actually really hard to completely sterilize what is essentially surgical equipment.
Surgeons use a machine called an autoclave to make sure they eliminate 100 percent of the fungi, bacteria, and viruses that can live on stainless steel tools. Autoclaves use a combination of pressure, heat, and steam to sterilize equipment.

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“It’s a specific device that sterilizes equipment with steam, making it sanitary and safe, since no chemicals or irritants are used,” says Debra Lindy, co-founder of Sani Sak, a company that produces sanitized manicure tools. “This is very rarely purchased by nail salons, as it can be cost prohibitive.”
The problem with this is that only Iowa and Texas have laws on the books that require nail salons to disinfect equipment with autoclaves. In the rest of the country, manicurists typically use chemicals or UV light boxes to sterilize their tools.
Hey, UV light is better than nothing, right? Well, yes, but while those instruments might get rid of most of the infectious organisms that live on nail clippers, they’re not 100 percent effective.
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Be sure to ask your manicurist how they sterilize their equipment before committing to a procedure. Many salons will also allow customers to bring their own tools; while that might initially feel awkward, it can help to prevent a painful infection.
Oh, and as this Answers user points out, it’s also not a bad idea to call your local health department if you’re especially curious about a salon’s practices.

3. Those UV lamps they use to dry your polish might increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

Granted, the risk that you’ll get melanoma from drying your polish under a UV lamp is pretty small, but it exists. Perhaps more importantly, the cell damage can build over time.

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“Considering the low UV-A energy exposure in an average manicure visit, multiple visits would be required to reach the threshold for potential DNA damage,” wrote a team of researchers from Georgia Regents University, in a study published in JAMA Dermatology. The researchers also noted that typical exposure wouldn’t be enough to cause DNA damage, but customers who regularly get manicures or pedicures might be at risk.
Besides, the researchers found, there aren’t any good standards for manufacturers of UV nail lamps. Chris Adigun, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told CBS News why this lack of regulation is dangerous.
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There is little to no regulation on the manufacturing of these nail lamps,” Adigun said. “As a result, the bulbs, wattage and irradiance of these lamps varies dramatically from one manufacturer to the next, and individuals utilizing these lamps in salons have no way of knowing just how much UV exposure their skin is receiving upon each manicure.”

4. Nail techs are not necessarily trained to properly sterilize their equipment.

Podiatrist Robert Spalding, DPM, has the salon industry firmly within his sights. As author of Death by Pedicure, Spalding is a leading voice about the dangers of contemporary nail salon practices.
Spalding maintains that techs simply don’t have the training to verify when tools are safe to use. There is “industry-wide confusion about the definition of the term ‘sterilize,'” Spalding wrote.

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Nail techs are “neither schooled nor licensed to work in the presence of blood or to maintain a surgically sterile environment,” he wrote. In other words, it’s not exactly their fault that they’re working on customers with infected tools. Rather, it’s the misunderstanding of what constitutes true sterilization.
“With years of experience as a nail technician myself, I cannot say I’m confident that everyone is trained to handle situations that may involve blood or sterile environments,” says Lindy.
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As we’ve mentioned, only an autoclave can completely sterilize equipment. Anything less than this gold standard of sterilization might leave some microorganisms behind. That’s how people get infections. The point is that “some infective microorganisms are easy to kill, some are not,” according to Spalding.

5. There are even cases of customers getting warts from certain nail salons!

Forget fungal infections. How would you like to battle warts on your feet after an unclean pedicure?

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The uncomfortable truth is that warts are often caused by a viral infection. If equipment and the environment of a nail salon isn’t kept to the most rigid standards of cleanliness, wart viruses might be present. All that stands between you and a lifetime of bumpy feet is the slip of the tech’s hand—if you get a wart virus in an open wound, you’ll probably end up with the infection.
That’s not even the worst of it. Serious viral infections, including HIV and hepatitis C, can also lurk in dirty nail salons. Make sure you attend a high-quality, trusted facility—preferably one with an autoclave. We’re not saying every nail salon is a hive of infections, but use common sense and stick with a salon that you trust.

6. If your pedicurist offers to “shave” your calluses, say “no thanks.”

We understand the temptation. Callouses aren’t the most attractive thing on the human body, and they can even be a bit painful. But remember that those are there to protect your skin—essentially, your body developed them for a reason.

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That’s not the only reason to decline an offer to shave your calluses, though. The fact is, the procedure is probably illegal in your state.
You see, callus-shaving requires a tool called a credo blade. Technically, credo blades can only be used in “medical procedures,” which most states forbid from being performed at nail salons.
Instead of trying to lose the calluses altogether, podiatrists recommend smoothing them over with a little light pumice stone treatment. There’s a chance your nail salon offers this service, but remember that pumice stones are notoriously hard to disinfect. You might want to travel with your own.

7. Have you shaved your legs recently? If so, skip the salon.

If you’ve picked up one thing from this list, we hope it’s that breaking the skin in an unsterile environment is a great way to pick up a nasty infection. That’s true whether you get a cut on the cuticle or a tiny opening on a hair follicle on your ankle.

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When you shave your legs, you create tiny, invisible openings in your hair follicles. These little holes may be too small for us to see, but for viruses, bacteria, and fungi, they’re like huge, inviting archways. They’re basically an invitation to move in and set up shop.
Jackie Sutera, DPM, a podiatrist based in New York, told HuffPost that you should wait at least two days between shaving your legs and heading to the salon for a pedicure. Otherwise, Sutera said, “you can literally end up in a hospital.”

8. It’s up to you to guard your health and safety at a nail salon.

No nail tech wants to get a customer sick. Still, salons are capitalist enterprises, first and foremost. Owners want to make as much money as possible, and that doesn’t create a strong incentive to turn away customers—even if they have a clear fungal infection and shouldn’t be anywhere near a nail salon.

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“Because the industry isn’t regulated often enough salon technicians often slack off,” Lindy says. “…It doesn’t take much to transfer a contagious infection or spread bacteria. One negligent technician can transfer [microorganisms] to all the tools in the salon, especially if they’re all using the same disinfectant and the bacteria is resistant”
The danger, Spalding wrote, is “the transmission of infection from one client to another.”
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In other words, be on the lookout—and, for heaven’s sake, if you have a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection yourself, don’t go to the nail salon. Beauty can wait. After all, what is beauty without health?

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Lifestyle

11 Ways To Be More Attractive, According To Science

Research has shown that attractive people can earn up to 14 percent more money annually than their less attractive peers. While some of this is based on appearance alone, attraction also relies on the way you carry yourself, how you treat people, and the kind of people to associate with.
Here are a few ways to be more attractive, according to science.
(Editorial note: Since we’re talking about body types here, we wanted to make this clear: Every body type is perfectly fine, and different people have different preferences. These studies look at averages, so take them with a big grain of salt.)

1. Keep your chin up.

People often see a large jawbone as a masculine feature, per the wonderfully named “Facial Attractiveness: Evolutionary Based Research,” a review piece published in 2011.
The authors note that secondary sex characteristics (such as defined cheekbones and large jawbones) may show genetic strength.

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Why? Well, one theory is parasitic resistance. Stay with us: Hormones like testosterone drive the development of secondary sex characteristics, and since those hormones also promote a healthy immune system, strong jawbones can show your potential mate that you’re fairly resistant to parasites. That’s also a great bit of info to drop to make a decent first impression (well, not really; save the parasite talk for the second date).
Apart from that, men who keep their chin up come off psychologically as more assertive and confident—even if they’re secretly self-conscious. It’s also a more appealing position for the face because it helps define the jawline and create a slimming effect for the neck region, so try to keep your chin up when possible.

2. Consider wearing sunglasses.

Vanessa Brown, lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, designed a study to determine why sunglasses look so awesome. Granted, she put it in more scientific terms, but at the end of the day, she was researching why a pair of Ray-Bans can turn a dork into Brad Pitt.
In any case, she found a few possible explanations. Sunglasses obscure the eyes (duh), which Brown believes creates an air of mystery around the wearer.

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“The eyes are such a tremendous source of information—and vulnerability—for the human being,” she told The Cut. If you’re trying to get romantic, it always pays to cultivate a sense of mystery.
Sunglasses also improve facial symmetry by obscuring any slight anomalies around your eyes. For instance, you might notice that one of your eyes sits higher on your face, or one pupil might be slightly larger than the other; that’s perfectly normal and natural, but people generally prefer symmetrical faces when choosing mates.
Finally, celebrities and models frequently wear sunglasses, so Brown believes that there’s probably some social factors at play. Never doubt the power of advertising when it comes to shaping our cultural ideas of what is (and isn’t) attractive.

3. Boost your adrenaline levels.

Let’s say that you finally landed a date with that hottie down the street. Should you hit up the local coffeeshop, or get tickets to the symphony?
If you’re really trying to make an impression, consider something more exciting. Studies show that adrenaline works as a natural aphrodisiac, and it may even help calm your nerves in a weird sort of way (you won’t be focused on whether you’re likable if your attention is elsewhere).

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You might even consider an extreme sport. A 2014 study from the University of Alaska found that women were more attracted to men who take “hunter-gatherer risks,” which include activities such as deep-sea scuba diving, extreme rollerblading, and mountain biking. We’re not sure whether ancient hunter-gatherers really donned scuba tanks, but we’ll take these researchers at their word.

4. Think androgyny.

Women want a big, burly, manly man, right?
Not always.
A 1983 study showed that people who have a blend of masculine and feminine qualities tend to rank as attractive. The effect goes both ways—men tend to appreciate tomboys, although they still generally prefer feminine faces.

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If you’ve got somewhat androgynous features, don’t hide them. By sporting that pink shirt you actually love and showing your sensitive side you usually keep to yourself, you’re being more honest with your potential mate (and you’ll probably benefit from a moderate confidence boost, since you won’t be pretending to be someone you aren’t).
If you’re an ultra-masculine dude, don’t worry—we’re just talking about averages here, so your big beard isn’t going to disqualify you. The body spray, however, might…

5. Don’t overdo the perfume or cologne.

Body spray, colognes, and perfumes all have the power to make a person more (or less) alluring. Take a look at our video below to get a better understanding of how cologne interacts with your natural scent.

6. Stop smiling (or smile a lot).

Don’t go all goth, but don’t smile, either. A study from the University of British Columbia showed that happy guys finish last.

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Participants rated photos of men who were visibly displaying emotion; guys who seemed happy ranked behind men who showed visible pride (somewhat expectedly) and shame (somewhat unexpectedly). Granted, the study was intended to assess “gut reactions on…attraction,” so happiness might be a more endearing trait in a long-term partner.
In contrast, men found happy women more attractive. There’s probably a host of sociological reasons for this strange phenomenon, but the takeaway is clear: If you’re a man, you’d better start practicing your serious face.

7. Consider your facial hair carefully.

Although some women may prefer a bearded man, the majority do not, according to a study in the Oxford Journal of Behavioral Ecology.
Researchers found that most women didn’t find men with beards to be more attractive, although they did assume that the bearded guys had a higher social status than their non-bearded brethren.

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However, another study published in Behavioral Ecology found that women’s facial hair preferences varied depending on their age. Postmenopausal women gave “higher scores for all degrees of facial hair, including full beards, than premenopausal and pregnant women.”
That doesn’t mean you should shave it all off; that second study found that women at “high fertility phases” gave higher scores to men with heavy stubble.
If you decide to keep your facial hair, keep it maintained. Nobody likes a neck beard (and shaving a neckline is pretty easy, once you get the hang of it).

8. Stick with a group.

People are more likely to be perceived as attractive when they’re part of a group. That’s commonly known as the “cheerleader effect,” for obvious (if slightly sexist) reasons.
Why? Well, humans tend to process faces in groups, so we form an average of all the faces we see. One study from the University of California at San Diego asked participants to rate the attractiveness of people in solo pictures, versus pictures of the same person in a group of people. Participants gave higher ratings to both men and women when looking at groups of people.

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If you’re surrounded by attractive people, you will look more attractive. (That’s why we always hang out with our army of Brad Pitt clones.) Of course, this method won’t work all the time, because you’re eventually going to want to have some alone time with potential dates.
Still, if you’re hoping to take a great picture or impress some people you’ll never see again, groups are the way to go.

9. Arch your back (or work on your dad bod).

Body shape plays a role in attraction, and while genetic factors certainly play a role, you’ve got some control.
[pullquote align=”center”]As long as you’re healthy, you do you.[/pullquote]
For starters, the “dad bod” appeals to many women, and it actually seems to directly result from fatherhood according to a study in the American Journal of Men’s Health. Researchers found that new fathers typically picked up around three extra pounds of body fat, probably because it’s hard to hit the gym and eat healthy when you’re battling sleep deprivation (hooray, newborns!).
With that said, guys, feel free to maintain a higher level of physical fitness; women are less obsessed with body mass than men when evaluating potential partners, so as long as you’re healthy, you do you.

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Women, you might want to arch your backs. Sounds weird, but there’s actually an interesting explanation for this one: A study from the University of Texas showed that men strongly prefer curvy backsides, potentially because a “45.5 degree curve from back to buttocks [allowed] ancestral women to better support, provide for, and carry out multiple pregnancies.”

10. Get a dog.

When in doubt, use your puppy as a pickup line.

Four independent studies researched whether men with dogs were more likely to attract others than men who didn’t have dogs. The participants asked for money, dropped money “accidentally,” or asked for phone numbers both with and without dogs.
The results were most significant when men asked for women’s numbers: Men with dogs were three times more likely to get a number than men who were dog-less.

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Researchers believe this is the case because owning a dog shows that you are nurturing and capable of making long-term commitments. It also makes you seem approachable, loving, and happy. Plus, who doesn’t love dogs?

11. Wear red (or don’t).

For many animals, red is an important color. Humans certainly fall into this category, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

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Through a series of seven experiments, researchers showed that women found men more attractive when those men stood against a red background and in red clothing. Interestingly, the color didn’t influence the men’s perception of women or of other men, although a separate 2008 study showed that men also prefer a splash of red (potentially due to social factors).
That doesn’t mean that you need to throw away all of your blue shirts, but if you’ve got a hot date, a red button-down might give you a subconscious edge.