Finally! Foundations For 40+ Skin That Really Work!

By Colette Bouchez

If you’re anything like me, finding a foundation that doesn’t go into fine lines (or deep lines) has been  like looking for the holy grail or the Maltese Falcon: It’s just not going to happen. 

In fact, I’ve found that regardless of  who’s doing the promoting or what’s in the ads, most foundations touted as “anti-aging”  - including mineral make-ups -  have been a huge disappointment, failing to deliver on one of their key promises: To make our skin look younger. Or, at the very  least,  not make us look  any older than we are!   

But that’s about to change, with two  exceptional  foundations – one brand new – that I am  excited to tell you not only deliver on their anti-aging promise,  my personal experience shows they will far exceed your foundation expectations no matter your age!

So what are they?   Read on!

Amazing Anti Aging Foundation # 1:  Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Smooth Liquid Make-up with SPF 15.

What It Does:  Takes foundation to a whole new level by creating a flawless, dewy (not greasy) formulation that brightens the skin, covers imperfections and – most important from an anti-aging standpoint -  softens the appearance of lines and wrinkles both immediately and over time.

Perhaps most important of all: You  not only look instantly younger the moment you put it on, the look lasts all day.  Unlike other anti-aging foundations which tend to dry the skin, so that  anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour later, you  look like you're  105 –  Cliniques Repairwear Laser Focus Smooth Liqu Make-up  smooths skin immediately  and keeps it looking that way for hours!   I found it  kept my  skin looking moist, plump and line-free for an entire day.   I also  found it helps keep blush/bronzer in place as well, with fewer touchups needed during a 12 hour work day! 

What makes it work:  A cocktail of anti-aging ingredients that starts with  whey protein  to help skin look and feel firmer while working to diminish the appearance of  lines and wrinkles. To this is added the herbal extract Siegesbeckia Orientalis Extract as well as Palimitoyl Oligopeptide (two of the same ingredients you find in pricey anti aging creams) which work together like a support system to plump skin and fill in lines and wrinkles. To this is added Murumuru seed butter to help strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier (so your complexion doesn’t dry out so make-up doesn't settle into lines and wrinkles) as well as vitamin E and SPF 15 to protect against further sun damage.

The end result is a foundation that covers and  makes skin look better both immediately and in the long run, while you get  younger looking every day! What’s not to love?

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus All Smooth Make-up SPF 15 will be offered in 12 shades from fair to deep. For those of you who are aleady Clinique Skin Care fans, it works for skin types I and II. 

Available beginning September 2011 at Clinique counters nationwide and at Clinique.com. Suggested Retail Price: $32.50

Amazing Anti Aging Foundation # 2:  Temptu Retouch

What it does:  Utilizes the flawless but ultra light anti-aging coverage of pricey air-brushed make-up in a portable, easy-to-apply liquid foundation.

In fact, if you've ever been anywhere near a television studio or movie set make –up room then you know that what gives celebs that flawless, ageless look  is air-brushed make-up – an expensive, but effective type of air-powered spray that deposits tiny micro drops of foundation on the skin for a look that is absolutely flawless.

While at-home air brush make-up systems are available, the cost is high – and it’s not exactly like you can tuck it into your make-up bag on the go.

Enter Temptu Retouch – a portable, sem-liquid foundation with built-in brush that simulates the look of air brushed make-up without the fuss and muss. It fact, it’s  made by the same people who make the pricey air-brushed versions!

How it works:  The four main ingredients are  abscorbyl palmitate ,a  form of Vitamin C that helps prevent or counteract premature skin aging caused by oxidation, sun exposure or collagen breakdown;  Vitamin E  to improve skin’s natural barrier function and hold in moisture;  aloe extract  to heal, soothe and protect skin and help the foundation “glide” on skin;  dimethicone – a cosmetic grade silicone that acts like a primer helping the foundation to adhere to your skin for a more natural looking glow.

While the coverage is not quite as good as the Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus foundation,  if you're looking to hide minor skin  flaws with  great moisturization that keeps skin dewy and youthful - and not have it all settle  into fine lines and wrinkles  - then  this is your foundation. 

Temptu Retouch is available in 12 shades from Porcelain to Espresso, and comes with a built-in applicator brush.  Availaable online at Temptu.com or in Sephora stores nationwide. Suggested Retail Price: $47.00

So there you have it – two products that really do what they say! So no more whining – you’ll look fabulous!

Colette Bouchez is the style director of  fashion jewelry house CountryDutchess.com  and author of 11 books. She frequently writes about beauty and health and her latest book is Country Dutchess Cheap Chic Diary: Online Fashion Organizer and Web Address Book.

Originally published in part in Colette Bouchez’s Beauty Buzz column on Examiner.com .

New study on recurring UTI infections yields surprising results

By Colette Bouchez

If you’ve been using nutritional cranberry supplements to keep your UTI (urinary tract infections) under control there is both good news and bad. A new study funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that antibiotics are more effective than cranberries at controlling recurring UTIs. But, the study also showed that antibiotics increase your risk of developing a drug-resistant bacteria - and that could be dangerous or even deadly.
Indeed, while the number of recurring infections was cut in half for those women taking the antibiotic, the benefits of those odds seemed to change when the women were also tested for antibiotic resistance.
After just one month of using the antibiotic TMP-SMX (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), resistance to this drug increased three-fold, to as high as 90.5 percent in some women. Resistance to other antibiotics increased as well. There was only a slight increase in antibiotic resistance in women who used the cranberry supplement.

As such, the study author Dr Mariëlle Beerepoot concluded that the use of antibiotics in the treatment of recurring UTIs “should be weighed against the greater development of antibiotic resistance.”

Cranberries vs antibiotics: Study details
The 12 month study involved 221 pre-menopausal women who reported having 3 or more UTI infections in the previous year. In a double blind study each of the women were assigned to take either one 480 mg capsule of TMP-SMX daily or 500mg of Cran Max, a cranberry extract capsule, twice daily. Neither the participants or the researchers knew which women were taking the drugs and which ones were taking the cranberry extract.

The end goal of the study: To determine the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections in each of the two groups over a period of 12 months; how soon the first infection would occur after starting preventive treatment; and development of antibiotic resistance to the E-coli bacteria responsible for most UTIs.

The study result: When the study code was broken and the results analyzed researchers learned that the women taking the antibiotic treatment developed 1.8 infections over the course of 12 months, compared to 4 infections in the women taking the cranberry extract. The number of women who developed any infection was slightly higher in the cranberry group than in the group taking the antibiotic.

Moreover the women taking the antibiotic took at least 8 months to develop an infection while the women taking the cranberry capsules saw infections occur after just 4 months of treatment.

So while it may appear as if antibiotics are a better choice for preventing recurring UTIs, that assumption changed when researchers also looked at the number of bacteria that became antibiotic resistance.

• In the cranberry group, between 23% and 28% had bacteria that were resistant to antibiotic.
• In the group taking the antibiotic, nearly 91% were found to have antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Moreover, after taking the TMP-SMX antibiotic for just one month, these same women also had increased resistance to other antibiotics including trimethoprim, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin. After stopping the TMP-SMX antibiotic, resistance levels dropped to baseline. In the group taking the cranberry capsules, there was no increase in antibiotic resistance.

What this means to you -and what every woman should do: 
   To Continue reading: New study on recurring UTI infections yields surprising results - National Health News | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/health-news-in-national/new-study-on-recurring-uti-infections-compares-cranberries-to-major-antibiotic#ixzz1Tqu8BH6w


For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips!Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Beauty Buzz: New anti-aging breakthroughs for every budget!

By Colette Bouchez 

Whether you’re 40  and just beginning to see the signs of aging, or 55, 65 or more  and looking to get rid of those wrinkly hands of time, if you're anything like me  you can't resist a new anti-aging product.

As the fall season approaches we're seeing a bumper crop of such new treatments,  all  designed to  tease and tantalize us with the promise of youth and  a variety of new technologies and ingredients.

The good news: Whether you have ten bucks to spend – or a couple of thousand dollars at your beauty disposal - there’s something new to look forward to.



Here’s a look at four of the hottest new anti-aging treatments for Fall 2011.

Anti-Aging Treatment # 1:  Ultherapy by Ulthera

What it is:  A groundbreaking new device that promises the look  of a full face lift and neck-tightening treatment without the surgery.

How it works:  Based  in one of the  oldest and safest medical treatments in use today – ultra sound ( yes  the same ultra sound that shows you pictures of your developing baby) -  Ultherapy uses these same sound beams to  stimulate the production of collagen - the fibers that support skin and keep it looking firm and youthful.
 “Ultherapy uses ultrasound technology to first visualize and ‘see’ what the skin looks like under the surface then delivers calculated ultrasonic energy waves that stimulates the body’s healing response to lay down new collagen.  The Ulthera System is creating a brand new category in beauty and raising the bar for aesthetic medical procedures, “ says Dr. Ariel Ostad, a board certified Dermatologist and Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgeon in New York City who is  one of the first in the nation to offer the treatment.

Results: Although it can take up to three months to see the full results,  there is no brusing, scaring, and virtually no down time in the meantime!  The best part: The final result can be quite dramatic, (click here for stunning before and after photos)  lasting anywhere from one to five years.

Cost: Between $1,000 and $5,000 depending on the number of treatments needed and the size of the area requiring rejuvenation.   Must be done by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.

Anti-aging treatment # 2:  Bio Bliss

What it is:  A brand new way of using painless, harmless electrical impulses to  deliver  high quality anti-aging ingredients deep into the  brow area – including hyaluronic acid, vitamins  and anti-wrinkle peptides. It goes where traditionally creams and lotions won’t reach.

How it works:    A number of anti-aging ingredients are pre- loaded into a  fabric patch into  which are also  embedded tiny electrodes capable of releasing a mild current.  After activating the on button,   you place the self-adhesive patch on your forehead just above your eyebrows and leave in place for one hour, after which time the electrodes automatically turn off. In the meantime you can do anything you like  - read a book, wash the dishes, or even take a nap!

Results:  If you’re looking for that wrinkle-free brow without a  Botox Cosmetic injection,  Bio Bliss is for you.  A clinical study conducted by dermatologists revealed  that with just  one, 1 hour treatment, BioBliss  effortlessly, safely and painlessly reduced the appearance of brow lines and creases, with results that lasted  up to 5 days.   Over time some  results may become cumulative so you may need fewer treatments and results could last a bit longer.

Cost:   About $25 per at-home treatment – or about $100 per month to maintain the look.  For more information or to purchase online visit www.BioBliss.com .

Anti-aging treatment # 3: Dream Lift 

What it is: A temporary fix for tired looking eyes that uses a small drop of gel adhesive  to lift eye lids minimizing droopiness, wrinkles and bags.
 

How it works: A quick and easy 3 step process involves removing the thin strip from it’s paper backing,  applying a small amount of gel adhesive , and then placing the nearly invisible strip into the crease of the eye lid, where it acts as a kind of extra support structure to the lid.  Once applied they are nearly invisible – and can be worn with or without eye makeup.

Results: The results are instant ( we love that!) and the lifts do appear to stay in place for a significant number of hours.  The adhesive gel is hypoallergenic and made from medical grade ingredients  similar to eyelash glue -  so it’s not likely to cause irritation.  While there are some stunning before and afters,  the look you get is dependent on how much drooping you have and how adept you are at placing the strip in the correct location – though with practice it does get easier.  

Cost:The Dream Lift  retails for $19.99 for 68 strips,  and is available at CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Rite Aid and many other major retailers nationwide.  It is also available online at GetDreamLook.com – where you get  two sets (136 strips) for the price of one, but there is an $8.00 shipping charge.

Anti-aging treatment # 4: Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Gel
 
What it is:  A brand new type of gel-based  skin care formulation designed to offer intense moisturization lasting  up to 24 hours to prevent dryness that would otherwise  emphasize fine lines and wrinkles.

How it works:  Because it’s a gel and not a cream the ingredients are better able to penetrate the skin  helping to form a kind of “moisture pouch” under the surface that continually feeds cells all day long. A combination of antioxidant fruit waters and vitamin E also help defend skin from external aggressors ( like air pollution or  even the drying rays of the sun)  so skin looks plumper,  moist and dewy all day – without any greasy residue.

Results:  Another product where at least part of the results are virtually instant – the minute you put Moisture Rescue Gel on your skin you both see and feel an immediate difference in smoothness.  Fine lines and creases do  seem to disappear  –and more importantly, remain invisible for most of the day.  The reason?  Within  1 hour after applying studies show the skins natural moisture barrier is actually strengthened to prevent dryness from occurring. This is something we found most cream or lotion moisturizers can’t accomplish – at any price.

Bonus:  Because it’s a gel consistency it also acts almost like a make-up primer, keeping foundation and blush from going into fine lines and causing an aging effect. While this product is being marketed as “oil free” – which seems to be a buzz-phrase for young skin -   we found it’s actually a perfect anti-aging moisturizer for over 50 skin as well.  You would be amazed at much younger you will look when your skin is plump, moist and dewy – and your make-up isn't sliding into those crinkly crevices on your cheeks and around ips and eyes.

dCost: Moisture Rescue Gel sells for about $7.99 for a 1.7 oz jar – available at Drugstore.com, Walmart.com Walgreens.com,and most pharmacies.  Also available: Moisture Rescue Lightweight Lotion with SPF 15 - $7.99 for 4.5 oz.  and Moisture Rescue Foam Cleanser  6.8 oz for just $5.99.


Colette Bouchez is the design director of fashion jewelry house CountryDutchess.com and frequently writes about beauty and style.  Her latest book is the Country Dutchess Cheap Chic Diary: Online Fashion Organizer and Web Address Book.    To read more beauty news click here 

Photo courtesy of Photorack.net 

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.
This article by Colette Bouchez originally appeared on Examiner.com 

Lavender & Botox: A Good Combination

By Colette Bouchez

Thinking about trying some anti-wrinkle Botox Cosmetic injections, but feeling just a bit squeamish about needles in your face? Try inhaling some lavender essential oil just before you hit the dermatologist's office and the whole treatment may seem a lot easier to endure.

That’s the suggestion of a new study just published in the June issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology by doctors from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Baumann Cosmetic and Research Institute, both in Miami Beach, Florida.

Here, the researchers found that patients who were treated to the scent of lavender essential oils just before receiving their injection for wrinkles had a significant reduction in heart rate both pre and post treatment, when compared to those treated with a placebo scent. 

Although the lavender did not appear to have any impact on the patient’s perception of pain, additional testing showed those who were exposed to the lavender just prior to treatment experienced an increase in parasympathetic nerve activity – which is the body’s natural calming system. 

“Lavender has the potential to ease anxiety in patients undergoing invasive cosmetic procedures,” wrote lead study author Lisa Danielle Grunebaum MD.

How lavender eases anxiety

Although this is the first study to test the impact of lavender on Botox Cosmetic injections, the calming effects of this essential oil have been used in the medical arena for quite some time.

In one study on some 150 adults published by the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses, researchers found lavender oil to be extremely effective in reducing pre-surgical anxiety in a hospital setting.

In another study published in the journal “Phytomedicine” in February 2010, doctors found lavender oil was as effective as the anti-anxiety agents known as benzodiazipene (like Valium) in reducing and controlling panic attacks without the side effects or risk of addiction.

Of course none of this is news to aroma therapists, who have been calling on the almost magical properties of lavender for centuries to reduce anxiety and help folks relax. But how exactly does lavender do this?

Experts say that, like many fragrances, essential oils stimulate our sense of smell – which has a direct impact on our brain chemistry. Indeed, people who have lost their sense of smell are often found to have a greater incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety or depression.

On the flip side of the coin, people with an “overactive” sense of smell can sometimes experience great anxiety when exposed to odors that don’t affect most other people.

When you take a whiff of a lavender essential oil the scent enters your body through the cilia – which are ultra-fine hairs that line the inside of your nose. The properties of the scent pass from here directly into the area of your brain that controls mood and emotion. Depending on the scent, this can incite any number of reactions, from a calming effect (like you get with lavender) to a stimulating effect (which comes from smelling jasmine).

Moreover, smelling lavender has also been shown to increase the brain’s “alpha waves” which are produced when we are in a very relaxed state, so in this way it may help contribute to a sense of calmness.

How to use lavender

Continue reading on Examiner.com Beauty buzz: Lavender and Botox a good combination - National beauty news | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/beauty-news-in-national/beauty-buzz-lavender-and-botox-a-good-combination#ixzz1PW088Tmt

Colette Bouchez is an award winning medical journalist and author of ten books on women’s health including “The Hot Flash Solution”, a breakthrough guide for treating hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause naturally.

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. Originally published in the Examiner.com by Colette Bouchez  . This blog may or may not benefit from the products and services mentioned or featured on these pages.

Hot Flash: Flaxseed May Not Help Menopause Symptoms

If you’re one of many women turning to alternative medicine as a way of dealing with hot flashes during menopause or breast cancer treatment, you might want to cross flaxseed off your list. That's the suggestion of a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology  which found this natural treatment ineffective in controlling hot flashes.

In this randomized, placebo-controlled study of 188 women, doctors from the Mayo Clinic and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group report they found no statistically significant difference in hot flash episodes among women eating crushed  flax seed compared to those who didn’t. 

This finding contradicts earlier research by the same group which suggested that 40 grams of crushed flax seed daily might be a safe and effective way to treat hot flashes.

"While our preliminary data from our 2007 pilot study showed a reduction in hot flashes associated with the consumption of ground flaxseed, our new study did not result in a significant decrease in hot flashes with eating flaxseed compared to placebo,” said Sandhya Pruthis, M.D., of Mayo’s Breast Diagnostic Clinic and a researcher at  North Central.

Flax is a plant grown for both it's seeds and it's fiber. The seeds are what contain the nutritional value while the fiber is used in the manufacture of cloth and paper.

What Causes a Hot Flash?

Hot flashes can occur for many reasons, but the two most common are related to menopause and certain breast cancer treatments.  The flashes themselves  occur due  to rapid changes in body temperature - changes  that are  ultimately linked to fluctuations in hormones, particularly estrogen.

In fact,  while most women believe it is low estrogen that causes a hot flash, in truth, it is really the fluctuations of estrogen– the up-and-down movement  that occurs during the “change of life” -  that is really behind many menopause symptoms, including hot flashes.

Indeed, as estrogens levels rise and fall they send an erroneous message to your brain, specifically your hypothalamus gland the command central responsible for keeping your body temperature on an even keel.   This erroneous message tells your brain that your body is overheated - even when you're not - and must dispense of all this excess heat immediately.

As a result your hypothalamus gland sends a chemical message to your blood vessels to rapidly dilate and release that excess heat.

This rapid release of body heat is what you experience when a “hot flash” occurs.

However, usally within about 5 to 10 minutes your brain figures out that your hypothalamus was “tricked” by those bouncing hormones,  and that you really weren’t overheated at all.  This in turn causes your brain to send out a new message to immediately stop releasing heat – which is turn causes blood vessels to constrict and the hot flash to subside.

Indeed, the fact that all this heat was released when you really weren't overheated is one reason why many women experience a brief bout of the "chills" after each hot flash.

Natural treatments for hot flashes

Natural treatments such as flax seed are thought to help hot flashes by stabilizing estrogen levels, thus keeping the fluctuations at bay.  By doing so, the hypothalamus gland gets fewer “wrong” messages, so fewer hot flashes occur.

Now, however, this new study suggests that flax seed  does not appear to have the ability to do this - and might not be the right answer for women seeking natural hot flash relief.

What the study does not tell us, however, is whether or not higher doses of the flax seed might work, or if  using this treatment for a longer period of time might change the outcome.

That said,  Dr. Pruthis suggests that if you enjoy including flax seed in your diet, you should continue to do so since there it has many other healthful benefits.  In addition to being a good source of fiber which can help manage constipation and blood sugar (two other problems related to menopause) flax seed can also be a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which have other important health benefits during menopause , including helping to control mood swings.

Other natural treatments for hot flashes include herbs such as black cohash, red clover and dong quai.

To learn more about natural treatments for menopause symptoms, including bioidentical hormones visit www.yourMenopause.com .

Colette Bouchez is an award winning medical journalist and author of ten books on women’s health including “The Hot Flash Solution”, a breakthrough guide for treating hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause naturally.

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. Originally published in the Examiner.com by Colette Bouchez  . This blog may or may not benefit from the products and services mentioned or featured on these pages.

New Way To Predict Breast Cancer Recurrence

One of the most devastating aspects of being treated for breast cancer is the lingering fears over how long you'll remain healthy - and whether or not your cancer will recur

Now, in a study published today in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, doctors from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center say they have discovered a way to take the fear out of post-cancer care with a new test that can determine with some certainty, who is likely to develop a recurrance and who will remain cancer-free.

At the same time the discovery also opens the door on a new type of immunotherapy vaccine that could help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in all women.

The discovery, say researchers, involves a certain type of immune system cell that is present at the site of the breast tumor. By analyzing these cells experts say they can decipher clues that accurately chart a roadmap of how a patient's body will respond after the cancer treatment is over.

"We know that the body initiates an immune response when it detects cancer, and immune system cells are usually present at the site of the tumor," says the study's lead researcher, Masoud Manjili, D.V.M., Ph.D. assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at VCU Massey.

But, by analyzing these immune cells in a particular way, Manjili says they can determine the overall “ "biological response to the presence of cancer,” which in turn helps predict who will suffer a relapse and who will not.

Currently the two tests used to predict breast cancer recurrence are the Oncotype DX panel and the MammaPrint panel. While they do work, both focus primarily on genes that are being expressed by the actual cancer cells within the tumor.

The new test, says Manjili differs by looking instead for the overall immune system response to the presence of cancer – and this, he says, is what gives the best clues as to whether or not that cancer will recur.

Moreover, experts say it opens the door for a new type of immune boosting therapy that could very well reduce the risk of recurrences even in those women at risk.

“Our findings could lead to clinical trials that test whether using immunotherapy prior to conventional treatments in breast cancer patients with a high risk of relapse could prime the patients' immune system, much like a vaccine, to prevent the likelihood of relapse," says Manjili.

Study details

The study involved 17 female breast cancer patients, all treated at the VCU Massey Cancer Center. At the time of treatment, tissue samples were collected and maintained at the center for seven years.

After follow-up of all 17 patients, eight experienced cancer recurrences within five years, while nine remained cancer-free at seven years.

A closer look at the tissue samples of those who developed the recurrences – compared to those who did not - revealed a specific configuration of the genetic immune system marker, could predict those recurrences with over 85% accuracy.

The researchers say the next step is to study tissue samples from a large patient population to help validate and confirm the importance of the immune system biomarker. They also intend to further test the accuracy of the new biomarker with a long term study to see if, indeed, it can predict who will remain cancer-free over a longer period of time.

Until such time as the accuracy of the test is verified, the American Cancer Society continues to caution all women to remain vigilant about breast cancer screenings including reular mammograms, regular breast self exams,

and, for cancer survivors, regular checkups with your oncologist.

Colette Bouchez is an award-winning medical journalist and author of 10 books on women's health including The V Zone: A Woman's Guide To Intimate Health.

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. Originally published in the Examiner.com by Colette Bouchez

NYC Chic Goes Parisian: How To Get The Look

 

Printed handbags are all the rage this season!  Here’s how to get the look with an extra little bit of Parisian chic!

By Colette Bouchez

What do Paris and New York City have in common – other than fabulous restaurants, great chocolate and amazing places to view great works of art?

Well as of right now they have Kasia Dietz, a New York designer who moved to Paris and is taking the international world of design by storm . Her raison d'être: A collection of unique, reversible handbags, totes, and clutches in signature prints and handmade designs.

And while the bags may be "made in Paris with love,” they exemplify the international style her home town of New York is famous for.

The bags, which are all reversible, feature a variety of signature prints inspired by many of the bold eclectic prints of the 1970’s on one side. The other side features a  subdued solid printed with whimsical messages in a bold signature font.  The new Paris Collection features several phrase choices which allow the buyer to not only declare their love of Paris, but also show if they are a Left Bank or Right Bank kind of gal – which, in case you haven’t been to the City of Light is a lot like being a Down Town or an Uptown kind of New York City gal!

Made of canvas and all completely reversible, the reasonably priced handbags, clutches and totes make the ideal NYC-about-town bag, perfect for shopping , running errands, hitting the gym – or simply wandering the streets of some magical foreign place – like Paris, or, say, Brooklyn!

They also make a stylish and unique satchel for your file folders or magazines and most can easily accommodate a laptop or certainly a netbook, if you’re simply looking for easy, stylish transport.

With a style slightly reminiscent of Vera Bradley designs, and right in step with this season’s printed handbags, you can have a touch of Paris combined with New York City chic in a handbag you won’t see coming and going!

Kasia Dietz handbags are made in Paris and can be purchased at ww.kasiadietz.com. Retail prices range from $24 for purses, $78 for large totes and $90 for hand-printed bags. They are also available at www.SwelleBoutique.com

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips!

 

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The owners and participants in this blog may  directly or indirectly benefit from the products and services mentioned herein.

This article originally appeared in the Examiner.com. 

Recall: Clairol pulls 10 popular hair color products from store shelves

By Colette Bouchez

If you’re a fan of  Clairol Natural Instincts home hair coloring, you might want  to skip it  this month and  splurge on a trip to the salon instead.  The reason?  Proctor and Gamble – the parent company of Clairol – has just recalled 10 of it’s most popular shades for what they are calling “unwanted  color results”.

The voluntary recall involves  three color waves of Natural Instincts home hair coloring products including two shades of brown,  six Creme shades of brown and red and two Vibrant shades of blonde. The  products  were all sold in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The company says  problems stem from a mismatch between the dye and the ColorFresh! Revitalizer packet that comes packaged with the kit.   ColorFresh! is used approximately 2 weeks after the initial coloring  to help revitalize the shade.  Except in this instance, you could end up with an entirely different color than you had before.
Although P&G is moving quickly to remove all the affected boxes of dye from store shelves, if you’ve already purchased one, the advice is to simply toss  the ColorFresh! Revitalizer.The other components of the kit including the colorant and the conditioner are safe to use, says P&G.
A new supply of the hair coloring with the correct colorations are expected to be back on store shelves by May 11, 2011.

To see if your color is on the list, click here.

Other beauty-health news
In other beauty health news, last week an Italian company announced a brand new peptide they say can stop the formation of cellulite- that “orange-peel” skin that many women and some men tend to develop on their thighs, upper arms and buttocks. The peptide –  known as Silusyne – is said to help decrease the number of adipocytes  - those dimpled fat cells we call cellulite -  by interfering with their development.

"We measured the ingredient on how well it can decrease dermo-hypodermal junction irrergularities [skin dimples].The fewer the number of fat cells, the fewer the irregularities," says Elena Canadas, marketing manager for Lipotec, the company bringing the new technology to market.  
That said,  you probably don't want to toss that beach coverup just yet:  There is no word  on whether  the new peptide will make it's way into a consumer product any time soon.

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary   - It's Free! And be sure to check out www.CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! 


Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The original version of this story appeared on Examiner.com.

Fertility Over 40: Getting Pregnant In The Cloud

Photo Courtesy of GreenFertility.com 

By Colette Bouchez

As the effort to get pregnant over the age of 35 can increase, sometimes to Herculean proportions,  any piece of the puzzle, no matter how small, is worth finding. And that was truly the case last week when one of the biggest mysteries in reproductive medicine was solved: How exactly does his sperm know where to go find your egg - and once it does, what triggers the ability to get inside so fertilization can occur.  This is important at any age, but for women over 35 and especially those over 40, the answer provides more information than the question asks. 

Indeed now, two new findings - both published this week in the journal Nature - claim to have that answer and more - and it all hinges on woman's ability to produce progesterone, the hormone that, as we age, can be in short supply. 

Indeed, new research published simultaneously  this week by the University of California, San Francisco, and the Center of Advanced European Study and Research in Bonn, Germany,  report that when an egg is ready to be fertilized, cells surrounding that egg release a "cloud" of  progesterone aimed right at sperm.

That progesterone burst sends out a kind of biochemical "come hither" signal calling sperm to it's side. But more importantly, the progesterone acts directly  on  a unique ion chanel within the  body of sperm which causes a rush of calcium to move from the head into the tail. 

It is this rush of calcium, say researchers,  that causes the tail of the sperm to begin beating almost manically, not only sending it flying to the eggs side,  but also helping one sperm penetate the outer shell of the egg and get inside, so fertilization can take place.

"We think that progesterone acts directly as a ligant that binds this channel and gates it open," says UB Kaupp, of the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research and senior author of the first paper.

In the past, doctors always believed there was some type of silent, biocheical "radar" calling  sperm to  egg and many suspected progesterone played a role.  But it wasn't until this new research came forward that the source of this silent call - and how it works -  was fully indentified.

"It was a scientific mystery -- a puzzle," said  Kaupp. And now, it seems that puzzle is solved.

Vitamins, progesterone & getting pregnant

While the research emphasizes the importance of proper hormone balance in order for pregnancy to occur, indirectly it also gives creedence to a growing notion that nutrients involved in the production of progesterone - namely beta carotene, and vitamins B6 and C- might also play a role in getting pregnant.   

 " When any of these vitamins are in short supply a woman's body simply can't make enough progesterone -  the hormone necessary to to not only build the spongy lining of  the womb necessary for an embryo to implant, but now , it seems, also necessary for  making certain that sperm arrive at the right place at the right time, " says fertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen, author of "Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies. 

Equally important,  says Lauersen, is that this research opens the door to  developing new avenues of treatment for  male infertility

 "If the new research is correct then there are at least two new possibilities behind male infertility: Sperm that can't pick up the signal being emited by the progesterone, or sperm that  can't process that signal  in a way that increases tail motion necessary for swimming to,  getting inside of,  the egg," says Lauersen.

Either way, experts say  it's clear that making babies involves more than just a casual meeting of sperm and egg -  it requires real "chemistry" . And maybe that's what boy meets girl is really all about.

Colette Bouchez is a fertilty researcher and co-author of the book Green Fertility. 

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary   - It's Free! And be sure to check out www.CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! 


Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The original version of this story appeared on Examiner.com. 

CardioSmart: Free Online Tools Help Women Beat Heart Disease

By Colette Bouchez
Have heart disease? Wondering if you’re at risk? Looking for new ways to improve your heart health - besides eating all that leftover chocolate from Valentine's Day?

As we hit the midway point in the Wear Red/ Women’s Heart Health Awareness month, the American College of Cardiology is offering some important new tools for not just learning about your heart health, but taking control of your risks – and maybe even saving your own life!

Among them is a set of five free CardioSmart Survival Guides - easy –to-read and easy-to-use resources for five of the most common heart problems disgnosed today. These include coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmia (or irregular heart beat), hypertension ( or high blood pressure) and heart attack.

Developed by cardiologists for use with their own patients, the survival guides not only help you to better understand these conditions if you have them – or you’re at risk for developing them - they can also help you talk to your doctor about the kind treatments and lifestyle changes that could make a huge difference in how your feel and in your overall health.

In each of the guides you’ll learn what the condition is all about, how and why it occurs, questions to ask your doctor to ensure you get the best care possible, and most important, tips for living well with each condition.

"These Survival Guides are designed to take some of the guesswork out of taking care of your heart and encourage open discussion with your cardiologist. Something as simple as educating yourself and making small changes every day can have a profound effect on your heart health,” says Ralph G. Brindis, M.D., M.P.H., president of the American College of Cardiology.

Indeed, each year more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. Indeed, heart disease -and the conditions associated with it - are the leading health concerns for both men and women today. Heart health awareness is one of the best ways to protect yourself and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure your good health for years to come. If you get a yearly mammogram, if you would never skip a Pap smear, then you owe it to your yourself to give your heart the same level of attention and care.

The free guides are part of CardioSmart.com, a nationwide online program developed by the American College of Cardiology to help reduce the risk of heart disease and help those afflicted live longer and better lives. In addition to the 5 survival guides you’ll find a cache of valuble free information and tools that can make a huge difference in your life. To those with loved ones afflicted by heart disease, CardioSmart can help you to better understand their health concerns and problems and help you to help them in all areas of their life and health care.

To download your FREE CardioSmart guides CLICK HERE

Originally Printed by Examiner.com.
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For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Exercising outdoors may be most beneficial to health!

By Colette Bouchez

If you want to get the most benefits from your exercise time, do it outdoors. That’s the suggestion of a new study just published in the leading research journal Environmental Science and Technology – and the latest piece of evidence in support of the new concept of “Green Workouts”.

According to a team of researchers from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry , the mental benefits of exercise – as well as the desire to keep up with your exercise program - are amplified when you exercise outdoors.

Dr. Jo Thompson-Coon, PenCLAHRC Research Fellow, commented: "The hypothesis that there are added beneficial effects to be gained from exercising in the natural environment is very appealing and has generated considerable interest. By using the data currently available to us we have added strength to the link between mental and physical well-being and outdoor exercise, but further research and longer, tailor-made and focused trials are needed to better understand this link."

To arrive at their conclusion the Peninsula researchers, in collaboration with the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health, analyzed data from 11 different studies comparing the results of over 800 adults who exercised outdoors to those who worked out in doors .

The result: Those who exercised outdoors saw considerable improvement in mental well being compared to those who worked out inside. Moreover, exercising in a natural outdoor environment was associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement. The outdoor exercisers also reported a greater decrease in tension, as well as a greater decrease in feelings of anger and depression.

To read more on this fascinating study and the new concept of Green Gyms, click here.

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. Reprinted courtesy of Examiner.com

Pass It On: You Can Save A Life!

 Share this short, wonderful, funny, but important video with the women who you just can't imagine life without!   And for me, that means all of you!

Heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer combined - and it is reaching epidemic proportions.  And you can make a difference - not just with your research dollars, but by spreading awareness about symptoms and treatments - and in doing so help protect the women in your life that you love.  Visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn more - and find a free email service to tell 5 of the women you really love, that you really love them a lot!

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips!

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the products, services and information mentioned herein.

Breast Cancer: Study Says Timing of HRT May Reduce Risks

The HRT debate continues with new evidence showing that when in your natural life cycle you begin hormone therapy could make all the difference  in terms of it’s safety. Here’s what every woman must know…

By Colette Bouchez

Could the number of years that pass between the start of menopause and the start of hormone therapy influence your risk of breast cancer? That’s the intriguing question posed by a new study, published  this weekend in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Here, researchers from  England’s Oxford University examined epidemiologic data from over 1 million women,  with the idea of calculating  the risk of breast cancer in relation to the menopausal time frame during which these  women began hormone therapy.

What the study found: Women who started hormone therapy five years or more after menopause, had little or no increased risk of breast cancer, regardless of the type of hormone therapy used , how long they used it, or whether or not they were overweight or even obese – both contributing risk factors to breast cancer. 

By comparison, women who started hormone therapy just before, or soon after menopause began, were at greater overall risk for developing breast cancer.

“A new finding of this study, which has been little investigated previously, is that the interval between menopause and starting hormonal therapy has a substantial effect on breast cancer risk,” says lead study author Valerie Beral, FRS.

According to breast cancer specialist Julia A. Smith, MD, PhD, the study provides us with an important piece of the breast cancer risk factor puzzle.

“Large epidemiological studies like this one don’t  necessarily give us answers, but they do help us understand where to look  for answers – and this study has done that by reiterating  the importance of timing in the relationship between hormones and  breast cancer ,” says Smith, director of the NYU Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Program and the director of the Lynne Cohen Cancer Screening and Prevention Clinic for High Risk Women at Bellevue Hospital Center, and Breast Cancer Preventive Care Program at the NYU Clinical Cancer Center.

Indeed, Smith says that while we have long known that hormones definitely play some  role in breast cancer, it’s in the understanding of how they interplay with many other factors in our life and our health that will ultimately give us the kind of information that we need to nail down each individual woman’s risk profile.

“What’s been clear is that there is a delicate and intricate interplay between all the sex hormones and the risk of breast cancer – so much so that I don’t believe we will ever find a single correlation that is the answer for all women;  and this is why timing of hormone treatment has come to light as such an important issue – it gives us one more very important piece of the personal risk factor puzzle,” says Smith.

More study specifics

To arrive at their conclusions, the researchers looked at the health records of some 1,129,000 women in relation to their use of hormones and their relative risk of breast cancer.  They  compared  women who did not use hormones, to those who did, and most importantly, calculated the timing  at which hormone use began in relation to the start of menopause.  They also looked at various types of hormone therapy, including estrogen only and estrogen/progestin combinations.

What they found:  After adjusting for other contributing risk factors (such as family history) the researchers found that the relative risk for breast cancer was higher among those women who had begun hormonal therapy during the perimenopause ( the time leading up to menopause) or soon after menopause began, than it was for women who waited 5 years or more to start hormone therapy.  This held true both for women using estrogen –only formulations, or for those using combination hormone therapies.

How great was the increased risk?  In women who did not use hormone therapy the risk of breast cancer was approximately .30 % while the risk among hormone users was as high as .61% in those who started hormone therapy either before or within the first 5 years of menopause.  The risk for those who began hormone therapy 5 years or more after menopause was almost equal to those who never used hormones.

The question that now remains, however, is why the timing of hormone therapy  appears to have such a crucial impact. Smith believes it may be linked to the logic of not interfering with natural body changes while those changes are taking place.

“Giving a woman hormones at the start of menopause – a time when her body is not just experiencing  a loss of estrogen and progesterone, but a decrease in many different hormones – may cause the kind of imbalance that ultimately increases her risk of  not just breast cancer, but possibly other hormone related cancers,” says Smith.

“We need to ask ourselves how much do we really need to interfere with the body’s natural processes at a time when those processes are changing,” she adds.

Indeed, we have learned in the past that young women in early puberty, whose breasts are undergoing development, are at greatest risk for the ill effects of  chemical pollutants tied to breast cancer.  Similarly, it may be that when a woman’s body is undergoing similar kinds of hormonal shifts on the other end of the age spectrum, her breast cells may also be more susceptible to influence from outside factors, including hormone use.

“There are enormous  complexities and so much we do not yet understand – but one key thing that is coming to light is that the timing of when  in our natural life cycle we choose to supplement  natural losses may  play a critical role in the outcome,  or the effects of what we are supplementing,” says Smith.

In an editorial that accompanied the study, Rowan T. Chlebowski, M.D., Ph.D., of Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Garnet Anderson from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center noted that the new research is critical since it  provides substantial support for similar findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) – a massive study of more than 1 million US women.   He also added that the similarities between the patterns of breast cancer risk in both large groups of women increases the validity of both sets of results.  This is particularly important in light of the fact that both groups of researchers used different methods of calculation, yet arrived at similar conclusions.

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! Originally published in the Examiner.com -Copyright 2011 ColetteBouchez  All Rights Reserved

The owners or contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the products and information featured herein.

Want To Lose Weight? Turn Down The Heat!

A new study shows that keeping your thermostat too high in winter could be keeping you from losing weight!  Here’s what you need to know!

By Colette Bouchez

Could losing weight be as easy as turning down your thermostat? It could be, at least according to a new study just published in the journal Obesity Reviews.

Here, researchers from the University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories in England offer important new evidence that reduced exposure to cold temperatures may impact the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.

"Research into the environmental drivers behind obesity, rather than the genetic ones, has tended to focus on diet and exercise – which are undoubtedly the major contributors. However, it is possible that other environmental factors, such as winter indoor temperatures, may also have a contributing role. This research therefore raises the possibility for new public health strategies to address the obesity epidemic." says lead author Dr. Fiona Johnson, of UCL Epidemiology & Public Health.

Indeed, the study points out that as the average indoor temperatures in both the US and the UK have been steadily increasing, that rise correlates just a little too well with the rising rate of obesity.

But it’s not just pure observation driving the research. Indeed, experts say there is some solid science behind the idea that temperature affects our metabolism – and that in turn affects our ability to control our weight.

How does it work? Research suggests that that exposure to seasonal cold helps keep our metabolism running at a faster, higher rate than it normally does when the body is warm and comfy. And this, say experts, means calories burn more quickly and easily.

Brown Fat Vs White Fat: How You Lose Weight

Perhaps even more important, however, the study authors point out that exposure to colder temperatures may change our ratio of brown fat to white fat – a factor that could make a difference how much overall fat we maintain. Indeed, brown fat differs from white fat in that it has the ability to be burned in order to create body heat. And in fact the body stores brown fat to have as a ready supply of energy.

However, recent studies suggest that increased time spent in warm conditions may mean the body maintains less brown fat – and that means we lose some of our ability to burn calories. The end result: We can gain weight even if we aren’t eating more.

Study co-author Marcella Ucci, UCL Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, says: "The findings suggest that lower winter temperatures in buildings might contribute to tackling obesity as well reducing carbon emissions."

The idea that cold may induce weight loss is not entirely new. In fact, former NASA scientist and entrepreneur Ray Cronise researched the impact of temperature on weight in astronauts and found that being a bit on the chilly side does indeed speed up metabolism, making it easier to burn calories.

Moreover, he says you don’t have to freeze and shiver in order to see the effects. Reportedly his research found that regularly exposing your body to 60 degree temperatures may give your metabolism enough of a boost to impact your ability to lose weight.

Tim Ferriss, author of the The 4 Hour Body is another proponent of what he calls “thermal dieting” – the use of temperature to control metabolism. He recently told ABC News “If you make it cold, the body will do everything it can to get back to 98.6. And it has to burn calories to do that -- heat equals calories."

A Word of Caution

While exposing yourself to colder temperatures may help you lose weight, it’s important to remember that some health conditions – particularly those caused by heart disease – can be exacerbated by extreme temperature changes, particularly sudden exposure to cold. In some people, exposure to cold temperatures may even cause a heart rhythm abnormality that could be fatal.

That said, if you want to turn down the thermostat a notch or two, it probably won’t harm you – and it might just help you to lose an extra pound or two. And oh yeah, your heating bills will be lower too!

Reprinted with permission from  Examiner.com

For the latest health, beauty and style advice for women over 40 subscribe to RedDressDiary - It's Free! And be sure to check out CheapChicDiary.com for money saving beauty and style tips! 

Cervical Cancer: Good Nutrition, Regular Screenings & Safe Sex Can Protect You

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month – and it packs a powerful message no woman can afford to ignore. Here’s what you need to know …

By Colette Bouchez

As we spin head first into a brand new year – and a brand new list of resolutions we’re eager to tackle- it’s easy to let some of life’s more mundane tasks slip by - especially health screenings.

Which is one reason why health awareness months can serve such a strong and powerful purpose: They remind us of the importance of taking care of our health and move us in the direction of preventive care.

If you’re a woman, never is this more true than it is right now during January, the month dedicated to cervical cancer awareness - a disease which, while it affects some 12,00 women a year, can be prevented!

Indeed, with the help of 2 important cervical cancer screening tools – the Pap smear (which looks for abnormal cells within the cervix) and the HPV test ( which detects the human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer ) your doctor has the power to not just detect this disease at its earliest, most easily treated stages, but in many instances detect the kind of pre-cancerous cell changes that, once treated, can stop this disease from ever occurring.

Cervical Cancer: What You Should Know

Though it has a specific name, your cervix is actually the lower portion of your uterus. Here, the tissue is lined with a layer of cells that develop, grow and die, and are replaced by new cells, in a cycle that lasts anywhere from 7 to 14 days. The continuing turnover of these cells is one factor that determines cervical health

When, however, due to any number of health challenges these cells come under attack - including infection with the HPV virus - that normal life cycle becomes disrupted. Cells don’t die as they should, and as a result they begin to build up, causing the lining of your cervix to thicken and change in both shape and form. This cell “overgrowth” is known as “dysplasia” – a condition said to affect between 250,000 and 1 million women a year.

Fortunately, for some women dysplasia – even that caused by HPV - can revert to normal on its own. When your immune system is strong, and you are healthy, you simply overcome the HPV virus – or whatever factor is causing the cell build-up - and the dysplasia stops.

For a significant number of women, however, this isn’t the case. For these women, the HPV, if present, does not go away, and the dysplasia – regardless of the cause – continues to worsen. Eventually, if not stopped, these cell changes lead to the development of cervical cancer, which can progress at an alarmingly fast rate.

Unfortunately, the treatment for late stage cervical cancer involves removing not just the cervix, but the entire uterus and usually the ovaries , which is often followed by either chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of both.

The Good News:  Studies show that if  you catch those cervical cell changes early on,  not only can the dysplasia be treated but in doing so the cancer can be prevented. If early cancer is detected, treatment is equally successful.

Treatments for dysplasia or early cervical cancer can include either electro cauterization or laser vaporization (both work to burn away or vaporize the pre-cancer or early stage cancer cells.)  Other treatments also include  the Leep procedure (which uses electrical current passed through thin wire loop to remove the abnormal tissue) or a “cone” biopsy (which removes a wedge shaped piece of the cervix containing the bad cells). 

Preventing Cervical Cancer: What Else You Can Do

While having regular Pap smears and tests for HPV are two ways to protect your fertility, since the HPV virus is sexually transmitted, if you are not in a monogamous relationship (or your partner is not monogamous) you might also want to consider the protection of Gardasil – the first and only vaccine shown to protect against HPV. Although when it first appeared on the scene Gardisil was recommended only for young women, today it is also being recommended for any sexually active middle aged women as well.

Although the vaccine has been the subject of some controversy – with some women having experienced life –threatening and life-changing side effects – to date the vast majority of who have had the Gardasil vaccine appear to suffer no serious side effects or lasting problems.

If, however, you don’t want to get the vaccine, then practicing safe sex is a must – and using condoms is essential.

Perhaps most important to remember is that good nutrition can also make an important preventive difference in protecting against both cervical cancer and the effects of HPV . And there are a number of key vitamins that can help  protect against the cell changes that lead to dysplasia – or in some instances even reverse dysplasia once it begins.

Among the most important are Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene ( vitamin A) , plus other carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, squash and cantaloupe.

What do all these nutrients have in common?  They are  all antioxidants, natural chemicals which enhance immune system function. And according to experts this could hold the key to protecting cervical cells from undergoing unhealthy changes.

How Vitamins Can Protect You From Cancer

Indeed, in a study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, researchers found that women who had cervical dysplasia routinely had lower blood levels of both beta carotene and vitamin E when compared to healthy women. Moreover, there was also a direct correlation between the amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin E in the blood, and the stage of cervical abnormality – with the more advanced cases having the more significant nutrient deficiencies.

Likewise, a previous study also conducted at Albert Einstein, found that women who consumed less than 30 mg of vitamin C daily were 10 times more likely to develop cervical dysplasia than women who consumed more.

In studies elsewhere, doctors showed that topically applying vitamin A directly into the cervix was able to reverse cell changes associated with dysplasia in up to 50% of women

Still another key nutrient is folic acid or vitamin B9. How can this help? As you read earlier, cells lining the cervix renew themselves every 7 to 14 days – and in the process continually form new DNA.   When the body is short on folic acid,  studies show that abnormalities in DNA formation can occur – and that can mean a higher risk of dysplasia.

Conversely, keep your folic acid levels high – at least 400 mcg per day – and you may keep your DNA production humming along in a normal and healthy fashion.

So, along with regular screenings, practicing safe sex, and the addition of these nutrients to your diet, you not only have the power to reduce your risk of cervical cancer, but maybe even eliminate that risk entirely.  And that’s the kind of awareness that can make a real difference in your life!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The owners and contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the products, services or treatments mentioned herein.