that's disgusting // sharing makeup dude. gross.
Photo illustration by Kristen Hudson
Whether you're slicking on your friend's peachy pink lipgloss or borrowing your roommate's shiny new bronzer, that makeup you're applying could be giving you more than a makeover. Using someone else's makeup could transmit bacteria or spread an infection.
Impetigo, a skin condition that causes red sores on the infected area, and fever blisters are two possible consequences of sharing makeup, says Lee Bittenbender, a dermatologist at the Dermatology Center of Lawrence.
Sharing makeup could also result in a staph infection. Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, a type of germ commonly located on the skin or in the nose. Some people, even if they're healthy, can carry the infection without realizing it, says Cecil Fackrell, a physician assistant at the Dermatology Specialists of Kansas City. Usually staph bacteria only cause minor skin infections, but sometimes the bacteria can enter the bloodstream, urinary tract, lungs or heart, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Borrowing your friend's latest Sephora find could also result in an allergic reaction.
"You might never have any problems with your eye shadow, but then you try a friend's and get an allergic reaction because you've never used that brand before," Bittenbender says.
While sharing any type of makeup — be it foundation, powder or eyeshadow — is unhygienic, using someone else's eyeliner is a definite no-no. "It's more risky because of the chance of contamination from body fluids," Fackrell says. Lipsticks also pose threats because of the chance of catching cold sores and herpes viruses.
When it comes to makeup, don't do as your mother told you — be selfish.
// KRISTEN HUDSON
12
August 20, 2009
good for you, bad for you // sometimes it's hard to tell
always parting your hair on the same side
Chelsea Brown, hair stylist at Shoshin Salon in Kansas City, Mo., says clients who keep their part on the same side for long periods of time start to lose life in their hair, and the hair begins to thin out on one side. Brown says changing a part creates more volume and gives people a whole new look.
People are generally wary of change, which is probably why it's so hard to alter our look. But is keeping our hair parted on the same side just an innocent desire for some consistency, or is it damaging our hair?
Worried about ending up with a goofy cow-lick post-part flip? Training a part takes time says Brown, and using a blow-dryer is crucial to how the part will lie. She recommends doing a "tornado blow dry," a technique where there is no focus on a part at all. Hair is shifted from the right side to the left side while drying, creating a messy look. When hair starts to cool
If hair-thinning isn't incentive enough to make the change, think of this: the more often you change your part, the more often you'll change your look, and the less often you'll need to pay for a haircut.
down and is about 95 percent dry pick a part and let hair cool in that one spot.
Verdict: Bad for you
Photo illustration by Amy Johnson