When it comes to beauty and your health, it’s important to get your facts straight.
But this is hard to do when there are so many beauty myths floating around , whether it’s on the internet , from our mothers , or from our friends.
This could be that crossing your legs causes varicose veins or that smiling causes crow’s feet.
Another one of these is whether you should be putting lotion between your toes or not.
But before we get into the truth on that, let’s get into some other common beauty myths that people have been quick to write off.
In order to prevent you from shaving your legs too young, your mother may have told you that shaving makes the hair grow back longer — and thicker.
It’s a good thing your mother was skimming the truth on that. Mayoclinic reported that shaving hair gives the hair a blunt tip.
“The tip might feel coarse or ‘stubbly’ for a time as it grows out.”
This is why the hair may appear or feel darker or thicker. Body hair is a personal choice, so it’s your decision whether you shave it off or keep it long.
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Beauty myth #2 is that crossing your legs too much can cause varicose veins or spider veins.
The ones who say this are usually the ones who have varicose veins. But they didn’t get it from crossing their legs too much.
“Bulging blue varicose veins have an enormous genetic component,” Paul Jarrod Frank, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist, told ‘Real Simple.’
“They have to do with an inherited weakness in the valves of the blood vessels.” So if someone in your family has them, prevention is key.
This includes staying active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Another myth is that smiling causes crow’s feet. Now, before you frown, take comfort in the fact that this isn’t true. It’s been found that sun exposure and repeated squinting are direct causes.
Some beauty myths toe the line between fact and fiction — literally.
A big one that fits into this category is whether you should be putting lotion between your toes or not. Some believe that it’s good to keep your feet moisturized.
There has even been the trend of ‘foot slugging”
Like facial slugging, this is the process of laying humectant products around the area (in this case, the foot) and then sealing it with something, such as a sock, and leaving it on overnight.
But the truth is that applying lotion between your toes is dangerous.
On his website, doctor Lucas Nathan, a podiatrist in Los Angeles and Memphis , explained that it’s important to avoid the toes as much as possible due to fungal susceptibility.
“The area between your toes is an ideal environment to hold in moisture, and so when feet are kept moist and warm after lotion is applied, bacteria and fungus can begin to grow,” he said.
“This can lead to conditions such as athlete’s foot and fungal nail.”
Googling these conditions is enough to make you not want them.
If you have diabetes, it’s especially important not to put lotion between the toes, as issues in the feet can lead to serious complications.
So follow this advice to help you put your best foot forward!
