Women manage to accumulate cosmetics almost magically, with no effort at all, for fun, for adventure, for special occasions and of course, because they were on sale. And, most women can’t bring themselves to abandon their foundation follies or blush blunders because they just might need that exactly weird shade one day. However, there comes a time when even good things, but especially the things that didn’t work, must go.

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 Research published in the July issue of the journal Radiology indicates combining new technologies may assist in identifying and analyzing benign and malignant lesions.

Women at risk for breast cancer are benefiting from earlier diagnosis using Breast MRI exams, which detect tumors missed by mammograms and the American Cancer Society recently recommended women at risk, such as those with a family history, receive an annual Breast MRI in addition to mammography. In addition to the new ACS guidelines, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that women with cancer found in one breast should undergo an MRI scan of the other breast.

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 Hair permanents can be awesome or awful. The trauma of a bad perm is a memory many women carry, clearly and painfully, into their golden years. Despite improvements, permanents are still fraught with peril.

A permanent wave is a process that creates curl in the hair shaft by altering its internal chemical structure. Permanents must disrupt the structure of hair to be successful. To create curl and volume, permanent waving agents first break the disulphide bonds that give hair shaft its structure. Hair is then put into a new shape and ‘neutralized. In neutralization, chemical bonds are re-formed in new positions, a process that fixes the hair permanently into the new shape. The secret of great perms is in the manufacturer’s formulation and the stylist’s expertise. Considering their chemical complexity, it’s a tribute to the skill of stylists and technicians that so many permanents are successful.

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Permanent make-up or micropigmentation or cosmetic tattooing are specialized techniques that implant tiny, individual implants of pigment into the dermal layer of the skin. The advantage to permanent makeup is waking up in the morning with perfectly applied eyeliner, lip color and eyebrows that won’t rub off, smear or smudge. Women who don’t see well, have dexterity difficulties or other medical conditions that might hinder their application of make-up, also benefit from permanent make-up. Women who work in very physical jobs, outdoor occupations or who enjoy activities that result in perspiration appreciate the convenience of waterproof, permanent make-up.

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To achieve a peaches and cream complexion, a woman should start with…peaches and cream. Or, if peaches aren’t in season, try another fruit. Apples and oranges, pineapple and papaya, bananas or blackberries can all play a part in a bountiful beauty regimen. Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles has 175 homemade herbal formulas to sooth, smooth and scrub skin, hair and spirits.

Filled cover to cover with an abundance of interesting, useful information about about skin, skin care, organics and their ingredients, the book is a head-to-toe guide to beautification and edification.

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 After decades of warnings about the dangers of sun exposure, an increasing number of Americans are making sunscreen part of their skin-care routine. Americans bought 60 million units of sunscreen last year, a 13 percent increase over 2005, according to Information Resources Inc., which tracks cosmetics sales.

But the increased demand has spurred an explosion of lotions, sprays, pads and gels with such diverse marketing claims — All-day Protection! Ultra Sweatproof! Total Block! Continuous Protection! Ultra Sport! Instant Protection! Extra UVA Protection! — consumers have every reason for confusion over what they are getting. Manufacturers use a variety of different marketing terms – S.P.F., UVA, UVB, waterproof, sweat-resistant – which make informed decision making difficult. Most consumers fall back on trial and error.

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 Hairdressers are often a woman’s best friend in a relationship cultivated with care, and often cherished in perpetuity. No woman wants to anger her stylist, and women face the prospect of changing stylists with dread. Like all good relationships, the stylist/customer relationship is based on trust and communication. Professional stylists encourage their clients to be as clear as possible about what they want, what they expect and what they can’t afford.

Since a picture is indeed worth a million words, hairstylists recommend bringing a picture to get the idea across when it comes to a new hairstyle. With a picture, both client and stylist will be on the same page, with a visual goal of the expected outcome. And, a picture offers a perfect opportunity to discuss realistic and unrealistic expectations.

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 With hope and the advantage of the legislature’s change in party perspective, Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, has reintroduced The Prevention First Act (H.R. 819), legislation she believes will “help protect women’s reproductive health, reduce unintended pregnancies, decrease the spread of STDs, and give women the tools they need to make the best decisions possible for themselves.”

The Prevention First Act was originally introduced in the 108th and 109th Congress by the New York democrat as a way to change the debate on abortion by focusing on preventing unintended pregnancies. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has introduced an identical senate companion bill.

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By Pat Lawrence

Patty Hager was a nurse, a teacher, and for seventeen years, a single mom struggling to take care of her family. Life was complicated and often difficult.

Today, she is the Wisteria Lady, proprietress of a charming country boutique, surrounded by the quilts and candles, flowers and furnishings she loves in a place that has become far more than her home. Life is still complicated, and often, still difficult. But, Patty has a place that is uniquely her own, one that gladdens more hearts than her own.

September will mark her twelfth year in the decorative business of what she calls “country good stuff!”. How she got there still surprises her.

Although she had intended to pursue a degree in art and hoped to teach it, Patty says, “I was divorced, had two children, 3 and 7, and needed a way to support my children.” She put herself through nursing school in 1977. “We moved in with my parents in Richmond, VA. I was so grateful to them!”

By 1985, she was able to try school again. “We moved to Fairmont, to a three room house that had been my grandparents’. The house had electricity, but no running water, no indoor plumbing. My Dad built us an outhouse – with wall to wall carpeting. It was one of the best times in our lives!” In May of 1990, she graduated from Fairmont State with a teaching degree. “I worked that summer as a nurse to raise the money to move to Hurricane.” But, full time teaching jobs were hard to come by. She did substitute teaching as often as it was offered, “They would call at 5am that morning and I’d jump up and go.” She augmented her income with part time nursing. In 1992, Patty married again. She kept teaching, when the calls came, until 1994.

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