Woman's Manual: Skincare

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Don't rely on routine tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. Here are some signs that are commonly overlooked:

1. Wheezing or shortness of breath

One of the first signs many lung cancer patients remember noticing is the inability to catch their breath.

2. Chronic cough or chest pain

Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

3. Frequent fevers or infections

These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, sapping your body's infection-fighting capabilities.

4. Difficulty swallowing

Trouble swallowing is most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, and is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too.

5. Swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin

Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer.

6. Excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn't stop

This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelets and red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing your blood's ability to carry oxygen and clot.

7. Weakness and fatigue

Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer that you'll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms. But any time you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn't respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.

8. Bloating or abdominal weight gain

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer overwhelmingly report unexplained abdominal bloating that came on fairly suddenly and continued on and off over a long period of time.

9. Feeling full and unable to eat

This is another tip-off to ovarian cancer; women say they have no appetite and can't eat, even when they haven't eaten for some time.

10. Pelvic or abdominal pain

Pain and cramping in the pelvis and abdomen can go hand in hand with the bloating that often signals ovarian cancer. Leukemia can also cause abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen.

11. Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

This is a common result of diagnosing colorectal cancer. Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy.

12. Unexplained weight loss

Weight loss is an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it's also a sign of cancer that's spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of wastes.

13. Upset stomach or stomachache

Stomach cramps or frequent upset stomachs may indicate colorectal cancer.

14. A red, sore, or swollen breast

These symptoms can indicate inflammatory breast cancer. Call your doctor about any unexplained changes to your breasts.

15. Nipple changes

One of the most common changes women remember noticing before being diagnosed with breast cancer is a nipple that began to appear flattened, inverted, or turned sideways.

16. Unusually heavy or painful periods or bleeding between periods

Many women report this as the tip-off to endometrial or uterine cancer. Ask for a transvaginal ultrasound if you suspect something more than routine heavy periods.

17. Swelling of facial features

Some patients with lung cancer report noticing puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. Small cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from your head and face.

18. A sore or skin lump that doesn't heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily

Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer -- melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma -- and be vigilant about checking skin all over your body for odd-looking growths or spots.

19. Changes in nails

Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer. A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer, while newly discovered "clubbing"-- enlargement of the ends of the fingers with nails that curve down over the tips -- can be a sign of lung cancer. Pale or white nails can sometimes be a sign of liver cancer.

20. Pain in the back or lower right side

Many cancer patients say this was the first sign of liver cancer. Breast cancer is also often diagnosed via back pain, which can occur when a breast tumor presses backward into the chest, or when the cancer spreads to the spine or ribs.

Researchers found that among nearly 196,000 Swedish women who’d had their ovaries removed, the risk of eventually being diagnosed with colon cancer was 30 percent higher than the norm for women their age.

The women had their ovaries removed for noncancerous conditions, so a history of ovarian cancer would not explain the findings, the researchers said.

Still, the link does not prove that ovary removal contributes to colon cancer risk, cautioned Mia Gaudet, strategic director of breast and gynecologic cancer research for the American Cancer Society.

The researchers were not able to account for a number of critical factors, said Gaudet, who was not involved in the study.

For one, she said, women who’d undergone ovary removal (“oophorectomy”) may have had higher rates of colon cancer screening.

“Oophorectomy, itself, is tied to more frequent contact with the health care system, including higher rates of cancer screening,” Gaudet said.

Beyond that, she said, there was limited information on the women’s weight, and no details when it came to their diets or use of hormone therapy.

Lead researcher Dr. Josefin Segelman agreed that the study had limitations.

However, it is biologically plausible that ovary removal could affect colon cancer risk, according to Segelman, a colorectal surgeon at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Other research, she explained, has suggested that sex hormones influence colon cancer development: Some studies have linked hormone replacement therapy after menopause and birth control pills to a decreased colon cancer risk, for example.

And in lab studies, estrogen has been shown to inhibit colon cancer cells from growing, Segelman said.

But Gaudet cautioned that the connection between hormones and colon cancer is unclear. Studies have been “mixed,” she said, as to whether a woman’s natural estrogen levels, or hormone replacement therapy, are related to her odds of developing the cancer.

The latest findings, reported recently in the British Journal of Surgery, are based on records from women who’d had gynecologic surgery at some point between 1965 and 2011. The women had either had one or both ovaries removed, or had undergone a “possible” oophorectomy.

The study authors noted that the latter group included women who’d had a hysterectomy, but no clear indication that the ovaries had been removed, too. However, the procedures are commonly done together.

Overall, 1.6 percent of all women in the study were diagnosed with colon cancer over the next 18 years. That was 30 percent higher than would be expected for women their age, Segelman’s team said.

Women who’d had both ovaries removed had a 2.3-times higher risk of rectal cancer than those who had only one ovary removed, the findings showed.

The researchers were able to account for a few other factors, such as whether the women had a diagnosis of diabetes or health problems related to smoking or heavy drinking—habits that are connected to a heightened colon cancer risk.

The investigators also looked at whether the women had a “diagnosis” of obesity, but did not have any other information on weight and height.

Once those factors were considered, women who’d had both ovaries removed or who had undergone a possible oophorectomy generally had a higher cancer risk than women who’d had just one ovary removed.

Often, an oophorectomy is done to treat ovarian cysts, Gaudet explained. But some women have them removed to lower their risk of ovarian cancer—including women who carry the BRCA gene mutations that greatly increase the lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Segelman said her team had no genetic information on the study group, so it’s not known how many women had their ovaries removed because of a BRCA gene mutation.

For now, both Segelman and Gaudet had similar advice for women: If your doctor recommends oophorectomy, discuss the reasons and the potential risks versus benefits.

And as far as colon cancer prevention, Gaudet suggested “focusing on the risk factors you can control.”

“The American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy, largely plant-based diet, limiting alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight,” she said. “And definitely don’t smoke.”

Fruits and vegetables are staples in a healthy diet, and that includes one aimed at preventing cancer. Many studies have documented the lower risk of various cancers among people who eat more fresh produce, and avoid things like red and processed meat.

But the majority of those studies have focused on adults, and it’s becoming clear that many of cancer’s drivers start early in life, with genes and even with childhood exposures to potential carcinogens.

To investigate this further, Maryam Farvid, a research associate at Massachusetts General Hospital and a visiting scientist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and her colleagues decided to study how diet during adolescence might affect cancer risk. In a study reported in the BMJ, they plumbed the Nurses’ Health Study, a massive survey of nurses who filled out questionnaires on their diet and were followed for various health outcomes, including cancer.

About half of the 90,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study also answered questions about their typical diet while they were teens. Those who reported eating nearly three servings of fruit a day on average had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who ate half a serving of fruit.

RELATED: With Early Breast Cancer Treatment, Less May be More: Studies

Certain fruits seemed to confer the biggest protection against breast cancer—apples, bananas and grapes were associated with the greatest reduction in risk while kale and oranges in adulthood also contributed to reduced breast cancer risk.

Farvid says that apples, bananas and grapes contain fiber, which could help to lower cancer risk; they are also high in flavonoids, which act as antioxidants to combat damage to cells that can trigger abnormal growth. Kale and oranges are high in vitamin C, another antioxidant.

RELATED: Mediterranean Diet With Olive Oil Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk

“This study underscores the importance of what a young girl eats for her future health,” says Farvid. “This study also has an important message for schools and the need to provide students with the opportunity to consume more fruits and vegetables as part of the school meal program.”

Farvid wasn’t able to document a strong relationship between vegetables and lower breast cancer risk, but says that may be because the study wasn’t powered enough to detect an effect.

The findings are among the first to look at how diet during adolescence can affect health later, and highlights the importance of establishing healthy habits from a young age, especially since many of the chronic diseases occur over many years and get rooted early in life.

The results also underscore the importance of eating whole fruit, rather than fruit juice. In the study, Farvid and her team could not find any significant relationship between fruit juice and breast cancer risk; that may be because fruit’s anti-cancer effects may have to do with the fiber found in the whole fruit, which is stripped out of juice. In the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, however, government nutritionists equated servings of whole fruit with fruit juice. “We recommend whole fruit and not fruit juice,” says Farvid, “because maybe one of the most important ways that fruit decreases risk of breast cancer is through fiber, and even natural fruit juice often has no fiber in it.”

In another study also published in the BMJ, a separate group of researchers found that among 22,000 Danish women, those who added two alcoholic drinks a day on average increased their risk of developing breast cancer by 30% over five years. The added risk of cancer, however, was counterbalanced by a lower risk of heart disease.

Taken together, the results show how critical diet can be in modulating risk of breast cancer. While challenging, changing diet can be a relatively easy way to alter a woman’s breast cancer risk equation, beginning even at a young age.

Who’s excited for summer? Oh, is that a unanimous yes? That’s what I thought. But, bear with me here, there’s a downside to the coming sunny days. If you’re out and about, your skin has the potential to get a little dry or irritated. Or worse, burnt.

However, this year, we are taking it upon ourselves to be prepared, and therefore, prepare our skin for the warmth and fun in the sun. But we needed advice, and who better to turn to than a woman who has made taking care of her skin her business. The president and founder of Skyn Iceland, Sarah Kugelman, gave us all of her best tips for keeping her skin in tip-top shape during the upcoming warmer months.

RELATED: Learn From These People Who Made Really Expensive Beauty Mistakes

Kugelman’s first tip for us? Exfoliation during the summer is going to be different in the other months of the year. Why? Because it can make your skin photosensitive. And of course, the golden rule, the first commandment: You must always, always, always wear SPF, regardless of whether you are in the city or at the beach.

As for her daily routine, Kugelman starts with a cleanser that cleans the SPF on your face as well as the grime, but still protects it from drying out. All of us here at MIMI would suggest something like the Tata Harper purifying cleanser. In the summer months, Kugelman suggests a hydration booster and serum, “In the summer, I often use a hydration booster in between my serum and moisturizer. A pure form of Sodium Hyaluronate or Hyaluronic Acid is good. This gives skin an extra boost of hydration.”

Once you’ve boosted all of that moisture in your face, then you seal it all in with a good moisturizer. “A lot of people like lotions in the summer because they are lighter in the warm weather, but I tend to still like cream as I find my skin is dry in summer. I go for something fast absorbing and not heavy/greasy with a light scent, like Skyn ICELAND’s Pure Cloud Cream,” says Kugelman.

RELATED: Reapplying Your Sunscreen On-the-Go Just Got So Much Easier

Another secret weapon? Oh, just our favorite beauty staple these days: face mist. Says Kugelman, “I also carry around a face mist, like Skyn ICELAND’s Arctic Face Mist, to continuously add moisture to my skin throughout the day and especially before/after a workout. This is key to keeping skin moist.”

And the most important part of keeping your skin looking fresh in the summer? A good exfoliating face mask. “It’s critical to do a mask once a week. Again, that helps detox skin, remove dead skin, and open the pores. This also won’t make your skin more sensitive to the sun if you do it at night.”

Might we suggest the new Exfoliating Facial by Goop? It’s one of our faves.

RELATED: Do You Have a Sunburn? Here’s What You Need to Do

To finish things up, Kugelman suggests using oil at night, not during the day (certain oils can create sun sensitivity). So there you have it. Throw in a couple of Skyn Iceland’s Hydro Cool Eye Gels and you are bound to have the best summer of skin you’ve had in a while.

Of late though, the view on chocolate for the skin has taken an about turn. High-end spas all around the world have introduced the latest in skin care - chocolate spa treatments! From soothing chocolate massages and body wraps to indulgent chocolate facials and invigorating chocolate body scrubs, suddenly chocolate is everywhere. Using cocoa-based creams, lotions, and oils, you can now choose to get your chocolate fix without the calories.

Some of the benefits of chocolate body treatments include:

Firms the skin - The caffeine present in chocolate stimulates the circulation and improves blood flow. This in turn improves and invigorates skin cells, decreases the aging process and increases firmness of the skin.

Rich in anti-oxidants - The darker the chocolate, the more powerful are the antioxidant properties. It is also important that you choose your creams and lotions carefully before you begin using them. Products that contain more than 35% of pure cocoa are more effective when it comes to revitalizing the skin and giving it a plumper and firmer feel. Antioxidants also help increase the level of collagen and elastin in the skin and thereby reduce the effects of aging. Fine lines and wrinkles can be treated with regular chocolate treatments as antioxidants lessen the damage caused by free radicals in the body.

As a moisturizing agent - Cocoa butter contains high amounts of natural oils and emollients necessary for treating dry, rough and flaky skin. A chocolate massage or chocolate body wrap using a cocoa-butter based massage cream will help remedy rough skin especially on those stubborn spots such as the elbows, knees and feet. The higher the percentage of cocoa butter in the lotion or cream, the better moisturized the skin stays long after the treatment is over.

Good for health - Studies have shown that eating a small bit of dark chocolate every day can improve your cardiovascular system, and help prevent atherosclerosis and chronic fatigue due to its antioxidant properties.

Chocolate also has the power to improve a person’s mood and cause feelings of euphoria. Even the smell of chocolate can accomplish this positive effect on the brain; making chocolate massages an ideal way reap the health benefits of without any of the guilt associated with eating too much chocolate.

Good for cellulite - Chocolate contains theobromine that helps burn fat and get rid of cellulite. A chocolate massage or chocolate body wrap helps work the chocolate-based lotion or oil into the skin for the best results.

Calming effects - Who hasn’t calmed down after biting into a chunk of chocolate? In much the same way, a chocolate massage helps reduce stress and tension and eases tight and sore muscles.

You can also make your own chocolate massage lotion at home in a few simple steps:

Mix together a quarter cup of cocoa powder with one cup of shea butter and a quarter cup of chamomile oil. You can use a blender for this to get a nice smooth consistency.

Mix till the lotion is smooth and free of lumps. If you would like it thinner, add some more oil. If you prefer a thicker cream, add some more shea butter. Make sure that the shea butter is at room temperature for the best results.

Pour this lotion into a jar with a tight lid and store in a cool dark place.

Use to massage into the skin or as a moisturizer. It is gentle enough for everyday use.

Stress is universal, and it's not always bad. Whenever you jump to catch a badly thrown ball, feel especially energetic before an important meeting, or hit the brakes in time to avoid a car accident, stress is doing its job. The adrenaline boosting your heart rate and the colorist boosting your blood sugar, while diverting energy away from your digestive system and immune responses, are exactly what prehistoric humans needed to fight or flee attackers.

However, when there's never any relief from stress, the sustained fight-or-flight response can cause problems. In fact, Web MD warns that constant stress actually becomes "distress -- a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases."

BEHAVIOR CHANGES

Angry outbursts

Drug or alcohol abuse

Over- or under-eating

Social withdrawal

Tobacco use

MOOD CHANGES

Anxiety

Irritability or anger

Lack of motivation or focus

Restlessness

Sadness or depression

BODY CHANGES

Chest pain

Fatigue

Headache

Muscle tension or pain

Sex drive

Sleep

Stomach upset

Massage Therapy and Stress

Virtually every symptom listed by the American Psychological Association can benefit from massage. Research has shown that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax your muscles and increase the production of endorphins, your body's natural "feel good" chemical. Serotonin and dopamine are also released through massage, and the result is a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic or habitual as well as acute or short-term stress much easier to overcome.

In fact, stress relief is one of the first benefits that come to mind when thinking of massage therapy. It's also a key component for anyone trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Clinical studies show that even a single 1 ½-hour session can significantly lower your heart rate, cortisol levels and insulin levels -- all of which explain why massage therapy and stress relief go hand-in-hand.

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Stress

Taking care of your body should be at the top of your priorities. By adding therapeutic massage to your routine now, you'll feel, look and simply be healthier far into the future. In fact, stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. So what better way to prep for a long, happy life than a relaxing, therapeutic massage?

If you're looking to add stress-relieving massage to your wellness program, a Massage Envy membership can be a powerful ally when combating daily pressures and anxiety. In addition to stress relief, ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance. Our experienced, professional therapists at Massage Envy locations nationwide customize every massage (and stress relief) session to address your individual needs.

Having lots of tattoos might make you look tough on the outside, but it turns out it actually makes you tougher on the inside, too. A new study, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, has found that getting lots of tattoos might make your immune system stronger.

The study was small, only including 24 women and five men from age 18 to 47, who were about to get tattoos. Researchers at the University of Alabama collected saliva from participants before and after getting tattooed, and tested the levels of immunoglobulin A (an antibody that kicks into gear when you have an infection like a cold) and cortisol (a stress hormone that can suppress your immune system).

They found that getting a new tattoo actually suppresses your immune response, because your body is stressed out by the experience. That can leave you more vulnerable to infections and colds in the short term. But if you have multiple tattoos already, your immune system gets stronger, and there's less of a freakout when you get inked again. The study was limited because of its small size, but it still points to a fascinating connection between tattoos and the immune system.

The researchers point to two possible reasons behind this: One, tattoo experts might just not be that anxious about getting inked again, so their bodies don't stress out as much. And the other explanation is that people with lots of tattoos are just used to it, like workout fiends who stop getting sore after a while-they're just stronger.

Don't go getting a full back tattoo to prevent you from getting the common cold or anything, but this research does show why people sometimes feel exhausted and even sick after getting ink for the first time. But if your mom gives you the side-eye because of your tattoos next time you go home, reassure her that they might boost your immune system in the long run.

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