*Dr. Abravanel’s Body Type Diet*
This is the most popular of the body type diet books. I picked it up because I was having a lot problems from my low thyroid, and this book talks a lot about thyroid issues. Dr. Abravanel purports that there are 4 different body types that people fall into, and the book teaches you what to eat and not eat for your body type, and what type of exercises are best suited for you. It expands on the endomorph, mesomorph, or ectomorph body type classifications.

Determining your body type
The body type book has a quiz to find out if you’re genetically a Thyroid (Paris Hilton), Adrenal (Britney Spears), Gonad (Kim Kardashian), or Pituitary type. I’m a classic thyroid type. No body type is better or worse – they’re just different. The premise is that one of these glands is dominant for us, and we seek out foods to stimulate this gland, which is actually the worst thing we can do. So if you’ve ever wondered why you crave sugar and carbs (like me) while your best friend craves steak – well now you know! The theory is that once you are in balance, you will no longer crave the foods that aren’t good for you. The reason I am so fascinated with this book is because it’s like reading a horoscope – the author describes my personality to a tee, my favorite foods, my crashes after eating, my thyroid problems, my love of coffee, exactly where I put on weight, the fact that I used to be able to eat anything without gaining, and that now I can’t lose weight at all, etc.

After taking the quiz, I made my boyfriend, friends, and parents take it, and the results are scarily accurate for all of us! When I meet new people and we start talking about weight, I can predict their favorite foods now just by looking at them – it’s a fun party trick, as long as you don’t offend anyone! Not everyone falls perfectly into one body type, so this book may not be as revealing to you if don’t have as many obvious characteristics of your type. Here is a body type website where you can determine which body type you have (the book is a lot more detailed).

Once you’ve found your body type
Okay here comes the bad news – this book is extremely strict and limiting, and chances are it will tell you to never again eat your favorite foods. A 1200 calorie a day meal plan is provided, and as a thyroid type, it told me to eat everything I hate (lots of protein, meat and veggies, and highly limit carbs, sugar, and caffeine). I followed the plan the best that I could, and I was able to stick to the 1200 calories without being hungry, but after a month I didn’t lose any weight. I know that’s crazy, but I haven’t been able to lose a single pound in two years. But for most “normal” people, I’m sure they would lose weight. So while my plan resembles Atkins (with veggies), my boyfriend is an adrenal type, and the book tells him to give up steak, and to eat a more balanced array of foods, like the South Beach Diet.

For me, the take away is that I now have some new eating ideas – I have really cut back on bad carbs, sugar and coffee, and I eat more eggs and protein. Each diet book I read gives me a few great tips, which is why I read so many. Ironically I’ve read some books with quizzes that say I should eat the exact opposite of what this book says, but personally I tend to believe the body type book more because of its psychic ability to describe me so accurately. 

Exercise for your body type
Aside from needing to eat certain foods for your body type, there are specific exercises that benefit your body type the most too. Dr. Abravanel encourages cardio, strength training and flexibility training, but emphasizes different workouts according to body types. Again he is psychic, because for my thyroid type he recommends I work on strength and endurance, my two biggest exercise weaknesses. For the adrenal type, for example, he encourages mostly cardio, even though a lot of adrenal types gravitate toward weight lifting in an attempt to lose weight.

Other body type books:
The Body Code by Jay Cooper is another great body type diet book. It’s very similar to Dr. Abravanel’s book, and obviously modeled after it. It also has a quiz to determine your body type, and the book recommends mostly the same things. Finally Escape Your Shape is about exercises to do to make your body look more balanced. If you are smaller on top, and bigger on bottom, it gives you specific workouts to do, and exercises to avoid. If you have a big butt, for example, the last thing you want to do is the stairmaster, because that will bulk you up more. Or if you are built straight up and down, you are given tips on how to create more curves. This book isn’t too exciting, but if you feel like your workouts are making your problem areas worse, then it’s definitely worth reading.

Bottom Line
Honestly I’ve read so many diet books that it’s hard to know what diet/lifestyle plan is best to follow. For the most part I try to eat a healthy balanced diet, but I still highly recommend reading the body type diet books to most people. The fact that I didn’t lose any weight by following this plan is not exactly a testament to its success, but I haven’t lost any weight after following The South Beach Diet, Jillian Michaels’ Making The Cut, or using the GoWear Fit, etc. Nonetheless, I definitely feel healthier! Finally, I like to write about weight loss (on my skin care blog) because I spend so much time reading about it, and I know a lot of people struggle with their weight, as well as their skin!

Have you read any of the body type diet books? What’s your favorite weight loss book or weight loss plan?

Related posts:

1. The Cellulite Solution
2. Bingo Wings!
3. My Body Wash Clogged My Pores!

Bingo Wings

The curse of the bingo wings
Bingo wings is a slang term for flabby arms – also know as saggy arms, bat wings, and just plain fat arms. When you raise your arm to call out BINGO and the skin under your arm waves around along with your hand – you have bingo wings. The girl in this photo has escaped the dreaded bingo wings so far… When I was in 5th grade, my teacher was thin and tan, yet she had the most saggy, droopy arms ever, and they would flap like crazy when she wrote on the chalkboard. I vowed I would do whatever I could to escape the same fate (I guess I’ve always been vain, even as a kid). I wasn’t vigilant enough because I developed my own set of bingo wings last year.

Bingo wings causes
Bingo wings are either arm fat, or extra loose skin that hangs down underneath the tricep muscles when you hold your arms up. Genetics play a big role - people gain weight in different areas, and in my case, it goes mainly to my thighs and arms. As I wrote in my GoWear Fit review, I’ve gained some weight, and even though it’s not a ton, it’s enough to cause some pretty obvious bat wings (plus arm cellulite). Loose saggy skin can be caused by significant weight loss, and the skin then isn’t able to snap back into place. As you get older, your body loses collagen and elastin, which again causes sagginess. And a lack of muscle tone can make bingo wings more obvious.

Banish bingo wings
I’m in the process of trying to banish my own bingo wings, and I know what should work in theory…. When bingo wings are caused by excess fat, the best way to reduce flabby arms is the obvious way – lose fat – which of course is easier said than done. The typical healthier lifestyle plan we all know about - consume less calories and eat healthier foods, do cardio exercise, and do strength training – is the best way to reduce bingo wings (as well as fat from the rest of your body). You can’t spot-tone and just reduce fat in one area.

Exercises to reduce bingo wings
Besides cardio (fast walking, swimming, running, Zumba, spinning, etc.) to reduce overall fat, strength training (weights, yoga) builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat, and it also makes your flabby arms appear more toned. Of everything I’ve tried at the gym, yoga has given me the most noticeable results as far as more definition in my arms. I do Asthanga and Vinyasa yoga 2-3 times a week, and there are so many challenging arm strengthening poses in the class that it really helps build up your arm muscles. But losing fat is still essential because you can’t see much muscle definition until the fat is reduced. Weight machines that focus on your triceps, biceps, and deltoids are also great for arm toning. Yoga poses that really work your arms include downward dog, dolphin pose, plank and side plank, chaturanga, and crow pose – you can look for pictures of these on google, or search for “yoga arm poses.”

More bingo wing exercises
The rowing machine at the gym is an excellent arm toner. Good old fashioned push ups and pull ups are also great for toning arms. I bought one of those pull up bars you hang in the door frame (the Iron Gym) and it’s great. I have had it for a year and still can’t do a pull up (which is why I still have bingo wings), but I just jump up and hang from it and do the best I can. The Iron Gym is one of the few infomercial products that is awesome, but have you seen the Shake Weight? It’s supposed to cure bingo wings, and it’s the most ridiculous, useless invention ever. I tried one out at Target when no one was watching, and it doesn’t work at all and it’s so embarrassing – save your money! If you google “tricep exercises” and “bicep exercises” you will find some great exercises you can do at home with cheap free weights (I use 8 pound weights).

Wear sunscreen to prevent bingo wings!
I was slathering on sunscreen on my arms yesterday, and that’s how I got the idea to write about bingo wings. Saggy skin is caused in part by a loss of collagen and elastin due to age, but external factors, like sun damage, make everything worse because the sun also breaks down skin’s collagen and elastin. Crepey, saggy arm skin is what you have to look forward to if you tan and never wear sunscreen:( I am learning this the hard way because I always skimped on applying sunscreen on my arms until recently. I had written about saggy neck skin before, and lately I’ve been noticing that arm skin ages just as poorly due to sun damage. Prevention is key!

Surgical options
Despite all the ways to reduce flabby arms and saggy arms, sometimes diet and exercise is not enough to combat it. There are surgical options like an arm lift (brachioplasty), but it leaves a major scar and the results aren’t perfect. Liposuction may also be done to remove excessive fat.

Do you have bingo wings? Have you had any success in getting rid of them or reducing them?

Related posts:

1. GoWear Fit Review

Causes of stretch marks
Stretch marks usually appear after rapid weight gain or weight loss, growth spurts, and pregnancy. Even excessive weight lifting can cause them. Genetics also play a role, so getting stretch marks can be hereditary. Stretch marks are a breakdown of the skin’s collagen and elastin, and surprisingly doctors are still unsure of the exact reason why stretch marks occur. Theories, though, include elevated stress hormones and other hormone changes, and well as the skin stretching beyond its capacity, or stretching too quickly.

Stretch mark products to avoid
So how do you get rid of stretch marks? It’s not easy to get rid of them, but there are some possible solutions to make them less noticeable. I’ve had white stretch marks on my hips since high school, and most of the time I don’t even notice them anymore, and I suspect it’s because I don’t tan anymore, and that has helped them blend into my currently pale skin.

Most over-the-counter products that claim they will fade stretch marks do not work at all, and they are a complete waste of money. Mederma, onion extract, aloe, cocoa butter, wheat germ oil, and other creams and oils will unfortunately not reduce stretch marks, despite their fanciful claims. Your skin may appear more hydrated, but that’s it. These products are a waste of money.

Ways to really get rid of or reduce stretch marks
If you have just developed stretch marks and are concerned about them, I would visit a Dermatologist right away because the faster you start on treatment, the better your end results. Fresh stretch marks are usually red, pink, or brown. Eventually they will fade to a white or silvery color. If you are breast feeding, though, most of your treatment options will be limited until you are finished nursing – your doctor can tell you what is and is not safe. A lot of doctors, however, will tell you that nothing can be done for stretch marks, so unfortunately you might end up spending money on treatments that are not effective. Ideally treatments would come with a money-back guarantee, but I doubt many doctors or medical spas offer this.

Retinoids
Topical retinoids like Retin-A and the generic Tretinoin can have some improvement on stretch marks. Your doctor will need to give you a prescription, and you can’t use retinoids when you are pregnant or nursing. Using retinoids on fresh stretch marks might give you the best results.

Chemical Peels and Glycolic Acid
Your Dermatologist may perform medical-grade chemical peels (with TCA or Glycolic Acid) to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Topical Vitamin C could also increase your collagen production and you could rotate between Vitamin C, Tretinoin and over the counter Glycolic Acid products at home. If you see any results, they probably won’t be that dramatic. Dermabrasion performed by a Dermatologist may also slightly help with textured stretch marks.

Lasers
There are several types of lasers that are currently being used to reduce the appearance of colored stretch marks. On pink, red and purple stretch marks, Dermatologists and Cosmetic Surgeons use V-Beam, and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light – not a true laser). Brown stretch marks may be treated with Q-switched lasers. What I haven’t been able to determine is if the colored stretch marks turn skin-colored after treatment, or if the laser just speeds up the fading process, thus making the stretch marks white. In that case, it seems sort of pointless since they will fade to white on their own, yet they would still be visible.

Fractional Lasers / Fraxel
If you have old stretch marks that have turned white or silverly, and if they are textured, then fractional lasers may give you a noticeable improvement. Fractional lasers haven’t been around for very long, so using them to treat stretch marks is still pretty new, but it’s a promising solution. From what I’ve read, some people see a good improvement, yet others don’t see any improvement. Fractional lasers, or any type of lasers, must be handled by doctors that are extremely skilled, so you will need to get referrals, check on the doctor’s credentials, and ask to see before and after pictures. You also might want to check with more than one doctor to compare their approach. Lasers aren’t cheap, but if you are really bothered by stretch marks, it may be worth it.

How celebrities remove their post-baby stretch marks
Tummy tucks can remove stretch marks on your stomach – the actual skin is surgically removed, along with the offending stretch marks. You will have a scar, but it’s usually low enough to be hidden under a bikini bottom. I have a feeling a lot of celebrities get tummy tucks to achieve the perfect post-baby body. This is major surgery, but it may be the most effective solution to remove stomach stretch marks, along with saggy, crepey, and flabby skin that doesn’t respond to diet and exercise.

Permanent makeup or cosmetic tattoos
An unusual approach to disguising stretch marks would be to have white stretch marks filled in with flesh-colored tattoo ink. I don’t know how well this works, and there’s always a possibility of making the stretch marks look worse, so you would need to find an excellent cosmetic tattoo artist that specializes in permanent makeup. I was unable to find before and after pictures of stretch mark cover up with permanent makeup, so this doesn’t seem to be a common thing. Regular tattoos can also disguise stretch marks, though. The ink might blur over the stretch mark, so your tattoo artist would need to be skilled to figure out how to incorporate this into the design. And of course this solution is only good if you prefer tattoos to stretch marks!

Unfortunately, even with the best procedures, a total removal of stretch marks is usually not possible. Some people will see no improvement, while others will see a decent improvement from various treatments. Do you have any stretch mark solutions? Do you have stretch marks but aren’t bothered by them? Finally, I wasn’t able to find any medical references to the use of silicone scar pads and sheets on stretch marks, but I do wonder if they would be effective at all on improving the texture of stretch marks, specifically on newly formed ones.

Related posts:

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GoWear Fit by BodyMedia is an armband that is a lifestyle and calorie management system. You may have seen “The Biggest Loser” contestants wearing a BodyBugg, and the GoWear Fit is the same thing. In simple terms, the armband tells you how many calories you burn each day, and specifically how many calories each activity you do burns.

Last summer I was on a weight loss kick and after trying almost everything for four months, I lost zero pounds (and zero inches)! I read 10 diet books, formed bingo wings!, went to the gym almost every day, did weights, did cardio, and calculated my calorie intake, yet I was not losing even an ounce. WTF?? I was diagnosed officially with hypothyroid (low thyroid), which I suspected I had for years, but I never found losing weight impossible in the past. I am writing about this weight loss tool on my skin care blog because almost everyone is interested in new ways to achieve weight loss, so I wanted to share my experience.

*Get your own GoWear Fit from Amazon*

GoWear Fit vs BodyBugg
When I got my GoWear Fit last year, I bought it instead of the competing BodyBugg because it was cheaper. The two armbands used to look different, but now it appears that they are the same thing, but I think the GoWear Fit is still cheaper (and Amazon has the best price).

GoWear Fit for weight loss
To see what was going wrong with my metabolism, I bought the GoWear Fit armband to track exactly how many calories I was expending each day. The armband is pretty pricey (it now sells for around $175). I had read great reviews about it online, and there are whole message boards online dedicated to discussing the GoWear Fit, so I was super excited to try it.

The armband is easy to use – just slip it on, velcro it shut, and you’re good to go. At the end of the day, you plug it into your computer, login to the BodyMedia website, and it shows you a graph of how many calories you’ve burned during the day, as well as nearly minute-to-minute. I think the website has added some new features since I last used it in the summer. The graph of burned calories is pretty fascinating – it showed me sitting on the couch watching TV (1 calorie burned per minute), working on my computer (still just 1 calorie a minute), walking to the mailbox (3 calories per minute), doing yoga (5 calories a minute), etc.

What I discovered is that I burned about 1 calorie a minute sitting around, and I burned more doing anything else – walking down the hall, chasing the cat, walking around a store, etc. I know it’s pretty obvious, but you feel really encouraged to get up and do stuff so that it shows up on your graph at the end of the night. It’s also fun to see surprise calorie burns – I burned more calories shopping one day than I did doing yoga for an hour. Woohoo!

The armband also calculates how many steps you take each day, so it acts as a pedometer as well. I was always way, way below the magic 10,000 number:( It also calculates your physical activity (cardio) and again mine was pretty low, except the actual time I was at the gym. So the armband highlighted the fact I really wasn’t being as active each day as I could have been:(

GoWear Fit for sleeping
The most surprising benefit of the GoWear Fit is that it monitors your sleep patterns. The armband can tell when you are just lying there versus when you are actually sleeping. It showed me burning about 1 calorie a minute sleeping, but sometimes I burned even more, which is weird, since that meant I burned more calories sleeping than working at my computer! I wonder if this is totally accurate, or if being under a warm blanket can throw off the device? What I found out is that I am a perfect sleeper, and I have a great sleep efficiency, whatever that means.

My boyfriend always complains he can’t stay asleep and he’s always exhausted so I made him wear the armband for a few nights. His graph was dramatically different than mine, and it showed him waking up once an hour, and never getting restful sleep. I’m pretty sure he has sleep apnea, and this tool was the proof. If you suspect you have sleep problems, I could see this device helping you figure out if something’s wrong, and hopefully with a doctor’s help, you can then get treatment.

Is GoWear Fit worth the money?
My armband told me I burned around 1800-2000 calories a day, and there were a lot of days I didn’t go to the gym because I was so fed up with not losing weight. I was eating about 1300 calories a day, so why I never lost weight is still one of the great mysteries of my life. On the BodyMedia website, you enter in your weight, sex, and height, and I wonder if the graphs just give you a general idea of what you *should* be burning if you have a *normal* metabolism. Many women have metabolisms that are much slower than average, but I wasn’t able to find documentation that states whether the GoWear Fit armband can tell this, or if it just does an average for your weight and height. I still didn’t lose any weight after using the armband, and to this day I haven’t lost any weight, even though I’m an expert on what *should* work. However, given that this is a unique tool that gives you specifics about your daily calorie burn, if you’re at a weight loss plateau and nothing is working, if you need extra motivation, if you have sleep problems, or if you have no idea how many calories you’re burning, I think the GoWear Fit is worth the cost.

GoWear Fit disadvantages
The one bad thing about the armband is that you have to wear it almost 24/7. During the hot summer, I was wearing it around everywhere while wearing tank tops, so I constantly felt self-conscious. It’s not uncomfortable, though, so if you cover it up with a jacket or long-sleeve top, no one will know you have it on. Finally, the initial cost of the armband is expensive, but it is an investment into your health. You also get a three month free membership to the BodyMedia website, but after that you have to pay a monthly subscription to continue to upload your nightly data. Aside from the cost, and the slight embarrassment, there are no other disadvantages to using a GoWear Fit.

Bottom Line
The GoWear Fit, or BodyBugg, is an excellent tool to help achieve your weight loss goals for most people, although I do question whether it can accurately assess your metabolism rate. The armband helps to motivate you to move around more, and it gives you insight into how many calories each daily activity really burns, thus taking away your guessing, which can be way off at times. And it’s the first tool I’ve seen that can help diagnose sleep issues. After using my GoWear Fit for a few months, I felt like I had enough knowledge about my expended daily calories and sleep patterns, so I ended up selling it used on Ebay and getting back 90% of my money!

*Get your own GoWear Fit here*

Have you tried a GoWear Fit or BodyBugg? What did you think?

Related posts:

1. Skinny Fat
2. Body Type Diet
3. Bingo Wings!

Underarm cyst treatment and prevention
Once I got the second cyst, and then a third one, I immediately suspected the problem was probably being caused by something topical I was applying to my skin. The only thing new I added to my routine was a new hydrating body wash. Because this happened last year, I can’t remember for sure which body wash it was, but I think it was Olay Body Creme Ribbons. I don’t want to blast the product, in case I’m wrong, and I used to use Olay body washes all the time when I was younger and loved them. Anyway, I stopped using my new body wash, and within a few days the cysts were all gone, and they have never returned! What I had was a severely impacted skin follicle that turned into the size of a large pea.

If you develop underarm cysts and have added a new product to your routine (a new body wash, soap, or antiperspirant), eliminate the new product for a week or two to see if that fixes the problem. If not, it’s best to call your doctor to see if something more serious is going on (it could be a swollen lymph node, for example). I’m lucky that my cysts went away on their own, but I could foresee them needing to be extracted by a Dermatologist if they don’t subside naturally.

Keratosis Pilaris
You may remember I develped Keratosis Pilaris from a different body wash – Dove Cool Moisture. Basically that body wash clogged my pores, which caused dry, bumpy “chicken skin” pores on my upper arms. A switch to a different body wash cleared up my chicken skin, although I was lucky because Keratosis Pilaris can be difficult to treat. Given that makeup and facial skin care products many times clog pores, I guess it’s no surprise when it happens on your body as well!

Best Hydrating Body Wash
Currently I still use Johnson’s Body Care, Deep Hydrating Intense Moisture Body Wash which you can find at Walmart and CVS. Make sure to get this one (the yellow top), or the one with the green top, because they have the same ingredients, which are different than their other, similar body washes. The only reason I tried out different body washes was because I don’t like the smell of the Johnson’s – my boyfriend calls it “Grandma soap.” But I’d rather smell like flowery perfume than deal with bumps all over my body!

For the most part, even though I have dry skin, I stay away from body washes that have the word “cream” or “hydrating” or “moisture” in them, since those are the ones that clog my pores (except for the Johnson’s one). The best thing to do is experiement because everyone’s skin is different, and luckily body wash is pretty cheap. I also returned the $5 cyst-causing soap back to the store becaue I was so mad about the health scare it gave me!

Good Body Wash for Normal to Oily Skin
I also like Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash and have had no problems with it at all. It’s not as hydrating as the Johnson’s, so it’s better for normal to oilier skin types. It has a very strong spicy, sweet smell, which you will probably love, or hate! Luckily you can smell the soap at the store before purchasing it.

Related posts:

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L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush
I’ve never gotten a tan-in-a-can before, so using this product was new for me. According to the directions, you are supposed to spray the product continuously at arm’s length, and you don’t need to rub it in. Just spray, wait a few minutes, get dressed, and you are done. The color is supposed to being to develop in less than an hour.

Pros
I’ve used this product every day for a week, and there are a few things I really like about it. It smells better than every other self-tanner I’ve used. It smells exactly like the Sublime Bronze Gelee that I normally use, and it has a nice light pleasant scent. The product dries really quickly, and it doesn’t contain alcohol, so it doesn’t dry my skin out very much. It’s super fast and easy to use, however it’s not possible to reach every place on my body, so I mostly used it on my arms and legs.

Cons
The main problem I had with the Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush was that it didn’t do much. You are supposed to use it every day until you reach your desired color, and then maintain the results by using it once or twice a week. I really didn’t get that much darker after the week was up. Maybe I just didn’t use enough of the product? The good news is that I had almost no streaking. I did have a streak on my arm, and I think the key is to hold the product as far away from you as possible. If you do end up with any wet patches, just lightly rub them in. If I had used more of the product, I wonder if the results would have been better. But then the chances of streaking or unevenness would have increased.

The verdict
If using an airbrush tanning product intrigues you, then it’s definitely worth trying. Like any self-tanner, practice makes perfect, so once you get the hang of it, your results should get better. Since I have dry skin, after I used this product, I waited a while and then applied a moisturizer over it. Because of my need for a moisturizer, I’m going to stick with my Sublime Bronze Gelee, mixed with a moisturizer. I also feel like I have a bit more control of the product when I’m using a gel/lotion, rather than a spray, since I can tell exactly what areas I’ve covered.

Read more reviews of L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush at TotalBeauty.com

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2. What Self Tanners Smell The Best?
3. Are Self Tanners Bad For Skin?

LipoDissolve
I haven’t yet talked about LipoDissolve here on the site, but have been meaning to do so. We offered LipoDissolve at the Medical Spa I worked at, but we called it LipoSolution, due to trademark issues. Also, it is sometimes called Mesotherapy, but the two treatments are actually different. We actually offered Mesotherapy first, and then switched to LipoDissolve. Both LipoDissolve and Mesotherapy are tiny injections made into areas of your body that you want to make slimmer (abdomen, inner and outer thighs, love handles, back, etc.) Mesotherapy is more for reducing cellulite (which I doubt works) and it’s also been used in France for over 50 years to treat all sorts of ailments, while LipoDissolve is a non-surgical version of Liposuction, and it’s supposed to reduce fat in your “problem areas”. The two treatments differ in how the injections are made, and what substance is actually being injected.

I’ve been told that LipoDissolve either breaks up the fat cells and kills them, or that it breaks up the fat in the fat cells, but the cells remain intact. It’s hard to find a definite answer of exactly how LipoDissolve works, which is a bit scary. Like Liposuction, LipoDissolve is intended for people that are already at their target weight, but despite a proper diet and exercise regimen, they still have “problem areas” that won’t go away. It is not a weight loss treatment. Results are measured in inches, not pounds.

Mesotherapy and LipoDissolve results from my Medical Spa
When we were offering Mesotherapy at my Medical Spa, I didn’t hear about any clients that saw results from their treatments. They were sold the Mesotherapy for fat reduction, but didn’t see any changes in their treated areas. Later LipoDissolve was used instead, which is supposed to be much more effective for fat reduction. You are supposed to do a series of treatments – at least 4 to 10 treatments, every two weeks. One of our clients did claim that she saw good results after her treatments, and said that she lost a few inches, after only a few treatments. I didn’t hear any other clients say that they saw good results, but most had only had a handful of treatments. Several of my co-workers got the treatments, and I don’t believe any of them saw results, but again they had only done the treatments a few times before I left the company.

LipoDissolve treatment and side effects
Unlike Botox, which I could visually see offered great results, I didn’t see any conclusive evidence that LipoDissolve did anything, so I refused to try it, even though I could have done it for free. I would have been a perfect candidate because I am thin, but in a perfect world would want smaller love handles and thighs. After the treatments, people are extremely swollen, and everyone that had their stomach treated said they felt like they were 5 months pregnant for a week afterwards. For a few days after treatments, you are supposed to wear a girdle. From what I’ve been told, the treatments are pretty painful, although tolerable. A topical lidocaine is used first to numb the area. One of my co-workers was still swollen two weeks after her treatment, and she said her stomach was incredibly sore and it felt hard as a rock (but not in a good way) when I felt it. She hated the side effects and said she was mad she ever did it, even though it was free!

Why I’m not surprised Fig LipoDissolve went out of business
If you read reviews of LipoDissolve on RealSelf.com you’ll see the reviews are quite mixed, and currently 58% of people say their treatments were not worth it. What I’m guessing happened at Fig is that a ton of people got through with their treatments, saw no results, and asked for refunds. Maybe there were even lawsuits, which wouldn’t be surprising. It’s hard to sell a service when it doesn’t work for a lot of people, plus it has bad side effects. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Fig was selling packages to overweight clients, and promising them weight reduction. Even though doctors and Medical Spas only pay $30 for a vial of LipoDissolve solution, they are selling treatments for thousands of dollars! I’m not saying Fig was out to rip anyone off, but I bet they sold as many treatment packages as they could before filing bankruptcy.

In my Guide to Medical Spas post, I caution you that Medical Spas (and LipoDissolve clinics) can be here one day and gone the next. When you buy a package of treatments, you are taking a risk that the company will go out of business before your treatments are done. I suggest paying for treatments one at a time, if possible, and using a credit card for payment. If you are unhappy with treatments and can’t get a refund, you may be able to chargeback the service on your credit card. However, if a company goes out of business, I don’t know if the credit card will be able to refund your money or not, so you’re probably screwed.

Final Thoughts
I’m not totally against LipoDissolve, but haven’t personally seen good results with it yet. For the amount of pain, discomfort, and cost, it’s not something I’d want to try. I’d rather go to the gym, and live with my imperfections. Recently I bought a Gowear Fit to help me count calories throughout the day. As afraid as I am of LipoDissolve, I am petrified of the idea of Liposuction, since I’m super scared of surgery. Anyway, for someone with a lot of disposable income, a tolerance for pain, and a willingness to experiment for the sake of a better body, maybe LipoDissolve can be an option to try. Just make sure to research it A LOT first! Try to find recommendations from happy clients (if there are any), and read up further on its potential risks and side effects! And if you are a current Fig customer, then I’m truly sorry about the whole situation, because it’s horrible to lose money this way, and I do hope you can recover your money.

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To get to the bottom of the mystery, Dr. Phil had the guy get a massage as a “treat” for being on the show. Halfway through the massage, they secretly replaced the masseuse with his girlfriend. At the end of the massage, he said it felt great and didn’t complain at all about being itchy or having an allergic reaction.

So was the guy allergic to his girlfriend?
After the massage test, Dr. Phil concluded the guy had Somatization disorder, which as I understand it, is similar to psychosomatic symptoms. He wasn’t really allergic to his girlfriend. He was having a physical reaction to his emotional/psychological response to her. This is similar to when people break out in hives when they are nervous. Dr. Phil didn’t conclude what emotional issues were sparking the allergic reaction, but he said that the guy could be easily “cured” now that the problem was discovered. With professional help, he just needed to recondition himself to stop associating his girlfriend with being “allergic” to her!

Psychological pain cause cause physical symptoms
As crazy as it sounds, I believe Dr. Phil was probably right. When I was having problems with depression I had a host of physical ailments – horrible back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain. There was always something horribly wrong with me! The pain, of course, made me feel even worse! A few years later, I concluded that most of my pain was indeed psychosomatic. The pain was absolutely real, but it was being caused by emotional issues. It’s even been purported that acne can be psychosomatic – a physical manifestation of an emotional problem. I have no idea if this is true, although my acne and depression did coincide exactly! And of course acne is depressing, which can make it a vicious circle!

For me personally, since I have never been injured, the acknowledgement that my pain is mostly psychosomatic has helped put me at ease. Also, I have a book about trigger points (which I won’t get into because that’s a whole complicated story) but it’s helped alleviate the pain I currently do have from TMJ (jaw pain). I believe the TMJ is partially psychosomatic-related! Sheesh! Anyway, my back pain and all other pain is now gone! If you do have physical pain, but your doctor can’t find its cause, check out this Trigger Point book! It’s pretty fascinating stuff!

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Keratosis Pilaris
Earlier this summer I was using Dove Cool Moisture Refreshing Body Wash. After about a week, I developed Keratosis Pilaris (KP) on the back of my arms. KP is dry, scratchy bumps, also known as “chicken skin.” I recall having this briefly when I was a kid, but it was never that bad. I was baffled about getting KP out of the blue, and I had it for about a month. Then it dawned on me that the soap could be the problem, since the problem coincided with the use of the soap. Sure enough, I bought a new body wash, and my chicken skin was gone within a week! I don’t know for sure if I had KP, or just a ton of clogged pores, but I do know it was caused by that soap! I cross-referenced my cosmetic acne list, and one of Cool Moisture’s first ingredients is on my pore-clogging list – Soybean Oil.

I haven’t had any problems since then, so this experience could have been a fluke, but if you do suffer from body acne, or chicken skin, it may be a good idea to experiment with different soaps and moisturizers, because they could be making your problem worse. I have noticed a lot of body moisturizers contain ingredients that would clog my face, but on my body they aren’t a problem personally.

Dry body skin
I used to have great skin when I lived in a humid climate and didn’t even use a body moisturizer. Since I now live in the desert, have horribly chlorinated/hard water, and frequent the hot tub, my skin is extremely dry. Even though most body washes and moisturizers have seemingly great, hydrating ingredients, most of them still dry out my skin! My skin feels more dry after taking a shower than before (which shouldn’t be the case)! I now read the ingredients on body washes, and buy a new body wash each time. You would think body wash is all the same, but the main ingredients in most drugstore body washes are totally different! It’s pretty surprising to me.

I think I’ve found a great body wash for dry skin! I’ve probably been through 5 different body washes this year, but the one I’m using now seems like a winner. From Wal-Mart, I picked up Johnson’s Softwash Extra Care 24 Hour Moisturizing Wash. I’ve never seen this at Target, where I usually shop. OMG, my arms are so soft now! No more chicken skin – my arms are as smooth as a baby’s butt! While I still slather on moisturizer, I don’t walk out of the shower feeling super parched! The main ingredients of this body wash are nothing special, which goes with my theory that when it comes to body wash, you need to test it, rather than just read the ingredients. I do notice there aren’t any pore-clogging ingredients in the wash, which is a bonus (or possibly why my skin is so smooth). The only thing I don’t like about the Johnson’s is that the fragrance is sort of unappealing, so I will be going back to Wal-Mart soon to smell the other Johnson Softwash options, and will pick up another scent, if it has the same exact ingredients. Finally, I wrote a similar post to this about underarm cyst treatment.

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If you like seeing pugs and greyhounds dressed up in pearls and pink wigs, there’s an admittedly adorable video on the Juicy site. Included in the new doggy body care line is Dog Nail Pawish in pink or brown. Yes, that is nail polish for dogs! There’s also Dog Shampooch and Dog Coif Fur Conditioner. I’m sure all of this stuff is safe to use on pets, but it just seems sort of crazy. Well it’s not any crazier, I guess, than my mom washing her dog in Pantene, which the vet said was fine. There’s a little part of me that wants to get that nail polish for my cat, but it just seems too wrong.

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