Month: May 2019

May 31, 2019 at 08:10AM by CWC My sexual-education program in high school was of the abstinence-only variety, which means I saw some very scary photos of STDs but didn’t get much intel by way of how to embrace my sexuality. Even though I consider myself pretty well-versed in the wide world of sex, certain things still confound me, and I’m not alone. Well+Good recently asked via Instagram Stories what about sex confuses you, and in sifting through the many responses, a recurring theme unveiled itself: Many of you answered that you’re not in the mood/horny/interested in sex much at all, or at least as much as you’d like to be or feel you should be. And you don’t understand why. Below, mental-health professionals and docs explain many of the reasons you’re just not in the mood. 1. Stress is occupying your headspace First things first, libido is different from person to person and can shift with age, stress, and other factors of life. “There is no one ‘normal’ sex drive for women (or men),” says relationship psychotherapist Olivia Orley, LMSW. “Having a low sex drive is not an inherently negative thing. It is only problematic when you are unhappy about the ways in which it is affecting your life.” “Having a low sex drive is not an inherently negative thing. It is only problematic when you are unhappy about the ways in which it is affecting your life.” —Olivia Orley, LMSW If you can’t detach from certain external stress triggers—work,

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May 31, 2019 at 07:19AM by CWC Oily skin supposedly comes with some benefits—studies have shown that it may help delay wrinkles, for one—yet I’ve always looked upon my own shiny complexion as a curse. My makeup melts off within four hours of applying it, the pores in my T-zone are visible from 20 feet away, and I have to be super-vigilant about my diet and skin-care regimen to keep from breaking out. And even then, I still end up with a chin full of hormonal zits at certain times of the month. So when I heard that new Los Angeles skin studio The Things We Do was offering a “micro-infusion” treatment perfect for greasy-faced gals like myself, I zoomed downtown to test it out. Essentially, it uses a special microneedling device to plant a cocktail of ingredients into the top layer of skin. One of these ingredients is Botox, which has shown promise as a method of reducing oil production, though it’s certainly an off-label use. Even though I’m in my late 30s, I’ve always resisted getting cosmetic injections—no judgement, I’m just lazy and scared of large needles—but The Things We Do founder Vanessa Lee, RN, assured me that this treatment would have a very different effect than you’d normally expect from Botox. “The Botox is only in the surface of the skin,” she explains. “It doesn’t change muscle movement—this is only a skin treatment.” It does, however, “soften” excess oil production in the more surface-level sebaceous glands, as

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May 31, 2019 at 07:19AM by CWC Oily skin supposedly comes with some benefits—studies have shown that it may help delay wrinkles, for one—yet I’ve always looked upon my own shiny complexion as a curse. My makeup melts off within four hours of applying it, the pores in my T-zone are visible from 20 feet away, and I have to be super-vigilant about my diet and skin-care regimen to keep from breaking out. And even then, I still end up with a chin full of hormonal zits at certain times of the month. So when I heard that new Los Angeles skin studio The Things We Do was offering a “micro-infusion” treatment perfect for greasy-faced gals like myself, I zoomed downtown to test it out. Essentially, it uses a special microneedling device to plant a cocktail of ingredients into the top layer of skin. One of these ingredients is Botox, which has shown promise as a method of reducing oil production, though it’s certainly an off-label use. Even though I’m in my late 30s, I’ve always resisted getting cosmetic injections—no judgement, I’m just lazy and scared of large needles—but The Things We Do founder Vanessa Lee, RN, assured me that this treatment would have a very different effect than you’d normally expect from Botox. “The Botox is only in the surface of the skin,” she explains. “It doesn’t change muscle movement—this is only a skin treatment.” It does, however, “soften” excess oil production in the more surface-level sebaceous glands, as

Read More