The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Halloween safety tips for kids and adults can save injuries, illness

Many of the Halloween safety tips this year offer warnings we've heard before.

Trick or treating

• Treats: Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.

• Flame resistant costumes: Look for the label Flame Resistant when purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs. Avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition.

• Costume designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists. Trim costumes with reflective tape.

• Masks. Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. Make sure masks fit securely and have eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.

• Pedestrian safety: Always accompany young children and make sure children walk from house to house, using the sidewalk.

• Safe houses: Make sure children only go to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

However, here are some suggestions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that you may not be aware of.

Novelty makeup

• Face paint: Follow directions carefully. Don't decorate your face with things that aren't intended for your skin. Check to see if there is a warning to not use the paint near the eyes. Dab a paint on your arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction before putting it on your face.

• Color additives: Look for the names of the colors of the face paint. Check the Summary of Color Additives on FDA's Web site. Don't use the color if it isn't on this list. Check to see if the color can be used near the eyes.

• Ghoulish glow paint: Don't use "fluorescent" and "luminescent" paint near the eyes. Fluorescent colors are sometimes called "neon" or "day-glow." Luminescent colors glow in the dark. Check the Summary of Color Additives again.

• Cosmetic removal. Don't go to bed with your makeup on as wearing it too long might irritate your skin, and bits of makeup can flake off or smear and get into your eyes. Remove it the way the label says. Remove makeup gently around the eyes.

• Reactions. Report a bad reaction to face paint or novelty makeup to your nearest FDA district office. See the FDA's Web site for phone numbers, Blue Pages of the phone book under United States Government/Health and Human Services, or FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Adverse Event Reporting System at 301-436-2405 or CAERS@cfsan.fda.gov.

Decorative contact lenses

• Get a prescription if you want to use decorative contact lenses. Buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses. Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses.

• Report any problems with the lenses to your FDA's local office or FDA's MedWatch Program.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

15 things you should never buy again

When we were getting ready for our Fourth of July party, I thought of two lists I’d read on the Co-op America Web site: Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again and Five More Things to Never Buy Again.

Avoiding the purchase of these items will help the environment, according to Co-op America. For each item on both lists, an explanation is given on why it’s harmful to you and/or the environment. Alternatives are given for each listing, along with the best option.

Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again

1. Styrofoam cups.
2. Paper towels.
3. Bleached coffee filters.
4. Over packaged foods and other products.
5. Teak and mahogany.
6. Chemical pesticides and herbicides.
7. Conventional house cleaners.
8. Higher octane gas than you need.
9. Toys made with PVC plastic.
10. Plastic forks and spoons.

Five More Things You Should Never Buy Again

1. Farm raised salmon.
2. Rayon.
3. Beauty/body care products with phthalates and parabens.
4. Cling wrap.
5. High VOC paints and finishes.

Click on the links above to learn more about the environment and health problems associated with these products.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facial exercises worth a try to reduce wrinkles

When I was writing about wrinkle creams, Botox, and plastic surgery, I read that facial exercises can help reduce wrinkles and tighten the skin on the neck.

When I was looking through articles on Boomer411, I ran across a video by Carole Maggio author of the book “Facercise.” It showed Maggio leading classes doing facial exercises. Photos were also shown of people who had used her exercises achieving improvements in five days.

I decided to buy Maggio’s book.

I tried the exercises for the first time today. You do them for 20 minutes five times a week. I exercised muscles in the face and neck that I didn’t know I had. I hope I’m doing the exercises correctly. It’s more complicated than I thought. I’ll look for videos to make sure I have the right techniques.

I keep you posted on the results.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Why you should think twice before having plastic surgery

When I was a teenager, I thought about having a nose job. My ancestors are English, and some of us in my family have noses that are a bit sharp.
 
My family, however, could barely afford braces for our teeth, so cosmetic surgery was out of the question.
 
When I was a junior in college, a woman I knew had a nose job. She had a Roman nose; it was acceptable looking on her brothers, but not her, she thought. The problem with her plastic surgery; her bobbed nose didn’t look right with her chin. That’s when I began to have doubts about cosmetic surgery.
 
When I worked as a correspondent for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash., I met a woman who worked for one of the courts I visited daily. She was dating a man whose wife had died in a doctor’s office during a nose job. That clinched it for me; I wasn’t going to take the chance on an elective surgery that wasn’t a medical necessity.
 
My advice to boomer consumers about cosmetic surgery: Think twice before you go under the knife.
 
Gather information about what will be done

Do research about the procedure. Make sure you are realistic about what the procedure can do. Prepare a list of questions to ask during the first visit. Take notes carefully or have a friend go with you to write everything down.
 
Consider the costs and recovery time and compare prices. Don’t have cosmetic surgery to meet someone else’s expectations, if your life is stressful, or if you’re depressed.

Find a good surgeon

Select a qualified cosmetic surgeon who is experienced in the procedure and is certified by his or her specialty by an appropriate board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists, recommends MayoClinic.com in its Web page “Cosmetic Surgery: What to Know Beforehand.”
  
Ask your general practitioner and your friends for suggestions on surgeons. Get references from the surgeon and call his or her patients to see what they have to say about their procedure and working with the surgeon.
 
You’ll likely be happier with your surgery the more closely you work with your surgeon to establish specific, measurable, and achievable goals before surgery, the article suggests.

Learn about possible side effects

All of the usual surgical risks apply if you have plastic surgery, the article states. You have a higher risk of developing complications such as pneumonia, stroke, heart attack, and blood clots in the legs or lungs, if you have cardiovascular disease or lung disease, or if you’re obese.

The Mayo Clinic article reports other possible surgical complications include:

• Nausea, dizziness, and pain.

• Numbness and tingling.

• An accumulation of clear fluid beneath the wound.

• A collection of blood beneath the closed incision.

• Skin breakdown

• Bleeding requiring a transfusion

• Infection at the site of surgery.

• A drop in body temperature.

Be aware plastic surgery is a growing business

Almost 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007 – a 7 percent increase from 2006 and a 59 percent increase from 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Also, 5.1 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year.
 
The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation – 348,000, up 6 percent.

• Liposuction – 302,000, unchanged.

• Nose reshaping – 285,000, down 7 percent.

• Eyelid surgery – 241,000, up 3 percent.

• Tummy tuck – 148,000, up 1 percent.

Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures rose by nine percent, to nearly 10 million procedures. Hyaluronic acid fillers – Restylane®, Hylaform®, Hylaform Plus®, and JuvedermTM – jumped from fifth most popular in 2006 to second most popular in 2007.

The top five minimally invasive procedures were:

• Botox® – 4.6 million, up 13 percent from 2006.

• Hyaluronic acid fillers – 1.1 million, up 35 percent.

• Chemical peel – 1 million, down 4 percent.

• Laser hair removal – 906,000, up 2 percent.

• Microdermabrasion – 897,000, up 10 percent.

Baby boomers are adding skin and body lift procedures in increasing numbers. Since 2005 for people ages 40 to 54, thigh lifts increased 27 percent, lower body lifts increased 24 percent, upper arm lifts increased 23 percent, thread (face) lifts increased 22 percent, breast lifts increased 11 percent, and tummy tucks increased 7 percent. 

Review these articles for more information

In addition to the Mayo Clinic article, here are resources to review if you're considering cosmetic surgery:

“Think Twice Before Going Under the Knife” – City A.M.
  
“The 15 Worst Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters You Will Ever See” – The Top Socialite
  
“Think Twice Before Liposuction” – News-Medical.Net
 
“12 Reasons Not to Have Plastic Surgery” – Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles

“Thinking About Permanent Makeup? Think Twice” – MySkinCareConnection.com

“Higher Risk of Death From Liposuction Than Car Crashes” – Cosmetic Surgery Bible
 
“Donda West Dies Following Plastic Surgery, Had ‘Multiple Procedures,’ Was Refused By One Surgeon” – The Huffington Post
 
“Adventures in Plastic Surgery” – Slate
  
“Finding A Plastic Surgeon” – consumeraffairs.com

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How bad is Botox for you?

When I was growing up on apple ranches in Central Washington, the word botulism was scary.
 
We often canned fruits, water-packed in glass jars, but not vegetables. Our gardens abundantly grew green beans, but we seldom canned them. Green beans and other vegetables don’t have acid, and they’re more likely to develop Clostridium botulinum, a severe type of food poisoning.
 
Occasionally, we’d hear about people dying from botulism.
 
So how did this bacterium that is so poisonous become the most common cosmetic procedure with the cute name, Botox, that 4.6 million people in the United States chose to have in 2007?
 
FDA approves Botox use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Botox in 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders – uncontrollable blinking and misaligned eyes. In 2000, the toxin was approved to treat a neurological movement disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder contractions.
 
As an unusual side effect of the eye disorder treatment, doctors observed that Botox softened the vertical frown lines between the eyebrows that tend to make people look tired, angry, or displeased. But until this improvement was actually demonstrated in clinical studies, Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was prohibited from making this claim for the product.
 
By April 2002, the FDA was satisfied by its review of studies indicating that Botox reduced the severity of frown lines for up to 120 days. The agency then granted approval to use the drug for this condition.
 
FDA notifies public about adverse Botox reactions, deaths
 
On Feb. 8, 2008, FDA notified the public that Botox and Botox Cosmetic (Botulinum toxin Type A) and Myobloc (Botulinum toxin Type B) have been linked in some cases to adverse reactions, including respiratory failure and death, following treatment of a variety of conditions using a wide range of doses.
 
The agency said in a news release the reactions may be related to overdosing. “There is no evidence that these reactions are related to any defect in the products,” the public notice said.
 
The adverse effects were found in FDA-approved and nonapproved usages. The most severe adverse effects were found in children treated for spasticity in their limbs associated with cerebral palsy. Treatment of spasticity is not an FDA-approved use of botulism toxins in children or adults.
 
The adverse reactions appear to be related to the spread of the toxin to areas distant from the site of injection, and mimic symptoms of botulism, which may include difficulty swallowing, weakness, and breathing problems.
 
“The FDA is not advising health care professionals to discontinue prescribing these products,” the public notice indicated.
 
The agency is reviewing safety data from clinical studies submitted by the drugs' manufacturers, as well as post-marketing adverse event reports and medical literature. After completing the review, the FDA said in its public notice that it will tell the public about its conclusions, recommendations, and any regulatory actions.
 
For details, see “Early Communication About an Ongoing Safety Review Botox and Botox Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A) and Myobloc (Botulinum Toxin Type B).”

Public Citizen thinks FDA’s Botox warning falls short
 
Public Citizen, a citizen’s organization, thinks FDA should do much more than send out a press release about its concerns because Botox and Myoboloc have been linked to adverse reactions, including respiratory failure and death.
 
Two weeks before the FDA issued its announcement, Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to immediately increase its warnings about the serious risks of using Botox and Myoboloc.
 
“Adverse reactions can include paralysis of the respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing, a condition that can allow food or liquid to enter the respiratory tract and lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia,” said Public Citizen in a news release. “Our analysis of FDA data found that the makers of the drugs had reported 180 U.S. cases of people developing serious conditions after receiving injections, including 16 deaths.
 
“Every doctor who is injecting botulinum toxin needs to know about the dangers of the toxin spreading to other parts of the body,” Public Citizen said. “The only way this is going to happen is by requiring the makers of the drug to send warning letters to all doctors who use Botox and Myoboloc.”
 
Every patient needs to know about these risks, the group believes. “The only way this is going to happen is if doctors are required to hand patients a written warning every time they receive an injection.”
 
It’s not enough that the FDA publicly acknowledges the risks of using botulinum toxin, said Public Citizen, adding, the agency did this in a published article three years ago. “The FDA must immediately force the drug makers to send out warning letters to doctors, similar to what drug regulatory agencies in Europe already require.”

The FDA also should label the products with a “black box” warning, the strongest warning the agency can make and require doctors to hand out medication guides to patients, warning them of the early symptoms of an adverse reaction, the group said.
 
“The FDA needs to move quickly to educate physicians and patients,” according to Public Citizen. “Nobody should be dying from injected botulinum toxin.”
 
Possible reactions to Botox
 
The side effects of Botox, according to the FDA, may include:

• Droopy eyelids, which can last for a few weeks.

• Feeling like you have the flu.

• Headache and upset stomach.

• Risk of botulism (a life or death illness that makes it hard for a person to move the arms and legs or to breathe). The risk of botulism is low with Botox, if it is used the right way.

What boomer consumers should know
 
If you choose to have Botox injections, be an informed consumer. Be aware that the American Academy of Dermatology warns consumers that a casual social setting like a Botox party is an inappropriate and a potentially dangerous setting for performing medical procedures of any kind.
 
Here are resources to help you in your research:
 
“Risks of Erasing Wrinkles: Buyer Beware!” – American Academy of Neurology
 
 “Botox™” – Food and Drug Administration
 
“Botox” – MedlinePlus
 
“Is Botox Bad For You?” – WIFR.COM

“Botox Rat Study Shows Toxins Migrate to the Brain” – Cosmetics design-europe.com
 
“Botox: Is This Wrinkle Treatment for You?” – MayoClinic.com

“Bad Botox Shot Contained Raw Botulism” – Natural News

 "U. of Calif. Study: Botox Spreads into Neighboring Tissue” – LawyersandSettlements.com

“FDA Warns of Children’s Deaths Linked to Botox” – Bio-Medicine
 
FDA Issues Botox Warning” – consumeraffairs.com
 
“FDA Reviewing Safety of Botox” – ConsumerReports.org

"Botox Feels Like You've Had a Stroke" – LawyersandSettlements.com

Why You Should Think Twice Before Having Plastic Surgery will be the next topic on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Wrinkle creams widely used, but don’t do much good

When I was reading blogs recently, I saw a boomer marketing blog that gushingly congratulated the graphic artist who created one of those Internet wrinkle cream ads where a line sweeps over the wrinkled-woman’s face and she turns into a 20 year old.
 
The big topic of discussion was that the graphic designer didn’t remove the wrinkles from an old woman’s photo. She added the wrinkles to a young woman’s photo.
 
Those ads and other wrinkle cream ads are mostly hype. In fact, I found the Internet transformation ads offensive to aging women.
 
Although more than $1 billion is spend on wrinkle creams, the creams don’t do much good.
 
A test reported in the January 2007 issue of Consumer Reports found that some wrinkle creams worked better than others. But, on average, wrinkle creams made little difference in the appearance of the skin.
 
Any improvements that occurred were variable and slight. The women found it difficult to judge the performance of the wrinkle creams they tested. And their opinions bore no relation to how well the products performed based on objective measures.
 
The test also found that there isn’t any correlation between price and results.
 
Some dermatologists are recommending a back-to-basics approach, according to a New York Times article. The three-step approach includes: soap; sunscreen every day; and, if necessary, a product for specific skin needs, such as a cream for pimples or pigmented spots, or a vitamin-enriched moisturizer for aging skin.
 
You may want to consider protecting your face from the sun by wearing a hat and by avoiding being out in sun-intensive times of the day. Try facial exercises, which often work well.
 
Also stop smoking. It causes the skin to sag and wrinkle.
 
See “Wrinkle Creams: Your Guide to Younger Looking Skin” from the Mayo clinic Web site for tips on taking care of your skin and what wrinkle creams can and can’t do for you.
 
Why doesn’t the U.S. Food and Drug Administration do a better job of regulating wrinkle creams?
 
The FDA calls wrinkle creams cosmetics, and the agency defines cosmetics as having no medical value. The FDA doesn’t scrutinize cosmetics like it does drugs, according to the Mayo Clinic article. Cosmetics don't undergo rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before they go on the market.
 
The FDA does take action if cosmetic advertising makes medical claims or when cosmetics contain ingredients that may pose a potential health hazard to consumers.
 
So, it’s “buyer beware” when you buy any over-the-counter product to reduce your wrinkles.
 
Here are more references to help you make decisions about wrinkle creams:
 
“Hope in a Jar: Do Skin Creams Work” – WedMD
 
“Study: Most Wrinkle Creams Don’t Work” – WebMD

“Cosmetics” – Food and Drug Administration

“Deep Skin: Cosmetic Safe Database” – Environmental Working Group
 
“Anti-Wrinkle Compound Found to Cause Pathological Reaction in Skin Cells” – Senior Journal
 
“Skin Care and Aging” – MedicineNet.com
 
“Wrinkle Cream Not Working? Give Me Two More Jars” – The New York Times

My next two posts on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will discuss How Bad is Botox for You? and Why You Should Think Twice Before Having Plastic Surgery.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist