Healthy News & Events Updates

According to a new study, more than half of those lighting a cigarette a day hide their dirty habit from friends and family and are thus secret smokers.

The Co-operative Pharmacy poll found that several people have become secret smokers due to reasons like social stigma as well as the ban that was imposed in 2007. About 57% of those who smoke hide their habits from others.

The poll noted that walking the dog, going out to see a friend or nipping to the shop were among the most common excuses for going for a smoke by secret smokers. The researchers found that a third of the respondents said that they smoke less since the ban in 2007 while four-fifth said they wished to quit smoking. In the survey, about one in twelve said they were officially forbidden from smoking at home.

Interestingly, about one in eight believe that they have quit smoking but still have the “odd” cigarette and about half think they have quit if they only light up once a day.

Fiona Caplan-Dean, clinical services manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy said, “The smoking ban in public places has had a major effect on the health of the nation with a significant number of people giving up but many smokers now try to keep their habit secret from their partner, children, friends and family.”

Beauty Updates

  
Muscle Head: Men Need More Botox Than Women to Get the Same Results

According to the American society of Plastic Surgeons (asps), botox cosmetic use by men is skyrocketing. If new research is correct - that men need more Botox than women for similar results - men can expect to pay more than female counterparts, since Botox is sold by the number of units used.

A recent article in the journal Dermatologic Therapy states that Botox is equally effective in easing the expression wrinkles and lines (those caused by dynamic muscular facial movement) for men and for women.

The catch is, new research shows that most men need more Botox to get the same results as women.

This is because men have greater muscle mass than women - even of the scalp and face.

This may explain why some men get Botox injections and report so-so results or that it's not long lasting enough. Blame for these inadequate results in male patients can be given to under-dosing.

According to the clinical research quoted in the study, most men require more units of Botox in order to see the same results as women.

The exception is smaller, fine-boned men, and the reason is that men have a heavier musculature beneath the skin.