The necessity for toilet paper has existed since long before the invention of paper (or, indeed, toilets). Initially, the most common solution for bum-wiping was whatever happened to be within arm’s reach, and there was nothing, er, ‘charming’, shall we say, about the shells, snow, sheep’s wool,...
While people in medieval times weren’t quite as filthy as we tend to think, they certainly weren’t clean by today’s standards. Here’s what keeping clean looked like back in the olden days. Bathing: The Devil’s Work Prior to the Middles Ages, bathing was a pretty popular pastime....
For many of us, acne is a phase: Aggravating, sure, but once puberty comes to an end and our hormones settle down, our faces mostly clear right up. Not everyone is so fortunate, though, and while their teenage years may be long behind them, the same old...
Having to crash with in-laws (or anyone else) over the holidays can put just about anyone on edge. Besides them being at least some kind of crazy, the nagging feeling that you could be overstaying your welcome, draining their fridge or just plain getting in the way...
Over the last few years, several top models have made it a point to represent and empower people living with vitiligo, a condition that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. “While growing up, I was teased, ridiculed and bullied and called names like cow, zebra...
Given the chance, most everyone would change at least something about their appearance. But that seldom means we spend our days obsessing over our perceived defects and our nights dreaming about having a different, more agreeable face. The same cannot be said for those with body dysmorphia,...
Everyone suffers from dryness now and again. But the occasional cracked elbow is but a scratch compared to the perpetual parchedness — and inescapable, unbearable itchiness — endured by those with chronic skin conditions, like eczema. 29 year old Samantha (an alias to protect her privacy) has...
The world is a cruel and unpredictable place, and while some dudes are lacking in the hair department, other people have more than they could ever need or want. Among the latter group are a subset of people who feel both ashamed of and burdened by the...
We often assume that plastic surgery is a big deal, and sure, some procedures — liposuction, male breast reduction, etc. — involve intrusive operations and lengthy recovery times that require living as one gigantic bandage for weeks on end. But there are several minimally invasive plastic surgeries...
Despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, the American expectation that teeth should be a lustrous white is — quite literally — inhuman. Our chompers are naturally more of a cream color, and only cosmetic treatments can make them a gleaming white. Regardless, our preference for oral...
According to the American Hair Loss Association, a whopping 85 percent of men experience noticeable hair loss by age 50. The one upside is, at least all those dudes can commiserate together. But those who deal with conspicuous hair loss at a much younger age — say,...
15 years ago, when I was 12 years old, my friends and I were obsessed with being able to grow mustaches. Strange, I know, but there was just something about having the capacity to readily sprout a dense tache that signified manhood and perhaps even freedom from...
