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February: Still in the throes of winter, this month is �hot� for a reason entirely unrelated to the cold outside � it is the month of love! The common symbols and colors of February � red, lips, and hearts � are all very familiar to us, but where did they come from? We at the office of Dr. Michelle Yagoda thought it would make for an interesting read to learn more about the body part that makes February so enticing ~ our lips!
In honor of Valentine's Day, here are our 14 lip-smacking facts:
1. Our lips play a key role in choosing a partner. When we kiss, we subconsciously exchange biological information via pheromones.
2. Bigger is only sometimes better! When it comes to attracting those of the opposite sex, men prefer women with larger lips, but women prefer men with medium-sized ones.
3. Kissing began in India in the 1500s. Brought by conquests from Alexander the Great, the practice started in the East.
4. Our lips don�t have sweat glands, and, since sweat glands provide moisture, this is why lips dry out so quickly.
5. To soften dry pouts, lip balm was invented! Chapstick, the first lip balm, was invented in the 1880s in Virginia by C.D. Fleet. Sunblock wasn�t added to Chapstick's formulation until 1981.
6. Contrary to popular rumors, there is no such thing as a true Chapstick addiction. However, products with menthol and camphor can be quite irritating.
7. Lipgloss wasn�t invented until 1930, and it was invented by a man, Max Factor! Factor�s gloss was named the �X-Factor� and was created with the intent to make lips shiny for films. It was sold in its original formula until 2003, when it was eventually retired and reinvented.
8. Lip Smacker was the first flavored lipgloss, and it was introduced in 1973 with much fanfare.
9. Max Factor continued to focus on lips, creating a special smear-proof and kiss-resistant lipstick!
10. The best selling lip color EVER? Dior Rouge. How appropriate!
11. Philematology is the study of kissing and what better place to watch than on film? Did you know that the first couple kissed on film in 1896 and the first same sex kiss was in 1922 in Cecil B. De Mille�s Manslaughter.
12. The most kisses in a film (127 kisses!) were witnessed in Don Juan in 1926. The longest kiss was in Andy Warhol�s Kiss in 1963. And, in 1961, Splendor in the Grass revealed the first French kiss.
13. And, while it takes only two muscles for a "pucker and greet" kiss, 34 muscles are necessary for a French kiss!
14. Speaking of passionate kissing, did you know that you can burn 6.4 calories per minute during passionate kissing ~ meaning that it takes only 4 minutes to burn off one Hershey�s kiss!
So, if you want more kissable lips, then show them some love this February! Exfoliate and condition them daily. Don't forget your sun protection. If you are still a smoker, then for your lips' sake, quit! "Smoker's lines" -- little wrinkles common around the mouth and lip area -- are caused by accelerated aging from smoking. Luckily, they can be corrected!
If you think that you have big lips like Kristina Rei who officially has the �World�s Largest Lips,� and you want smaller lips, a lip reduction might be for you. On the other hand, if your lips are too thin, a lip drop, and/or a lip augmentation with fillers or surgery may be the right choice.
Whether you choose a procedure to get your lips the way you've always wanted them or just pick up some necessary lip-care products, visit Dr. Yagoda for everything you need for a lip-smacking Valentine's Day.
Did You Know? ....that this newsletter is interactive? You can click on any photo and be linked directly to the relevant information on our website. Go ahead! Give it a try!
In The News ... Dr. Yagoda was featured in an article in El Diario by Liseth Perez Almeira on Latin Plastic Surgery on January 19, 2014. She was the vocal expert questioned on January 21, 2014 in the Star Ledger about opera singer Renee Fleming's risk of vocal injury when singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014 in the cold. Dr Yagoda was also invited to comment on January 26, 2014 on Miley Cyrus' white tongue for Inside Edition. And, both Dr. Yagoda and BeautyScoop were featured in the celebrity VIP gift baskets at Howard Stern's 60th Birthday Bash on January 31, 2014.
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