Like eyebrows, the trend for lips is currently great. Everywhere you turn – but mostly on Instagram – big lips dominate. There has been a lot of debate about why this is happening and if it is all Kylie Jenner’s fault, but the facts are the facts: the trendy look is bigger lips.

Not everyone was born with an Angelina Jolie pout, but you can get close to one – without looking bizarre. Here is how.

How to use makeup to draw over your lips

The first trick is a trick Jenner swore on herself before admitting the obvious fact to the world that she got lip fillers. You can use makeup to fake bigger lips, but you will achieve varying degrees of success. Knowing how to do this correctly is key. What you need baby is lip liner.

Gilda Wabbit, a professional drag queen in Louisville, Kentucky, tells us how to do it: “Take a lip liner in your favorite color and draw the shape of your lips a little larger than your natural lips. Then fill in this shape with the lip liner and apply your favorite lipstick over it. Slap your lips a few times and off you go! This way, in addition to making your lips look bigger, you can also change the shape of your lips. If you want a more defined Cupid’s bow, or are looking for more symmetry in the curve of your lower lip, then lapping your lips like this can provide that too. Two birds, one lipstick. “

Try to stick to a neutral tone if possible and make sure the tip of the pencil is sharp. Also, be heavier in the corners of your mouth for a dimensional, contoured effect.

Fill in your lips with these products

You may remember certain “lip-filling” glosses from your youth that did little more than prick like hell. Good news! These days lip care products don’t just hurt, they work too. Well some of them do.

The two big winners in the gloss category come from Buxom and Too Faced. the Lip injection to face line has been around for years and has consistently received high ratings for all of its various shapes, ranging from hues to “extreme” formulations. Twist also has a plump shine with extremely good ratings. It’s a staple of any makeup bag that belongs to a person with small lips who wants to be a person with bigger lips. Insider Tip: Buxom usually has small, travel-sized versions of its plump shine available near the cash register at Sephora so you can try a cheaper option before you dive in completely.

Buxom also offers a lesser known but effective one plump liner. Don’t ask how it works, just know it works. Buy a shade that matches your own lip color to paint over your lips and say thanks to us later.

There are also masks and creams that purport to have plump lips, but the reviews on these are much more mixed from what you can see for yourself here. You can soften, renew, or otherwise pamper your lips, but plumping up is controversial.

We finally have the most special product ever: water! As a general rule, stay hydrated at all times, but also for plump lips and skin.

What you should know about lip fillers

The old “Fake it ’til you make it” approach is cool and everything, but also the “one and done” method. Sticking to complicated lip liner routines and trying out constantly changing gloss formulas also have disadvantages. They are time consuming and have to be repeated over and over again. If you are serious about making your lips look bigger, you can just make them bigger. Don’t feel bad; many of us do.

We went back to Dr. Schwartzburg, the injector near Manhattan Skin aesthetics who told us about botox a couple of weeks ago to get the skinny ones on big fat lips. He told Lifehacker that the way you will be injected, what will you be injected, and what your lips will ultimately look like depends on what you are aiming for and what qualities your lips already have. Knowing exactly what you want and how to ask for it is a crucial part of not getting what you don’t want, which is an over the top, obviously injected appearance.

“There are a variety of brands that can be used on the lips, and I use them all,” Schwartzburg said. “I never take a cookie cutter approach and decide which filler to use based on several factors, including the goal the patient is trying to achieve, the anatomy of the lips, and the intrinsic qualities of fillers.”

He gave tips on which technology you should ask for in order to achieve the most natural-looking result possible: the “Russian” technology.

“Several techniques have been described and previously used including a fan technique, microdroplet technique, retrograde and anterograde techniques, top and bottom tin top and cupid bow injection, serial puncture, and linear threading. All of the above techniques have a number of drawbacks and deficiencies that can be summed up as unnatural looking, ”he said, noting that they can result in puffy looking“ duck lips ”or a“ top shelf ”, which happens when the vermilion is Edge – or at the very top of the upper lip – is obliterated and protruding, sometimes far enough to cast a small shadow.

The Russian technique, he said, relies on the retrograde injection of the filler into the superficial dermal / subdermal plane, thereby tensing and stretching the lips in the cranio-caudal direction (from bottom to top). It does this by creating linear filler struts in the superficial lip level that prevent the lip from collapsing and create an upward movement instead of an outward protrusion that is characteristic of classic (and at this point antiquated) injection techniques. “

In summary, this means that the injector won’t touch your vermilion border – so you won’t get a “top” lip. Before going to an injector, call ahead and confirm that they know how to perform this technique. Schwartzburg pointed out that it is “challenging” and requires some mastery. It’s best not to let anyone practice on your face, especially since you are paying them a few hundred dollars to inject your lips with filler that will take months to resolve. But yes – lip fillers are only temporary.

If you’re not afraid of needles but are afraid of fillers, you can try a botox lip blow, which affects the muscle above your mouth and gradually turns your upper lip outward.

“Lip flips can be hit or missed. I think they’re a great option for someone trying to research lip augmentation but is on the fence about lip filler. It is important to remember that a lip flip cannot create volume as it can only create the appearance of a larger and upturned upper lip, ”Schwartzburg said, noting that many patients choose to have a lip flip and a half serving of filler.

No matter what you do, you are beautiful as you are. But your looks are fun to play with, so never feel bad about it if you want to.

Photo: JGA (Shutterstock)

It is notoriously difficult to figure out how much you will pay for an operation or procedure before it happens. For one thing, hospitals don’t charge everyone the same fees; they negotiate prices with insurers and often try to keep the exact numbers a secret. But there is good news: Federal law now requires hospitals to publish their price lists. There’s bad news too: the lists are often difficult to find and even harder to read.

This topic came up when we spoke to investigative journalist Dan Weissman about the upgrade recently, and he told us the law hasn’t necessarily made it easier to poke around – although that may depend on your hospital and the state you live in.

Now the New York Times has published its own guide on how to find your local hospitals’ price lists. It’s a multi-step process and you may not be successful as many hospitals have failed to comply with the law or have chosen a way that is difficult to navigate. But there is hope. Here’s what they recommend:

1. Know your exact health plan. It is not enough to know that you have United, for example. Be specific. Do you have an HMO or PPO? Did you get it through an employer or bought it from an ACA marketplace?
2. Google “price transparency” and the name of the hospital. From there, look for something on the hospital website that says “chargemaster” or “standard charge list” or “comprehensive machine-readable file” or “negotiated price list”.
3. Look for CPT codes, 5-digit numbers that stand for certain procedures or services. You may need to call the hospital and ask what CPT codes will be billed for the procedure you will be given.
4. Search prices. There may be columns for a base rate, different insurers, and the price they charge when paying for cash.

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Unfortunately, there is no standard file format that hospitals must use. Hence, what you find may vary. And some didn’t post theirs at all.

Does it work in practice?

With all the warnings, I wasn’t getting high hopes, but I took the procedure for a test run.

I tried using the steps above for a local hospital (on the UPMC network) and the first google result led me to a price estimator. I had to click through a screen and acknowledge that the prices quoted were an estimate, not a guarantee, and even then I couldn’t find some common procedures like knee replacement surgery. This is not the website I was looking for.

So I went back and put “standard charges” in my google search and this time I got to a different page of prices. I even found “TOTAL KNEE PRIMARY” there for 5,109 US dollars. But there was no CPT code and no differentiation was made by insurance plan. The hospital side says this is the “basic fee” and what you pay under the insurance may be different. they also to say:

Because your insurance benefits determine your out-of-pocket expenses and the payment for your services is based on contractually agreed rates, the hospital standard fee CDM file is not a useful tool for determining the out-of-pocket expenses you have for your healthcare.

Instead, they recommend using the estimator tool or calling a phone number to get an estimate. Incidentally, this estimate can be higher or lower than what you are actually billed for.

The New York Times recommends complain here if your hospital does not comply with the law but it is hard to find out if it does. If I am a patient or a nurse trying to bill for care, should I also be an attorney and medical billing expert?

Or should I be a literal machine? The UPMC page, after the company claimed that its Chargemaster was “not a useful tool,” offers a machine-readable file that allegedly contains negotiated prices as well as the cash cost of each operation. Using a JSON reader tool, I can see inside well enough to press Ctrl-F and poke around, but I can’t fully understand everything in there. I think I see a cash payment of $ 3,856 for a complete knee replacement and negotiated prices of only $ 395.24, but I’m really not sure I read that correctly.

There’s a bit of hope for the future: With all of these obscure but machine-readable price lists, third-party vendors are likely to show up to read them for you. Turquoise Health is one that the NYT highlights. The local newspaper is near me a tool for area hospitals It’s a bit of a hassle and only shows 70 common procedures, but the results are revealing: In a hospital, insurance companies pay between $ 99 and $ 362 for a mammogram with a list price of $ 713. Medicare pays $ 66 for the same procedure; People paying cash will be charged $ 570.

These price differences are why price transparency is so important, but it’s annoying to navigate through the data just trying to be responsible with your money and health. We hope that when you search for your local hospitals price lists, you find something more informative than me.

Photo: Cavan-Images (Shutterstock)

Just like humans, our pets can develop arthritis, which can significantly affect their quality of life if not treated properly. Although some slowdown is inevitable as your pet ages, some of the signs we usually associate with aging are actually due to arthritis. Also known as degenerative joint disease, Arthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint erodesresulting in the painful state of rubbing bone against bone.

Getting older is inevitable – developing arthritis isn’t. While some of our pets develop arthritis, treatment can help manage their condition. So before dismissing some of their symptoms as part of the normal aging process, keep a close eye on their behavior so that you can offer them the help they need.

These seven signs indicate that your pet could have arthritis

Unfortunately, our pets can’t tell us what’s going on, which means we need to be extra vigilant about behavior changes that indicate a problem. In arthritis, this means watching your pet for signs that they are no longer moving as easily as they used to be, or that they are in pain. This can be especially difficult with cats, who have a tendency to act like they are fine to the point where it becomes really evident that they are not.

According to PetMD, Seven Signs Your Cat or Dog May Have Arthritis contain:

• limp
• Difficulty moving
• Spine problems, such as abnormal posture
• Excessive tiredness
• Irritability that increases when they are petted or treated in a way that hurts them
• Muscular atrophy
• Licking, chewing, or biting their pain areas

In cats there may be another sign Urinating or defecating outside the litter boxbecause her joint pain makes it too difficult to climb into.

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How To Prevent Arthritis In Pets

The best way to prevent arthritis is Keep your pet at a healthy weightas this will reduce the stress on the joints. If you notice your pet getting a small collar, talk to your veterinarian about the best way to put your pet on dog or Cat) on diet. This includes identifying a healthy weight, the best foods to eat properly, and strategies to face their particularly pathetic eyes.

For large breed dogs that are particularly prone to arthritis, it is very important to Feed them proper nutrition as they developto make sure their bones and joints are developing properly.

How to treat arthritis in pets

Treating your pet’s arthritis requires a number of different strategies, including pain management and pain relief. To manage your pain, your vet may prescribe you Pain relievers, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)specially designed for your pet. (It’s important to note that the over-the-counter NSAIDs we take for our pain can be extremely dangerous to your pet.)

To relieve your pet’s pain, which can help reduce reliance on pain medication, you should manage their weight and make sure they get enough exercise. For nutrition, your vet may suggest a specific food that can help you lose weight, while some joint supplements can help relieve your pain. When exercising, avoid strenuous activities like running or jumping and instead choose gentle activities that have the dual benefit of building muscles that support your joints while also helping you lose weight.

Photo: Rovsky (Shutterstock)

Most people Buy and hold cryptocurrency in the hope that one day it will replace fiat currencies and thereby increase in value. However, some increasingly want to spend it as well, as 40% of crypto owners plan to make a purchase in the next year, according to a current survey.

While the ways you can do this are still limited (and confused), retailers are offering a growing number of ways to actually use your cryptocurrency as currency.

Here’s a look at some of the things you can buy with crypto right now:

• Gift cards: In exchange for currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, Pages like eGifter and Ref offer gift cards for all types of retailers such as Sony, the NBA Store, Spotify, Southwest Airlines and Nordstrom. Of course, gift cards are an added hassle if you’d rather spend directly at these retailers – but for now, gift cards allow you to spend at a variety of retailers that typically don’t accept cryptocurrencies.
• Sports events: The NBA’s Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Dolphins accept crypto for tickets, as does the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. The Oakland A’s of the MLB accept now Bitcoin also for a select number of luxury box suites.
• Housewares: American retailer Overstock offers furnishings, home improvement materials and jewelry. They also accept Bitcoin directly without the need for an intermediate app or gift card exchange.
• Coffee: You will need an app called Bakkt to do this, but it is possible to convert bitcoin to credits in the Starbucks app. If you’re already a regular customer and app user, this could be a convenient way to spend crypto.
• Travel: All types of travel agents accept crypto for flight and hotel bookings (we made a post about all of your options.) here). The special thing is Travalawho has a partnership with Expedia; Crypto holders can also spend it on more than 700,000 Expedia group hotels and accommodations.
• Arts: Auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s accepts the cryptocurrencies Ethereum and Bitcoin for big item auctions. And while this art would be completely digital, you could dip your toe in the highly speculative world of non-fungible tokensor NFTs. There is a number of marketplaces also to choose from.
• Porn: Mindgeek, which operates a number of porn sites (including Pornhub), accepts cryptocurrency, as does Chaturbate. As the New York Times points out, Cryptocurrency can be used anonymously, which makes it the preferred payment option for people who don’t want their spending tracked.