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(23 reviews)Editorial Review: “You’d think a Miss America swimsuit winner would feel completely confident about her body, right? Not always! So I decided to write the book I wish I’d had as a teen and in college— an honest, funny, practical, medically accurate, totally reassuring guide to how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change. Alongside real-deal photographs of women just like you and me (no airbrushing, no supermodels, no kidding) you’ll find medical pictures of things you need to be able to recognize, true confessions by yours truly, and the encouragement you need to appreciate the uniqueness, strength, and beauty of your body. What are you waiting for?”
–Nancy Redd
From fashion magazines to taboo Web sites, curious young women have access to tons of old wives’ tales about and thousands of airbrushed and inaccurate images of the female body—misinformation and harmful portrayals that can lead to low self-esteem, self-destructive acts, or even disturbing plastic surgery procedures. Teaming up with a leading physician specializing in adolescent health issues, Harvard graduate and former Miss Virginia Nancy Redd now offers a down-to-earth, healing, and reassuring response to those damaging myths. In Body Drama, Redd gives girls insight into the issues they’re often too ashamed to raise with a doctor or parent. She also reveals her own experiences with the culture of “American beauty,” and shows readers all the many versions of “normal.” From body hair and bras, to acne and weight issues, along with crucial issues such as the importance of a healthy self image, Body Drama is a groundbreaking book packed with informative fast facts, FYIs, how-tos, and moving personal anecdotes as well as hundreds of un-retouched photographs. A highly visual book, it’s the first of its kind for women: filled with real information and real photographs of real bodies, to celebrate all our different shapes and sizes.
Named by Glamour magazine as one of America’s top-ten college women “most likely to succeed—at anything,” Redd has spent the most recent years of her life on a mission to tackle the issues least discussed but most significant in young women’s lives. Celebrating the many versions of “normal,” and replacing seriously erroneous information with the honest, medically proven truth in a language all girls can understand, Body Drama dares to empower a new generation—with facts instead of fantasies, and the priceless gift of self-knowledge.
Customer Reviews:
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Very Informative, 2008-10-06This book is very well-written and informative. I learned so much about acne and found a few things to try on myself. After multiple trips to beauticians and dermatologists, I found a regimen that had me looking much better in a couple of weeks! I'm impressed and have shared the book with my three sisters. I wish she would have covered the role of acne in pregnancy and nursing more thoroughly; that would have been an improvement. Also, it is a little outdated on the products available, but as soon as the book was printed it was outdated, so that didn't affect the review. I feel this book is well worth the price.
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
This book saved my skin!, 2008-07-11This book is a no-nonsense, common-sense approach to learning about which kind of acne you have, and then finding the most effective treatment options for YOU. The author wades through all the marketing hype and consults hundreds of doctors and dermatologists to give you accurate, unbiased information about a variety of OTC/prescription products and virtually all treatment options currently available. She describes the common level of effectiveness for each product and tells you how to use it correctly (surprising info!). In the back of the book, there are multiple tables detailing the attributes of different acne products: active ingredient concentrations, pH levels, etc.
One of the best things about this book is that the author understands what you're going through: to get rid of her own adult acne, she went to several different dermatologists and ended up taking Accutane. She knows your frustration, embarrassment, and despair.
The information I learned and applied from this book has made a huge difference in my complexion. After 12 years of moderate acne (and after trying the gamut of OTC/prescription treatments to no avail), my skin has now been consistently clear for six months, ever since I started one of the treatment plans recommended in this book. I can hardly believe it myself!
Before reading this book, I had never thought of using more than one product, and -- this is key -- using them in the right concentrations at different times of the day. If you're curious, I use Sappo Hill's No Color Or Fragrance Bar Soap to cleanse my face, Ecco Bella's Leave-on Invisible Exfoliant & Blemish Remedy (salicylic acid) each morning, and Earth Therapeutics' Clari-T Acne Serum º5 (5% benzoyl peroxide) at night.
Good luck, Reader! Don't be embarrassed to check out this book from your local library (or buy it here on Amazon) -- your skin and your self-esteem are worth it.
2 of 2 found this review helpful:
Good Introduction, 2008-03-27After finding myself trying several OTC programs which didn't work, I stumbled across this book. I had no idea that I had been using BP all wrong! FYI, BP is not a spot treatment for pimples with white showing. I also had no idea that salicylic acid products had to be of a pH between 3 and 4 to be most effective. I wish the author would have tested more salicylic acid products for the appropriate pH. Only a couple of the ones she tested had the requisite pH. I would have much rather had a large list of products with the recommended pH than a large list of products without it. Also, I agree with a previous reviewer that pictures would be most helpful, especially in describing the formation of acne and what the different kinds of acne look like. Overall, I found that this book is a good introduction to the world of acne, but definitely not a place to stop learning.
0 of 1 found this review helpful:
Great Starting Point to Understanding Acne, 2008-02-08I LOVED this book. Lydia uses tons of references and provides the reader with varying opinions on acne. She readily admits that there isn't one universal cure for acne and her research is extensive. I recommend this book to all of my clients who suffer from acne. There is a comprehensive bibliography as well where you can find books with more in-depth information.
2 of 2 found this review helpful:
I thought I knew something about acne..., 2008-01-03Do you believe that if a product dries out your face, your skin will overcompensate by producing more oil? Do you think a special scrub can unplug your pores and help free you from blackheads? Or maybe you cherish the belief that you can sweat your pores clean of acne-causing dirt or toxins through vigorous exercise or steam treatments? If so, you need to read this book.
I have never realized how poorly I understood acne, and I am amazed how many myths I let myself absorb from "informative" commercials and advice given by well-intentioned editors of numerous women's magazines. I am immensely grateful to the author for teaching me what acne is - really and exactly - and for doing so in an accessible and friendly manner. Just the chapter "Understanding Acne" alone is worth the money I spent on this book, because it's hard to fight the condition without understanding it, and because it simply feels good to know for once what is going on with my skin.
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