Women who love applying make-up before leaving the house will be very excited to hear the news. According to the experts, make-up, and especially lipstick, not only makes a woman feel more beautiful and gives teeth an extra reason to sparkle, but it can actually improve her health as well.

Scientists believe that the time consuming act of putting on lipstick or applying blusher could serve as a form of stretching exercise which can improve balance and co-ordination in many women. A study was carried out by the research communications director from the cosmetics giant L'Oreal. It revealed that women, especially at an older age, who applied make-up on a regular basis in the morning, had better posture and stood straighter, compared to non-lipstick wearing ladies.

In addition, make-up wearing women have better posture even when they wear just basic cosmetics, the study of 100 women with the ages between 65 and 85 revealed. While originally analyzing the effect of make-up on self-esteem, the experts at the University of St Etienne in France, found out that cosmetics had a more powerful impact on people's health.

To come up with this conclusion, the scientists asked all the participants to wear special insoles in order to test their center of gravity and a belt to monitor and measure their posture. The researchers found that those ladies who were applying on make-up on a daily basis, had much better balance and posture, were more stable on their feet and suffered fewer falls. "They held themselves differently compared to those who did not wear make-up," Dr. Patricia Pineau, an expert at the University of St Etienne in France, was quoted as saying.

Dr. Pineau, who is also research director for the cosmetics firm L'Oreal Group, said that new, and very interesting findings could help prevent many debilitating accidents in future. However, she warned that the procedure of applying make-up can be dangerous under certain circumstances. For example, one research that was conducted in 2006, showed that the practice of putting on make-up while being behind the wheel, is commonly widespread.

The findings are particularly important for older women, for whom a fall can cause serious injury or, in some cases, even death. Each year, thousands of people over 65, have to go to hospital after a fall. One U.S. study that has been carried out last year, found that gentle yoga exercises can decrease the incidence of painful falls in older age. Just two months of classes were found to improve muscle strength, balance and flexibility, which resulted in significantly less falls and fractures. Women who took part in the program of exercises, aimed specifically for individuals over their 60s, also felt more confident, the research found.

Even if falls do not result in broken bones or head injuries, they can leave older people fearful and dependent on others for everyday chores. The main reason why the elderly are most at risk is that the nerves which are located further from the brain, such as in the foot, tend to decline in activity as part of the aging process. Damage from a fall is often made worse by underlying osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease.

The findings were presented this month at the World Congress of Gerontology, Paris.

Tags: Women's Health, Beauty, Aging

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