Although the dangers of your own makeup becoming seriously contaminated are slight if they are quality products manufactured with proper preservatives, the same does not hold true for shared products.

Never share cosmetics, not even with a family member or a best friend due to the risk of contamination. And that risk goes up dramatically with shared-use products such as makeup testers in stores and at makeup counters. At home, your makeup usually has the whole day to cope with contaminants before it is used again. But makeup testers in stores are used much more often. According to the FDA, the preservatives in the products cannot handle the challenge of constant use.

The same holds true for those free makeovers at makeup counters. The products used to create that impressive new you may have been used on dozens of other customers before you.

Recent tests done on shared makeup testers by several independent news shows, such as the Today show, found dangerous bacterial contamination, including staph. If you want to test makeup shades, insist on new, individual applicators. Better still, test the makeup on your hand or the inside of your forearm. Never try on makeup from a tester using a shared applicator wand or brush.

Most makeup experts will tell you to replace your mascara every three months and we are similarly cautioned about most makeup products. But according to the FDA, most of your makeup will remain uncontaminated by bacteria even if it is older than three months. In a typically related scenario, a woman putting on mascara while driving, scratches her eyeball with a contaminated wand and infection ensues. The last report of an injury like that to the FDA was in 1989.

The reason? Preservatives.

Cosmetic companies use sometimes 5 or 6 preservatives in a product and the preservatives are very efficient at keeping the bacteria at bay. Contaminated makeup is usually the result of misuse of the product or inadequate preservatives. “Cosmetics are not expected to be totally free of microorganisms when first used or to remain free during consumer use,” according to a 1989 FDA report.

Serious contamination can occur, but it’s rare. Consumers need to be aware and use good hygiene - clean hands, clean face.

Oh, and that warning about not trying to put on mascara while you drive? That’s just common sense.

* The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as “articles other than soap which are applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.”

Tomorrow: The risk of contamination in makeup testers

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face. It may look like acne in some cases, with small red bumps or pustules. But rosacea isn’t acne and having had acne is not a risk factor for adult rosacea.

If rosacea is left untreated, it gets progressively worse over time. Rosacea may lessen and worsen in cycles. The exact cause of rosacea has not been proven and may have a hereditary factor.

The good news is that there are treatments for rosacea that can relieve its symptoms. Topical antibiotics may be prescribed to reduce the inflammation and redness. Oral antibiotics can also be used and sometimes both are used in combination.

If you have redness in your skin, enlarged blood vessels or pustules that resemble acne, seek the professional advice of a dermatologist. If he diagnoses you with rosacea, there is help. In addition to prescribing treatment, he or she may help you identify everyday triggers for flare-ups and give you advice on avoiding common triggers.

What if you could have thicker, lusher lashes permanently? How far would you go to achieve that look? Would you have hair transplant surgery?

Once used exclusively to restore the eyebrows and eyelashes of women and men who had suffered loss of eyebrows or eyelashes through accidents, burns, disease or other physical reasons, transplantation of eyelashes is now being sought after for purely cosmetic reasons.

The procedure involved in eyelash transplantation is minimally invasive and usually takes only one session to complete. Surgeons remove donor hair, usually from the back of your head and transplant them onto the eyelids. The result is fuller and thicker lashes. The cost is about $3000 per lid.

The lashes will need to be trimmed regularly, as they will grow just as head hair grows. They may also need to be curled to follow the general curve of the existing lashes.

Check out this site for an explanation of the procedure and some before and after photos:

Hair Sight dot com

Read the story from Reuters on CNN:

Docs look to create perfect lashes