This myth persists even though a study conducted 80 years ago disproved it. Hair that is shaved is dead, and shaving has no effect on the speed of re-growth, which comes from the living hair follicles below the skin’s surface.

The new growth may appear darker since it hasn’t been exposed to the sun or chemicals for very long. Also, it may seem coarser since the ends have not been tapered by wear and tear.

Colon cleansing washes out poisons Colonics, as the practice is called, has no known medical value and risks damage to the rectum or bowel. The bowel is not “dirty” and, unless disease or medication interference, nature does a fine job of clearing out wastes. If you are concerned about unwholesome substances in your body, drink lots of water to help your body get rid of them.

Natural is safer than man-made

A woman recently asked me if it was safe to take “bio-identical hormone replacements”. These, I am afraid, are estrogens, and there is no reliable evidence to support claims that they are safer than the ones made by chemists that have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease.

Remember, nature has produced some of the most dangerous substances known, including arsenic and botulinum toxin. And chemists have produced medications that can control or cure many life-threatening ills. Many important medications are derived from natural substances that not only have drug-like actions but also drug-like side effects.

Only carefully controlled clinical trials can assure the safety of a natural or man-made drug, and few natural substances have been tested in this way.

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