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8 Ways to Cope When You Get a Migraine Headache Away from Home


Have a drink.

While consuming anything at all might be the last thing on your mind, drinking some ice water to hydrate and cool down can help mitigate a migraine, as can sipping a cup of coffee. “Try a small dose of caffeine, if you can tolerate it during the attack—about eight ounces of black tea or coffee,” Ailani advises.

Use soothing distractions.

Cue up a calm, spalike playlist to help get your mind off your migraine, or listen to a meditation app like Calm or Unplug, which will help you focus on your breathing instead of your pain. And any time an ice pack isn’t convenient, an over-the-counter cooling rub with camphor or menthol makes a great substitute. “Rub it on your temples, forehead, and back of the neck,” Ailani says. Certain scents may also be soothing. “Some people find it helpful to dab lavender or peppermint oil behind their ears, but if the scent seems too strong or makes you feel worse, avoid this.”

Go easy on yourself.

Now’s the time to splurge on a cab or an Uber if you were planning on riding a train or bus home. “All that rocking and stopping back and forth can worsen nausea and motion sickness,” Ailani says. When riding in a car with a migraine, it’s best to ride in the passenger seat; sitting in the back can also exacerbate those queasy feelings. If you’re out shopping or schlepping when a headache hits, figure out the quickest way to end the errand and lighten your load. “Try to avoid holding or carrying heavy bags when a migraine is coming on—if you’re alone and walking around with a lot of things with you, consider getting into your car or a cab,” Ailani says.

Stick to your routine.

If travel has triggered a migraine, many factors could be to blame, from changes in airplane cabin pressure to a major shift in your sleep schedule. As you cope, focus on getting back to your usual schedule and habits. “Make sure you have adjusted to the time change, don’t cut back on sleeping hours or miss meals, and don’t overdo alcohol or caffeine,” Newman advises.

Pack a migraine kit.

Prepare a kit with the tools you’ll turn to in your next migraine emergency—things like doses of your medications, cooling balm, essential oils, sunglasses, earplugs, and noise-canceling headphones. Stash this in your handbag, travel carry-on, or your desk at work. Just knowing it’s there will arm you with your most important migraine-fighting tool: the calming knowledge that at least you’re prepared.



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4 Weird Ways Your Vagina Health Changes When You're Sick


When you’re sick, you’re probably not thinking about your vagina. Chances are, trying to squeeze in a doctor visit and figuring out which show to binge while you’re laying low in bed are higher on your list of priorities. But a surprising number of seemingly unrelated health issues can show up in your vagina—from stress to dehydration to the common cold, the flu, or a fever.

How your vagina is affected when you’re sick depends on a few key things: your body, what you’ve come down with, and what meds you’re taking to treat it. Here are the most common ways your vagina can change when you get sick, according to experts.

Dehydration

Any sickness that dehydrates you will also dehydrate your vagina, explains Peter Rizk, M.D. an ob-gyn specializing in fertility at Fairhaven Health. That means you may not get as wet as usual during sex (if you feel up to having it), so lube could be extra important. It also means you might see less of the vaginal discharge that normally shows up on your underwear throughout the day. When you’re sick, it’s even more important to hydrate—especially if you want to keep things slick down there.

Extra discharge

On the flip side, if you have a viral infection, things could go the other way down south. Part of the immune system’s response to any viral infection, such as a flu or cold, is to make the blood vessels more permeable, leading to an increase in all secretions containing white blood cells. And that doesn’t just mean blood: Your vaginal discharge actually contains a bunch of white blood cells, which help keep the vagina’s bacteria and yeast levels balanced, says Candace Howe, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn in California.

If you take medicine, however, it could cancel out that effect, Dr. Howe says. Decongestants, antihistamines such as Benadryl, and mucus-reducing meds like guaifenesin can dry up your body’s mucus membranes—including those in your vagina.

Yeast infections

If you’re taking antibiotics, they can have their own effects on your lady bits. In the process of killing the bacteria that’s causing your infection, they can also kill healthy vaginal bacteria, which can increase your risk for bacterial infections like yeast infections and vaginitis, says Yvonne Bohn, M.D., an ob-gyn in California.

This bacterial issue can last long after your original infection is over, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “Even if you took antibiotics a few weeks [ago], you could still show up with a yeast infection related to the antibiotics,” she says. Dr. Bohn’s recommendation: Take a probiotic to keep vaginal infections at bay, especially if you’re on antibiotics.

Irregular bleeding

Another issue Dr. Minkin points to is vaginal bleeding. Some women who get medically-prescribed steroid injections for joint problems will experience “funky irregular bleeding related to the steroid injection,” she says. If this happens to you, check in with your gyno and make sure to bring up any recent steroid treatments in the process.

The good news is, any changes that happen to your vagina while you’re sick will likely pass along with the illness. If they don’t, there may be a separate issue causing trouble. If anything seems off or different from your norm, it’s worth a chat with your doctor.



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5 Ways to Dress Up Your Jeans for Holiday Parties


When it comes to holiday fashion, there are certain…expectations. Sparkles! Shine! Crystals galore! The number of cocktail parties and seasonal get-togethers might be plentiful, but it’s unlikely that head-to-toe sequins might be the sartorial move for most of those events. (I, for one, have dialed it all the way up to go to my mother’s place, only because I had purchased a handful of festive pieces that would have otherwise gone unworn. The rest of the family wore flannel.)

I naturally tend more feminine with my style—and fancy myself a black-tie dress code—but this winter I started thinking about how impractical most holiday attire is. While incredibly fun, a sequined shift dress is pretty much a single-use item (and it’s definitely not a from-desk-to-bar garment); if you’ve ever tried to sit in jewel-bedecked trousers, you’re aware of how uncomfortable those embellishments can be; statement tops, with their larger-than-life shoulders and sleeves, can feel inconvenient. It all just feels like a lot, at least to someone like me who rarely does the most. Meanwhile, your jeans, the perfect offset to anything overly glitzy, are right there, waiting to temper the beaded blazer, crystal earring, or metallic heel you’ve been itching to wear.

Truly, if you’re attending a holiday party that errs on the side of casual, or you simply can’t be bothered with stepping too far outside your denim comfort zone, build a look around your go-to jeans. I gave my favorite pair the ol’ razzle-dazzle treatment without teetering too far into megawatt territory, to show just how versatile they can be. Don’t worry, these spirited outfit ideas are still filled with merry—just without the stress of being the most dressed-up person at the gathering.



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Lancôme x Proenza Schouler Eye Palette: See It on 4 Ways


Let’s be honest: Eyeshadow palettes are where some shades go to die. You know the ones—bold, intimidating, seemingly obscure colors that are left virtually untouched, while a select few (we’re looking at you suits-every-occasion bronzey brown) hits pan every single time. This fall, though, jewel tones are coming in strong, and with them, an urge to swap safe shades for vibrant amethyst, sapphire, and ruby. To prove that there’s a cool way to work every single shadow into your makeup rotation, we gave four beauty pros our favorite new compact from Lancôme’s collaboration with Proenza Schouler (out this September)—and let them go wild. Here’s how to cop each look.





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2018 Festival Fashion: Denim Shorts Styled Four Ways by Different Models


Now that we’ve officially entered festival season (Coachella and Stagecoach, check and check) and are approaching summer, it’s time to revisit some of those clothing items that come back in your closet with the warm weather. We’re talking, specifically, about denim shorts: They’re impervious to the trend cycle and have likely been a part of your wardrobe for years—and yet they can still stump you when it comes to the styling. Do you just do the whole white T-shirt thing and call it a day, or do you go for a bustier? Should you go for a nineties vibe, or look to the aughts for inspiration?

Sometimes it helps to poll the experts—or some of the folks who wear cutoffs best. So, at a poolside brunch hosted by Levi’s during the first weekend of Coachella, we asked four of the most stylish models in the business the question everyone in attendance probably asked themselves that morning as they got dressed: How should I style a classic pair of denim shorts, now that it’s finally shorts season? And Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, Hailey Baldwin, and Romee Strijd answered. Check out their tips—and answers inspired by them—ahead.

Levi’s paid for the writer’s travel and accommodations for the purposes of writing this story.

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4 Ways to Wear Hair Accessories That Aren't Boring as Hell


Having fun with hair accessories is back in a big way. Take the scrunchie renaissance of last year, hair bows, and this winter’s claw clip comeback. To get as far as possible from their former reps, the new version of each trend is starkly chic and has the price tag to match. ($35 scrunchies are most definitely a thing now.) These cool, unexpected looks, however, let you try the accessory life without investing in something that does the job of a rubber band. Track down every M.I.A. hair tie, rogue barrette, and ribbon to make your hair look money—for $10 or less.



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