Jezebel 
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New York, 7:12 AM
Mon Nov 30
18 posts in the last 24 hours
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10/06/09
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I never had much hair, but I was a bit OCD about it and I had permanent hair removal at 17 (dang it hurts down their and under your arms!) but it was amazing and lasted perfectly and I'm 27 now. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. Its wonderful to never get in-growns and I could be stuck on a desert island for a year and look perfectly groomed.
10/06/09
See, my Mum painted pictures, sang opera, sculpted things, built computers and generally kicked ass.
I don't look too good but at least I have a good stack of talents (to make up for being a hot mess).
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that get rid of ALL the hair? Including any hair in the butt-crack?
That is far too extreme and totally unnecessary for a child. Who is going to be looking a 10yr old's labia and crack? And should a kid be groomed for such an encounter? And who is going to do the grooming? Its too intrusive. THIS is what is so disturbing.
10/06/09
So, to clarify: Bikini waxes for a kid an understandable and efficient solution to a common problem.
Brazilian waxes for a kid are disturbing and unnecessary.
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As for the makeup and nail polish, I loved watching my mum put her's on when she was going out. I always thought she looked like a lady, even though she had a thing for blue eyeshadow and orange lipstick at the time.
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Brazilian waxes for the under 20 set, toddler bras, and preteen beauty parties are utterly horrifying, though. A bit of silly nailpolish once a month? Not so much. A manicure every week? Horrifying. It really depends on what context we're talking about.
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I don't have a problem with nail polish, though. My two year old cousin and I had a grand time painting our nails a couple of months ago.
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On pubic hair, mine grew in when I was around 11 and I shaved it, and I'd say it was an anti-sexual thing for me, having it meant I was an adult, I was a kid and was having none of it.
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The Brazilian goes way beyond basic grooming.
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So one early Saturday morning, before my parents were awake, I went into their room with my mom's pink nail polish and painted her antique chest of drawers with it. I mean, if nail polish makes people pretty, and is pretty on its own, then it follows that it would make my mom's furniture more pretty, right?
Mama totally didn't see it that way. And when the smell of the nail polish woke her up, I got in big, mean, illogical grown up trouble.
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What about all kinds of other YA books? Like, I don't remember ever seeing a Boxcar Children movie, or a Bobsey twins movie.
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That didn't bother me, but the overall trend is definitely disturbing. Bikini waxes? Really?
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If she is self-covered, though, there is unfortunately less protection. Though it's not clear yet how genetic nondiscrimination will be addressed once/if health reform passes.
10/05/09
There are two known genes, the BRCA 1 and 2, that are passed through families, meaning some people are born with a copy of the gene that doesn't work. These women have about an 80% risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes (it also increases the risk for some other cancers and also breast and prostate cancer in men). If many women in your family have had breast or ovarian cancer, especially if they were diagnosed at a young age, you can look into getting testing for one of these gene mutations. However, these only account for about 2% of all breast cancers, so it is relatively rare.
10/06/09
My grandma has Huntington's and my mom has breast cancer. My mom hasn't gotten tested for Huntington's so I don't know if she has the gene for it. My grandma didn't get diagnosed with it until her 70's, which is late for the disease.
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Do you have more info on what you said from somewhere else?
10/06/09
My knowledge of breast cancer is skewed towards the inherited side because I work with genetic counselors. So I see women all day who have the BRCA mutations in their families, and when I first spotted this article I thought to myself "wow, 50%!" thinking it would change the world of cancer genetic counseling. After reading the article though, I saw that it is not an inherited mutation. So although it is still a very important discovery and will help scientists learn more about the progression of this kind of cancer, it doesn't really give healthy women any more idea about their risk of developing cancer later in life.
My point was that no one is born with this mutation, and it is not present in all of your cells. Inherited mutations are the basis of genetic testing for predisposition for diseases. If you have a mutation in BRCA 1 or 2 or the HD gene, it is in every one of your cells, and you were born with it. They can be tested for with a blood draw.
I'm in Mass, and I know there is a law against genetic discrimination by insurance companies. In fact, a lot of companies here even cover the cost of genetic testing if you have a strong family history. I don't know what state you're in or what insurance you have, but I'm guessing most would cover the cost of HD testing because it is easy to justify based on family histories. In other words, it is very easy to tell if HD runs in your family. Breast cancer is a little trickier, because some families with multiple breast cancers have just been unlucky statistically, while others actually do transmit the BRCA mutations. At any rate, I recommend you see a genetic counselor if you haven't already, and she can talk you through exactly what your options are based on your insurance plan and what information you want to know. I've even know GCs who personally call insurance companies to argue for their patients' tests to be covered.