Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 February 22

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February 22

Centenarians from Marshall Islands

I've been trying to find any reports about centenarians from Marshall Islands. The oldest i've found have been less than 80 years old. Has there been any article about Marshallese that has celebrated 100th birthday or report about oldest person ever from Marshall Islands? 62.72.228.251 (talk) 10:07, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

Veet

Are there any woman/women in the house?

I need some female advice please!

Does anyone use Veet? Its like a cream. I don't know what it does, I've seen the advert, girls were using it in their legs, they used something, surely it wasn't a blade, I would like to use it under my arms and in my front bottom, mainly for my beard, question is:

1. Do you have to use a blade or the hair falls off automatically after wash?
2. Does it make it go all bushy afterwards, like what you find when you shave...meaning the more you shave the harder, thicker and bushier it becomes...?
3. How often do you have to use it? does it go over a couple/few months?

Note: A machine called 'No No Pro' apparently does the trick. I'm unable to buy it at the moment... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 18:49, 22 February 2015 (UTC))

My brother uses it (or some version of it made for men). It's a depilatory cream, which chemically burns the hair off. I could not tell you whether it makes hair thicker after (since my brother was drawing comparisons to Tommy Chong before he dropped out of high school), but I would recommend trying it on your face before trying it anywhere else (what with the chemical burning).

I think the item the girls in the advertisement would have been using is just a scraper to pull off the cream and the hair. Ian.thomson (talk) 18:54, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

Thank you. -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

I think this goes over the line into medical advice, but usually one tries dyes and such on a small patch of the arm or leg first to see if there's an allergic or other reaction. The last thing you want to do is spend the rest of your life explaining the potential red mark on your cheek. μηδείς (talk) 19:04, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

I didn't know, if I had the knowledge I wouldn't have posted this... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

True, though I'd rather have a red mark on my face than cause such a sensation on my nethers. Ian.thomson (talk) 19:36, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

Lol. -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

The answer is to read the instructions and to call the 1-800-CSR-SRVC number that always exists on such products, not here. μηδείς (talk) 02:45, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

IMO, that is extremely inappropriate advice. If such products cause burning to the point that they leave permanent marks, they shouldn't be used anywhere on the body, particularly the face. In any case, this is hovering way too close to medical advice for comfort. A pharmacist is the best person to advise on product choice in this area. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:56, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

Lol. Don't take things the wrong way please, Ian was meaning something else... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

People have different sensitivities to chemicals like this, so it makes sense to test them first in a hidden area, rather than banning them for everyone. A pharmacist couldn't say anything besides what it says on the package (to test them first in a hidden area, etc.). StuRat (talk) 21:01, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

I was thinking of this too... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

That's rubbish, StuRat. Do you seriously believe pharmacists undergo 4 or 5 years' training and end up knowing no more about the products they sell than whatever they can read on the labels? If that's actually true in your country, I am glad I don't live there. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 08:14, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

Considering that many people with doctorates studied that product directly and then decided on the label recommendations, it's not at all surprising that they would know better what to do than a pharmacist would. What pharmacists are good for is alerting patients to potential drug interactions, since the manufacturers can't test every combo of drugs, so having experience with patients taking multiple drugs helps there (of course, having access to a massive database of all reported drug interactions is better still). StuRat (talk) 21:17, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

And you can always read Veet. Nanonic (talk) 19:19, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

I am male, and use Veet (or similar products). You need to start by understanding that everybody is different, and since Veet relies on a particular standard mixture of chemicals not everyone's results will be the same. I use depilatory creams, in combination with electric razors, everywhere on my body except my face and head. Here are my answers to your questions, based on my own experience: (1) No, you don't have to use a blade. The spatula-like applicator doubles as a scraper, and this, together with a face-cloth, should be enough to remove the hair once you've completed the application and waiting process. (2) No, it doesn't make you bushier or harder with time. In fact, neither does shaving, so far as I can tell. Rather, shaved hair feels harder because it's cut sharply at the ends, whereas unshaved hair tends to be smoother at the end. (3) I use it every week or two, which may be a bit on the high side, but it works for me. (4) Sometimes the product is available in tubes marked "facial quality"; I've never noticed a particular difference, but I don't use it on my face anyway. I use a plain electric razor on my face, and have done since I started shaving. Wet razors require the use of a soap-like shaving cream or foam, and this seems (anecdotally) to dry the skin more than an electric razor. I have not used soap on my face since I was a teenager. (I use a foil-type electic razor, rather than one of the Phillips rotating head designs. The general consensus amongst those of my friends who use electric razors is to avoid rotating head razors, as they seem to be extremely uncomfortable, but this may simply be that you prefer what you're used to.) I have the impression that people who use electric razors have better skin over time, but it's hard to tell, and I may just be lucky.

In common with every other respondent, I want to stress this: you absolutely must experiment carefully first. Try the product on a tiny patch of skin, and then wait for a few days before deciding what to do next. You have to experiment carefully to find out how long you can safely leave the depilatory on your skin before it damages you, and how often you can use it. I seem to be lucky, and have a fairly high tolerance for the stuff, but I've heard some horror stories from other users. Try it on a patch on your arm first, and see how you go. You can gradually try other areas, and you'll get an idea of how everything works. Save your face till late into the process, if you're planning to use it there. Remember that there are lots of other ways to manage your facial hair, if Veet isn't perfect for you.

I really want to make this clear: BE VERY CAREFUL, and TEST AND MONITOR the process at every stage, even once you're using the product regularly. The chemicals are strong, and if you use them wrongly you can damage your skin. Follow the instructions on the packet carefully.

A useful thing to do, if you can, is to talk to your friends about their experiences with Veet and other depilatory creams. They do work, but you need to follow the instructions carefully, and results vary from person to person. Good luck. RomanSpa (talk) 21:27, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

@RomanSpa: Yes you are lucky, people who shave, the hair becomes thicker; it becomes like the head (changing the word 'bushier') once you leave it for a while; too much hair all over the face in other words... Electric razors and machines take the hair root (I don't know what you call it) deep inside your skin, resulting in pulling your skin to shave... I use trimmer, plucker and scissors, since childhood, the art of effort inserted every time is unbearable now; guess I'm getting old... I somehow managed to clean it every 2/3/4 weeks, though whenever I use blade it messes it up badly...it takes months to get back to 2/3/4 weeks routine... There is no one I can ask except you guys...long story...

Thank you for the advises friends, I was not aware of the product, I feel good now that I've sought advice before I planned on buying it; I would've used it straight away all over my body straight after buying, without even knowing...lol. After reading all of your comments, I'm imagining now what would've happened if I actually covered myself in it...lol. Thank you for saving me 'Supermen' . I'm buying it in couple of weeks, when I'll become free, fingers crossed, hopefully it works... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:09, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

Actually RomanSpa is right. There's no good evidence that shaving makes hair grow back thicker. What evidence does exist [1] [2] [3], as well as basic science suggests this isn't true. Nil Einne (talk) 14:46, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

How do you explain the colour change, from light to dark, after shaving often? Plus hair roots more than before? It does grow thicker and faster, not as thick as in like a pole... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 18:41, 23 February 2015 (UTC))

Lots of people make that claim, but it doesn't stand up to scientific analysis. The reason is probably that people shave when their hair starts growing thicker and darker, and then notice that the remaining cut ends are thicker than the previous lighter hair that has been cut off, so they think that shaving has made the hair thicker and darker. Dbfirs 19:11, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

I'm unaware of this... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 07:51, 24 February 2015 (UTC))

Anecdotal experience confirms that Dbfirs is correct. It may seem thicker and darker at first, but once it grows out your beard will look as it did before shaving it the previous time. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:50, 25 February 2015 (UTC)}}

Note that a number of reasons why people may think the hair grows back thicker is mentioned in the refs I provided. That's partially why I provided them. Nil Einne (talk) 12:39, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

Lol Sorry Nil, its the end of the month, I'm low on Mbs. I have saved the links anyways. By the time I top up, I'll forget, but I'll read it when I get the spare time... Thank you -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 19:07, 24 February 2015 (UTC))

Resolved

Milton

Milton, FL has been known by different names in the past including: Jernigan's Landing, Scratch Ankle (due to the briars), and Hard Scrabble. I wanted to know information about Jernigan's Landing, and Hard Scrabble...why the names? How long were they used? We celebrate an annual Scratch Ankle Festival...but I've never heard of these other names before. Thank you for any information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.234.74.28 (talk) 20:19, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

"Hard scrabble" doesn't just mean an annoying word game, it's an old expression for land that is difficult to plow, or, more generally "a difficult way to make a living". Does either description match Milton, FL ? StuRat (talk) 20:48, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

Indeed. There is a Hard Scrabble Road near me in Vermont that is attributed to the small amount of top soil that we have which quickly turns to rock as you go down. Dismas|^(talk) 20:53, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

As for "Jernigan's Landing", see Santa Rosa Press Gazette: February 15, 2008 'The City of Milton has been ordered by the Department of Environmental Protection to cease work on portions of the Locklin Lake dam, after workers unearthed the historic remains of an old saw mill dating back to 1830, credited with the founding of Milton... A notice in the Pensacola Gazette on April 24, 1847 announced the death of Benjamin Jernigan, proclaimed as “one of the oldest inhabitants of the state.” Jernigan had, in fact, settled in the area some 30 years before the Civil War and more than 15 years before Florida officially became part of the Union. His name has appeared in print again recently on the pages of this very newspaper after workers uncovered the remains of a water-powered sawmill Jernigan built between 1828-1830, at what is now Locklin Lake.' . Alansplodge (talk) 13:27, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

Santa Rosa County by Laurie Green (p. 7) says that the settlement became known as "Milltown" by 1839. Alansplodge (talk) 13:31, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

I have updated the "History" section of our Milton, Florida article accordingly, for the benefit of curious Miltonians (Miltonites? Miltoners? Miltonards?). Alansplodge (talk) 16:58, 23 February 2015 (UTC)