6. Skipping Your Annual Gynecological Exam
We get it: no one likes pap smears.
The good news is that if you’ve never had an abnormal pap smear, you can usually go up to 3-5 years between exams (9).
However, if you have had an abnormal result or have a family history of gynecological problems, you’ll want to go in yearly.
Catching and treating any abnormalities early is well worth the inconvenience of the exam, as it gives you a chance to treat your body naturally before it gets too serious.
Be sure to tell your doctor if you’ve experienced any changes or unusual symptoms. Reproductive health is important, even during and after menopause (10).
7. Not Using Sunscreen
Tanned skin may be fashionable, but skin cancer is never cool. Regardless of your age, you should be applying sunscreen of some sort every morning -reapplying throughout the day if necessary (approximately every two hours when outside).
Skin cancer has a nasty habit of sneaking up on sun-lovers, so make sure to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms (11). If nothing else, you can prevent sun damage to your face, which makes your skin wrinkle and age faster (12).