plastic surgery

4 Questions to Ask Before Getting Trendy Beauty Treatments

Ashley Eneriz — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 08:30:10 +0000

Most of us spend money on beauty products and treatments to look and feel better. And if the end result is increased confidence, the cost is usually justifiable, so long as you aren't sending yourself into debt. But when beauty treatments are brand-new, they might be lacking the research and known side effects to deem them safe for the general public. So before you hit the salon or spa for something "guaranteed to make you look younger and feel better," ask yourself these four questions. (See also: 6 Beauty Rules You Should Be Breaking)

Is this safe?

Before you jump on the latest beauty trend, do your research. Find out the risks involved before you become the one with a horror story to share. Here are some of the risks involved in the latest beauty treatments.

Eyelash extensions: Adhesives used for lash extensions can irritate allergies and cause infections, which can then lead to swelling, permanent loss of eyelashes, or temporary vision loss.
Microblading: This is essentially getting a tattoo of your eyebrows, so there's no need to fill them in each morning. Instead of a needle, a small blade is used to make tiny, superficial cuts in your brows and are filled in with ink. With this treatment, there is a risk for infection, swelling, or blood-borne infections like Hepatitis.

Permanent makeup: Permanent makeup has the same risks as tattoos, as the method of application is similar. This includes infection from poorly sterilized equipment or scarring. In some cases, severe allergic reactions can occur.
Keratin hair-straightening treatments: These treatments contain formaldehyde, which is extremely toxic and can cause hair loss, rashes and blisters, and respiratory issues. Formaldehyde exposure, over a long period of time, has also been linked to cancer.

You need to make sure your technician has experience, plenty of before and after pictures of previous clients, and the necessary training to offer these services (some are required to take blood-borne pathogens training classes).

Can I afford this?

How are you going to pay for this treatment? Are you already on a tight budget with debt piled up? If you're struggling to afford your student loan payments each month, you should postpone your plans to get hair extensions or microblading, at least for a few months so you can get your monthly budget back on track. It's a harsh truth, but your bank account with thank you.

What is the long-term investment?

Nothing lasts forever. Even some beauty treatments labeled as "permanent" will need to be reapplied after a few years. For example, if you dye your hair several shades lighter, how often will you have to touch up the roots? Are you willing to let the dye job grow out completely in order to save money? Or will you need to head back to the salon every two months for costly upkeep? Trying a new beauty treatment once can be fun, but add up the long-term costs.

Are there cheaper alternatives?

Before you shell out the big bucks to look and feel better, have you pursued natural and more affordable options? A healthy diet and exercise can help many individuals feel and look better naturally. For example, adding certain vitamins to your diet can help eyelashes, nails, skin, and hair to look fuller and healthier. Also, it always pays to stay hydrated. (See also: 10 Ways to Age Well for $0)

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Being Happier Through...Botox?

Andrea Karim — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:00:03 +0000

I never thought I'd admit this publicly, but I have had Botox injections before. Yes, I am only 33. And no, I don't have some kind of dysmorphic disorder, and I'm not completely obsessed with every wrinkle or line on my face. I don't adore the process of aging, but whaddya gonna do, you know?

But I will admit to a certain amount of vanity, and the truth is, I got really upset when I noticed this rather deep line between my eyebrows. It's not so much from aging as it is from frowning. I frown a LOT. I work at a computer all day, and when I have to concentrate, or when I'm nervous, or when I'm angry or sad, I frown. I frown when I sleep, I've been told. I'm a frowner.

I won't lie; I'm not a super happy person. I'm grumpy a lot of the time, and I have been since I was very young. My family is not a miserable family, although depression does tend to run in the Slavic side. My childhood was relatively happy, but I'm not what you would call "joyful." I'm not depressed, but I definitely come from a long line of women who aren't particularly fond of perkiness. During college, I went through a period of rather extreme depression, and while I found that medication helped at the time, it's not a long-term solution for me. I've come to accept that I've never been, and will never be, a bright and cheery kind of person.

Also, I get angry easily. Most of my mornings start with me glaring at myself in the bathroom mirror for about five minutes. Most of the time, though, I don't realize that I am frowning — I do it all the time, while writing, talking on the phone, watching a movie, and I don't even realize that it's happening until I've been doing it for about an hour and my forehead starts to ache.

About a year ago, the presence of that rather deep line between my brows got the better of me, and I paid a very nice nurse at a local surgeon's office approximately $140 dollars to inject toxins into my face. Honestly, I was terrified that I would end up looking like those stretch-faced, zombie women on TV, unable to express the most basic emotion through facial muscles. My nurse assured me that she had Botox, and she looked, at age 40, really great — not frozen and zombified. I took the plunge.

Aside from the cost, my only complaint about the treatment was that I had a pretty bad headache for about a week. Once that disappeared, though, and the muscles started to relax, I was happy to see that the line between my brows pretty much disappeared. And yes, the muscles couldn't move, so I couldn't furrow my brow. I could still raise my eyebrows and narrow my eyes, and obviously my cheeks and mouth weren't affected, so I could FROWN, but not furrow. I simply couldn't activate the muscles that would draw my brows together.

Then I noticed something: I felt a lot less angry. Whenever I would find myself getting frustrated at something (usually at work), just as I could feel my face pulling into a frown, I would realize that it just couldn't be done. I couldn't frown. And without the ability to do that, I didn't stay angry very long. Momentary irritation tended to fizzle, and while it's true that my job wasn't any easier, I just didn't get as upset about it. I even mentioned it to a coworker, who assured me that I was (1) crazy and (2) trying to justify having spent $140 on Botox. I told my parents, both medical professionals, about the effect on my mood, and they both sighed heavily and wondered what they had ever done to raise a daughter who couldn't love her own face.

Well, who's having the last laugh now? That would be me (yes, I can still laugh), after finding that my experience of having botox improve my mood is not only common, but that it has a scientific explanation. Facial feedback hypothesis, which has previously told us that smiling can actually make us feel happier even when we naturally aren't, can also explain why someone who is unable to frown fully doesn't maintain a steady state of anger. It turns out that it's not just your moods that affect your facial expressions, but your facial expressions that affect your moods. Thus, someone who forces themselves to smile when they feel down can significantly improve their own mood, and someone who stops frowning when upset can stem the tide of anger or depression.

Botox, it seems, can make you happier. Or at least, Botox can make you less unhappy.

I'm not going to pretend that the over-application of Botox doesn't freak me out. Between aging Hollywood madams on TV and physicians wives elbowing me aside at the shoe department at Nordstrom, I agree that a totally Botoxified face is a terror to behold. But in small amounts, I have to say, it really has been a godsend.

My $140 worth of Botox lasted longer than expected — approximately 6 months (I was told to expect 3). Twenty-three dollars a month for an improved mood is worth it to me.

No word yet on whether total facial paralysis limits all kinds of emotions, although I imagine limiting one's ability to smile might make them less happy?

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Employer

Fred Lee — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:48:23 +0000

In a recent survey of cosmetic surgeons, it was discovered that people seem more willing than ever to foot the bill for plastic surgery despite today’s dour economic climate.

What is most interesting, however, is that it has been suggested that an increasing number of patients are undergoing the procedures with the hopes that looking better (assuming that plastic surgery will make them look better, which is not always the case) will also give them a leg up in today’s competitive job market.

According to the survey, surgeons are busier than ever and are reporting about a 30% increase in the number of new patients, though most of them are requesting less expensive and less invasive procedures like Botox injections or skin peels. Big ticket operations like facelifts are actually on the decline, commensurate with the lean economic times. What is really interesting about the results is that some of the doctors alluded to their patients wanting to look better in their search for a new job.

Upon reading the actual results, it may have been a bit presumptuous to say that people are going under the knife to help them in their job hunt, since there is no actual hard data to support this and the relationship seems anecdotal, at best. Even still, it is interesting to note that appointments are on the rise at a time when an increasing number of people are out of work.

With this in mind, is it such a stretch to think that looking better might improve your chances of landing a job? Maybe not, when you consider that we live in a culture that values youth and beauty, where it is nearly impossible to avoid being bombarded with images of attractive celebrities who have carte blanche into a world that the average person has no access to. Granted, they are rich and famous, but perhaps their beauty might have played a role in all that.

Even our own distinguished Paul Michael has expressed an interest for more ample cleavage in the hopes that it might help assist him in various endeavors, and his logic is not without merit. In fact, it’s been documented.

In a study by the Federal Reserve of St. Louis, it was determined that attractive people earned better salaries, on the order of 5% more than their less attractive counterparts. The findings took into account education and experience, and found that attractiveness was an asset across all occupations. If that isn’t enough, the study determined that people with below-average looks actually suffered from a 9% decrease in earnings.

And the reality is, plastic surgery has become increasingly acceptable, not to mention accessible, to the mainstream public. In 2006 over 11 million Americans had some sort of cosmetic procedure done on them. Furthermore, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons , almost a quarter of a million of them were teens between the ages of 13-19. Believe it or not, plastic surgery has become a popular graduation present.

While it can’t be overstated that beauty comes from the inside and is of course a very personal issue, it is interesting to consider the role that our looks play in so many aspect of our lives, including getting a job.

After all, there is no denying that when searching for employment, appearances do matter. When most people go on interviews, they make some effort to project a good impression. They might wash and comb their hair or shave, or choose to wear a nice outfit; maybe even a suit or tie. It’s been known to happen.

All of this is done in order to project a certain image, and while the ultimate criteria for getting a job should (and probably does) boil down to your experience and qualifications, and keeping in mind that attractiveness is ultimately a matter of opinion, perhaps improving upon your looks isn’t such a bad strategic decision. It probably wouldn’t hurt, and at the very least might give you more confidence.

So in the end, maybe beauty really is in the eyes of the employer.

This article is from Fred Lee of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: