Beauty Advice We Wish We Would Have Taken
There isn't one woman out there who hasn't experienced some kind of beauty disaster. It happens to the best of us. Sometimes it's a result of making the wrong choices such as following an unflattering trend, using the wrong products, or just waiting too long to take care of a skin or hair problem.
Here are nine beauty tips we wish we had listened to, along with what happens when you don't. But, every problem has a solution! How many of these faux pas are you guilty of?
Start Botox early
Many people wait to get Botox until they already have wrinkles, but if you start using Botox while you're young, it can actually be a preventive measure. I spoke with Dr. Sal Nadkarni, a Los Angeles based internist and Botox expert, who revealed, "Forehead wrinkles, frown lines between your eyebrows, and crow's feet lines on the side of your eyes are all caused by repetitive movement of facial muscles. The more you move those facial muscles, the greater chance of lines and wrinkles to form at a younger age."
He further explained how the drug works, "Botox will prevent those wrinkles caused by expressions made by repetitive movement of facial muscles. So if you tend to be an expressive person who talks with your face, Botox at a younger age will certainly help prevent early onset of those wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles."
But Botox isn't a cure-all for every wrinkle, as Dr. Nadkarni warned, "Botox will not prevent wrinkles caused by sun damage." So, start Botox early to keep your skin looking younger as you get older.
See a doctor about excessive underarm sweating
Nothing looks less pretty than soaking wet armpits. But excessive underarm sweating isn't only embarrassing, it can actually stain your clothing. But, so many people ignore this problem because other than applying an antiperspirant, they don't know there's a better way.
It turns out excessive sweating under the arms is a medical condition called severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Dr. Sal Nadkarni explained to me that, "Topical medications are available to treat the condition, but most work very poorly to control the excessive sweating. So for years, most people just dealt with the condition by having to grin and bear it. But, now there's a solution to that embarrassing underarm wetness," he says, "Botox injected into the armpit area can control the excessive underarm sweating with amazing effectiveness for about six to seven months." This means a twice-yearly trip to the doctor for Botox injections can provide much needed relief. Problem solved!
Use sunscreen
Sunscreen not only prevents your skin from burning, it also minimizes aging. Dr. Gary Goldenberg, a dermatologist in New York, told me, "Sun exposure is one of the major driving forces for aging." He elaborated on the consequences of skipping sunscreen, saying, "[The] Skin's surface becomes mottled and unevenly pigmented — with brown and red spots (called poikiloderma), hyperpigmentation from freckles and photoaging, and melasma (related to sun exposure and hormones). In the dermis, UV exposure causes collagen and elastin fibers to become thinner and in many cases decrease in number and quality. This causes the skin to become dull, loose, and sunken. [Thinning] the subcutaneous fat, UV causes tissue to atrophy, producing loss of volume and normal youthful contour of the face."
If this doesn't sound like enough incentive to slather on the sunscreen, Dr. Goldenberg also warned, "In addition to all these changes, chronic sun exposure is the major driving force behind cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions — these growths look unsightly and their removal may leave scars behind."
Listen to the pros
Lots of women color their hair at home because it's less expensive and more convenient than going to a salon. But, this doesn't always lead to the best results. You risk choosing the wrong color, applying it incorrectly, or leaving it on for too brief a time — or worse — way too long.
According to Chelsea Smith, lead colorist for Madison Reed, one of the reasons why home color goes wrong is because women try to make overly ambitious changes. She told me, "Keep it simple! At-home hair color is ideal for touching up grays or going two to three shades darker. It lends multi-dimensional depth and can enhance your natural hair hue with gorgeous warm or cool tones. You can go lighter as well, about 1-2 levels, before needing a more professional touch."
The Madison Reed hair color brand provides professional help to people coloring their hair at home, through access to licensed, certified colorists via phone, email and even live chat. The Color Crew can take you through the entire process from choosing the right color to applying it. You can even text them pictures!
Use a root concealer
As a bottle blonde, I know there is nothing that looks and feels quite as bad as having your roots show. But, just because you need a touch-up doesn't mean you have to look like it. All you need to do is use Style Edit. Style Edit is a root concealer that is made in several shades of blonde, brunette and red, available in both a liquid spray and powder form, which washes out with your regular shampoo.
I spoke with Miguel Corvalan, Style Edit's artistic director. He explained to me that the product is "perfect for any woman who colors her hair and gets root growth between color services. Style Edit's products are free of harsh chemicals and can be used as often as needed." He added, "[It is the] fastest and easiest way to cover roots instantly [and] the self adjusting pigments adjust to any hair color." Now that you know how to cover those roots in seconds, there's no reason to show your true color, grays, or roots anymore.
Treat acne from the inside out
For acne sufferers, a first line of defense is often topical cream purchased from a drugstore or prescribed by a doctor. But it's not always the best option, especially for people with sensitive skin. The FDA has declared that many of these products have unpleasant side affects including redness, burning, dryness, itching, peeling and possibly even slight swelling. You might clear up your acne, but you'll end up with an entirely new set of skin issues.
Colette Widrin, licensed acupuncturist, clinical herbalist, and founder of Balance Blends told me what causes acne and how she believes is the best way to treat it, "Acne is a complex issue that involves many physical and non-physical factors. [It] is mostly genetic and common in teenagers, but adults usually experience flare-ups related to stress or occasional hormonal activity. Stress, hormones and food are chief influencers as they have the ability to manifest toxins that contribute to development of acne."
She also illustrated the role stress can play in the development of acne, "When stress rises or hormonal activity shifts, the skin tends to produce more of the oily, waxy substance known as sebum. This "oil" is basically food for acne-causing bacteria." Widrin's Acne Be Gone formula contains a blend of vitamins and Chinese herbs, which balance the liver, clear bacteria, as well as dampness (aka whiteheads). Sometimes controlling acne isn't a matter of what you put on your face, but rather what you put into your body.
Don't just follow the trends
Even beautiful people make bad beauty decisions. Actress-model Caitlin O'Conner confessed to me, "Back in high school, I regret perming my hair and leaving my bangs straight. It was a bad look!"
But, it doesn't have to be this way. Celeb hairstylist Anthony Pazos shared his secrets for finding the right look, telling me, "Most times people want to follow the crowd but just because they saw their favorite starlet wearing a cute color or cut doesn't mean that it will suit them...Usually what tends to be trendy like ombré color for example, won't necessarily be perfect for each person. If you ever regret doing something beauty-related it's always because of two things: you rushed to get it done without researching, or your artist that did it just plan sucked."
Not afraid to get real, Pazos dished a real solution, "Don't make bad decisions on a whim...Pay money for a licensed professional who has a great track record [to] take you to the desired beauty result. Just because blond looked great on your friend doesn't mean blond will look good on you. These mistakes can be avoided by spending the time to research."
Tweeze minimally
Blogger and influencer Angelica Monique wishes she would have been more conservative when it came to eyebrow tweezing. "My biggest beauty mistake would have to be over plucking my brows till they were super thin and had gaps where patches of hair were missing," she says. "It got so bad that when I filled them in using a pencil, it looked like I had just drawn a line with crayon or a felt-tip pen. It was horrible and super embarrassing. As much as I'd like to pretend that was years ago...I'm pretty sure that was just last year."
Monique definitely learned her lesson, "It took like four months to grow back completely, because I wanted to reshape them and for them to be fuller. It was a tough four months because I had to keep myself from plucking entire brow area, which was super hard!"
Don't get too matchy
Los Angeles based celeb stylist, Ali Levine, has done a lot of damage control, preventing her clients from being on the worst-dressed list and slaying the best-dressed list instead. While she tries to listen to what they want, sometimes Levine just has to step in when there is a style disaster impending. A big recurring problem? Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to color.
She broke it down, sharing this ever-important fashion tip, "Matching your makeup to your outfit, that's a no-no. I'm cool with you matching your lips to your dress, but not your entire palette to your outfit. As a stylist, I try to always help and inspire my clients, buy that's a no-no when they try to do it. Sometimes there's a thing as too matchy matchy."
Don't make the same mistake twice
From influencers to models, there is not one person who hasn't made a beauty mistake. But just because you've done it in the past, doesn't mean you have to continue in the future.
The best beauty advice is to spend time really thinking about what looks best on you. Always be diligent when applying a product, especially when you are trying something new, whether it is makeup or hair color. And if you aren't sure, don't be afraid to ask for professional help. Your true beauty will be shining through in no time!