RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

3 Ways to Treat Sun Damage—and the Prevention Tip You Haven’t Heard Yet

Last summer, I posted a photo of myself in an enormous hat, a one-piece swimsuit, and sunglasses half the size of my face. The caption read: “Well, if you were betting on how long it would take for me to become this lady…” Sun damage is real, and I don’t want more of it.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Are Vampire Facials Safe? How to Get the Glow Without the Risks

Since my first day at RealSelf, the question I’ve most often heard from friends is, “what’s up with the Vampire Facial?” Beauty magazines have called it “gruesome and glamorous,” contributing to the sense of (slightly lurid) fun. But earlier this week, CNN published a story about two women who may have contracted HIV from their Vampire Facials, raising valid concerns about safety.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

The FDA Just Approved a New Noninvasive Treatment to Sculpt Your Biceps, Triceps, Thighs, and Calves

The big news in aesthetics this week is the launch of Emsculpt’s brand-new, smaller applicator, and what it can do in terms of body contouring. The new FDA-cleared device works the same way as the original, using high-intensity electromagnetic energy to firm and tone your muscles—but this one goes beyond treatments for your abs and butt to tune up your biceps, triceps, thighs, and calves.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Melasma: The Hyperpigmentation That’s Hardest To Treat

Melasma is one of those skin issues that can easily fly under your radar, until you have it—and then the only question is: “How do I make it go away?” And then, “How do I make it go away faster?” It’s a pigmentation concern, sometimes called the “mask of pregnancy,” a term that, to me, feels creepily old-fashioned plus overly specific.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

The Most Effective Way (and Best Time) to Treat Spider Veins

At a post-work happy hour this past February, I noticed my friend Jen was making that face we all make when our tights feel awful. “What’s happening there?” I asked, laughing. “Compression tights,” she said. “I just had sclerotherapy for my spider veins.”

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Graves’ Disease Affected Her Confidence. Eyelid Surgery Helped Restore It.

Shortly after she moved to Seattle, Denise began experiencing symptoms, but they all had logical explanations. “I’m just anxious because of the move,” she told herself. “And of course I’m tired. Of course I’m losing tons of weight, and my leg muscles are sore—I’m nursing and training for a triathlon.”

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

10 Myths About Hair Transplants—and the Facts You Need to Know

The women in my family tend to go bald. Not bald bald, but close enough that if I have the same problem and the means to fix it, I’ll consider a hair transplant. I’ll go all in on PRP injections, light therapy, Rogaine, Propecia. I wasn’t born with the gorgeous head shape required to go red-carpet-glamour bald, and glamour is a priority—with a capital P.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

5 Common Post-Pregnancy Body Changes—and What You Can Do About Them

Several of my friends refused to read anything about what to expect, when they were expecting. All the attention paid to every aspect of their changing bodies made them feel stressed, paranoid, and hypervigilant. “I’ve got enough on my mind,” one friend said. “I don’t need to worry about my vagina turning blue.”

Fair enough, I thought.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Breast Implant Safety: FDA Announces New Policies, Won’t Ban Textured Implants

If you’re one of the millions of women in the U.S. who has—or is considering—breast implants, you may already know about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearings in March about implant safety concerns. Last week, a new FDA statement outlined a slew of new policies in response to the hearings.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Laser Treatments: Beyond the Basics

Ever since the Halo laser made our 2019 list of Most Worth It Procedures, I’ve been wondering if it’s the right solution for my skin. It’s always leaned heavily toward its pink, splotchy, Scandinavian ancestry, but has just recently begun to show me just how much time I’ve spent in the sun.

RealSelf News • 11th June 2019

Emergency Brazilian Butt Lift Restrictions in Florida Aim to Reduce Mortality Rates

Sixteen months after a joint task force urged all surgeons who perform Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgery to reevaluate their methods, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery—in partnership with ASPS, ISAPS, ISPRES, and IFATS—has released a memo reiterating safety warnings and announcing new emergency restrictions in Florida as BBL-related deaths continue to be reported in the U.S. and abroad.

RealSelf News • 23rd May 2019

Why 3 Vaginal Rejuvenation Treatments Ranked “Most Worth It” This Year

The hour I spent on the phone recently with Orlando plastic surgeon and women’s health advocate Dr. Adam Oppenheimer was, hands down, one of the most fascinating conversations of my life. Three nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments had just landed on our 2019 list of Most Worth It Procedures, based on RealSelf member ratings. And I’d never heard of them.

RealSelf News • 3rd May 2019

Top Cosmetic Treatments for Deep Skin Tones

Three weeks ago, I had my first-ever laser procedure, hoping to undo some of the sun damage I’ve inflicted on my face over the years. After the swelling went down and my newly rejuvenated face began to appear, one of my coworkers admitted she also wanted to try a treatment. But as a Black woman, she was concerned about hyperpigmentation—and rightfully so. “I’m nervous,” she said. “What if I end up making my skin look worse?”

RealSelf News • 21st May 2019

Beauty Budget: I Make $52K a Year in Los Angeles & Here’s What I Spend on Beauty

I do very interesting work, but it doesn’t necessarily pay that well. And I live in a really expensive city. When I moved to LA 20 years ago I could get a beautiful, huge one bedroom for $800. You can’t touch that for under $2,200 now.

RealSelf News • 15th March 2019

Chemical Peels: Beyond the Basics

When done right, chemical peels can treat a seemingly endless list of skin concerns: mild acne scars, age spots, crow’s feet, hyperpigmentation, rough texture, uneven or dull tone, sun damage, fine lines, and wrinkles. But done wrong (or at home, with celebrity-inspired concoctions like acetone and dry ice), they can potentially cause real damage.

RealSelf News • 12th April 2019

5 Misconceptions About Botox (and the Big Mistake I Made)

When a friend called last year asking if I wanted free Botox, of course I said yes. It seemed like a win-win: she’d started a new job as a nurse esthetician and needed to learn how to give injections (under strict supervision), and I’d just been laid off. I was curious, broke, and free in the middle of the day—which is how I ended up getting neurotoxin injections from someone who’d never given them before. What could go wrong?

RealSelf News • 31st July 2020

Everything You Need To Know About Microneedling

If you’d love to wake up to glowing skin every morning, you might want to learn more about microneedling. Microneedling can help encourage your skin to create new collagen and elastin, helping your skin look plump, smooth, supple, and healthy. It rejuvenates by using tiny needles to puncture the top layer of your skin, which trigger collagen and elastin production.

RealSelf News • 21st June 2019

The Surgery That Finally Gave One Woman Her Identity

Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, a Boston facial plastic surgeon, performs about 1,200 surgical procedures a year—but that’s not what sets him apart from other top doctors. He’s been making masculine faces look more feminine for 20 years, and sees more than 30 transgender women a week for consultations or procedures.

RealSelf.com • 31st July 2020

Everything You Need to Know About Hair Transplants

What to expect during a hair transplant depends on the type of procedure. Currently, there are two popular hair transplant techniques: follicular unit grafting (FUG) and follicular unit extraction (FUE).

RealSelf News • 31st May 2019

I'm Removing My Tattoo—and the Reminder of Losing My Daughter

I was 21 when I got my tattoo: the word heartless in black ink across my breast. Over my heart. At the time, I wasn’t in the right emotional state. My husband and I had a stillborn daughter. And then we separated. We’d been together since we were 14, but that loss broke us apart. So I had to reflect not only on losing a child but losing my spouse, too.

RealSelf.com • 31st July 2020

Everything You Need to Know About Invisalign

To start, you’ll visit your dentist or orthodontist to make sure you’re a good candidate for Invisalign. You’ll receive a digital scan and a personalized treatment plan is created for you. Once your plan is finalized, you’ll get to preview your new smile, then your custom aligners are made.

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Beauty Budget: I Make $96K a Year in Cincinnati & Here’s What I Spend on Beauty

What I spend yearly on beauty would be a wild guess. Maybe 20% of my income? When I budget, I don’t sit down with numbers. If I know I’ve paid all my bills, and I have extra money, I just think to myself, “what’s in my price range?”

RealSelf News • 27th August 2019

Beauty Budget: I Make $175k a Year in Seattle & Here’s What I Spend on Beauty

I can justify just about any beauty expense—especially if it’s preventive. Anything that keeps me from feeling like I need to cover something up or feeling bad about the way my skin looks is worth all kinds of money.

RealSelf.com • 31st July 2020

Everything You Need to Know About a Facelift

After about 10 to 14 days, most people find they can return to work or their daily routine, without obvious signs that they've had a procedure. There may be some swelling, numbness, and skin discoloration as you heal. Your plastic surgeon will prescribe medication to help control pain in the first few days after your facelift.