Finally finished wrapping up Aesthetics & Beauty Guide (ABG) January 2011 issue (it’s a coincidence that it looks so Christmassy btw). People, especially women, are always envious of me whenever I tell them what I do – which is review beauty treatments for work. Indeed, I have to admit that my job is pretty amazing and in this issue, I get to try out an array of procedures to treat skin problems as well as test-drive the latest slimming machines (goodbye love handles!) in our Imperfections Special! In fact, you will even read about the very treatment that super-svelte Dr Georgia Lee uses on herself to maintain her figure!
Find out what the top 10 most popular aesthetic treatments are and the kind of research you should do on your doctor before going for a procedure. Want to improve yourself but not keen to go under the knife? Then check out our feature on Sculptra – a non-surgical face lift, and breast fillers for shapelier breasts in 60 minutes flat! I also chat with successful entrepreneur, Merry Riana, to find out her success and beauty secrets, and if this multi-hyphenate (author, businesswoman, motivational speaker, mentor and mother) can keep herself groomed to perfection, you have no excuses!
ABG will hit newsstands end January, look out for it! Now, I just to to finish my other magazine, The Republic (http://www.therepubliconline.com/) and I’ll be freeeeeeee…:)
Your shiners, your raccoon eyes, your blue luggage… whatever you call your dark under-eye circles, here’s what they really are: oxidising hemoglobin.
Most people think that dark under-eye circles are caused by staying up late watching monster movies, or having that last drink the night before, or sitting up with your laptop trying to finish the quarterly report. Most people think that their behavior is somehow linked to dark under-eye circles.
Well, most people are dead wrong.
If nothing else, I want you to know that dark under-eye circles are not your fault. They don’t mysteriously appear when you misbehave or are stressed out, only to vanish when you get 8 straight hours of sleep. Dark under-eye circles are a by-product of the very same mechanism that produces bruises (and you don’t blame yourself for bruising, do you?). Changing your behavior will, in almost every case, NOT get rid of your dark under-eye circles.
Dark under-eye circles begin in the capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that web the delicate skin around the eyes. Now, your capillaries are so small that red blood cells sometimes have to line up, single file, to get through. Frequently, red blood cells get lost and wander into the surrounding skin. This isn’t a problem – it happens all the time – and your body has a mechanism to mop up these escapees. Enzymes in your body break down the red blood cells, including their hemoglobin (the molecule that gives them their distinctive red color).
No problem, right? Except for one thing: when hemoglobin is broken down, its remaining components have a dark blue-black color. Just like a bruise. So your dark under-eye circles are actually caused by leaky capillaries.
It’s quite possible that capillaries all over your body are leaking small amounts of blood all the time (I don’t know if this is true or not). But the reason dark under-eye circles are so apparent is this: the skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest, most delicate skin of your entire body. The capillaries are much closer to the surface of the skin there. Many people’s skin is not only thinner around the eyes, but also more translucent. The combination of capillaries near the skin’s surface and translucent skin makes this discoloration much more apparent. And that’s why you have those dark under-eye circles staring back at you in the mirror.
Home remedies:
The most effective remedy for dark circles is also the most cliche. Thin slices of cucumber applied to your eyes not only helps to lighten the skin, but also soothes and cools the eyes. This can be especially comforting if you’ve been up late the night before or your eyes are red and tired from allergies or staring at a laptop screen.
The caffeine in tea bags acts as a remedy for dark circles by diminishing puffiness. Caffeine in tea helps to diminish water in the tissues around the eyes (you’ll notice that many early eye circle creams contain caffeine for this very reason). In addition, tea contains antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin. Take a used tea bag (green, black or white) that’s been squeezed out. Make sure it’s cool! Leave it over your eyes for about 10 minutes. You’ll see a noticeable improvement in puffiness and under-eye circles. Be careful not to get tea in your eyes.
Lazy to raid your fridge? Look for eye creams or lotions that contain cucumber extracts or caffeine. Alternatively, you can try this aesthetic treatment – Undereye fillers, to lessen your dark eye circles:
Don’t risk your looks by going for cheaper deals abroad or to the beautician when you are doing cosmetic or aesthetic treatments. Here are some horror stories to drive the message across:
1. Xiaxue’s bad eye job in Johor Bahru
This famous blogger documented her fiasco with a shoddy China doctor in JB in lurid, graphic details. She wanted to cut her eyes to create anime eyes popular in Japan. Not only did she look the same after the surgery, her wounds healed badly and got septic. She’s lucky she did not go blind!
This lady wanted laser hair removal on her pubic area and suffered intense pain after the treatment. The next day, the area erupted into blisters. She went to her GP then to a dermatologist who told her she had second degree burns and prescribed her a special cream. Unfortunately, this episode has caused her to be scarred for life.
3. Cosmetic surgery addict injects herself with cooking oil
Cosmetic surgery addict, Hang Mioku, started injecting herself with cooking oil after doctors refused to carry out anymore work on her as she was suffering from a psychological disorder. Her face became so grotesquely large that she was called “standing fan” by children in her neighbourhood – due to her large face and small body. As Hang’s notoriety spread she was featured on Korean TV. Viewers seeing the report took mercy on her and sent in enough donations to enable her to have surgery to reduce the size of her face. During the first procedure surgeons removed 60g of foreign substance from Hang’s face and 200g from her neck. After several other sessions her face was left greatly reduced but still scarred and disfigured.
Moral of the stories – always seek reputable and qualified doctors to do aesthetic or cosmetic surgery treatments for you. After all, aren’t you worth the investement?
Aesthetics & Beauty Guide (ABG) is the first aesthetics magazine from Singapore to bridge the information gap between medical professionals and the layman. In every issue, you will find detailed treatment reviews , the lowdown on the latest aesthetic treatments available and profiles of qualified medical professionals – basically, your go-to guide for all things aesthetics.
I started ReviewAntiAging.com last year in my personal pursuit to look for the best aesthetic treatments for myself. My partnership with ABG has allowed me to share my vast experience with a wider pool of women (and men!). In the name of “work”, I’ve reviewed almost 20 treatments and looking at my skin now – smooth, radiant and taut, I’m definitely a big believer that aesthetic treatments can help you get better skin and maintain your complexion for many years to come.
In this inaugural issue of ABG, you’ll get a crash course in Aesthetics 101, reviews of the latest and most effective aesthetic treatments, hear from Dr Georgia Lee as she talks about her new skincare range, get all your acne questions answered by renown dermatologist, Dr Joyce Lim, get the skinny on the newest slimming treatments to get rid of your wobbly bits, and many more health and beauty tips.
ABG is available at all major newstands and bookstores, get your copy before it’s sold out (I hear that Kino and Borders have had to replenish and copies are being stolen from doctors’ clinics)!
I often hear from my readers that they think that aesthetic treatments are too expensive or only relegated to tai-tais. That is just a myth as prices are really competitive now (check out this amazing promotion and my review!) and people from all walks of life are discovering the benefits of aesthetic treatments (look out for my interview next Friday in IS magazine!).
Shirleen Ho
One example is Shirleen Ho, a digital traffic manager and beauty blogger at Womenlovebeauty.com who has been doing aesthetic treatments for the last eight years. Shirleen is also 42 years old! Doesn’t she look much younger? Aesthetic treatments must really be working well for her! Here, she shares her experiences with her aesthetic treatments:
1. When did you start doing aesthetic treatments?
- Eight years ago, in my 30s.
2. What did you do and were you happy with the results?
- I started with microdermabrasion and IPL and were happy with both. This combination treatment made my skin glow.
3. What treatments have you done so far?
- Other than the two above, I have done Titan, Thermage, Fraxel (only eye areas), Pixel, Pigment laser (on cheeks), CO2 laser (only nasolabial fold), Radio Frequency, Botox (on my chin, forehead & brows) and Fillers.
4. Favourite treatment? Least favourite treatment? Why?
- Favourite treatment is probably IPL as I had great results. Least favourite – Pixel laser as I didn’t see any results and Botox on the chin area for face slimming. There was no different before and after the treatment.
5. Advice for women who are thinking of trying aesthetic treatments?
- Do your homework. First, identify what is your skin concern, find out what the various treatments available are, do research on reviews of these treatments then select the ideal doctor to perform the treatment.
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