Beauty Undercover » Proceed With Caution

TANOREXICS

Beauty Undercover — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:24:09 +0000

They call them tanorexics – young women and teens obsessed with the golden glow. Despite all the campaigns about the dangers of Sunbeds, they still remain an irresistible attraction for many people. But it’s not just the dangers of skin cancer. New research claims the younger crowd has become addicted to them.

Researchers say that too much exposure to UV light can activate parts of the brain involved in substance abuse. According to researchers, such tanning leads to behavior on a par with alcohol or drug abuse. One report says a third of college-age people using tanning beds are addicted.

Many states regulate the use of tanning beds. In Florida, they’ve proposed prohibiting tanning for people under the age of 16 and requiring parental consent for those younger than 18.

TRICKS OF THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICS

Beauty Undercover — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:24:53 +0000

We all know how pictures can be airbrushed like these of Britney Spears. She boldly agreed to release the photos from the latest shoot which reveal exactly how much retouching is done on the final photo.

Magazines are one thing, but what about cosmetic pictures promising to get rid of wrinkles or remove brown spots? Dr. Zein Obagi believes the majority of pictures are doctored up. ”Clinical photos should be taken under the same light,” says Dr Obagi, who has just launched another skincare line called, ZO Skin Health. (Pictures after the jump)

In these before and after pictures, the facial expression is completely different which changes the amount of wrinkles that appear on the face. “When your eyes are closed they are totally relaxed,” explains Dr. Obagi. “When they’re open that will induce more wrinkles and a smile creates even more.” Not to mention the diffused lighting in the after picture and the harsh lighting in the before photos.

Dr. Obagi says pictures should always have the same lighting, the subjects eyes should be open, fixated on the same spot, no make-up and hair pulled back.

THE CUT:DID SHE OR DIDN’T SHE?

Beauty Undercover — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:55:38 +0000

We think the first lady of France, Carla Bruni is stunning. But when we came upon this picture of the former model we wondered…what has she done? Thoughts?

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Beauty Undercover — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:49:45 +0000

In our ever ending search for beauty products, we came upon some strange stuff. Once in a while we want to share. This is one of those times. Check out the cordless electric hair coloring brush which promises to dye hair the way the pros do. They wonder why you’d ever dream of going to a salon when you can just load up your color in a brush and start doing your roots! According to the manufacturers the color control system distributes color evenly with precision. And, you get results in half the time (we aren’t sure why). Load up the double AA batteries, the color and you’re ready to go! The price is $20. Anyone willing to try it is much braver than either of us.

TEEN TOXING: BOTOX AT 15?

Beauty Undercover — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:47:29 +0000

We have been obsessing over the 15-year old girl who recently became the youngest cosmetic Botox user in the UK. She was injected by her own mother who is known as the Human Barbie because she holds the world record for the most cosmetic procedures. She even became a trained aesthetic practitioner so she could do the injections herself.

Sarah Burge injected her daughter with half the usual dosage of Botox because she believes it will prevent (her now 16-year old) from developing wrinkles in the future. Her daughter is apparently worried about looking haggard by the time she turns 25. According to the Daily Mail , Ms. Burge, a mother of three was happy to inject her daughter and talked her through the entire experience.

We found this happens with teens in the U.S. as well. A very reputable Beverly Hills plastic surgeon tells Beauty Undercover he has injected teenagers with Botox. In all these cases the parents brought them in with concerns about wrinkles in the future. This same doctor has even had mothers ask him to enhance teens lips with filler. Yuck!

EXTREME PLASTIC SURGERY

Beauty Undercover — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:55:17 +0000

The other day we noticed a woman walking in Santa Monica who was a surgery (or two) away from Jocelyn Wildenstein - the New York socialite dubbed the cat lady due to her shocking appearance from excessive plastic surgery. We wondered, in the wake of Heidi Montag’s multiple procedures, if the 23-year old wasn’t heading down the same treacherous path. Where is the line between looking good and looking crazy?

A new book by two former models turned psychotherapists deals with the emotions brought on by the role beauty plays in a woman’s life. What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change by Vivian Diller, Ph.D, with Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D. and edited by Michele Willens deals with the reality of changing looks.
At Beauty Undercover we love finding out about the latest age-defying products and procedures. However, there’s a difference between trying to look good for your age and attempting to shave off too many years. (We’ve all seen those women who don’t have a wrinkle on their face but look ten years older than their actual age.) “The younger we try to look, the less attractive we feel,” says author Vivian Diller who at the age of 16 felt the pressures of aging in the modeling business. “What you really want is to look the best you can for your age.” We totally agree. Now can someone tell that to Heidi Montag before it’s too late!

FISH PEDICURES GET THE HOOK

Beauty Undercover — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:00:21 +0000

Fish pedicures are popular in places such as Turkey and Thailand. But the $45 fashion fad seems to be swimming upstream in the United States. Over a dozen states have targeted the practice where scores of toothless minature carp buff up the feet by having a little feast. Proponents say it’s much better for getting rid of dead skin than the tradional scrubs. However, health officals fear the fish could spread infection through open wounds and are shutting down spas that offer the service in certain states. So for now it appears this imported beauty procedure will be sleeping with the fishes.

IS YOUR MAKEUP DATED?

Beauty Undercover — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:59:15 +0000

How quickly do you replace your mascara? Some say it must be done every six months. Hollywood makeup artist, Rachel Goodwin tosses it after just 6 weeks! “That’s one reason to buy inexpensive mascara,” says the makeup artist to actresses such as Penelope Cruz and January Jones. “Otherwise it can gather bacteria.” But these expiration dates apply to other makeup as well.
The Daily Mail recently did a story about how long you should keep everything from eye shadow to blush. Over time bacteria can get on the face and cause irritation or infection. But according to research many women carry makeup (that in some cases) is 15 years out of date. Below is a list of how long you should keep the following makeup around.
Lipstick – Up to two years tops!
Mascara - 4 to 6 months
Eyeliner – 18 months
Blush – 18-24 months
Perfume – 36 months

Brushes also need to be washed regularly. For more on this story click on this link.

DO YOUR EARRINGS HANG LOW?

Beauty Undercover — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:49:11 +0000

Big earrings are all the rage. But those large jewels can do major damage to the earlobe. For some people any weight on the ears will eventually make the hole bigger.
But cosmetic physician, Dr. Simon Ourian, fixes the problem by shooting Restalyne or Juviderm into the the pierced ear to fill in the area that’s been stretched out. Recently we watched him do this procedure on Megan O’Brien – the beauty blogger from Megsmakeup. Below is the video.

THE LATEST USE FOR BOTOX

Beauty Undercover — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:25:27 +0000

It seems Botox has become a sort of drug that can be all things to all people. It temporarily rids the face of wrinkles, it’s used to stop sweating and now in Europe they hail it as the drug to give the breasts a little lift. Can it really do all that?
Botox was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1989 to treat muscle disorders around the eyes — then physicians began noticing how users’ crow’s-feet faded following the injections. It quickly became the go-to drug for doctors wanting to aid in erasing the signs of aging.
Now in England they’re saying women may no longer have to undergo painful and lengthy boob jobs, thanks to ‘Breastox’ which allows women to boost their busts in under an hour. The treatment, which costs about $1000 involves around twelve Botox injections into their pectoralis minor chest muscle. They claim it works best on A and B-cups.
However, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Suzanne Trott is skeptical of the procedure which hasn’t really caught on in America. She questions how safe the procedure is since a large amount of the medicine is being injected into the area. Trott doesn’t see this as a replacement to surgery. “I don’t think the marginal improvement and temporary effect would be worth money you would have to spend,” she says.