Would You Ever Consider Plastic Surgery?
People considering plastic surgery often have to deal with negative reactions, whether direct disapproval or people whispering behind their backs. Much like people who wear excessive makeup, or who clearly spend hours fixing their hair, or even people who use suffocating amounts of perfume; people who undergo plastic surgery are often though of as somewhat vain or contrived. This simply is not the case all of the time. The following few paragraphs will demonstrate how plastic surgery can be used in subtle, helpful, or even reconstructive ways that do not indicate vanity.
Perhaps the most “controversial” form of plastic surgery, at least with regard to perceived vanity, is breast augmentation. However, as detailed on related websites like www.aboutplasticsurgery.com/, this type of surgery is not meant only for enlarging breasts; many women simply use it to maintain their familiar figure. For example, following a pregnancy, or even just from aging, many women find that their breasts change. It can certainly be contested that maintaining the body shape one is accustomed to is not complete vanity. Additionally, breast augmentation can even be used to reconstruct a breast or breasts following complications from a battle with breast cancer, a consideration unfortunately faced by many women today.
It is also quite common for people to look into erasing or lessening wrinkles via plastic surgery. This could be considered simply an effort to keep up appearances, rather than an attempt to change what one looks like or enhance one’s beauty. Through methods such as collagen injections and minor lifts, wrinkles can essentially be stretched and flattened so that the surface of the skin remains smooth. Now, of course, there are limits at which this surgery can appear to be a bit obvious or unnecessary… for example, an 80 year old person with perfectly flat and smooth skin does not look natural, and could be considered, perhaps, a bit vain or even somewhat in denial.
These have been just a few examples to help us to think through whether plastic surgery is always artifice. It’s always good to think these things through, rather than just react based on the expected perceptions of others. There are additional examples as well: slight liposuction for people who try and struggle to lose weight due to aging or pregnancy, or lifts and tummy tucks for people who have unflattering excess skin following a drastic or sudden weight loss, etc.
Under what circumstances would you consider plastic surgery?
Related Posts:
Should You Let Your Hair Be Gray?
As you can imagine, I get in alot of conversations gray hair.
Recently a loved one emailed me on that very topic. She is tired of the hassle of getting her hair colored. She’s determined to simplify. I think it is a brilliant idea; after all, to avoid the “skunk” look requires a costly and time-consuming visit to the salon every four weeks. And “skunk” is not any woman’s best look.
Since I put some effort into crafting my response, I wanted to share some of it:
I think there is growing acceptance of gray hair. Your reasons make so much sense! The biggest risk, IMO, is losing your feminine look; therefore, [getting a buzz cut] is probably not your best choice.
As to what increases in importance: yes, earrings; maybe makeup. The real biggie, IMO, is CUT. You are a powerful presence and could be downright intimidating without a pretty feminine hairstyle. Color in your clothing and accessories can contribute energy and creativity to your look (see quotation below).
For Christmas I got the 2001 book Put Your Best Foot Forward: Make a Great Impression by Taking Control of How Others See You
, by Jo-Ellan Dimitrius and Mark Mazzarella. You can read much of what they say about hair on googlebooks.
From the book:
“Women, however, don’t fare so well when they turn gray. Studies show that they are considered older, tired, less creative, and less capable. Unlike men, there are no corresponding positive associations when women’s hair turns gray. Women with striking white or silver hair in short, chic hairstyles avoid the negative associations that generally apply to women who have grayed. But for those whose hair has turned gray or salt and pepper, hair coloring will significantly improve their image, particularly in the professional arena.”Also:
“Studies have shown that women, particularly older women, are perceived as more credible, friendly and competent when they wear their hair shoulder length or shorter, and in relatively simple styles and cuts. Particularly short, chic, styled hair can look very professional, and scores well in the capability category as well, although it appears more harsh and unfriendly.”
To dye or not to dye? Share your thoughts here. 
Related Posts:
How to Look Older
No, seriously. Occasionally, I have had friends who have wanted to look older. Of course, they were under the age of 25 at the time. So, tips on looking older, for those under the age of 25:
- lose the “high school hair”. High school hair is that beautiful, but unstyled, long, straight-ish hair.
- add blonde highlights to your dark brown hair. This is especially effective in mimicking the affect of graying.
- wear a full face of foundation AND powder.
- trade in the elements of leisure in your outfits (runners, hoodies) for a carefully crafted contemporary classic look.
And it couldn’t hurt to shop Old Navy - Women’s Wear to Work.
Have you ever wanted to look older?
Related Posts:
Remedy for a Bad Hair Day
SMILE!
Also works for puffy eyes, spots and wrinkles, and various sorts of wardrobe trauma. Not recommended for use with bad breath or bad teeth; definitely effective against bad attitudes.
Related Posts:
The Elements of Hair Style
Recently, when I was reading In the Dressing Room with Brenda: A Fun and Practical Guide to Buying Smart and Looking Great
Hairstyle should be used to create proportional harmony between the length of the head and the width of the shoulders.
The harmonious ratio we are looking for is 1 to 2, in this case. If, like me, your shoulder width is not quite twice the length of your head, I suggest keeping the length of the hair above the shoulders (I will be asking for a little shorter when I go in later this week for my haircut). Conversely, broader shoulders relative to head length would look appropriate with longer hair, bisecting the shoulder line.
In addition, the proportional ratio of head to total body length is 1 to 8. There are two ways to visually effect this proportion using hair styling techniques:
- shorten the apparent head length by wearing bangs
- add to the apparent head length by adding volume to the top of the hair style
Personality
Why is it that a hair style can look chic on one person and matronly on another? I propose personality.
Today, on the radio, I heard about a kids game based on the DISC model. It’s called Kids Flag Page, and it helps families discover childrens’ native “countries”: Control, Perfect, Peace or Fun. Allow me to borrow that concept and apply it to hairstyles for a moment:
- If you are a Control person - that is, an active, in-charge type - you might wear edgy, textured, or chunky hair well.
- If you are a Perfecter, every hair should be in place.
- A Peace person needs soft, blended hair.
- The native of Fun country may want flippy, almost messy, hair.
Texture
The hairstylist’s biggest complaint is women who come in with a picture of a style which will not work with the texture of their hair. An example of that with my hair would be a blunt bob: there is no power on earth, that doesn’t smell like hairspray, that would make my hair turn uniformly under.
Explaining how to choose a hair style based on your hair texture is beyond the scope of this particular post. Your hair professional should be able to provide you with the guidance you need.
Facial Particulars
Another element of hair style which I am unable to cover here is how to make your hair style perfect for your face shape and features. Unfortunately, it seems that most hair professionals are completely clueless about this as well.
Perhaps the internet has answers?
Related Posts:
August Wardrobe Roundup
Late August, and back to school, is upon us. Since the day I left my retail career, back to school has held little importance for me. However, that does not mean I’m not thinking about wardrobe and related planning issues. Here are some of the things I’m working on in August of 2010:
- Renewing my cosmetic collection. A couple of times a year, it’s good to review and refresh, buy new mascara and lipstick, etc. Last week I bought foundation.
- Taking inventory of my shorts and tank tops. I’ve picked up a couple of items recently on clearance. Plus, I’ve concluded that some just need to be passed on, for the primary reason that they have shrunk. When I stepped on the scale today and saw I was at my “goal weight” (5 pounds above my “ideal weight”), I figured there was no better time to decide whether a pair of shorts with a tight waistband was ever going to fit.
- Performing maintenance tasks on my fall stuff. It’s all back from the cleaners, and I’ve washed my Pumas. Soon I’ll start thinking about when to get it out.
Next up: the fall haircut.
Related Posts:
What Causes Cracked Teeth?
What causes the cracking of molars?
For years, I thought the answer was simple: popcorn. Now that I’m on my third cracked molar and my third crown, I finally have a little better answer: clenching. Simply put, clenching or grinding teeth weakens them and makes them prone to cracking. And up to 80% of people clench, many at night when they are not even aware of it!
I am studiously avoiding blame casting. The fact is I have been able to afford to get the dental treatment I need and I have a wonderful dentist. For that, I am grateful! But I want to share this in the event it could be helpful to someone else.
The math of the matter is this: a $300 night guard may have prevented all of my cracked teeth. If it had prevented even one it would have more than paid for itself, even factoring in insurance. You see, insurance will pay half of the cost of a crown; so for each of my three crowns, my “co-pay” has been approximately $600. Double the cost of the prevention.
As soon as I get this crown paid for, I’m getting a night guard.
Related Posts:
Looking Younger
Looking younger, I’m afraid, has more to do with makeup than I want to accept. But I’d rather accept makeup than color my hair. Maybe I can just find a couple of easy things I can do …
Kathy Peel got a makeover from Robert Jones, author of Looking Younger: Makeovers That Make You Look as Young as You Feel
From Kathy’s website, which also has a list of the 10 mistakes Robert sees most commonly: If you only have a few minutes, Robert says these things will make the biggest difference:
- Curl your eyelashes. This will open up your eyes and make them look bigger
- Apply a little mascara-starting at the base
- Put a dab of concealer under your eyes
- Brush some blush across your cheekbone
- Groom your eyebrows
- Apply lip gloss
Check!
Check! I am currently using the two different mascara method.
Yes. I use Bobbi Brown creamy concealer.
So far, so good. (He also recommends bronzer in the video. In the past, I have used it, but I don’t have any now.)
Here’s my problem. I’ve tried several kinds of magnifying mirrors, but I still have trouble tweezing. Also, I asked my hairstylist last week whether she thought I should dye my eyebrows and she didn’t think I should. (She also didn’t think I should dye my hair.)
Y’know, my hero prefers that I don’t wear any lip product. We compromise. I wear a frosty pink all-day lip stuff which literally will not kiss off. (That is, I wear it when I remember to put it on.)
Here’s my remaining question: how to keep my mascara from melting into my concealer. Suggestions?
Related Posts:
The Oval as Feminine
A glimpse into my brain: is that what it means? I can’t believe I’ve never stumbled onto that path before: oval, ova, egg, egg-shaped …
Am I the only one who thinks these kinds of things?
Recently I observed a female acquaintance, one with very short hair but whose feminine appearance I had never questioned. Until this one day. It wasn’t that I thought her unfeminine at first, but something was definitely less attractive than her usual. After a moment of dissecting her presentation, I concluded that her short, tidy hair combined with a collared shirt and no makeup somehow added one too many “masculine” points to her look. Which lead to wondering whether a quiz could be developed to help pin-point that fine line, because, face it, we all know lovely, very feminine ladies with short hair who don’t wear makeup. What is it that makes those ladies unquestionably feminine? And what is it about taking away some of the “feminine” which equates to less attractive, even somehow boring?
And now for the personal application part. Somewhere I picked up the following concept (any idea where?):
oval = feminine
rectangle = masculine
Tracing my recent hair makeover, what do you notice in terms of my face and hair shape?
