It’s that time of year, dear friends. When, before we even think about burying our pedicured toes in the sand, we conduct an excruciatingly honest, head-to-toe spring body triage. Prepare yourself for the annual unveiling.
What surprises await as we bravely step in front of a full-length mirror bathed in the glow of a 75-watt bulb? Pasty skin that needs to be toned, tightened and resurfaced? Garden-variety blemishes, cellulite and spider veins? Or—horrors!—unwelcome hair skulking in our canyons and valleys? Welcome to springtime.
Savvy chicks already have their go-to providers for regular body work. But for almost-swimsuit-season emergencies, a serious plan must be hatched.
The good news is that area health and beauty experts offer a bevvy of innovative treatments to help us make the smooth and sexy transformation from winter to WOW.
1. Best face forward
Step one is to care for the face and neck since those areas are first noticed and most exposed to the ravaging effects of sunlight. You know the drill: apply moisturizer and SPF-30 sunscreen liberally before you head out in the morning and, if you plan to spend time outdoors, reapply a shotglass-full of sun protection every two hours.
Next, banish fine facial lines with injectable dermal fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm; rid yourself of deep marionette wrinkles and regain the “apples” in your cheeks with thicker injectables like Radiesse and Juvederm Ultra Plus; and relieve forehead furrows and crow’s feet with a little Botox for a refreshed, relaxed new you. These and other fast and simple procedures often can be done during your lunch hour. You might also consider a resurfacing laser treatment to help improve tone and texture, reduce fine lines, erase brown spots, improve the appearance of scars, treat pre-cancerous lesions and generally lessen the effects of everyday sun, pollution, stress and fatigue. Typically, results are immediate and, over the subsequent three to six months, additional improvement will be noticeable as the deeper layers of skin continue to create new skin-plumping collagen.
2. Hitting below the belt
Some of us start shying away from shorts and swimwear in our 40s and 50s when the knees begin to droop as skin from the thighs loses elasticity and acquiesces to gravity. If, despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, loose skin is plaguing your upper legs or abdomen, several popular, non-invasive body contouring therapies are making headlines.
Innovative treatments include CoolSculpting, a body-contouring procedure that uses an advanced cooling technology to reduce fat. To banish nasties such as unsightly spider veins and unwanted hair, try laser therapy that can be performed in as little as 15 to 30 minutes.
Whether you try something simple such as basic dermal fillers or opt for more sophisticated resurfacing, contouring or laser procedures, experts agree that, by doing a little tweaking once or twice a year as part of a planned regimen, overall results will be far superior to waiting until everything is sagging from head to toe and then trying to play catch up.
3. Let your hair down
For gorgeous, healthy tresses, one of the best things you can do for your hair is to infuse it with keratin. If the only hairstyle you can muster during humid months is a dandelion-do, consider the magic of a keratin treatment.
Especially in humid months, keratin-treated tresses allow you to jump out of the shower and touch up your hair quickly and easily.
There is a misconception that keratin changes the character of your hair. If you have curly hair, it will remain curly even with keratin. You will still be able to wash, dry and style it, or let it go natural. The main benefit of keratin is that it dramatically protects against frizz, and enables you to wash and style as usual, or allow hair to dry naturally for a fun summer look. Imagine being able to enjoy a week at the beach without feeling the need to hide under a scarf or beach hat!
One caveat—to prolong the benefits of keratin for at least three months, avoid chlorine, salt water and shampoo that contains sulfates.
4. Finishing touches
For a healthy, beach-worthy glow, load up on fresh fruits and veggies, drink plenty of water and treat yourself to a skin and body analysis at your favorite New Jersey spa. Relax and dream of your summer getaway plans as an expert esthetician prepares a custom-tailored skin-care regimen or formulates an individualized bodywork plan that nurtures your soul.
After being couped up indoors all winter, as part of your spring body triage, consider a therapeutic facial treatment to exfoliate dead skin cells and deeply cleanse skin and pores. Remove superfluous hair with a gentle body and facial waxing. Then indulge in state-of-the-art permanent makeup application, brow waxing and contouring, followed by eyelash extensions that are individually applied to real lashes. This quick and easy technique means glamorous, water-resistant lashes for about one to three months—perfect for a beach babe on the go!
When you hit the sand looking and feeling your best, you’ll be confident enough to leave the house without makeup, let your locks dry in the sunshine and stroll the beach in a bikini, sans cover-up. And everyone will wonder how you manage to exude such natural style and grace.