Plucking is a painful, time-consuming process, which is why so many of us get our brows waxed instead. Unfortunately, with speed also comes a higher risk of crooked brows. Reema Khan, founder of s.h.a.p.e.s Brow Bar, says it's common for clients to come in with uneven brows. "I had one client come in with one brow that was too short on one end while the other had an arch that made her look permanently confused."
The better option: Pluck your brows
If you're a wimp when it comes to plucking, "use children's teething gel to slightly numb the area," says brow guru Kristie Streicher of Warren-Tricomi Salon in New York City and Los Angeles, Calif. But before you shape your brows, grow back all your eyebrow hair to get the most optimal brow shape for your face. Try using an all-natural hair growth product like Lash Allure MD Lash and Brow Enhancing Serum, $49.50, to speed up the process. Khan says you can also put castor oil on your brows every night, which can stimulate hair growth.
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The quick fix: Laser teeth whitening
To make your pearly whites even whiter, a bleaching gel is applied to your teeth and a laser is used to help that gel penetrate your enamel. The laser generates heat to open the teeth's pores so the bleaching gel can work its magic. While the procedure works well -- one visit to the dentist is usually all it takes for a much brighter smile -- the laser removes the natural fuzzy coating on your teeth, making them more susceptible to staining. "Consuming colored foods and drinks such as red wine, coffee, or red pasta sauce within that first 24 hours of laser teeth whitening is [a bad idea]," says Dr. Timothy Chase of SmilesNY in New York City. Why? Because the pores of your teeth are open, the color from that food will seep deeply into them, causing severe staining."
What's more, the heat generated by the laser can "cause gum damage and burning of the mouth tissue," says Forouzanpour. There's also a good chance you'll have high teeth sensitivity for a couple of days after the treatment.
The better option: LED teeth whitening and brushing with peroxide
With LED teeth whitening, you don't get the discomfort or the no-colored-food-for-24-hours mandate that comes with laser whitening. That's because unlike the laser, LED doesn't create any heat or open your teeth's enamel.
To prevent daily stains from accumulating, Forouzanpour suggests brushing your teeth with a spoonful of hydrogen peroxide before brushing with toothpaste. "You'll see the peroxide bubble and fizz, which is a sign that it's gently removing any stains that you may have accumulated during the day." Worried about swallowing some of that nasty-tasting stuff? Forouzanpour says even if you swallow some of the peroxide, it won't have any adverse effects. After a couple weeks of nightly brushing, you should see a difference.
Sure, patience may be a virtue -- but it's an increasingly hard one to value in this age of quick fixes and instant gratification. When we buy something online it can be delivered that day. If we hear a song we like we can immediately download it via iTunes. Hungry? Drive two minutes, pull up at a drive-thru, and pick up a No. 2 with a diet coke.
So when we want to be ourselves, but, say, 20 pounds lighter, hairless in certain areas, and with the wrinkle-less face of a 23-year-old, we're tempted by the option that guarantees the fastest results.
"All of us are looking for a quick fix that'll make us look and feel better," says board-certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Fardad Forouzanpour of Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgical Group. "But quick fixes often come with risks."
To make sure you're armed with all the beauty tips you need before you sign on the dotted line, we asked dermatologists, doctors, and beauty experts to fill us in what can go wrong with certain beauty treatments -- and the safer options that'll give you similar results. Here's what they had to say.
