Having your teeth professionally whitened is an expensive procedure (costing around $500) so once done, you'll definitely want to maintain the effects with these tips:
Tip 1: Follow up your professional treatment with an at-home, over-the-counter whitening system. Ask your doctor how long to wait before using one, as different whitening systems have different requirements. Then choose one from this list of highly-rated whiteners. Tip 2: Choose your food and drinks wisely. Avoid drinking dark liquids like coffee and tea and even using colored mouthwash as much as possible. If you must indulge in dark liquids/foods, drink with a straw and chase them with water. This will prevent the substance from penetrating the surface of your teeth. Also, eat crunchy foods (carrots, celery, lettuce, apples) that displace plaque and debris from the mouth. Tip 3: If you�re on the go between brushings, swish water in your mouth for 30 seconds; this minor effort helps remove bacteria from your mouth, which helps ward off stains. And of course, brushing and flossing well before bedtime will help keep teeth whiter. Tip 4: Wear berry-colored lipsticks with blue undertones and bronzers that look more brown than gold to make smiles appear whiter. Also, avoid orange and gold clothing; they can bring out yellowish tones in your teeth.
The results of injectable beauty treatments like Botox, Restylane and collagen, usually last between three and six months and cost around $400 on average, depending on the location injected and your doctor. By following these certain general precautions for the first week (or at most 2 weeks) after your injections, you can extend the life of their effects.
Tip 1: Keep your heart rate low. Heavy aerobic activity, which increases the heart rate, can wash or flush the material out quicker, says Guida. Tip 2: Avoid intense heat and sun exposure. "Heat increases blood flow and with increased blood flow substances such as Restylane or collagen could be more �efficiently� flushed through the system, thus lessening their longevity," says the doctor. Tip 3: Do NOT have regular facials -- the massage and pressure will cause the material to dissipate more quickly. Tip 4: Sleep with your head elevated. This decreases blood flow to the injected areas, because again, increased blood flow can flush material out quicker.
Let's kick off this budget beauty bonanza by admitting the obvious, shall we? Going to the salon for a haircut, color, blow out, manicure, pedicure, eyebrow shaping, waxing, etc. is expensive. Now let's crunch some beauty numbers. To find out just how much money you can save from prolonging the results of your many manicures and hours spent in the hairdresser's chair, we did some math -- albeit basic -- it's not our favorite subject. We added up the cost one reader spends on various treatments she gets in the Detroit, MI area (standard ones that are offered all over the country) over the course of one year, then we subtracted treatments she wouldn't need, if she knew how to make them last longer. Here are the facts about how much she could be saving on average. These numbers don't include tax or tip, but they'll give you a basic understanding of her savings if she knew these tricks:
Manicure ($12): About once every two weeks for a year = $288
With the following expert tips she could get one less manicure a month saving her $144 a year.
Haircut ($35): About once every three months for a year = $140
With the following expert tips she could get two less haircuts a year saving her $70
Coloring ($50): About 5 times a year = $250
With the following expert tips she could have one less coloring session a year saving her $50
Grand total of savings for just some of the treatments she gets in a year = $264
