Frizzy hair. Chipped polish. Wimpy lashes. If you could fix them and forget them, what would you do with that leftover mental (and physical) energy? Get ready to find out. These ingenious treatments combat beauty bad days for good – and may just change your life.
Issue: Frizz
The solution: A keratin treatment
If your hair is on the curly side, your mood probably dips along with the barometric pressure. A keratin treatment can be a game changer, rendering you frizz-proof and free to go about your life despite inclement weather.
How it works: A stylist seals keratin, a conditioning protein, into each strand with a flat iron. The keratin weightlessly coats the hair, blocking moisture, which is what triggers the chain reaction that leads to frizz, explains Philadelphia stylist Alan Gold.
Where and how much: The treatment is available at salons nationwide. It can cost $150 or more, depending on whether you treat just one area (bangs, for instance) or your whole head.
Results last: Eight to 12 weeks, provided you dont wash your hair for up to four days following the treatment. Youll also need to steer clear of shampoos and conditioners with sodium chloride (aka salt), which breaks the keratin bonds.
A word to the wise: The treatment can release chemical fumes when its steamed into the hair, so you and your stylist should wear masks. But fear not, says celebrity stylist Paul Labrecque: Masks looks scary, but this is actually just safe practice.
Try this at home: The next generation of frizz fighters are long-lasting serums with special polymers that keep hair smooth through a shampoo or two. They may even help decrease frizz overall the longer you use them. Try Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield ($12, Avon.com) or John Frieda Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight ($10 at drugstores).
Issue: Skimpy lashes
The solution: Lash extensions
Think of lash extensions as falsies that dont come off with the rest of your makeup.
How they work: An aesthetician (preferably one with an aesthetician or cosmetology license) applies hairs to your lashes one by one, giving you dramatically fuller fringe and negating the need for mascara.
Where and how much: Lash extensions are available in hair salons and spas. Prices vary around the country but generally start at $150.
Results last: Four to eight weeks. Your add-ons will shed naturally with your lashes; theyll last longer if theyre touched up by a pro (who can also remove them).
A word to the wise: To avoid the Snuffleupagus look, ask for just a few pieces at the outermost corners of your lashes instead of getting a full set. Lashes are thickest in the middle of your lash line, so emphasizing only the outer corners can enhance your eyes in a more natural way, says Courtney Akai, the owner of the Courtney Akai Lash Boutique, in New York City. Plus, it can cost less.
Try this at home: For a cheaper way to boost your lashes, try the new and improved drugstore falsies. Kiss Premium Eyelashes ($4 at drugstores) have strings on their outer corners so you can place them right along your lash lines, then slide the strings out.
Issue: Chipped polish
The solution: A gel manicure
Yes, you can stay perfectly polished without spending half your waking hours in a salon. A gel manicure dries quickly and can resist chipping two to three times as long as a traditional manicure.
How it works: A technician preps your nails as usual, but when the color is applied, its cured under a UV light for a few minutes after each coat. This yields a hard, dry finish (you can reach right into your bag for your keys). The color can be taken off with pure acetone polish remover, found at drugstores.
Where and how much: Gel manicures are becoming available at more and more salons. Some list them on the menu as such, while others offer branded versions, such as Opis Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquers and Creative Nail Designs Shellac. Expect to pay about $20 more than the price of a traditional manicure.
Results last: About 14 days or longer. So do the math: A standard $25 manicure might remain ding-free for three days, but with gel, $45 should buy you at least two weeks.
A word to the wise: Dana DAndraia, a New York City manicurist who regularly shellacs her clients, recommends it for toes, too, especially before a vacation. I call them round-trip nails, she says. They stay perfect for the whole trip.
Try this at home: Sally Hansens new Real Nail Polish Strips ($10 at drugstores), which look like colored pieces of tape, adhere to tips dry, so theres no wait time. But they only last – at the max – 10 days.
Issue: Body hair
The solution: Laser hair removal
Home hair removal is an exercise in tedium, particularly if youre hirsute. Thats why Heather Woolery-Lloyd, a dermatologist in Miami, recommends several rounds of zapping with a laser (also called the CoolGlide laser in some offices; for more information, go to Cutera.com).
How it works: A technician aims the laser, which generates pulses of light energy that are absorbed by the pigment in hairs. This eventually causes each follicle to sprout less hair. Yes, it may sting, but a topical numbing cream can ease that.
Where and how much: Laser hair removal is offered in medical spas and dermatologists offices everywhere (and may be performed by anyone from a medical doctor to an aesthetician, depending on your state). Prices start at about $150 a session, and most people need five sessions for the best results.
Results last: A long time, which justifies the cost. While CoolGlide has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for permanent hair reduction, some people may continue to have minor growth and require a touch-up.
A word to the wise: Prior sun exposure may cause the skin to be extra sensitive to the lasers sting. Be sure to use sunscreen no matter what time of year youre zapped.
Try this at home: The Braun Silk-epil 7 epilator ($100, www.braun.com/us for stores) has 40 built-in tweezers that rapidly extract hairs at the roots, leaving you stubble-free for a month.
Issue: Hair
The solution: Extensions
Whether your concern is slight thinning post-childbirth or a regrettable cut, or if you simply want to go all-out for a special event, extensions can do for your hair what no amount of styling or product can instantly render your woes null and void for months.
How they work: A stylist attaches hair to the underlayers of your own (typically with glue, tape, or heat) to give it extra inches or fullness.
Where and how much: Extensions are available in salons everywhere. Human hair add-ons (which most stylists consider the best choice because they look so, well, real) can run into the thousands – yes, thousands. A less expensive option is to do just small areas, like the crown, for added volume.
Results last: About four months. After that, the extensions should be removed and reapplied, because as your real hair grows, the point of attachment will begin to show, Labrecque says. Tangling is also an issue.
A word to the wise: Great Lengths, one of the premier extension companies, now offers Fastrack Gels (GreatLengthsUSA.com), lower-priced extensions with tape-like gel adhesive strips. Some stylists (like Labrecque) are also open to creating reusable clip-in extensions made from real hair, which will set you back hundreds rather than thousands.
Try this at home: For a quick one-night solution, the HairDo line by Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves makes synthetic clip-ins (prices vary, but all are less than $100) that can be inserted at home to amazing effect.