Do it yourself Color?

When friends of mine found out I was going to Beauty School, they all said the same thing, “even if you don’t become a stylist, at least you’ll learn how to color your own hair.”  Their response made me realize that many of us share a dream – the ability to do our own root touch ups that we can conveniently schedule at any time of day or night.  This common goal drives  the home color market and inspires television commercials that make the process seem simple and fun – just mix the ingredients in the applicator bottle, apply it to your hair and voila!.   Unfortunately what I learned in beauty school was that doing your own color was actually a lot harder than it looks.

First of all, devising the correct color formula is complicated and involves a number of variables beyond your current and desired hair color.  As professional colorists we consider a number of other factors such as the history of chemical services, the condition of the hair, the texture of the hair, the amount of grey, and even the presence of certain medications in the system.  This type of personalization just can’t be duplicated with a “one size fits all” over the counter color.

Secondly, your hair is always changing. –grey hair gets greyer, blondes darken– so even an at home solution that may have worked well in the past may not continue to produce the same results.  You’ve probably noticed this phenomenon with friends or relatives who have been using the same box dye for years with results that are starting to look a little orange or a tad blue.  Frankly, their at home formula may only need a slight adjustment; however, the products necessary to make the correction are just not available to the non-professional.

Lastly, touching up your roots with permanent hair dye or bleach requires a precise application because extending the color onto hair that has already been dyed needlessly opens up the cuticle and damages it.  If you’ve ever applied at home color, or watched a friend do it, you’ve probably noticed how hard it is to avoid getting the color on previously dyed hair.  Trust me.  Even with a room full of mirrors, it’s almost impossible to avoid the overlap trap.  So, even though I have access to professional products and can do my own formulation, I always protect the health of my hair by having someone at my salon apply my color.

So does this mean you should give up on your dream of doing your own color?  Not necessarily.  If you are just trying to refresh your color, there may be some demi-permanent colors and glossing products that might work for you in a pinch, but it still may be best to get your colorist’s opinion before you try anything “off the shelf.”   Root touch ups, however, are always best done at the salon even if you have gone to beauty school.

Go for the Gold

“Your skin is absolutely glowing.”  These were the words from my husband after I arrived home from my 24 Karat Gold Facial from the Dea Skin Centre.  Dea (which means goddess) is a lovely boutique spa located on a charming street in Glendale.  It was founded by Aida Azaryan who has over 20 years of experience in the field of aesthetics and some of the most beautiful skin I’ve seen – a testament to the efficacy of the treatments she offers which include a variety of luxurious facials. The Gold Facial is one of Dea’s signature services and, based on my husband’s assessment, well worth the extra cost.

After I slid into the comfortable terry wrap and settled onto the luxuriously padded treatment bed I immediately felt relaxed and ready for the Dea aesthetician to do her magic.  The service started with a deep cleansing and exfoliation to ready the skin for the mask of real gold leaf which is laid over the face and then massaged into the skin.  The gold ingredients are said to provide a number of benefits that any woman would value, but the benefits are particularly attractive to older women who want to slow down the depletion of collagen that causes skin to sag with age and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  Gold is also reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that would be useful for any skin type to reduce acne and help prevent premature aging of the skin.  After the golden massage, my facial continued with the application of a combination of vitamins and serums specifically selected for my anti-aging needs.  A collagen mask finished the treatment which left my skin looking refreshed and dewy and ready for a night out on the town.

Unlike other facials which can sometimes irritate the skin and bring out blemishes, the Dea 24 Karat facial is extremely gentle.  It is the perfect treatment for brides who want their skin to be extra special on their wedding day or for anyone else who needs to look radiant for a special occasion.   The effects also seem longer lasting than previous facials I’ve experienced.  Even 2 weeks after my facial, I am still getting compliments on my revitalized, glowing skin.

The Newest Wedding Trend: The Groomzilla

Sometimes women need to be careful about what they wish for.  Remember when we innocently hoped that men take more of an interest in their appearance – that their morning routine would involve more than throwing on a baseball cap or running their fingers through their hair?  Unfortunately, our secret wishing (and not so subtle prodding) produced the metrosexual – a beauty product parasite who usurps your pricey shampoo and pilfers your moisturizer.  Unfortunately, based on some recent observations, it seems that our desire to have men take an increased interest in wedding planning has created another new species – the Groomzilla – a being that can suddenly and inexplicably becomes obsessed with random details without being the least bit helpful to the overall planning process . I recently witnessed a Groomzilla metamorphosis when my soon to be wedded brother, who’d shown little interest in the preparation, suddenly fixated on the selection of his wedding ring.  While his fiancé and I feverishly organized all the final details, my brother spent his time trolling the Internet for the perfect ring.  After purchasing 20 different (returnable) designs, he spent the next week obsessively asking everyone which one looked best.

If you find your groom going ‘Zilla, try not to overreact.  Remember that you probably helped create this situation – you, all the bridal magazines, and maybe even your mother – so you need to take some responsibility.  The good news is that, with the right approach, most Groomzillas can be tamed.  In fact, if you follow these dos and don’ts, you might even be able to transform him from wedding planning kryptonite to wedding planning gold.

Don’t Over Stimulate your Groomzilla
Once your groom goes ‘Zilla, they are in a delicate state.  Share too much information about the wedding details – especially pricing – and they will change from euphoric to catatonic in the blink of an eye, so keep the minutiae to yourself.  If you need your Groomzilla to participate in something like food selection, you should present the options as simply as possible.
Right method: “Honey, would you prefer we served chicken or steak?”
Wrong method: “Honey, here is a list of 100 different kinds of hors d’oeuvres; please rank your preferences from 1 to 100.”

Do Focus your Groomzilla
Your Groomzilla is stressed out because he is excited but doesn’t know how to focus.  You can tap into that energy and relieve his anxiety by tasking him with responsibilities that he can relate to.  For example, your Groomzilla probably enjoys cake and may even have an opinion on what he likes, so why not ask him to organize the wedding cake tasting?  Many Groomzillas also do very well planning the musical elements of a wedding so have him focus his talents on searching for a DJ or scouting for a band.

Do Encourage your Groomzilla
Now that you’ve focused your ‘Zilla, you’ll want to give him lots of encouragement.  Tell him how excited you are to try the 12 different cake flavor combinations he has scheduled (and you probably are).  Help him listen to the 20 wedding band demo tapes and agree with his critiques.  Make sure he knows that these are very important parts of the wedding (without making him feel too much pressure).

Don’t Forget to Praise your Groomzilla
As your wedding day unfolds and your guests start to compliment you on how beautiful you look and how great the location is, make sure to point out your Groomzilla’s accomplishments and solicit praise for him.  Here are some suggestions:
“Doesn’t the band rock?!  Groomzilla found them.”
“Isn’t the cake fantastic?  Groomzilla tasted 12 different cakes in order to find the perfect one for us.”
“The guy wanted $1000 for the giant lobster ice sculpture, but Groomzilla talked him down to $750”

Congratulations.  You’ve survived your Groomzilla and can now relax…that is, until you are introduced to another modern species– the Dadzilla!

Are You a Makeup Hoarder?

Have you seen those TV shows about hoarders – the people that bury themselves in their possessions because they just can’t bear to throw anything away?  Well, take a look in your makeup drawer right now and count the number of mascaras.  If you currently own more than 3, you might have an issue – maybe not a hoarding issue, but let’s just say you have a makeup accumulation issue.  It’s okay.  I’m not judging you, for I too have acquired too much makeup.  It started so innocently.  I went to the drug store and had to wait for a prescription.  The next thing I knew, I was depositing a bunch of different mascara brands into my basket.  Each one beckoned me with their promises of lash perfection.

“Do you want thick lashes?”

“Yes!”

“Would you like them to look curled?”

“You betcha”

“Want to avoid clumps?”

“Of course!”

 

After the mascara madness, I started obsessing about multi use makeup palettes.  I told myself that palettes would help me cut down on my makeup clutter by providing a one stop shop for all my needs.  Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit more complicated as the palettes also began to speak to me.

“Want to sample great nude looks?  This is the palette for you.”

“Need some bolder options for a night out on the town?  Then you need this palette.”

“What if you are going on a vacation and need both?  This day to night palette will do the trick.”

Before I knew it, I had collected a parade of palettes and a whole street of “one stop shops.”   

 

It was time for me to face the truth: I had too much makeup and too little time because, guess what fellow makeup collectors, these products have an expiration date.  That’s right, makeup eventually goes bad and it’s probably not a surprise to you that liquid based products expire more quickly than powder based ones.

 

If you find yourself in a similar predicament, you may think your only option is to wear a lot more makeup.  Fortunately, for those of us who don’t want to apply a full face of makeup just to watch TV, there is another option – you can use some makeup artist tricks that will extend the life of your products.  Just follow these dos and don’ts and you might just be able to use all that mascara and not waste a drop of lip gloss.

 

1)      Don’t Double Dip – Makeup’s biggest enemy is bacteria which are generally introduced to liquid products such as mascara by re-using an applicator.  If you’ve ever had your makeup professionally done, you might notice that we makeup artists always use a new, clean mascara wand every time we have to dip into the product.  We do this for the safety of our clients so that bacteria from one client isn’t transferred to another, but limiting exposure to bacteria also helps the products last much longer.

 

2)    Do Use Disposable Applicators – the easiest way to avoid the double dip is to use disposable applicators which you can generally get at any beauty supply shop or makeup store such as MAC.  I recommend keeping a supply of mascara wands, makeup sponges and lip gloss applicators on hand.

  

3)      Do Clean All Your Brushes – Even powder products can be affected by bacteria if it is exposed enough times.  Have you ever had a compressed powder that started to crack?  That’s the effect of bacteria.  The best way to avoid this is to clean all your brushes with a bacteria killing cleaner every time you use them.  Sephora makes some disposable brush wipes that are handy enough to keep in your makeup case.

 

4)      Don’t leave your makeup in the heat – Now that it’s summer, you may find yourself facing another makeup enemy:  heat.  Who hasn’t left a lipstick in a hot car only to return to find it melted and unusable?  There is one easy way to avoid this issue and that is to keep your makeup in an insulated bag.  Unfortunately, you won’t find any traditional makeup bags made with this protective lining.  The good news is that Igloo (yes, the cooler company) has created a new line of soft sided, insulated bags with matching mini totes that look just like fashionable purses and matching makeup kits.   You can find them at http://www.igloo-store.com/category/iglsoftsides/softiglfashion

Is Do it Yourself Beauty Ever a Good Idea?

 It’s no secret that one of my goals at beauty school was to learn how to touch up my own hair.  After all, who wouldn’t want the ability to rid yourself of dish water brown roots at any time of day or night?  What I did learn, however, is that hair color is best applied by someone who can see the back of your head without a mirror.  Good color takes a precision that is difficult to accomplish on your own.  Granted, I can formulate my own color – which means I can mix up just the right combination of ingredients to achieve what I want and, like a chef adjusting a recipe; I can make subtle changes to suit my goals.   However, I’m sure you’d rather not have to go to beauty school to learn the intricacies of color adjustment.  You’d probably rather have a professional who is familiar with all the latest products and techniques, take on that responsibility. 

So is “Do it Yourself Beauty” ever a good idea?  Admittedly, there are some things I like to do myself so I’m sharing a few things you should feel safe about doing yourself and some tips and tricks that will help you do them better.

Curls

Curling your Hair – I do like to celebrate life’s little victories and one of mine was learning how to use a curling iron to create the loose curls that are so popular on the red carpet right now.  The key to my success (and possibly yours) is the latest offering of clampless curling irons which make curling hard to reach sections much easier than the traditional clamp irons.  Again, you are working with heat, so you’ll want use a product that gives the hair some protection and also helps hold the curl.  I love Paul Mitchell Quick Slip for this.  My other secret to curling success is to alternate the direction of your curls.  If you are winding your first section back, away from your face, around the curling iron, wind your next section the other way, forward around the iron.

Flat IronFlat Ironing – I don’t love housework, but I have to admit that I find ironing clothes very soothing.  There is just something rewarding about making something look completely perfect.  I find I get the same charge out of flat ironing my hair.  Today’s high end flat irons, with precise temperature settings, make it safe and easy for anyone with some patience.  To give yourself a professional level flat iron, set the iron temperature between 360 and 400 degrees (lower for thin or delicate hair and higher for course hair), section your hair and only run the flat iron over 1 inch sections at a time.  You’ll also want to use a styling or conditioning product that gives your hair some protection.  I like Pureology products.  The Keratin Smoothing Treatment (which should always be done by a professional at a salon) is another option for protecting strands from heat, plus, this revolutionary new service makes flat ironing even easier.

Ann Merin & Kelsey ClayMakeup – Makeup artists are famous for insisting they do their own makeup and I am no exception.  It makes sense though.  If I were a painter I’d probably want to paint my own house.   If you are not a makeup artist, you should still feel comfortable doing things on your own, such as putting on foundation or using concealer.  When it comes to your eye makeup, I also suggest playing with some color on your own to figure out not only what looks good, but what you are comfortable with.  The time to call in a true makeup professional is when you have a big event, like getting married.  The main reason is that you’ll save yourself the time and the stress on a day when you probably have many other responsibilities.   However, if you can’t afford a makeup artist, there is another path you can take to get a professional looking, do it yourself wedding look.  To find out more, check out my article at http://blog.temptu.com/?p=7797

Find Your Wedding Dress Without Losing Your Head

Most brides won’t get a wedding dress experience like Kate Middleton’s - a pick of designers and a custom, one of a kind dress.  Instead, most will search throught an endless array of choices in a maze of bridal boutiques – a process that can quickly become overwhelming.  If you (or someone you know) is lost in a sea of silk and shantung and unable to make a decision, answer these 5 questions to help narrow the field. 

  1. Does the Dress Look Good on Your Figure?  That runway model may wear a bridal dress well but, let’s face it; she may not even be old enough to legally marry.  Look for a dress that works for you – one that flatters your figure in all the right places without making you insecure about the wrong ones.
  2. Is it too Trendy?  Some fashion statements morph into “what were you thinking” moments more quickly than others.  Case in point, the high collars and over-puffed sleeves of 1980’s bridal fashion.  Pick something that reflects your style, but don’t go overboard on current trends.  Remember that great fashion is timeless.
  3. Is It Comfortable?  You may be willing to sacrifice some comfort for the sake of style, but consider all the walking, posing, sitting, and dancing you’ll be doing on your wedding day and pick a dress that can get you through all that action without leaving you permanently crippled.
  4. Is it a Once in a Lifetime Dress?  This time you are the bride, not a bridesmaid, and no one is secretly wondering whether you’ll be able to wear that dress again.  You’ll be the center of attention so make your moment count.
  5. Is it Love at First, Second, and Third Sight? – You may be reduced to tears the first time you try on a dress, but the real test of your undying love is how you react the next time you see it.  The right dress will make your cry or smile (or both) every time.

My Top Makeup Palette Picks

The holiday season always provides a variety of makeup palettes offerings and 2010 did not disappoint.  However, with so many great options, you might be tempted to purchase all these treasures.  Fear not fellow makeup junkies, because I’ve categorized my top 4 palette picks to help you determine the best choice for you (or help you explain to your significant other why you need more than one).

 

 Best Palette to Get you out of a Color Rut

The Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette by Stila – $30 at www.stila.com

This color wheel inspired palette makes selecting color options into child’s play by showing you just which complimentary shades will make your eyes pop.  Colors are conveniently grouped into trios with lighter, highlight colors on the outside, medium, midtone shades in the middle, and darker, contour colors in the center.

 

Best Palette for Brides

In Bloom Eye Shadow Palette by Smashbox – Available for $48 www.smashbox.com

As you may have learned from our show, Wedding Day Makeover on TLC, we recommend that brides determine their makeup color choices well before the big day and brides won’t go wrong working from the neutral shades and duo combinations in this eye shadow palette.  Plus the matte color options lessen the chance that a bride might go rogue and “over sparkle.”

 

Best Palette for a Big Night Out

The Naked Palette by Urban Decay – $44 at www.urbandecay.com

This palette is so popular that Urban Decay cannot make them fast enough to keep up with demand.  Now that I’ve finally tried it, I have to agree with the hype.  The Naked Palette provides a beautiful variety of neutral color choices, but don’t let the “Naked” name fool you.  The hues are so rich and shimmery that they will literally take your breath away when you see the results.  I don’t recommend this for daytime looks (unless you work in the beauty or fashion business); but it is perfect for a no fail, night time look that will “wow” everyone.  They’re hard to get, but you can sign up to be notified by email when more palettes are available.

 

Best Palette to Bring on a Trip

Wish for a Perfect Palette by Smashbox available for $59 at www.smashbox.com

This palette contains such an impressive amount of items that if a boat containing all you makeup was sinking and you only had time to rescue one item, you’d have no problem choosing this one.  The compact design (about 2/3 the size of a piece of paper) contains 49 eye shadows, 10 cream eye liners, 6 brow powders along with brow wax, 8 lip gloss colors, 2 blush options, a bronzer and a highlighter.  Four mini brushes (eye shadow, eye liner, brow and lip) are also included.

Beauty Spending Guilt

During the 2001 recession I visited the upscale Murad Spa in El Segundo, California to use a gift certificate I had been given.  I expected the waiting room to be deserted and the phones to be silent.  After all, this was not long after 9/11 and a visit to the spa seemed contrary to the solemn atmosphere of the country.  The economy was sinking: the Dow had slipped below 7600; the airline industry was asking for a government bailout; and the U.S. had gone to war in Afghanistan.  Sound familiar?

When I arrived at the spa, I discovered a busy locker room and waiting area full of robe sporting, slipper wearing women sipping on cucumber water while the girls at the front desk raced to answer phones that were ringing off the hook.  Thinking that this must be some sort of anomaly, I asked the girl waxing my eyebrows if it had been slow in the last few months.

“No.  Actually, it’s been very busy,” she responded.

“Why do you think that is,” I inquired.

“I guess when women feel stressed or unsure they come here because it makes them feel better.”

I was immediately reminded of the scene from Legally Blonde when Elle Woods, hysterical upon finding out her ex boyfriend was engaged, drives like a bat out of hell to the nearest nail spa.

I thought about my own life and couldn’t recall any point (after I was making money on my own) that I cut back on my highlights or specialty hair products because of an economic downturn or global crisis.  During the 1990 to 1991 recession and Gulf War I faithfully visited Bumble & Bumble in NYC every 3 months for highlights and an occasional updo for a black tie affair.  During the technology downturn I went on a quest through the most expensive salons in LA searching for a new colorist to guarantee me the perfect shade of blonde in time for my wedding.  Certainly, during these times, money had been tight and other expenses had been sacrificed: A really good coffee maker replaced my daily trips to Starbucks and an eco-friendly, natural gas, Honda Civic (which I still drive) took the place of my BMW.  Still, I wondered, “Should I feel guilty about always spending money on beauty?” 

After a little research I found that, according to the statistics about the beauty industry, my behavior is totally normal.  Apparently, women will give up almost everything else during economic hard times except their hair services.  After some reflection on the matter I came to the conclusion that this behavior is not about being shallow but about retaining a little bit of yourself when everything around you is in disarray.  I may not be able to control where the Dow opens at in the morning but I can make sure that the person in the mirror is familiar to me – that my reflection doesn’t startle me with mousy brown hair or orange roots caused by cheap supermarket dye.  Getting my hair done at a trusted salon gives me peace of mind and provides a respite where, even for a little while, I can muffle out the madness by discussing the latest episode of reality t.v. and anticipating the perfect shade of blonde.  My visits to the salon are a critical for stress relief and, like Elle Woods, I’m not going to feel guilty about it.

Sorry About the 80′s

A couple of months ago, a friend enthusiastically invited me to her birthday celebration – a gathering of 20 or so of her close friends at some local hotspots near her home in Newport Beach.  There was only one catch; it had a theme and dress code: The 80s.  This wasn’t the first time that this pesky decade had reared its neon colored head.  At cosmetology school, there were 80s themed dress up days (a perk, not a punishment) where students sported perfect Madonna wear including lace gloves and Jane Fonda leotards, tights and legwarmers.  I was so stunned at the authenticity of the outfits that I inquired where the students had found them.  “These are my mother’s old clothes” was the standard response.  I couldn’t believe that anyone would have kept outfits from 20 years ago, much less bad ones.  Local bars sponsored 80s theme nights that proved increasingly popular and friends displayed pictures of themselves in 80s themed costumes on their social networking pages.  When a song from the 80s played on the radio, everyone under 25 seemed to know the words.

Years ago I read an article about fashion that said that current fashion will pull from what was popular 20 years prior.  So, if you were lucky enough to be developing your fashion sense in the late 80s and early 90s, as I was, you got some inspiration from the late 60s and early 70s: a period chock full of cool style.  Unfortunately for people currently in their 20s, the decade of style inspiration is the 80s: a period so full of fashion and hair blunders that it is difficult to remember anything trendy then that wouldn’t look ridiculous now.  And though I know that many of the people embracing these 80s faux pas do it with a tongue and cheek attitude, I still feel I must take some responsibility for what my generation wrought.  So on the day of my friend’s 80s party I stood in solidarity with the Pat Benatar lookalike, the three guys dressed as Run DMC, the girl dressed like Olivia Newton John from her “Let’s Get Physical” video and the rest of the participants.  After all, I cant change the past, but I can still laugh at it.

Birthday party attendees sporting their best 80s style (I'm all the way on the left)

Best Kept Beauty Secrets

A client of ours told me that soon after she moved to Orange County she approached a woman with beautiful, long blonde hair and requested the name of her stylist.  The woman snapped her head around, looked our client up and down, and said “why would I tell you that?  I don’t want you to look as good as me,” and walked away.  The client was shocked at the stranger’s reaction, as was I when I heard the story.  Well, there’s a new sheriff in town and my mission is to disclose well kept beauty secrets, with no apologies to women like the one our client encountered.  Here are some of my favorites: 

The Secret: Great Lengths Hair Extensions

Great Lengths was first to develop a damage-free extension application technique using a keratin bond that seamlessly fuses with your natural hair.  Though I’ve seen imitations of this bond, I’ve never seen anything that works as well or produces such a natural look. In addition, Great Lengths has first pick in the European hair market which allows them to consistently provide higher quality hair than their competitors.

 Why you may have never heard of them:  My experience is that women don’t generally reveal that they are wearing extensions – even to their close friends and family.  Take away that word of mouth and you’ve cut off one of the biggest sources for beauty tips.  Remember that scary lady I described in the beginning of this article?  I bet she was wearing extensions.

Check out videos of Beauty Heaven stylist, Kelsey Clay applying Great Lengths Extensions.

The Secret: Pilates

I must admit that I was skeptical about Pilates.  I had been involved in fitness on and off since college where I taught aerobics classes and even ran my own exercise studio on campus.  Fifteen years ago, I integrated weights into my program – using all the same equipment that the big lifters in my gym used.  So most of the exercises in my one on one Pilates sessions seemed way too easy…I did have sore muscles sometimes but I didn’t often experience the point of “muscle failure” that weight lifting endorses.  Still, I gave it my all, attending 2 times a week for 3 months.  I couldn’t believe the results.  Everything tightened up.  My core strengthened dramatically and my balance (something that had been compromised by foot surgery 2 years ago) was better than ever.  I do recommend that you initially train one on one with an instructor who uses a reformer (that crazy looking contraption with cables) before you try any group classes.

Why you may have never tried it:  Like me, you probably thought it seemed too easy, However, Pilates originated as a program to rehabilitate injured dancers – so it focuses on strengthening all major muscle groups with exercises that won’t further strain an injury.  Rehabilitating dancers must keep there bodies lean and limber and their balance in place so Pilates complements this strengthening with stretching and core work.

 My favorite Pilates teacher (private or semi-private):

Christi Bost (based in Newport Beach).  Christi is a dancer so she really understands the key concepts of Pilates.  Christi currently teaches private classes at some of Orange County’s top studios and gyms.    Call Christi at (562) 607-5278 or e-mail her at Ijustwanadance@aol.com

My favorite Pilates Studio (for group classes): Triad Yoga & Pilates at 2626 Dupont Drive in Irvine. (949) 724-1479.

 

The Secret: Titan

My friend Cyndie had tried to get me into her med spa clinic for ages to try this laser treatment that had produced amazing results for her patients.  Cyndie is a Nurse Practitioner who used to work in the ICU at Loma Linda University Hospital so she is very conservative when it comes to the efficacy of aesthetics treatments, but I was still a bit skeptical.  Titan sounded reminiscent of Thermage (as seen on Oprah) which has fallen out of favor due to inconsistent results.  I believe that Thermage was only noticeably affective in 30% of the patients who received it.  I became eager to try Titan (well to try anything, really) when people started to ask me what was wrong all the time.  It seemed that my face was starting to droop in a way that produced a perma-frown.  The Titan treatment itself was easy and faster than I expected.  Cyndie used a sort of wand and moved it carefully over my face.  The “wand” emits infrared light rays so you can feel a bit of the heat sensation during the procedure.  Apparently these IR light rays heat the dermis layer of the skin which causes an immediate and ongoing reaction to the patient’s collagen.  My results were so immediate and intense that Cyndie and I started laughing at how easy taking 5-10 years off your face could be and the improvements continued over the next few months.

Why you may never have heard of it:  There are so many new laser skin treatments available that it is hard to keep track of what’s new and what works.  I’m in the Beauty Industry and yet I’m still confused by all the different options.  One of the problems is that competing manufacturers of these devices come up with their own nomenclature and branding for very similar things.  I can say that I’ve had very good results with devices made by Cutera which manufacturers Titan and other treatments.

For Titan treatments in the Orange County area I recommend Cyndie Chen at Laser Medical Center right near South Coast Plaza. (714)-662-7456.  She is so terrific that my Mom flies out from The Hamptons just to have Cyndie do her Titan.

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