Monday, November 29, 2010

Latisse-Day 62 & Eye Makeup Remover I Love

Latisse-Day 1
My ever faithful journey with Latisse, the prescription eyelash lengthing and thickening product, continues!  The picture below was taken on day 62, once again with no makeup, just me and my lashes.  I have definitely noticed a difference.  My lashes, especially on the end corners, are much longer and starting to thicken.  Each bottle of Latisse is 3ml and lasts two months and costs about $120 per bottle. I got mine for less because I bought two bottles at Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa.  I am now on my second bottle and will continue to apply one drop of Latisse to a clean, sterile brush (included) to each lash line, each night, for 2 more months. 
Latisse-Day 62

According to the Rx clinical studies, 78% of patients saw increased lash length and thickness by week 16.  Once I complete my 16 week trial, I can then go on the “maintenance” plan and apply Latisse every other day or every two days. 


So what is the growth phase and time line of an eyelash?
Just like the hair on our head, our eyelashes go through 3 stages of growth. 
Stage 1:  Anagen-the active growing phase that lasts 30-45 days (much shorter than the growing phase of scalp hairs which is 2-6 years!) 
Stage 2:  Catagen-the stage of transition where the eyelash is no longer growing, but where the sheath of the eyelash attaches to the hair’s root.    
Stage 3: Telogen-the fall out stage or the hair’s resting phase where it’s just sort of hanging out and looking pretty.  An eyelash hair will rest for about 100 days before falling out on its own.

Lashes will fall out during Telogen, but also from tugging on lashes or wiping them too vigorously when removing makeup.  My advice is to avoid tugging or wiping your lashes to roughly by using a gentle oil-free eye makeup remover whenever taking off eyemakeup.  If it’s the kind that you put on a cotton ball, douse it generously and then hold it to your eye for a few seconds before wiping away traces of mascara, eyeliner etc.  

Trust me, I don’t get paid to say this but a few of my all time favorite eye makeup removers are:  Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover by Mary Kay $15 (3.75 fl.oz).  I use this every night and one bottle lasts me about 3 months.  (Peggy is a great MK consultant if you’d like a recommendation.  I can get you her info.).  
Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover $26 (4.2 fl. Oz.) and Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes ($6.49 – 8.49 for 25 toweletts.) for traveling.  They come in a regular, sensitive and hydrating formulas and you don’t have to worry about putting them in your carry-on luggage since they are not liquid.   

Let me know what eye makeup remover you love and where we can get it!  More pics to come as I round out my trial study of Latisse.  And most importantly, I tell you if I think it's REALLY worth the $$.



Sunday, November 7, 2010

Oh Baby Bangs!

Does your little girl's hair look like this?  
This is my 18 month old baby with a full head of hair gone wild!

So why don't I just cut this girl some bangs, right?  I mean, I do cut hair for a living!

I have vowed to not to cut the dreaded, thick baby bangs on my daughters no matter how frustrated I get with their wild and crazy hair.  Read on....

My signature 'do.  8 yrs old.
Think back to your youth and that awesome bowl cut you sported!  (Please tell me that wasn’t just me.)  Those bangs I had definitely started from the center of my head.  Sorry mom, I know you loved that 'do.  The grow out process was challenging to say the least.  (See awkward picture below.)  
1989-growing out the bangs and the year my now-husband
fell in love with me.  Go figure!

All of Ivy's hair grows forward from the swirl
at the top of her head.
Natually, our hair really grows in a swirl (for some people that would be swirlsssss) hence the natural cow licks we have.  From this swirl our hair wants to grow straight forward and into our eyes.  As we get older and grow more hair we can part, brush and train the hair to fall to the sides and back.  But our little bitty girls have such fine hair that no matter how hard we try, it often just falls right into their eyes.


To avoid having to grow out the thick bangs later, you must refrain from cutting what you THINK would be bangs.  Check out the video, starring me and Ivy Jo, for more detailed info.
Baby Bangs Video!


If your baby won’t wear hair clippies, neither of my girls will, then try for the top knot.  The clear rubber bands work great and don’t hurt when you take them out.  Better yet, they are about $1 for 100 at Sally’s Beauty.  www.sallysbeauty.com.

Your child may have to sport this top knot until her hair grows in enough to start combing it down and to the sides.  Then, you’ll see some baby hairs growing in and THOSE my friends are the real bangs! 

Check out the "real" bangs that are growing in!  
Now maybe, just maybe our daughter's won't blame us for the awkward years...yeah right!