Permanently Beautiful

My friend is distraught. She isn’t even 30 and she’s starting to lose her hair. We expect men to have thinning hair and bald spots, but women? Sure you see the occasional older woman with wispy hair. I had an aunt with hair so thin you could see her pink scalp through her wispy bouffant, but she was in her 80s. Thinning hair just isn’t something most women think about. Unfortunately, Alopecia Areata Universalis (AAU) is more common than you’d expect.

The second most common hair loss disease, AAU more often affects women, although it can affect men and children. AAU occurs in apparently healthy people like my friend and generally develops in the late teens or young adulthood. Sometimes called “spot baldness,” in its early stages the disease creates small thinning patches that can become bald. The disease can spread over the entire scalp and even affect other body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair.

Researchers suspect a genetic factor as the non-communicable disease appears to be hereditary. Research also indicates that AAU may be an autoimmune disease exacerbated by stress. Whatever its cause, my friend finds it highly embarrassing. Fortunately, permanent makeup can help restore to eyebrows, eyelashes and scalp the natural appearance of hair lost from Alopecia Areata Universalis. Combining expert cosmetic tattooing with practiced artistry, Melany Whitney can restore a woman’s confidence by recreating naturally sensuous eyebrows and eyelashes and using permanent paramedical repigmentation to help hide scalp hair loss.

Hot, steamy, summer nights can make straight fine hair go limp and curly hair frizz.  What to do when it’s time to step out for a special summer evening?  Just think, what would Audrey do?

Of course, we’re referring to the one and only Audrey Hepburn. And of course, she’d wear an updo as she did in her classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”  Here’s how to get the look.

Get the look:
•    Step one: Blow hair out straight. Add body by setting it in big rollers for 10 minutes.
•    Step two: Pull hair back and twist it up into a loose twist. Clip into place. Pin up any short pieces in the back.
•    Step three: Pull out a section in the front so that it frames your face, which is what makes this style fluid. Spritz in a volume-building finishing mist for hold.

Wear it with..
•    Clip in a bow barrette to take this style from day to night.
•    Add at least one piece of glitzy jewelry
•    Complete the Audrey glam look with permanent eyeliner and permanent eyebrow makeup.  You don’t need a Hollywood makeup artist when you’ve got permanent makeup. And maybe a pair of long over-the-elbow black gloves?

Finding a humidity-proof hairdo for a summer wedding can be a challenge. Get inspired by the gorgeous red-carpet styles of stars like Becki Newton and Eva Longoria Parker and find a ‘do that will keep you looking picture perfect from the walk down the aisle through the reception send-off.

A lot of time and detail went into choosing your dress, ring, flowers, and even your hairstyle. Don’t let your makeup take a backseat. Take the time to go through magazines and pull out makeup styles that you really like, even tear out the ones you really hate.  It could be how a certain feature is played up, or that great lipstick color, or how the skin glows, or even how they used way too much eyeliner. All this is easy to say and show with pictures. It helps tremendously to show you what you like with pictures rather than endlessly describing it. This gives anyone helping you, whether it’s a make-up artist or your best friend or a salesperson at department store counter, the best way to see what you like and don’t like. Remember, two people’s ideas of pink lipstick could be completely different. There is a lot of truth in the adage that says “a picture is worth a thousand words.” It really gives a lot more information with a visual sense.

With all the variables, getting permanent makeup will relieve you of some of the nerve-wracking guesswork. Permanent eyeliner, lip liner and eyebrows can go a long way toward making the big day really picture perfect.

What do Ann Kournikova, Mia Hamm, Steffi Graff, Amanda Beard and Sasha Cohen have in common?  They’re all celebrity athletes – and they’re all gorgeous.

How do they look so good when they’re swinging a tennis racket, kicking a soccer ball, swimming laps or doing figure eights?

For one thing, their sports keep their shapes in good shape. But they’re making other smart choices, too.

Consider athletic hairstyles. Athletic hairstyles are typically hairstyles that allow the hair to be kept out of the face of the athlete, while still maintaining some style. Athletic hairstyles can be long, medium, or short to extremely short.

The most common athletic hairstyles worn by female athletes are typically ponytails and other pulled back styles. These styles are easy to maintain and can be dressed up almost instantly for going from the gym to the dinner table with a quick shower between.

Another common athletic hairstyle is the bob, since it is easy to pull back in a hair band or other restraint. This style is quick and easy to change and care for. The bob, a classic, is considered one of the most versatile hairstyles ever. It can be dressed down by leaving it plain, made athletic with a headband or dressed up by adding a jeweled bobby-pin.

Hair that is too short to swing into the face is also popular with female athletes. These hairstyles allow for some hair, but not so much that it gets in the way. Often, when off the field, the hair is spiked or slicked back to provide a more hip look.

Permanent makeup can also be part of a female athlete’s bag of tricks. They can always look gorgeous when the cameras close in. And with permanent makeup they have no worries about makeup running from sweat and chlorine which not only looks icky, but can interfere with their vision and cost them a win.

Hollywood stars just love to strut their stuff live onstage on Broadway. We’re always dazzled by the sheer star power lighting up the Great White Way these days. And that’s part of what makes watching the Tony Awards show so much fun.

Of course, Ann Hathaway, who’s doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer, looked darling at this year’s Tonys. But we were impressed by the glam of the more mature divas. Susan Sarandon looked fabulous. Edie Falco, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Liza Minelli, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Jessica Lange also all looked terrific.

How do they do it?  And can we do it, too?  Yes, we can. Here’s how:

We may be tempted to grab the tweezers and start plucking every time we spot a gray hair!  But there’s a quicker, healthier option. Gently blend grays and prevent that telltale line of demarcation by applying hair color just on trouble spots and blending gently. Insider trick: Grays can be stubborn, so apply with a fresh toothbrush to thoroughly coat grays around the roots.

If diminished vision and a less steady hand make it hard to apply eyeliner and pencil in brows, permanent makeup can save the day – or night. Especially with brows turning patchy and eyelashes thinning with age.
Permanent eyeliner gives the appearance of thicker fuller lashes. Beautifully shaped, colored and arched brows can take years off an aging face.

A more youthful appearance can help women over 50 feel confident, look fit and polished and keep a competitive edge in both the dating and job markets. Remember, each of us deserves a Tony Award because, as Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage.

Summer’s just around the corner. And along with summer fun comes the heat and humidity that can wreak havoc with your hair. Here are a few great summer hair care ideas we culled from places like InStyle:

Frizz-Free Curls

 If you’re lucky enough to have natural curls like Beyonce, flaunt them. Avoid frizz by simply adding an anti-frizz serum to your morning hair routine. Then gently scrunches the hair while blow drying on low with a diffuser. Don’t comb it out! Let it be natural and sexy. 

Long-Lasting Braids

 Drew Barrymore and Charlize Theron recently joined the long list of stars sporting braids this season. Braids look cute straight down or pinned up. No matter how you wear them, braids will hold better and longer if you start out with wet hair, use a stronger gel than normal and spray with a little hair spray.

Straight Hair

 Celebrity hairstylists say the key to straight hair in the summer is a ceramic wet-to-dry flat iron. First, apply a protecting spray to damp hair and then use the iron. The iron helps lock in moisture and fight flyaways. Bonus tip: After using the iron, apply the spray again on dry hair to help protect against the sun’s UV rays.

 Summer beauty is no sweat with permanent make-up. It won’t melt away in the heat, dissolve into your sunscreen or disappear in the water.  With luscious lips, gorgeous eyebrows and defined eyes, you’ll be totally hot but in a good way.