If you are anything like me, time is a precious commodity. As a busy working mom, if I spend time and money on a beauty procedure, it needs to make a BIG difference, save me time on a daily basis, be life-changing, CHEAP, or ideally, all four. Lucky for you, as a self-described beauty addict, and an actual 15-year veteran esthetician, I have tried almost every beauty treatment under the sun. Here are four of my favorites that I think are the best non-surgical beauty treatments:
Laser Hair Removal
This may be the best money you will ever spend. Check out my other post about what to know before you try laser hair removal for lots of good info. Shaving your legs, underarms, bikini line daily?????…Ain’t nobody got time for that. Razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and stubble can be a thing of the past. Have you ever looked at your underarms immediately after shaving, and noticed that you still have that gross shadow of darkness under there? Imagine bright, perfect, baby-smooth skin instead. Y’all! I cannot urge you enough to give laser hair removal a try! The technology has improved over the years, so it is less painful and less expensive than ever. You won’t be sorry.
Microblading
Chances are, if you are on any sort of social media, you’ve seen this beauty trend in the last several years. Microblading is a form of semi-permanent tattooing of the eyebrows that uses tiny needles (instead of a tattoo gun) to deliver pigment in delicate, precise, hair-like strokes, and the results last about a year. No old-school, opaque, solid, fake-looking brows, just fuller, natural looking brows with no makeup required. I’ve always had decently full brows, but I definitely had some “bald” areas that I was forever filling in with brow powders and pencils. Once I got microblading, I no longer needed to fill in my brows. I’m about a year out now and ready for a touchup and I can’t wait. Brows are so important for framing your face and can make you appear YEARS younger when proportioned correctly. If you have sparse, thinning brows, or even if you just need a bit of shaping, microblading is definitely worth looking into.
Lash Extensions
So yes, lash extensions require lots and lots of maintenance (you’ll need touchups or “fills” every 2-3 weeks). If you are a busy mom that doesn’t wear makeup most days, lash extensions may be worthwhile on a normal, ongoing basis to keep you looking awake and presentable with minimal daily effort. OR, you can be like me and use lash extensions just for special occasions. For instance, I used lash extensions for the majority of my pregnancy to help me feel pretty (much needed as I felt sick and whale-like otherwise). In my delivery room photos, my lash extensions saved me from looking completely horrifying even after 22 hours of labor and an emergency c-section. I’ve also used extensions for vacations when I want to look nice in photos all day long, without the need for constant makeup touchups. However you use them, lash extensions can boost your entire look.
Botox
Ok, I can literally hear 3/4 of readers screaming, “Sarah!!!! I would NEVER allow a toxin near my face!!!!” But hear me out: one single Botox treatment that takes 5 minutes or less, and could potentially visually take 10 years or more off of your face. Botulinum toxin has been aggressively researched ever since its discovery in 1895 (yes, over 120 years ago). Therapeutic use of Botox was first approved by the FDA in the United States back in 1989, and cosmetic use was approved in 2002. Currently (and this will continue to expand), Botox is FDA-approved to treat 27 indications in 88 countries worldwide, and is one of the most well-researched and safest drugs ever. The most typical areas of Botox application are in the brow furrow, across the forehead ,and in the crows feet area. So, when your child asks “Mommy, did you put marker between your eyebrows??” because your brow furrow is so deep (this actually happened to a friend of mine), or your kids think you are mad all the time because you have permanent furrow or scowl lines, or your brows are dropping so low you can hardly apply your eye makeup, it might be time to think about trying Botox cosmetic. With a few units of Botox, that muscle movement can be softened (NOT frozen), your brows can be lifted and those lines of expression can only be seen when you are actually making an expression, instead of all the time. Botox lasts at least 3-4 months, is fast, easy, safe, and will miraculously make you look like you’ve slept a solid eight hours. Now, that’s what I call a good bang for the buck!
Disclaimer: Obviously not all non-surgical beauty treatments are recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. Always check with your doctor before trying anything new during pregnancy.