I invite you to join me on this page where I’ll share with you what’s new in my practice, insights about health and beauty, and interesting and exciting innovations. And of course, I'll talk about plastic surgery because, after all, we're all curious about WHAT'S NEW aren't we!
Enjoy,
What do we do when the Botox, fillers, and lasers stop doing the trick, and we finally do look our ages? For some women, making the decision to rejuvenate their look with facial plastic surgery may be a vital part of their long-term beauty goals. So how do we best incorporate downtime into our busy lives?
Jane Ford, co-founder of Benefit Cosmetics
Whether it’s a small tweak or a major overhaul, immediately after, the swelling and bruising from the procedure may have you in hiding longer than you would like. Luckily, in most cases, the temporary changes to your face are easy to camouflage. So what are the best products on the market that can help you put your best face forward as soon as possible? Who better to ask the tricks of the trade than a true expert – Jane Ford, beauty powerhouse and co-founder of the global beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics.
I recently sat down with the very fabulous Jane to get her recommendations for the perfect post-operative regimen. Of course, once the healing is done, these Benefit products are perfect for looking gorgeous everyday too!
Jane starts with the basics:
“Always, always invest in good moisturizing. I just love our Dear John facial cream (one of Elle Magazine’s top 5 picks)…quite honestly, I can’t find one better.”
Eyecon eye cream is terrific for puffiness. She also recommends Ooh la Lift for under eye tightening and brightening to maintain your results.
Next the camouflage:
Over your moisturizer you’ll want to apply That Gal, a raspberry -based skin primer and brightener.
She also recommends purchasing a Play Stick in the appropriate shade for strategic camouflaging. This should be used all over eye (under and on lids) as well as around ears. It’s also chamomile and lavender-based for gentleness.
Jane adds, “I love this because it’s really easy to use. It provides a matte finish and can also double as a light weight foundation if mixed with moisturizer.” Stay clear of concealers that have too much oil…”They may have a mite too much shine for post-op use.”
For the final overall coverage, Jane prefers Benefit’s cream to powder foundation, Some Kind of Gorgeous (deemed the world’s best foundation by Elle Magazine).
Time for color:
For a gentle looking, healthy glow, try Dallas, a subtle powder bronzer, and the company’s bestselling Posie cheek tint.
Go for a natural eye using soft brown mascara and possibly a soft dark brown eyeliner for lining the upper and lower lids. Consider using the Big Beautiful Eyes kit – both for eye color and lining. The kit comes in warm neutral hues and provides you with all you need to line, define, and contour your eyes like a professional.
To add definition to the face, keep the brows filled. Try the winner of Allure’s 2008 best brow product, Brow Zing.
Compliment your look with a very natural lip color…no pinks or reds. Use a neutral soft lip liner. Fill in the lips with just a hint of gloss.
For the finish, get a pretty, soft, luminescent look with Dandelion, a super light-weight soft pink powder for all over face.
Jane’s Final Tip
Get brows and lashes dyed two days before your surgical procedure. It will give your face definition afterwards.
And at the end, I couldn’t resist asking – what is the one product that Jane absolutely cannot live without (surgery or no surgery)?
It’s That Gal, of course.
Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions Jane!
Benefit Cosmetics, the “friskiest luxury brand“can be found at over 2000 beauty counters in more than 30 countries. Or you can just look at www.benefitcosmetics.com.
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
According to an interview with Demi Moore featured in a recent issue of French Marie Claire, the actress is adamant that she has not undergone any plastic surgery. The 46-year old actress looks as stunning as ever, causing speculation as to what she is doing to maintain her timeless beauty.
We could talk all day about the celebrities who have undergone procedures ending in unfortunate results, but we hardly talk about who is doing it right … primarily because they are doing it so right that we don’t know that they’re doing it at all. And yes, I do understand that genetics and timeless beauty play a role in some of this. But, those of us who are “in-the-know,” know that there are other forces at work here too.
Regular maintenance, coupled with the know how to make small, subtle changes, are the key to prolonging a natural, youthful look.
The 30’s
The 30’s are a time to really beef up your skin care regimen. This is when the early signs of aging really start to show in your skin. The five tenets of good skin care are to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, repair, and protect. In English, that means a cleanser, a gentle exfoliant a few times a week, a non-comedogenic moisturizer to balance your skin, a reparative product like a retinoid to build collagen or an antioxidant like vitamin C to neutralize free radicals, and a sunscreen. Laser treatments like IPL photofacials or Fraxel treatments can go a long way to restoring a youthful glow by evening out your complexion. And if you have furrows and fine wrinkles, Botox may be a good option to prevent them from getting deeper.
The 40’s
The 40’s are a time when the effects of gravity really start to settle in and the face starts to lose facial fat. Eyelids start to get droopy and baggy, cheeks start to get hollow, and the neck and jaw line starts to sag. Different people have different rates of aging. These changes can start in the mid to late thirties for some. Others may not notice these things until well into their 40’s. In general though, subtle facial cosmetic surgery tweaks freshen up your face. These smaller procedures most commonly include eyelid surgery or brow surgery to wake up your eyes. Liposuction under the chin or a natural neck and jowl lift may be appropriate for others.
Often the best results are some small surgical procedures combined with the noninvasive fillers and Botox to restore facial fullness and erase fine lines. Laser resurfacing to improve the quality of the skin can also complement nicely. I call this the multimodal approach to combating aging. And I would bet that this is what Demi has been doing all along.
The 50’s and 60’s
The 50’s and 60’s are definitely the decades when surgery tends to be the best option for freshening up. Gravity has definitely set in, and often just the noninvasive treatments are not enough to get you the result that you want. The face and necklift is usually the cornerstone to a successful facial rejuvenation in these decades. I recommend a very natural approach because I think that this stands the test of time. Who wants their “designer” facelift to go out of style?! This is also the time when the multimodal approach is very effective, as the surgery will fix the contour problems and the dermatologic tools will improve the skin quality.
Did she or didn’t she?? And so, whether she did or didn’t, we salute Demi, along with Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields, and Michelle Pfeiffer, for being ageless beauty icons and for making 40 the new 20, and 50 the new 30.
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
Yet another great offer from Mentor breast implants… introducing the new LoveYourLook MemoryGel® Referral Program. From now until October 15, 2010, refer a friend for a breast augmentation using Mentor MemoryGel silicone breast implants and receive a $50 American Express gift cheque as a thank you. For more information, visit this link.
Here’s to a great new look for both of you!
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
Congratulations to Mia Caybut – my hair colorist extraordinaire of 10 years, who was just named San Francisco Magazine’s 2009 Best of the Bay and SF Gate’s Readers’ Choice!
Over the years Mia has taken my hair from dark to lighter and back again, but recently I have been getting increasingly worried about a new phenomenon, grey. People with darker hair often notice those little grey hairs earlier in life. I am certainly one of them, and although I’m not quite there yet, I wanted to know how Mia was going to help me with this fast approaching new hair dilemma.
In order to strategically hide those grey hairs and maintain a more youthful appearance longer, Mia has created an innovative technique she calls HALO. She applies a lighter tint around the face. This matches the color of the fine hairs that frame the face. She then applies a darker tint on the rest of the hair. Mia says, “This works really well on people who have allowed dark tint to grow out and are ready to go lighter.”
When the time comes, then, I’ll let my roots come in, and then I’ll make an appointment with Mia for her rejuvenating HALO treatment!
For more information on Mia, visit www.colorbymia.com
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
A fun new promotion from Mentor breast implants has just been brought to my attention. For a limited time, between September 28, 2009 and December 31, 2009, patients who choose Mentor MemoryGel® silicone breast implants for their augmentation can receive a complimentary Lolita strapless bra from Le Mystère No.9 lingerie. This is Le Mystere’s #1 selling bra, regularly retailing for $76.00.
The Le Mystère No. 9 collection is the first collection of patented designer bras designed to address the unique changes in shape and size that occur after a breast augmentation.
To receive this limited-time promotion, you must download and complete this form after your surgery. Then send the form via mail or fax to Le Mystère. All forms must be postmarked or received by Le Mystère by December 31, 2009.
Read more about this exclusive offer on Mentor’s LoveYourLook.com, and enjoy your “free gift with purchase!”
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Carolyn Chang is a premier San Francisco plastic surgeon and immediate past Vice Chair of Plastic Surgery at CPMC. She is renowned for her beautifully natural aesthetic, and has helped thousands of patients achieve transformative results.
Dr. Chang lives in San Francisco, with her husband Patrick and their children, James and Jemma. She is an avid world traveler and loves sampling the best restaurants that the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer.
Dr. Chang is seeing new patient consults in Menlo Park as a courtesy to her Peninsula and South Bay clientele.
Please call 415.923.3070 for more information.
Dr. Chang is pleased to announce the addition of Tatiana Longoria RN, aesthetic nurse, specializing in dermal fillers, neuromodulators, lasers, and microneedling with a natural aesthetic.
Appointments available on select Mon/Tues, please call to schedule 415.923.3070.
2100 Webster St.
Suite 508
San Francisco, CA
94115
T 415.923.3070
F 415 923.3069
