It takes us just 7 seconds to form a first impression of someone. The first impression counts, and a lot.
We are more exposed than ever; the pandemic has curiously forced us to put on "our best face", whether we like it or not, we are exposed every day to facial scrutiny during our digital meetings. Social media has become our best ally, but the other side of the coin is wanting to look like our selfie, filters included of course...
A recent article published in La Vanguardia explains it perfectly:
"I want to look like my selfie": The pandemic triggers a surge in cosmetic touch-ups"
Aesthetic medicine consultations have increased by 20%
The problem lies in the fact that our role models; influencers, presenters, models, etc. tell us half-truths about their beauty tricks. Mar Flores says that her beauty is the result of yoga, of dessert dishes and of a new treatment called Thermage (of which I'm a fan, but it's a long-term investment for our dermis). What Mar doesn't mention is the rest of the touch-ups... Thermage is a treatment I'm a big fan of; I usually have it done once a year at Clínica Tufet, you see the effects over time, it's not like the "magical" effect of the "Beauty Face" treatment by Dr. Tufet; you go in with a tired face and come out radiant and happy as a clam. :)
Most of them don't tell, some even make the doctor who treats them sign confidentiality agreements.
Dulceida is one of the few influencers who reveal their true beauty secrets; transparency can help many teenagers overcome their insecurities.
«All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances».
William Shakespeare
Social media is the stage of the 21st century. Many are the brands that saw the pull of influencers; in fact many brands are already digital natives, and certainly with the pandemic the urgency to innovate and implement digital strategies has become more than evident.
Am I aware of what I project?
Seeing influencers wearing a brand, using certain cosmetics, traveling, etc., is very "aspirational"; we all want to have their perfect skin, their perfect lips, to look ideal at all hours like them.... but the truth is that there's perseverance, effort and also investment behind it.
A recent study, `The Changing Faces of Beauty´1 (`Las Nuevas Caras de la Belleza'), reveals very interesting data:
- 35% of Spanish women would undergo a hyaluronic acid treatment to improve their self-esteem
- For 4 out of 10 women who turn to an aesthetic treatment, boosting self-esteem is just as important as improving the appearance of sagging skin.
- Self-esteem plays a fundamental role; 3 out of 4 women make an effort to look their best for themselves, while 37% do it for their partners and 15% for friends.
First premise to keep in mind: aging itself is a disease, the problem is that for now we limit ourselves to treating the consequences.
Lifespan. Dr. David A. Sinclair
That's why we no longer talk about Anti-aging, it makes no sense since, for now, we can't stop aging (only if we die, of course); now the established concept is Well-aging.
Now then, to achieve Well-aging you have to invest time, money and be very consistent. Consistency is the key to almost everything :)
W&B
Let's begin...
1.- Diet and exercise.
Forever slim.
Influencers go hungry, dears. And they move fast.
Intermittent fasting, yes or no?
It's more than scientifically proven that caloric restriction, even (controlled) fasting, is beneficial for our organism and delays aging.
Nutrition is the basis of everything. We associate the word diet with something negative; I don't believe in diets as we understand them, menus full of vegetables and boring, but I do believe in good eating habits.
First premise: going hungry is necessary, the experts say so. I'm right in the middle of reading the book written by the researcher Dr. Sinclair; I'll leave you an article from La Vanguardia that's excellent and in which he summarizes his evidence very well.
Caloric restriction without malnutrition induces longevity in all forms of life.
Dr. Sinclair. Lifespan.
How to achieve caloric restriction?
In my case, I try to avoid desserts; if I treat myself to something I make up for it, but the most important thing according to Dr. Sinclair is to skip one of the meals in order to be able to stay fasting for 12 to 16 hours. At least 2 times a week:
- Option A: I skip dinner.
- Option B: I skip breakfast or have a very light meal.
The dietary supplements that help us cover possible deficiencies in our diet. The influencers' favorites:
- Pink Collagen for the skin. Maribel Yébenes already talked about it back in the day.
- Green Collagen for the body; in fact it helps us control hunger very well if we do fasting sessions.
With exercise, as with everything: Consistency is key, better 3 days a week for 30 minutes
People who fluctuate a lot in weight usually go from inactivity to activity. Find some activity you like, take it as your moment. While I run I listen to Cristina Mitre's Podcasts.
It's better to run fewer days a week and alternate with strength exercises; the latest podcast, "the importance of having a firm butt", is not to be missed. :P
2.- Radiant skin from the very first session.
First premise: the best anti-aging treatment is a sunscreen, so never forget it... I usually mix it with makeup to make it more bearable, it's an acquired habit and I never fail.
A good cosmetic routine helps, but it's not everything... that's what they tell us, but most of them resort to aesthetic treatments that give us a "good face" effect immediately.
"I get vitamins", you've surely heard the phrase.
What really are vitamins?
Most vitamins all have the same base: non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid (the kind that doesn't fill), combined with vitamin complexes, antioxidants and moisturizers. In reality they help us re-densify the skin, but as always we must be consistent.
They're usually applied in small injections and give us a radiant effect immediately, but on their own the only thing they'll give us is a "Cinderella effect", here's the post by Paloma Sancho of Telva;
What we're talking about when we say we've gotten vitamins in our skin
Injectable vitamins are not a filler treatment and don't change the expression of your face.
Dr. Rosa del Río. Grupo Pedro Jaén
First premise: the most important thing is the skin; you can't get a filler if you have skin with blemishes or redness. There are many studies that show that healthy-looking skin (without acne, redness or blemishes) makes us look younger.
The most TOP treatments:
- Radiant skin: I recommend visiting the dermatologist once a year to check the health of your skin, but apart from that these are my top treatments:
- Mesotherapy: non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid (doesn't add volume) with concentrates of antioxidants.
- IPL: pulsed light; with a single session it will improve the appearance of the skin, remove blemishes (depending which ones), redness and even improve the pores.
- Gentle retinol peels: you can do them at home with medical cosmetics creams, or at the clinic in a single session or several, depending on the state of your skin.
- Botulinum Toxin: Having smooth skin, or even without yet having wrinkles, preventing with the "baby botox" treatment can give us a radiant effect immediately.
- Thermage: it's a high-intensity radiofrequency; many influencers "promote it", among them Mar Flores. In reality, it's a long-term investment; what it does is stimulate the collagen and elastin fibers of the dermis, and this will help us age better, but as always consistency and combination are the keys to success.
How often should I get treatments? based on my personal experience, I'd tell you that a couple of times a year is enough, and the sooner the better, there's no age to start taking care of yourself, but it's certainly true that from the age of 25 the production of hyaluronic acid drops sharply.... and at 50 our production is exactly half.
Maria Cudeiro W&B
Each treatment has its right age; the most important thing is to put yourself in expert hands.
My favorite centers for skincare:
- Clínica Tufet in Barcelona
- Clínica Epidermos in Barcelona
- Clínica Amparo Rodríguez in Barcelona
- Instituto Médico Ricart in Valencia and Madrid
- Grupo Pedro Jaén in Madrid
- Clínica Dermaforyou Toledo
- Clínica Dermatológica Internacional
- TO be Aguilar Delgado in Madrid
- Dra. Elena Caride in Alicante
- Cosmeceuticals Center in Seville
- Instituto Ana Torres in Barcelona
- Clínica Natalia Ribé in Barcelona
- Clínica Elena Arnal in Santander
3.- LIPS
Touching up your lips with hyaluronic acid is the new 18-year-old's tattoo.
Maria Cudeiro W&B
One of the most well-known influencers for her fabulous lips insists on saying that she hasn't had them touched up... in this case a picture is worth a thousand words.
The key is to put yourself in the hands of a professional who has good taste and knows the appropriate amounts for each face.
When it comes to lips, I'd tell you that "The King of Lips" is Dr. Alejandro Segarra, he works in Barcelona and Madrid. I myself have put myself in his hands; it's his specialty, he does more than 50 a day, he's careful, has good taste, knows how to enhance natural beauty, his focus is the lip, I've seen exceptional results.
He usually uses hyaluronidase before starting any treatment, that way he makes sure the lips are completely "clean" of product, it's like starting with a blank canvas rather than a stained one; he's very careful and knows which lip suits each face.
Dr. Alejandro Segarra is at his clinic in Barcelona and Madrid
Who should get their lips touched up?
In my opinion, everyone; lips age just like the rest of the body, in fact because of the intense activity to which we subject our lips (talking, eating, laughing, kissing ;), in addition to the aging of the internal anatomical structures. Bone reabsorption, the decrease in collagen production, even the loss of fat, appears where it shouldn't... :P
Beautiful, well-defined lips can beautify us, but also give us a younger and more harmonious appearance; even if we have a gummy smile, with a little hyaluronic acid and expert hands they can boost our self-esteem a lot.
So now you know... if you want to look like your selfie, take note:
Besides not believing everything they tell us on social media...
I'll leave you the 3 secrets they rarely tell: :P
- Good diet and exercise habits (going hungry delays aging).
- Aesthetic treatments that give us light immediately and beautify us.
- Lips; sensual and natural lips are the strong point of many influencers.
It's not vanity, it's well-being. Beautiful inside and out. :)
We hope you liked it, leave us your comments.
W&B
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