Even Stars Have Their Dim Moments

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April 13, 2018

[By Sonia Octavia]

Academy award winner Jennifer Lawrence, who is well loved for her straight talking ways once famously quipped upon seeing herself in the print ad for Miss Dior.“Oh my God, I haven’t seen these. That doesn’t look like me at all! I love Photoshop more than anything in the world… Of course it’s Photoshop. People don’t look like that.”

Bombarded by picture perfect glossy images everywhere we turn, such words of truth are indeed music to the ears, that even stars have their dim moments. As comforting as it is to know that we aren’t the lone sufferers to common beauty banes that even celestial creatures from La-La-Land are not spared, let us find out from our panel of experts on what can be done to make them more bearable, besides engaging the help of the Almighty Meitu God of photo editing, to PS every single selfie captured to death.

Armpit fat

We haven’t heard the last of the self-deprecating humor of brainy actress Jennifer Lawrence and she was totally in her element at the SAG Awards 2014. Looking absolutely gorgeous in a figure hugging sequined gown by Dior, Jen L coined the term ‘armpit vagina’ during an interview with E! presenter, Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet.

“I know I have armpit fat, it’s OK,” she tells E! News. “Armpit vaginas, it’s awful.”

While most would agree that Jen L was probably a tad too hard on herself, armpit or axillary fat is a common cause of embarrassment that limits the choice of attire for many ladies. This is one of those nasty little pocket of fats that do not seem to budge no matter how hard we diet or exercise. In addition, unbeknownst to many, this area of presumed chubbiness might actually be axillary (armpit) breast) .

“Accessory axillary breasts are redundant breast tissue affecting approximately two to six percent of women, with a higher incidence amongst Asian ladies compared to other ethnicities.” Explains Dr. Tan Ying Chien, consultant plastic surgeon with the SW1 Clinic, registered Aesthetics Surgery in Singapore (formerly from The Sloane Clinic Plastic Surgery Centre @Novena). “Apart from their cosmetics implications, axillary breasts can become swollen and tender, often aggravated and noticeable during puberty and pregnancy.”

While previously surgical excision is the only option available, this upsetting beauty bane can now be effectively tackled with minimally invasive Liposuction technique that leaves inconspicuous and well-hidden scars with minimal discomfort that lasts not more than 5 days. For optimal results, it is advisable to wear pressure garment for a month thereafter; a small price to pay to be able to flaunt your new found confidence with a brand new wardrobe selection!

Stretch Marks

Although Kim Kardashian swore that Bio-oil had helped her to keep stretch marks at bay throughout her whole pregnancy, this paparazzi shot captured of “Little Miss Perfect” proved otherwise. Extensive scientific studies have unfortunately proven that till now, there’s no magic lotion or potion to erase these unsightly squiggles. A variety of reasons lead to these unattractive scarring of the skin, some of the commonest causes being pregnancy, growth spurts and sudden fluctuations of weight, be it pounds gained or lost. While stretch marks might seem to appear very easily, the same cannot be said about banishing them. Medical intervention might be veering on the expensive side but up to this moment, laser technology appear to be the route with the best outcome. Earlier this year, Kim opened up on the changes her body went through after becoming a mom for the first time, including stretch marks on her boobs after breastfeeding baby North which she eventually had them treated with Coolbeam, a fractionated Erbium laser.

Stretch marks can be roughly divided into early or late variant. Early ones are generally red in color and respond well to VBeam Perfecta. This special pulsed dye laser has the unique ability to selectively target and shrink the blood vessels that lend the red discoloration to early stretch marks without adversely affecting the surrounding tissues. If left untreated, stretch marks eventually lost their reddish discoloration over time and become fainter to an almost silvery white appearance. Once they reached this phase, they become much harder to treat.

“In the near 15 years of my experience with aesthetics concerns of women, Resurfacing Lasers seem to be the only effective treatment worth trying to improve the appearance of long standing slivery white stretch marks,” explains Dr. Toby Hui, senior medical consultant with the SW1 Clinic (formerly from The Sloane Clinic).“ Fraxel Dual Laser with its 1550nm Erbium wavelength resurfaces the skin gradually, approximately 20-30% at a time, thus allowing for rapid skin healing without the risk of raw skin and other complications associated with traditional ablative laser resurfacing treatments. After 4 to 6 sessions, treated individuals will appreciate the improvement in appearance, quality and texture of their affected skin.”

Witchy Hands

There’s no deny that at age 77, Raquel Welch, the reigning sex symbol of the 1960s, is looking absolutely fabulous, perhaps even better than some women half her age. Whether she had a little help over the years from Dr. 90210 is anybody’s guess but unfortunately, the truth remains that a woman’s hands will never lie about her age.As our hands contain little fatty tissue to begin with, any collagen breakdown with the passage of time and sun damage will magnify the changes associated with aging, resulting in wrinkly, crinkly crepe-like skin texture and more obvious bulging veins.

For shriveled, aged hands desperately seeking out an oasis, Revitalift is a state of the art injection technique whereby minute quantities of deeply nourishing hyaluronic acid fillers are carefully placed beneath the skin over the dorsum of hands to provide deep tissue hydration and to raise the skin level, so that tendons, joints and veins lose their prominence Results can last up to a year or more as the back of our hands have fewer muscles and hence less muscle activity capable of breaking down the filler introduced. In addition, scientific research has shown that hyaluronic acid filler actually stimulate the body’s own production of collagen so you may need lesser amount filler, done less often to maintain the youthful look after being treated for a substantial period of time. Aging is a natural process of life that we can’t deny but with the intervention of modern science and technology, we can certainly do so gracefully!