NEW YORK
(AP) — Whether it's sun-kissed skin or manufactured body tweaks, there's a
certain something to beauty in Brazil that has global appeal.
In hair,
skin care, cosmetic surgery and body contouring, the cachet that will soon be
onstage when the Olympics begin in August is as varied as Brazilians themselves
— among them supermodels Gisele Bundchen, Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima.
THE BUTT
LIFT
Higher or
larger is not exclusive to Brazil and never was, but a certain type of enhancement
procedure is known as the Brazilian butt lift, forevermore. What, exactly, is
it?
Basically,
it's a fat-transfer method that involves taking fat out of the back, hips,
belly — wherever it won't be missed — and strategically placing it in the buttocks
based on a "map" decided upon ahead of time, whether lift or size
enhancement or both are desired, said Dr. Mitchell Chasin, a cosmetic surgeon
and laser specialist in New Jersey.
It's not
about a cartoonish look for most, he said, and many people are terrible
candidates due to age-related skin laxity and other factors. Surprisingly,
people who are in great shape, eating healthfully and exercising regularly just
might look down and realize their butts are gone, especially when they reach
their late 30s or 40s, he said.
Chasin
does the lifts under local anesthesia, which allows patients to stand so he can
consider mid-procedure corrections not easily done when a recipient is lying
down. He urges patients not to sit directly on their buttocks for at least a
week after. That's key and lots of people ignore the advice, ruining the
effect.
The cost,
in Chasin's practice, of a Brazilian butt lift ranges from $7,000 to $10,000.
THE
BLOWOUT
The
Brazilian blowout is not a blow-dry. It's a keratin treatment and not
necessarily aimed at pin-straight locks.
The term
generally refers to frizz control, calming loose curls and repairing damaged
hair through chemical or organic treatments.
"Beach
waves are still in demand, but you will not wake up with hair that looks camera
ready," said Anthony French, a Brazilian blowout expert and stylist at
Andy Lecompte Salon in Los Angeles.
So what
does keratin do? It attaches protein to hair that seals down the cuticle,
producing more manageable hair. Much has been made of smoothing products that
contain formaldehyde. The issue of fumes sickening salon workers prompted a
warning in 2011 from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Lots of
things will prematurely break down the treatment, especially during the summer.
Ocean saltwater and chlorinated pool water are among them. Before diving in, he
said, wet hair with fresh water and apply a conditioner as a barrier. Sweating
can also be a factor.
HAIR
COLOR
Celebrity hair stylist Ted Gibson has worked on many a
famous Brazilian head. He's traveled to Rio a lot and thinks one of the things
that makes Brazilian women known for bringing the sexy is long, tousled manes
and exotic, melting-pot looks. But when clients in the United States ask for
the Brazilian "look" in color, they're usually talking about golden
brown hair, he said.
In terms
of achieving that look, French said what many clients usually describe is
called balayage. It's a technique for highlighting hair that involves painting
on dye to create graduated, natural-looking color. It differs from ombre, which
is a heavier disconnection between dark and light. No foils are used in
balayage.
"The idea is that it's effortless, it's very sexy,
it's not contrived at all, it's youthful," Gibson said. "It can work
on different ethnicities."
WAXING
AND BODY CONTOURING
When it
comes to body hair, silky smooth is the Brazilian way. Much is made of pubic
waxing. Attaching the word "Brazil" to treatments is a popular
marketing tool.
Removing
hair "down south, everywhere, started in Brazil. It's become very
popular," said Olga Katsnelson, manager of the Dyanna Spa in Manhattan
that specializes in a variety of services.
The day
spa also does a Brazilian manicure, a keratin-filled glove warmed up a bit with
the fingertips cut off. The keratin softens the hand while the nails are done.
Hair is
only half the story here. There's cellulite to contend with, and non-invasive
body shaping.
In
Austin, Texas, an actual Brazilian, Edneia Hathaway, operates Brazilian Body
Contours. In addition to Brazilian-style "turbinada" massage, which
uses rollers to tone and reshape, she offers treatments that include using
microcurrent, something called "ultrasound cavitation" that promises
to convert fat cells into liquid disposed of naturally by the body, and a
vacuum therapy system that uses suction and power-driven rollers to manipulate
and massage tissue in problem areas.
"Pretty
much every woman knows about these things all over Brazil," said Hathaway,
originally from Sao Paulo. "We're always at the beach. We don't want to do
surgery all the time so all of this helps maintain for cellulite and skin
tightening. The Brazilian woman, we're not as shy. We wear a lot of sexy
clothes."
SUN
DAMAGE CORRECTION
Chasin,
with offices in the Livingston and Bridgewater areas of New Jersey, said skin
damage from sun exposure is hardly unique to Brazil. It's just that some in
Brazil are, shall we say, perfectionists and not shy about seeking out
treatments for all sorts of things, including sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles,
loose skin and age-related brown spots.
Skin
type, geography and genetics contribute to how such damage plays out and when,
in addition to ill effects from smoking, which can hasten signs of sun
exposure.
The best
protection is not to damage the skin to begin with. A common mistake is not
applying enough sunscreen and not reapplying frequently, say every four to five
hours you're in the sun. And Chasin means a heavy application of an actual
sunblock with UVA and UVB protection, not a moisturizer or makeup that includes
some sunscreen. Even then, sun exposure is tricky and often appears years after
the damage was done.
Another
misconception is thinking that tanning, as opposed to burning, can't cause sun
damage. It certainly can, he said.
"No
sunblock is infallible. What is in the works and being studied are oral
sunblocks. Eventually we'll have that," Chasin said. "That will
probably be the first true block. Everything else falls short."
Leanne
Italie
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