5 Undesirable Beauty Problems (and How to Fix Them!)
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We’ve gotten pretty good at coping with the occasional breakout or bad hair day, but there are some beauty issues we suffer from that aren’t so easily dealt with. Whether we’ve got a little more eyebrow than we bargained for or hair so fine that it slips through our fingers, the good thing about beauty problems is that they’re almost always fixable. These 5 beauty problems are among the most common, which is why we’ve rounded up the most effective solutions for ‘em all.
Unibrow
Don’t do anything crazy! Simply trim the excess length and tweeze away the hairs that connect the two brows together. Less grooming is definitely more in this case. “Take a conservative approach and remove only the excess hairs. Be careful not to remove so much that your brows are too far apart,” says celebrity makeup artist and brow expert Ramy Gafni. To be honest, there are some people who can actually really rock the uni look and need only trim the hairs between the brows to look presentable, but if you don’t like it, there’s no reason not to get rid of it.
Dark Circles
If you can’t stand your dark undereye circles, try dabbing concealer in a triangular shape all the way from the inner corner of the eye downward and back up to the outer corner, gently patting to blend it down the cheek area. This technique will give better coverage and blend the different shades on your face better than applying concealer only directly under the eyes, says Marian Rothschild, a Certified Personal Image Consultant, makeup artist, and author of “Look Good Now and Always.”
Fine Hair
Having fine hair isn’t a beauty problem, per se, but many of us who have it pretty much live to make it look thicker. The best temporary fix? Start by applying a thickening mousse after towel-drying, then roughly blow dry with your head upside down. Once dry, let your hair cool with your head still upside down, then brush out gently. Skip the round brush and use a curling iron or hot rollers on dry hair instead for maximum body and bounce, says Rothschild.
Dandruff
“Put simply, dandruff is the result of skin cells maturing and dying too fast, building up, and causing irritation,” says Grace Mahoney, owner of Blushing Brides. Rinsing your hair with vinegar, particularly apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, may sound like a pretty unpleasant idea, but it can actually be an effective way to treat dandruff. “Vinegar will get rid of the unwanted built-up skin cells that would flake off into dandruff, and it won’t clog up your pores or result in more [dandruff],” she says. “An overgrowth of fungus can also cause dandruff, and vinegar acts like a fungicide. Using it is straightforward, simple, and is probably easier on your hair than some shampoos out there.” Mahoney’s recommendation: In a cup, mix together a half cup of warm water and a half cup of vinegar. (You can vary the total amount according to how much hair you have.) Pour the mixture over your hair, massage it gently into your scalp for several minutes, and then rinse it thoroughly with warm water. Wait about 8-12 hours before taking a normal shower and shampooing. Repeat once every week or two weeks, depending on how often you feel you need it.
Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs are the result of hair curling back or growing sideways into the skin, and are most prevalent among those with coarse or curly hair, Mahoney says. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle or “razor bumps,” which vary in size. The good news is that a simple solution lies just in your medicine cabinet. “Aspirin can help reduce redness and inflammation, the two most common symptoms of ingrown hair. The anti-inflammatory property of aspirin reduces swelling, fights inflammation and treats mild infection,” says Mahoney. Plus, she adds, “The salicylic acid present in aspirin scrubs away dead skin to loosen the offending hair.” Soak two aspirin tablets in one teaspoon of warm water until it forms a paste-like consistency. Add one teaspoon of honey to the paste and apply the paste to the affected area. Leave the paste on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with warm water and gently pat the skin dry, and follow this remedy once or twice a week as needed. Accompany your aspirin treatment with a soft DIY sugar scrub, which will gently exfoliate the skin to remove dead cells and help the ingrown hairs to come to the surface.
Read more: 9 Weird Things You Didn’t Know Could Give You Amazing Skin
