It’s common to hear women undergoing cosmetic surgery to enhance just about anything in their bodies, from eye bag removal to face/neck/brow lift to cheek and chin implants to tummy tuck surgery to liposuction to breast enlargement, etc.; the list is endless. These women spend a great deal of money to improve their physical appearance, all for beauty’s sake.

You’d be amazed to know that there are men, too, who are equally as vain who want to improve their masculinity to attract more women perhaps. It’s not surprising anymore to know that they visit www.male-enhancements.com.

What’s my opinion on this? I have nothing against men and women who want to look good. They have all the right to do what they want with their bodies. As for me, I’m content with what I have right now, although sometimes I wish I have better-looking nose and legs.

Do you have unsightly hair on your face, neck, back, chest, underarms, legs, arms, or bikini area? Do you shave or wax your body hair every so often only to find them growing back again? Have you considered other options? You might want to try laser hair removal in Chicago. The use of lasers is proven safe and effective in removing unwanted body hair. This method delays hair growth longer than conventional methods, allows for rapid treatment of large areas of the body with long-lasting benefits, and is associated with lower treatment discomfort.

Lakeview Dermatology is a leading dermatology clinic in the Chicago area led by Dr. Eugene Mandrea and Dr. Steven Mandrea. They specialize in laser acne scar treatment, botox, chemical peels, hair removal treatment, liposuction, microdermabrasion, Restylane®, and sclerotherapy among others. Lakeview Dermatology does not only provide skin care treatments, but cosmetic, medical, and surgical treatments as well. They use Aesthera®, a revolutionary photopneumatic therapy for long-term reduction of unwanted body hair. With Aesthera®, the risk of potential side effects, such as scarring and discoloration, is minimized. Aesthera® is also proven effective in treating acne, rosacea, and acne rosacea. Please check out their website for more helpful information.

When my son Justin went to the playground with her new yaya (nanny) yesterday morning, I took advantage of that time to go to the beauty salon downstairs. I badly needed some pampering and some alone time for myself.

I actually went there for manicure and pedicure only, but I also ended up having my hair colored a different hue, which came with a bonus hair spa and hair trimming. Because I was their very first customer for the day, I was able to sweet-talk the beauty attendant into giving me a reasonable price for everything he’s done to my hair. The attendant suggested I had my eyebrow trimmed, too, so I had threading done as well.

All in all, I spent two hours and a little less than Php1,000.00 for the whole package. Many times in the past, I felt guilty doing things for myself. But not this day. I’ve been working hard lately, and I think I deserve to be pampered once in a while.

What about you? What things do you do to pamper yourself?

I’m not really an avid water drinker. The most that I can drink in a day is four glasses of water, sometimes even less. I even forget to drink water after my meals at times. Hubby would even remind me to drink water on more than one occasion. When we eat out and, say, I ordered juice or iced tea with my meal, that’s about the only liquid I consume for that meal. I usually never ask for an extra glass of water. If the server brings one, it’s either left untouched or I only take a few sips. I think it’s the taste or the lack of it that has caused this behavior.

As a consequence, I had had numerous bouts of constipation in the past. I also found out from my recent facial treatment that I actually have dry skin, which has not always been the case. So, all those years of scrimping on water is actually taking its toll on me. I decided, for health and beauty’s sake, that I will be drinking more water from this day onwards.

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. But an overweight person needs to drink more. Water metabolizes stored fat. An overweight person has more stored fat. Therefore, an overweight person needs more water (www.highvibrations.org).

And do you know that it’s better to drink cold water than warm water? Yes, that’s true. That’s because cold water is more quickly absorbed into our system than warm water, and it helps burn calories, too (www.highvibrations.org).

Here’s a rundown of the health benefits of water:
• aids in digestion and absorption of food
• regulates body temperature and blood circulation
• carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
• flushes toxins and wastes out of the body
• facilitates weight loss
• prevents dehydration
• helps maintain proper muscle tone
• relieves constipation (www.highvibrations.org).

Yesterday, I had my first facial treatment since I conceived and gave birth. Yikes! Has it been that long since my face had some dose of TLC? That’s been more than three years already. No wonder my skin is crying out for help. It was only by chance that I managed to get my face done. Ed and I were supposed to watch a movie but decided against it since the film we wanted to watch was not being shown at Robinsons. Ed decided to go home, and I took that opportunity to head to the nearest facial clinic for some skin pampering.

So off I went to the facial salon. I filled out a form, inquired about the appropriate treatment for my skin, and was led inside the “treatment area.” Have you ever wondered what goes inside the salon? Here’s a quick review of the whole process of facial cleaning/treatment based on my own experience.

First, your skin needs to be prepped for the whole procedure. First stop is the wash area. You need to wash your face three times using either the clear soap or the whitening soap. Then, cleansing lotion is applied on your face, and the beauty attendant gently massages your skin in preparation for the actual cleaning. The residue is then wiped off your face, and the beauty attendant vacuums your face then steams it, your face, I mean, not the vacuum.

The painful part is next. The beauty attendant presses an instrument hard on your face to let blackheads and whiteheads out. She may use tweezers, too, to pluck some hair-like blackheads from around the mouth area. Pressing around the nose area may send you to tears, but you have to bear it. Beauty has its price, you know! Be prepared also for some minor pricking of zits if you have some. When the while process of cleaning is done, the beauty attendant then shows you how much dirt she extracted from your face, but you might still be reeling from the pain by this time to actually care. Hurray! The worst part is over!

Now, for the finishing touch. The beauty attendant wipes your face clean, and a cold towel is placed over your face to bring you back to reality. A gauze is placed on your face, and laser treatment is given. Wait! I forgot the facial mask, but I’m not too sure if it comes before or after the cold towel. Whatever! Finally, antibiotic is applied on your skin followed by sun block. You are now ready to face the world.

Before going out of the salon, make sure you check yourself first in the mirror. Lying down for the treatment for almost an hour does something funny to your hair. To understand what I mean, try having a facial treatment. There’s nothing like experiencing it for yourself. You might not like it initially, but you’ll get used to it. Good luck!

Happy 2007, everyone! As always, we greet each new year with a bang and with yet another list of New Year’s resolution on the things we want to change in our lives, hopefully for the better, which at the end of the year we realize we haven’t really taken into heart that much or might have forgotten as we hustle and bustle about fulfilling our daily grind. As we can’t turn back time, we can only look back at the year that was and look forward to a brighter and better year ahead of us.

In keeping with tradition, here’s the list of things I hope to accomplish in 2007:

• I intend to be a better wife. I must admit I haven’t been the best partner for the past 10 years. Well, I have my moods, but who doesn’t? But hey, everyone deserves a second chance and that includes me, right?
• I will take care of myself more, not for anything else, but because I’m a mother now. I have a son to take care of and I should be there for him 24/7. And for the life of him, that means, I’ll be the only woman in his life or else…
• I resolve to pamper myself more. If I really want something so bad, then by all means I will have it, cash or charge. I’ll worry about paying for it later, though. But at least, I’ve made myself happy.
• I will be more tolerant of people, acknowledging that I, too, just like everybody else, make mistakes, and nobody’s perfect anyway.
• I will grab every opportunity that comes my way -- opportunity knocks but once, remember -- or regret what might have been.
• I vow to write more this year, not leaving anything to chance, for posterity’s sake. We tend to forget more as we grow older, you know.
• I will endeavor to learn new things every chance I get, try new hair styles, wear something different, explore various sites, taste different foods, remember friends’ birthdays, pray more, go to church regularly, and most importantly, become the best person that I can ever be.