BEFORE & AFTER IMAGES – DO YOU REALLY GET WHAT YOU SEE?

Photo taken the same day. Note the smoothing of texture and fine lines with the use of different filters.

Commonly used in the cosmetics industry, before and after images illustrate a compelling marketing story:

“After using product X-Y-Z for xx amount of time, this patient went from looking like this… to looking like THIS!”

Or, “After xx many treatments with this remarkable device, this patient saw THESE incredible results!”

The untrained eye of the consumer may find this type of photography very impressive … but do you really get what you see?

I have spent almost two years taking before and after photos for various studies being conducted, and it has been a real wake-up call for me to see how easy it is to skew end-result pictures.  It is important for you to try to examine before and after images with a discerning eye, and identify tricks of manipulation that are used in the skincare industry to help make results look better than they actually are.

Photographing the Eye Area

Why is the eye area the most common before and after images we see?  One reason is because it is extremely easy to manipulate the appearance of the eye area.  A simple change of humidity in the room, or application of plain glycerin to the skin will create a more visually smooth skin texture.

Different Filters/Shadows/Flash

As you peruse before and after photographs, take note of shadows in the images – do the befores have more shading under the neck or eye area than the afters?

One of the easiest ways to create a “visual change” in before and after photography is the use of different camera filters or flash settings.  It is especially easy to change the way a person looks simply by adjusting the flash setting.  For example, one setting will accentuate fine lines, wrinkles and pore size, while using a different setting with flat lighting will “magically smooth” those features.  Other settings will make pigmentation less visible.

Facial Expression and Positioning

Smiling or frowning in the before picture will definitely enhance an after image taken with no expression on the face. 

As well, facial features can change if the positioning in each photo changes even slightly, and the distance from client to camera lens should always be the same.

Use of Makeup/other enhancements

Changes to jewelry, hair color or style, or injections such as Botox and/or fillers can all make an after image appear more impressive.

Length of Time from Before to After

As you are flipping through impressive looking pages of before and after images, note the length of time indicated from the first before photo to the after photo.  Does the length of time switch around from weeks to months or years?  For example, are the photos going from an 8-week span to an 8-month span, then back to a 16-week span?  It is important that the length of time remains somewhat consistent or that you are able to note differences from one set of pictures to another.

The important take-home lesson from today’s blog is this: when you visit a skin professional for a product or service based on amazing before and after photographs, it is important that the provider communicates realistic expectations.  Remember, realistic goals and a teamwork effort between you and your skin care expert will give you the results you desire.

The “Promise” of Beauty

I think I finally found the perfect lipstick shade.  Really.  I have been searching forever.  But I think this one is really it.  In my mind, the perfect shade looked slightly deeper than my naked lip shade, a kind of deeper rosy hue, not too pink, not too plummy, not too mauve.  But this shade, called “Luscious” from the new Jane Iredale Lip Crayons – is perfection.

 

I think about this every time I look at cosmetic products … each product whispers a little promise: “if you use this little goodie, you will be beautiful.”  I read recently that women who go out to purchase a new lipstick will very likely come home with the exact same shade that they’ve purchased twenty times before.  I know I have at least 10 of the same shade of lipstick (different brands) at home – but it’s that “promise” I keep hearing that makes me want to purchase again … maybe this time, it will be the perfect shade and my search will be over, says my brain.

 

It started with the emails from Jane Iredale (well, not Jane personally, but the advertising emails).  I was mesmerized by these five beautiful pieces, this tiny collection of colors that work for any season.  I swear, those emails spoke to me somehow.  And then, I was visiting Marod Medical Spa in Twin Falls a few days ago, and not only was I seduced by the fabulous retail section, but there it was – the new Lip Crayons set.  Not only are the colors wonderful, they go on creamy and smooth, like a lipstick, not like a liner (and there’s a sharpener on the actual box, like a box of crayons) … I could hear, yet again, that “promise” of beauty calling out to me …

 

I was definitely a girly-girl when I was growing up, but I never learned much about makeup.  My mom was more of a tomboy, she was athletic and into sports; she was naturally beautiful and didn’t wear much makeup other than a little mascara and a quick swipe of lipstick.  Even growing up with two sisters and many close girlfriends didn’t spark a lot of interest, other than what foundation shade worked best to cover my teen acne.

 

So, although I wore some makeup as a teen, I was never a “lipstick girl.”  Maybe I had been traumatized by the neon orange-red shade we wore when performing with the marching band (which stained our lips for a week afterward).  But lipstick was always the last thing that went on my face.  It wasn’t until my early thirties with a best friend who never left the house without her lipstick that I actually got into wearing it.  And after trying out various shades of sienna, plum, cocoa, mauve and berry over the years, I became obsessed with finding that perfect shade.

 

As an esthetician, I learned makeup theory and some hands-on practice in esthetic school, but my overall experience has concentrated more on clinical treatments.  I use very basic makeup techniques on my clients (enough to quickly cover the skin before the ride home).  Considering all the cosmetics choices I have, most work days I get by with the basics — a little mineral foundation over my sunscreen, a pat of blush, a smidge of liner and mascara, and of course, a little lipstick or gloss.  On the weekends, I hardly wear anything on my face besides sun protection. The most fun I get to have with makeup is trying out new looks on my daughter or her friends for proms and other formal occasions (they actually trust me, bless them – but it’s not the makeup that makes the girls look amazing).  I truly admire those estheticians who specialize in makeup application, who have impressive portfolios of beautiful before and after pictures of their best work, who can deal with brides, mothers-of-the-brides, and other nervous nellies.

 

Does finding “Luscious” in that Lip Crayon kit mean that my search for the perfect shade will finally be over?  Probably not.

 

I am a cosmetic junkie.  I can’t help it.  I’m an esthetician; it’s part of what I do.  I’ve got a fancy makeup case filled with all sorts of different types of makeup: foundations, eye shadows, concealers, false eyelashes, blushes, lipsticks, liners and glosses.  And each one of those little sweeties in my case has called out that promise to me at some point, “Use me!  Use me, and you will be beautiful!”

 

“Over-the-Counter” Skincare vs. “Cosmeceuticals” or “Pharmaceuticals” – What is the difference?

As a professional esthetician, we often hear these common questions from our clients: What is the difference between a “professional” skin care cosmeceutical vs. a brand you can find “over-the-counter” at a drug or department store?  Is there really a difference, or is it all a bunch of fancy marketing talk and pretty pictures?  Can you get nice results with drugstore cosmetic brands, or will your results be better with professional cosmeceuticals? Too often, consumers fall under the spell of cosmetic company marketing and advertising claims, and will spend a lot of money on expensive over-the-counter cosmetics that really don’t work in the skin.

 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) divides skin care products into two distinct categories: pharmaceutical and cosmetic.  Topical pharmaceuticals penetrate through the layers of the epidermis and affect the structure and function of the skin (think of prescription topical steroids or Retin-A).  Cosmetics are defined as ” … articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance …”  Pharmaceutical drugs may undergo more than 10 years of drug approval testing that may cost hundreds of millions of dollars — whereas, cosmetics do not have to prove their claims, but they can cite “scientific studies” of the ingredients used in their product formulations to validate the safety and efficacy of the ingredient formula.

 

Cosmeceuticals are the “happy medium” between a pharmaceutical and a cosmetic.  The word “cosmeceutical” really is not categorized by the FDA, but it is a word that is used in the professional skin care arena to describe a cosmetic that actually has biological action, but is regulated as a cosmetic — meaning, again, the formula does not technically have to prove efficacy or safety, but it does contain an ingredient that may have activity in the skin.

 

You will find many of the same catch phrases when you read an advertisement for skin care: “Dermatologist-Tested,” “Clinically Proven,” “Clinical Studies show that …,” “Clinically Tested.”  But interpret these phrases with caution, especially when trying to choose a skin care line that works best for your practice and clientele.  Since cosmetic companies really don’t have to prove efficacy claims, the special active ingredient touted in the formula only has to appear somewhere on the ingredient list — ingredients are listed in content order, from most to least, so if you see that “active” on the last half of the list (usually alphabetically) you can bet you are getting a tiny percentage (enough to be effective in the formulation?) of that specific ingredient. When you see these types of claims, start asking questions:

 

·     What was tested — an individual ingredient or the finished formulation?

·     How was it tested, in-vitro (in a test tube or petri dish, in an ideal environment), or was it tested in-vivo (on actual skin)?

·     Were the studies double-blinded (meaning, the person applying the product and the person evaluating the results each have no knowledge of what they are applying or evaluating; it is strictly objective)

·     Was the formula tested against placebo cream (like glycerin or petrolatum), or against nothing, or against another type of similar product?

·     How long was the test conducted?  On how many participants?

 

Because many consumers “self-diagnose” when choosing a skin care product to try from a drug or department store, these products must be made safely, meaning, big cosmetic companies cannot afford to have masses of consumers with issues from using very active products — so, that skin care product may feel good and smell good, but it likely won’t have a lot of activity in the formulation.

 

Over-the-counter cosmetics are also manufactured and distributed in very large batches, and are packed with almost as many preservatives as “active” ingredients!  In addition, many over-the-counter cosmetics simply do not penetrate the skin barrier, where the ingredient formula would have a therapeutic benefit to the health of the skin.   Remember too, it’s not just about one really fabulous ingredient — it’s the mixture of the right amounts of active ingredients working synergistically together that work best in the skin, similar to how oral multivitamins work internally in our bodies with a mixture of vitamins and minerals for best absorption.

 

It is important to note that many single ingredients that test very well in in-vitro testing actually have no function in human skin when mixed into a formulation — yet, we still believe the “clinical study” claims from in-vitro studies.  As well, many companies that cite clinical study results will not provide clinical study documentation.  Rare is the cosmeceutical company that tests their finished formulations and then offers full clinical study details for the public to see.  You will sometimes find peer-reviewed cosmetic formulation studies in dermatology or cosmetic surgery journals, which lends more credibility to the testing process.

 

Since licensed estheticians do not prescribe pharmaceutical products, offering a well formulated and tested cosmeceutical line is the next best option to pharmaceuticals.  Cosmeceuticals that are professionally recommended by a licensed esthetician, physician or other educated skin care professional generally have a higher amount of active ingredients with proven and safe formulations, and offer delivery systems that reach targeted cells in the skin.  In your search for safe and effective skincare for your clientele, try to find cosmeceutical companies that offer clinical testing information, and learn how to ask questions and interpret clinical study details.  As a licensed skin care professional, research is imperative to help make the best decision for your clients.