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For most women, taking care of your body involves more than eating healthy and exercising. It also includes the day-to-day things we need to do to look our best, like tweezing our brows and keeping our nails neat. And although maintaining our appearance doesn’t have to take a lot of time, it does need to be done on a regular basis. But how often is enough? Use this handy guide (and the printable chart below) for scheduling appointments and staying on top of your beauty regimens. Your hair is one of the first things people notice about you. And as everybody knows, a bad hair day can certainly put you in a foul mood. Hair care professionals recommend regular trims every six weeks to keep split ends at bay. If your style is casual or longer, you can stretch this out to about three months between cuts. Short hair may need a visit to the hair salon once a month if the style is precise and sharp. Hair color should be touched up every six weeks to eight, or whenever there are obvious roots showing. If your have lightened your hair dramatically, then a trip to the salon may be needed sooner than that, depending on how fast your hair grows. Gray hairs tend to pop up quite quickly around the temples so a quick touch up may be in order even sooner. There are many good hair-coloring brands available at the drugstore these days so another trip to the salon isn’t usually necessary. If you get your hair colored professionally, ask your colorist if he or she offers inexpensive touch ups. If not, perhaps he or she can recommend a do-it-yourself kit to match your color. An ammonia-free color glaze may be used to add a touch of color between full colorings. Highlights or streaks don’t need to be freshened up as often—you can go two to three months between colorings in most cases. If you get your hair highlighted too often in different sections, you run the risk of your color becoming monotone over time, with all one shade instead of the contrast you originally wanted. If you have your lashes and brows tinted, these need to be re-touched every four to six weeks. Never do this yourself as the products may cause serious reactions including blindness. Trust a professional instead. Getting a professional facial is a terrific way to maintain a healthy complexion. An esthetician can treat any dryness or acne you may have and suggest products to keep these problems from returning. Since it takes about 28 days for new skin cells to reach the surface of your skin, getting a monthly facial is ideal. At the very least, get one with the change of each season to help prepare your skin for the difference in temperature and humidity. You can prolong your facial by maintaining a regular skin care routine at home that includes cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen. No beauty routine is complete without a manicure and pedicure. Depending on how fast your nails grow and how active you are, you may need a weekly manicure to keep your polish fresh and chip-free but two to four weeks between manicures is typical. A French manicure hides chips better, so you may be able to stretch out the time between manicures. If you have acrylic or gel nails, you will need a fill whenever there is obvious growth, usually once every week or two. Because our feet don’t take the same amount of daily abuse as our hands, a pedicure can last one to two months, unless you simply want to change the color. Waxing is a great way to remove unwanted hair, and it lasts much longer than shaving or tweezing. If you wax your brows, face or upper lip, you will need to go every three weeks to remain smooth and fuzz-free. If you use Retin A or another vitamin A-derived skin product, discontinue use at least one or two weeks before you wax to minimize irritation and sensitivity. For facial waxing, hair should be 1/8 inch in length and you will need to re-book every two to three weeks. Body hair (legs and arms) should be about 1/4 inch and you will need to have it done again every three to four weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows. Over time your hair will thin out and waxing may not be needed as often. Bikini waxes typically last four to six weeks. Trim your hair first (no shorter than 1/4 inch in length) to minimize pain. If it is your first bikini wax, it’s best to leave hair slightly longer to ensure that the hair can be removed completely without risking any ingrown hairs.
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