At the mere mention of a Black woman undertaking the cosmetic knife, images of Lil Kim haunt our minds. However, the Queen Bee should really only serve as a cautionary tale for those that take the nip and tuck a little too far, because many minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are quick, painless and worth it. Dr. Chynna Steele Griffin of Atlanta’s Aesthetic and Dermatology Specialty Centre detailed several enhancements that you’ve secretly already googled.
BOTOX: Wrinkles are something that happens when you move your face. Lines form on your forehead or in the corners your mouth when you smile. Eventually, those lines stay. Botox is really meant to be a preventative treatment. I’m 34 and I get Botox because I have a really expressive face. Though we’ve all seen some horror stories, you’d have to get a full face of Botox to be completely frozen or have a paralyzed face. In actuality, you’re only supposed to get shots where you have wrinkles, but you rarely hear about it when it’s done well. Cost: $250 – $350 (by unit or area)
FILLERS: Essentially, filler puts your face back where it used to be. As Black women, our cheeks and other parts of our face move and begins to sag. Injecting filler into those areas adds volume and provides a more youthful appearance. Though most women want to use collagen or fat for these areas, we’ve found that they can actually be a little unpredictable. We use a safe synthetic called hyaluronic acid. It lasts for nine months to a year. Cost: $500 – $1000 (depends on the area)
DPN (Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra): This is a simple process that removes little moles on the cheek, neck and other areas of the body. Moles are hereditary and there’s no way to prevent them. We easily remove them by first using a numbing cream and then cutting or burning them off. The results are permanent. Cost: $300 – $400 per area (face, neck, etc.)
CHIN LIPO: Liposuction is good for ridding of small pockets of fat – like the double chin. We use a local anesthetic and you pretty much have a one day recovery time. Cost: Prices varies
UNDER EYE CIRCLES: Sometimes dark circles under your eyes are attributed to sagging cheeks that have created a hollowness. This procedure involves a filler that perks up the skin directly underneath the eyes and rids of bags. There are some eye creams that you can use, but just know that when you wash your face at the end of the day, they lose their effect. Cost: $500 – $1000
SCAR THERAPY: Fading creams help by cleaning up old pigment and preventing new pigment formation in that area. For deeper scars, we use steroid shots to soften, lighten and flatten scars, but it doesn’t make them completely go away. You can also have a dermatologist cut out your scar tissue if it’s very severe. Cost: Price depends on the size of the scar
