Grace Capsule

Category: beauty

  • Laser Hair Removal For Asian Hair: The Good, The Bad, and The BO (Literally)

    Laser Hair Removal For Asian Hair: The Good, The Bad, and The BO (Literally)

    Okay, so let me take you on a wild ride through my laser hair removal experience, because it was definitely an adventure. Picture this: a 23-year-old Asian girl with the dark, stubborn underarm hair thinking, “Hey, let’s try something permanent…and intense.”


    Phase 1: Laser Away – The Bold Beginning

    I walked into Laser Away at 23 years old ready to rid myself of my underarm hair for good, or so I thought. I signed up for 8 sessions, which they assured me would be enough to say “goodbye forever” to my armpit fuzz. And you know what? The sessions were fast—under 5 minutes for both sides. They didn’t even need to warm up the laser before getting to work. You know those quick-fix beauty treatments that make you wonder, “Is it really working?” Well, spoiler alert: it was, but not entirely.

    I had to go back every month or so after each session. After 8 sessions, I could proudly raise my arms without worrying about stubbly underarms. But… cue dramatic music… there were still a few stragglers. Like, maybe 10% of the hair was like, “Nah, we’re not leaving anytime soon, thanks.” But it was 90% successful, which, honestly, I’ll take. Also, something about lasering your armpits made the area much lighter! So overall, I was happy with my initial experience.

    Phase 2: South Bay Med Spa – The Sequel

    Fast forward a bit, and I’m thinking, “Alright, let’s make this 100%!” I booked another 6 sessions at South Bay Med Spa to finish what Laser Away started. But, oh no, plot twist: my left armpit suddenly became the diva. It started acting up in a way that my right pit just didn’t—it hurt like a mofo. I swear, I have no idea why, but my left armpit became super sensitive. The laser felt SPICY only on my left armpit. Meanwhile, the right side was chill, like, “Hey girl, we got this, let’s go.” 

    My pain tolerance was usually strong, but I found myself flinching and clutching the table like I was about to go through labor. Who knew my body would decide to start playing favorites with my armpits?

    The BO Incident (Don’t Ask, Just… Don’t)

    Now, here’s where things get really interesting. A few weeks into my treatment, I noticed something… ahem, “extra.” For the first time in my life, I got some serious BO—and only in my left armpit. I’m thinking, “Oh my god, what is that smell? Is this… me?” Cue the internal panic.

    I had never been the type of girl to have smelly pits. Ever. But suddenly, it was like I had a whole new personality: the girl who needs to carry around extra deodorant in her purse. This funky side effect stuck around for about a year. Can you imagine? I went from “fresh as a daisy” to “smells like wet socks.”

    Results: Almost Perfect, But Not Quite

    After a total of 14 sessions (thanks to that left armpit diva), I was finally mostly free of underarm hair. I would say the treatment was 98% successful, which, to be fair, is pretty great. But after 4 years, I started to notice, like, two hairs or so that were still growing back. Two hairs! Just… why? At that point, I was all, “I can live with that,” but it’s still a little annoying to know those tiny hairs somehow survived the apocalypse.

    Would I Do It Again?

    It’s a mix of yes and no. Doing the initial treatment to get rid of most of the hairs is great! However, I wouldn’t do it again because now we have these at-home IPL hair removers, and let me tell you, they work, they’re affordable, and they can be used all over your body! I can use it on my legs, arms, and even the bikini area—all in the comfort of my home. And the cost? A fraction of what I paid for those laser sessions. It’s like, why pay for 14 sessions when I can do the same thing for way cheaper? Also, no surprise BO. 

    The IPL at-home laser that I use is called BoSidin. They’re sold on Amazon and have worked great! I love this device because it has 6 energy levels, 6 different modes (e.g., underarms, bikini area, legs, etc.), a mode for skin rejuvenation (which I have yet to try), a cooling option (to combat the sting from the laser), and an automatic function that will zap lasers continuously for when you’re covering a large surface area. The only downside is that if you have it on for a prolonged period, it’ll need some time to “recharge.” For example, after I go over an entire leg, it won’t be able to zap lasers anymore until I give it some time off. If I invested in a better IPL tool, I don’t think this would be a problem. However, I’m not too impatient, so I’m ok with this delay. 

    When you first start using the IPL laser, you’ll have to be super consistent to see changes. Using it several times a week will drastically affect the growth rate of the hairs! After being consistent like this for several weeks, hair will eventually stop growing, and you’ll only need to use it for maintenance maybe once a month or so! 

    So, if you’re thinking about laser hair removal, here’s my advice: Do it if you’re really committed and have the money, but honestly, those at-home IPL devices are a game changer. They’re convenient, cost-effective, and you don’t have to deal with random BO side effects that make you question your life choices. 

  • Powderbrows/Microshading is for the Asian Ladies!

    Powderbrows/Microshading is for the Asian Ladies!

    This is for my girls (and guys) who weren’t born with eyebrows like Gigi Hadid, Cindy Crawford, or Zayn Malik. Their eyebrows are naturally full, have a distinct shape, and fill the face. Sadly, this is the complete opposite to mine. My eyebrows are naturally very fine and light in color. Therefore, in certain lighting or camera filters, it looked like my eyebrows disappeared! I would feel like Voldemart, and it was such an insecurity of mine growing up.

    I would fill in my brows every single day, but it was such a hassle. I never could find a color that really matched. Even though eyebrows are supposed to sisters and not twins, mine looked like they weren’t even related. And I can’t even begin to tell you the journey of finding the right shape for me. I wanted professional help and a permanent solution.

    Over the years, “Instagram brows” became really popular. However, it looked so unnatural because the edges were cleaned oh so perfectly using a concealer, and the shape was too crisp. This trend became so popular that people started to tattoo their eyebrows in this way– and if you love it, then hey, more power to you! However, in my opinion, these eyebrows only matched a look that’s full-glam. On the regular day-to-day with little to no make-up on, it looked strange and out-of-place. So unfortunately, this was a pass for me.

    “Intagram brows” (circa 2010s)

    Some more years passed and the microblading technique started to popularize. This is a technique where eyebrow hairs are copied using stroke patterns from the technician. However, I noticed two main issues with this style. First, in order for it to look natural, the person needs to already have a decent amount of eyebrow hair. For someone like me, the tattooed strokes would be an obvious contrast to the rest of my brows. Second, in photos, microblading looks amazing. However, when I saw it in-person, there wasn’t a single time where I thought it actually looked good. (However, please keep in mind that I’m mostly surrounded by Asians. Therefore, I realized this technique does not seem to suit Asian features.) So again, this was a pass. 

    Microblading technique

    Fast forward to 2023, and I meet with a girlfriend who I’ve known since we were kids. She shares with me that she had her eyebrows tattooed a few weeks prior, and my jaws dropped to the floor. I was absolutely stunned because it looked SO natural. It really only looked like she filled in her brows using a powder or pencil. Immediately, I looked into what technique this was and where she went.

    I learned that this style of eyebrow tattoo was called “powderbrow” or “microshading” because it mimics the look of filling in brows with powder. Also, instead of using stroke-like patterns, the technician uses thousands of small dots that are placed throughout the brow. This allows for an extremely natural look because the gradient can be controlled giving the eyebrow an ombre-effect (i.e., lighter on the inner brows to darker on the edges). I also learned that this technique is much better for the skin because it causes less trauma than microblading which cuts deep into the epidermis with each stroke. This is better for the ink as it will fade cleaner overtime reducing the risk of the color changing and leaving any permanent scar. 

    Powderbrow/Microshading process

    I was TERRIFIED of getting my eyebrows tattooed because I’ve seen so many horror stories of people ending up with atrocious eyebrows. However, I was at a point where a professional’s mistake was probably better than what I usually do to my brows. And HANDS-DOWN, THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE! My only regret was that I didn’t find something like this sooner! 

    The eyebrows came out so natural, and the color was perfect for my skintone. If you’re ever in Los Angeles, CA and in need of an eyebrow tattoo, I highly recommend Jina! Her instagram is @tattoo_by_jina, and she is AMAZING. She is so meticulous with her craft, and now, she’s the only person I trust.

    My first powderbrow session with Jina!

    The process will start with numbing your eyebrows. Then, you can tell her what you’re looking for (e.g., dramatic or soft arch, dark or light, etc.). She will clean up and map out your natural eyebrow shape and adjust based on your feedback. Then, she’ll find a color that suits your skin tone or hair color (up to you to decide)! And within 30-45 minutes, you’ll have new eyebrows! You can “test” it out the first month to see if there’s anything else you’d like to change. Then, within 4-6 weeks of the initial appointment, you’ll have to meet again for the final touch-up. This is where you can add any final touches on your eyebrows. 

    For me, during my first appointment, we went with the natural shape of my eyebrow. However, after wearing it around for about a month, I realized I liked an even softer look on my face. Therefore, for my touch-up appointment, we decided to make it a bit straighter. And JUST LIKE THAT, MY EYEBROWS WERE PERFECTION. It was better than anything I could’ve imagined, and I am so beyond happy with the results! I talk more about my experience in the vlog below. (:

  • Pico-Toning & Pico-Laser for Glass Skin (with Before and After Photos!)

    Pico-Toning & Pico-Laser for Glass Skin (with Before and After Photos!)

    What is Pico-Toning & Pico-Laser?

    Pico-Toning: a non-invasive laser that is used all over the face to treat uneven skin tone for a brighter and smoother complexion. There is typically no down-time. Patients are recommended to regularly wear sunscreen and avoid actives (e.g., retinol, AHA, BHA, etc.) in their skincare. 

    Pico-Laser: a non-ablative laser that targets common skin imperfections (e.g., melasma, sun spots, acne scars, etc.) to break down the pigment and rejuvenate the skin. The lasered area will scab for several days, but once the scab falls off on its own, the area will be free of the imperfection! During this time, a cream is given by the clinic to apply every day for at least a week. Active ingredients in skincare and harsh exfoliants should be avoided. For darker or deeper skin imperfections, several treatments may be required.

    *Typically, both the Pico-Toning & Pico-Laser are recommended together and can be completed at the same time in one session

    *These treatments will NOT get rid of moles!

    Cost

    As of December 2024, both the Pico-Toning & Pico-Laser treatment at the VandS – Gangnam Branch was 182,000,000₩ (or about $130 USD). 

    My Skin Concern 

    Living in California where the strength of the sun is extremely high, I started to get sun spots in my late 20s. They were especially gathering on my upper cheekbones. More specifically, as you can see from the photos, the majority of the sunspots formed on my LEFT cheekbone. Why? Because the sun glares through the window as I’m driving and hits the left side of my face.This is a true testament to how much the sun damages your skin! Although they weren’t too bad, I wanted to do something about them before they got worse. (All Asians know that sun spots, if not treated, will grow darker and bigger!) Therefore, I wanted to be proactive and take the necessary precautions. 

    The right side of my face shows much smaller sunspots
    The left side of my face has bigger and much more sun spots visible

    The Process

    At VandS Clinic in Gangnam, the staff were very friendly and helpful! The entire process was very thorough starting with a skin-analysis photo. Afterward, a specialist went through each photo describing the strengths and weaknesses of my skin. This conversation was very helpful because it made me realize what I needed to do for my skin to maximize its condition. Some issues could be tackled using their most innovative tools (e.g., lasers, injections, etc.) or it could simply mean I needed to moisturize more in certain areas while exfoliating others parts. 

    Below shows a chart that depicts my comprehensive skin analysis in a nutshell. I learned that my pore size is a skin concern because having large pores on my cheeks puts me at risk for developing wrinkles faster since there is less elasticity. Therefore, I have to regularly use chemical exfoliants like BHA in this area which should help with the pore size and allow for a brighter, healthier complexion. 

    The skin analysis not only showed data about my pores, but also showed results for future wrinkles, redness, skin tone type, wrinkles, melanin, acne, pore, pigmentation, sebum, brown pigment, and radiance. Each photo shows whether you’re good, normal, or bad for each item and highlights the results on your photo. For example, for my sebum analysis, all of the white dots show where I tend to release the most amount of sebum (which is seen on my T-zone). Advice is provided in the report as well, detailing the concern of having too much sebum and recommending what to do. 

    During my consultation, we focused on the sunspots and what we could do to minimize it. The specialist recommended pico-toning and pico-laser, which sounded perfect for me. They numbed my entire face and within 30 minutes, I was in the treatment room. The nurse started with the pico-toning laser all over my face and then moved on to the pico-laser which is more precise and targeted at specific problem areas. For both treatments, I felt absolutely no pain whatsoever! I wondered if I even needed to numb my face at all. Below is a photo of what my skin looked like immediately after the both treatments. From Pico-Toning, my skin was already clearer and brighter. From the Pico-Laser, the areas where it targeted were clearly inflamed.

    Inflammation from the Pico-Laser

    Within a day or two, scabs started to form. However, the scabs didn’t feel like typical scabs. I was imagining it to be bulky and rough (like the scabs that form when you fall down and scrape your knee). However, they were minimal and could be barely felt even if I brushed my fingers against it. Unfortunately, I don’t have the best photos of it– but this gives you an idea of what it looks like!

    Every morning and night, I used the cream they provided at the clinic over the scabs. Within the next several days, I noticed they started slowly falling off. By the end of the week, they were all gone! My right side of the face is nearly flawless; the left side probably could use one more session, but at least the rough texture of the sun spots are gone! The clinic did mention that in Korea, people regularly get this treatment at least once every 6 months to a year. I’m not sure if I’ve seen this exact treatment in the states, but every time I go to Korea, this will be on my to-do list!