Cassandra wants to come clean about the treatments she’s done to her face and body. While people are not required to disclose the procedure they’ve had, Cassandra would have loved for a someone to be open and honest when she was younger. When she was navigating the modeling world, she felt terrible about her body and acne. She thought she needed liposuction, a nose job, and other things.
Comparing herself to other people in society and taking people’s passing comments to heart almost destroyed her self-esteem. Cassandra used to feel like her thighs and glutes were too big and that she had cellulite and stretch marks. She judged herself so badly.
So, one of the first treatments she ever got done was endermologie
Endermologie is done in aesthetics and medical aesthetics. It’s basically a machine that sucks on your leg, and it’s aimed to reduce cellulite and sometimes stretch marks. Cassandra doesn’t feel like it made a huge difference though.
Photocred: SepiSpa
When she was in aesthetics school, she got endermol done. During that time, she was exercising, and eating well without a problem. But as a woman and in general, it's still so hard to grow up with a positive self-image since appearances are judged so harshly.
She thought that procedures would fix all of her issues. But they didn't, she even still had stretch marks and cellulite, but she learned to overcome feeling uncomfortable with them. She actually feels good about it now. She just uses retinal body cream, retinoids, and caffeine if she wants to do something about it. But, she no longer lets these features get to her the way they used to.
There was a time Cassandra thought she needed liposuction too.
There are many different types of liposuction, but mainly, it is sticking a cannula or a large needle into the body and removing adipose tissue which is fat tissue. Cassandra has assisted in liposuction and tummy lifts for others, but she never got it.
Photocred: Tarant Plastic Surgery
After witnessing complications and seeing so many gorgeous retain their insecurities afterward, she decided not to. Firstly, liposuction is invasive and very expensive. So Cassandra didn’t want to invest so much in a procedure, she just didn’t want to hate her body.
Cassandra has done CoolSculpting before.
Cassandra has gotten CoolSculpting, and it wasn't terrible, but she doesn't really feel like it worked for her. It's less invasive because liposuction actually goes into the skin. On the other hand, coolsculpting freezes the tissue, and then, your body breaks it down.
Cassandra got 3-5 treatments on her stomach and thighs. Because of the modeling industry, she became really insecure about her upper thighs and hips. Basically, she went to a runway casting, and they told her that she was too large. Luckily, learning about the body has taught her so much, and that knowledge has done more for her than CoolSculpting or endermologie.
Photocred: Everyday Health
If people do have conditions like PCOS or specific areas they consider a problem area, something like cool sculpting, liposuction, or body contouring could be absolutely wonderful for the right person. But, as for Cassandra, she was doing it because of her insecurities and trying to match society when.
Cassandra has never done anything to her chest even though she was teased about having a small chest in the 6th grade. But, even as she’s gotten older, she never really wanted to.
Cassandra uses IPL hair removal.
Cassandra has done different hair removal techniques, but she's never done professional laser hair removal although she's assisted with it.
She used Kenzie, and now she uses Ulife on her underarms. Speaking of arms, she's never gotten Botox in her armpit for hyperhidrosis although it's an exceptional treatment option for excessive sweating.
Ulike Laser Hair Removal -$254
Cassandra has never gotten Botox.
Cassandra has a Gummy smile so she's thought of getting Botox on her upper lip and also for tension headaches and jaw clenching. Given that Botox is temporary, she did consider it. It's a temporary neurotoxin or muscle paralyzer that your body absorbs over time. You have to keep doing it to maintain its effects.
Similarly, a lot of people use thread lifts to lift the face and to help with fine lines, wrinkles, and even collagen stimulation. But, if you look at the collagen induction that comes from thread lifts, it does not even compare to that of chemical peels or lasers.
To Cassandra, laser treatments, chemical peels, sunscreen, and lasers have much better results.
Cassandra blows out her hair.
Cassandra gets blowouts to smoothen her hair because growing up her hair was called a rat’s nest, a ragamuffin, and a frizz ball. But, as she’s gotten older, she’s learned to embrace her hair, However, she still blows it out and she says this, "honestly makes her wonder if she's truly embraced her skin.
Cassandra has never fillers even though she’s thought about it.
Even though Cassandra has never gotten fillers, it’s not bad if you do. Rather, it’s just a personal choice. There have been times when Cassandra thought she needed lip fillers or lip injections. But, she did not move forward with that, especially since lip fillers can migrate within the face. So, she found something else.
She uses Clarity RX Lip Plumping SPF 30 Treatment instead of lip filler - $34
This plumps up Cassandra’s lip so well. She can use lip liner and lipstick to get the look she wants, and she doesn’t feel the need to get a filler. A lot of times filler migrates, and while Cassandra doesn’t think it’s a bad look, it’s not for her. Even though Cassandra feels like her cheekbones are a little high, she’s never gotten fillers in her cheeks. But, she might change her mind in regards to her undereye area.
Cassandra has never gotten a nose job, but she’s considered it. Here’s why.
Cassandra wanted to work at a plastic surgery clinic in LA, but they told her that she needed to get a nose job. A nose job is called rhinoplasty. You have to go under anesthesia, and it’s an invasive procedure. There’s a lot of healing and downtime, and it can take a very long time for swelling to go down.
Then, there are liquid nosejobsb where filler or HA filler are injected into the nose to get rid of a nose bump. For the longest time, Cassandra thought she needed one of those because she thought maybe her nose was too big. But, in hindsight, Cassandra doesn't know if this would have given her the confidence she needed. There are times when treatments and surgeries can give people the confidence they need.
But for some people, it’s a measure they take to fit into society. And even when they do get the procedure, they still end up hurt and unhappy because their insecurities are still present. As someone who has worked with procedure patients, Cassandra truly believes that people need to go through some form of therapy before going through with a procedure.
This is just to make sure that the procedure is truly right for them. Some doctors and derms require this while others don’t. People should take the time to introspect and wonder “Is this a way to live up to someone’s standards, or is this something I truly want for myself?"
Again, Cassandra is really happy that she didn’t go through with certain procedures because she doesn’t feel like that would have fixed her insecurities. At the same time, it’s true that experiences are different for everyone.
She loves chemical peels.
Cassandra feels like these have been life-changing. There are some invasive ones like TCA peel, salicylic 70, and glycolic peels. These are major medical peels that induce frosting and peeling. They are amazing at resurfacing skin, producing collagen, and evening out color. There’s a lot of aftercare. She’s gotten them done, and she’s helped do them on others. She hasn’t done an invasive chemical peel procedure since the pandemic. But, she definitely believes chemical peels have taken her skin quite a long way.
She has gotten microneedling done before.
Microneedling is really good when done professionally, but it’s terrible when done at home. Cassandra has actually purchased microneedling rollers at home, and she does not recommend them. They are terrible, and she feels like they did more damage to her skin. On the other hand, professional microneedling, specifically using the “Secret by Cutera,” professional brand is a great choice. You can ask clinics if they have it.
She has also gotten microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is when crystals are shot at the skin, and then, they are sucked back up. As most estheticians are trained in it, she has done microdermabrasion on herself and on others. It’s good, but chemical peels are much better than microdermabrasion. There are PRP, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facials. “PRP facials are not cosmetic procedures, but rather medical procedures. The person doing the procedure takes a sample of your blood and isolates the protein-rich plasma and platelets to create the PRP” (WebMD, 2023).
She’s tested it on herself, but she has not undergone a full PRP treatment. She’s considered getting it on her hair because plasma stimulation can be so beneficial for hair regrowth.
She uses radiofrequency and loves to get facials.
Cassandra has done tri-polar RF which is a medical microcurrent. Medical microcurrents are really good for stimulating muscles.TriPollar RF is a tightening treatment that utilizes advanced radio frequencies to heat the deepest layers of the skin, triggering a natural healing response and boosting collagen production. Cassandra also loves hydro facials “ (American Self, 2023).A HydraFacial includes 4 facial treatments rolled into one session: cleansing and exfoliating, a gentle chemical peel, vacuum suction extraction, and a hydrating serum” (Spring MD, 2023).
She uses LED treatments.
LED treatments are really good for stimulating muscles in the skin, and she’s gotten them done many times. Cassandra has done a variety of treatments at-home and in-clinic. She considered getting more extreme procedures because she thought she needed them to be beautiful, but she doesn’t. She’s beautiful just the way she is, and so are you. We can choose to enhance certain things without having to change who we are for someone else. Cassandra often asks others, “If you were to get these treatments or procedures done and no one acknowledged it, would you still get it?” As well as introspection and asking ourselves questions, therapy can be helpful when it comes to reconciling insecurities and focusing on our strengths.
Cassandra’s favorite at-home LED treatment mask
