The 21st Century clock is turning fast. A long time ago a movie was made that predicted what the year 2001 would be like. That date came and went and suddenly we are entering the second decade of the same century.  So much of that futuristic fantasy has surpassed our wildest expectations and others have not even come close. The reality is that technology today is incredibly advanced and can help your life in ways that no one even bothered to stop and think would be possible. DNA has advanced our understanding of the human body. Other medical science is beyond what we imagined; even as star travel and some other areas lag. 

One of the most impressive pieces of technology that has become part of everyday life for over 2.5 billion people (Earth has 7.7 Billion + people and counting) is our smartphones. These little hand held super connectors can make the difference between total ignorance and astronomically unexpected levels of education. They hold the power to benefit people in every aspect of their lives, including their beauty pursuits. 

 

Smart Devices Today

Techopedia is like Wikipedia, only it is all about technology, and by that measure, more reliable when it comes to defining things of that ilk. The website literally defines itself in the following terms: “Where IT and business meet.” Clearly this is a good source for information on smart devices. 

A smart device, as the name suggests, is an electronic gadget that is able to connect, share and interact with its user and other smart devices. Although usually small in size, smart devices typically have the computing power of a few gigabytes. Smart devices are interactive electronic gadgets that understand simple commands sent by users and help in daily activities. Some of the most commonly used smart devices are smartphones, tablets, phablets, smartwatches, smart glasses and other personal electronics. While many smart devices are small, portable personal electronics, they are in fact defined by their ability to connect to a network to share and interact remotely.

While smart devices can include anything from security systems to garage door openers, the largest number of them are in fact smartphones and tablets that serve as interactive technology interfaces for the real needs of real life. These needs include how to find housing, food, clothing and other necessities as well as beauty treatments (which we at TSLMS, and many others we know, consider to be necessity).

What makes these devices incredible is not necessarily them on their own, but the applications, or “Apps” on the devices that people can use to accomplish their goals, including becoming more beautiful or preserving their youth and beauty.

 

The Best Beauty Apps

There is no lack of apps that provide advice and guidance to those seeking to look and feel better. In the world of technology, these can be exceptionally hard to keep up with unless you happen to be in a position (which doesn’t currently exist) of the beauty editor for Wired Magazine, or completely obsessed with both technology and beauty enough that you spend a substantial amount of your time following technology news and/or seeking out the latest apps related to this topic. The development of mobile applications that interface with Apple and/or Android devices is rapid and expansive – so this is no easy feat. 

Every so often a writer takes on the task of compiling a listicle that the rest of the world can turn to for advice on this topic. We have searched those, knowing that anything written a year ago might be quite out of date in terms of standing up against its competitors. We found that these apps fall into two main categories: those that provide help with hair, makeup and clothes and those that put a filter on the camera to make the subject look more beautiful. 

In May, Technobezz publishes a list of the best of the first of these types of apps for Android. For 2019 their list includes:

• ModiFace Makeup (which gives you a virtual makeup makeover)
• The Glam App (a beauty advice compilation)
• L’oreal Makeup Genius (like ModiFace, but just for L’oreal)
• Pretty In My Pocket (a mobile beauty shopping app)
• You Cam Makeup (another personalized makeup and hair style makeover app)
• Facetune (allows you to photoshop your face and share the finished pictures)

A few of these touch the second category, crossing over into the phone filter-your look range. GuidingTech.com actually lists You Cam Perfect as the best selfie/camera filter for iPhone, allowing you to change your skin tone and make your eyes bigger. 

 

Technology Helps TSLMS Members Change Bodies and Skin

So if an app can show a person how they are going to be look better with a hairstyle, clothing, or make up change, can the same be true of showing people how a person will benefit from a procedure. Of course! There are plenty of apps out there that are oriented toward plastic and cosmetic surgery, such as iAugment, BodyPlastika, and the most used by surgeons – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This last app is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ official journal and requires a log-in, but allows doctor subscribers to carry on their phones or tablets all of the latest news, trends, and information on techniques. The fact that this journal is no longer paper-only forces its publishers to keep it up-to-date in real time, which in turn encourages more and more practitioners to turn to it on a constant basis. 

While it takes real time to peer review and publish substantial scientific and medical findings, it is much quicker to review and push out the news. With the right apps loaded and paid attention to, whether they are sending push notifications or we have to actively look to them for updates, technology today allows us to have much more information at our fingertips that can be used to help people accomplish their beauty goals.