Meet The Scar Fixer of Beverly Hills - Who’s Also Completely Changing The Foundation Game - Basma Hameed

0:00The following podcast is a dear media production. NYX Cosmetics is one of our show partners this week. I love when a budget-friendly brand is out here creating some of the most viral products and some of the most talked about moments in beauty. And that's certainly the case with NYX Professional Makeup, who, by the way, are celebrating their 25th birthday this year. So congrats on that milestone. I personally have a lot of products in my own makeup kit that I re-up from NYX, including the NYX Thick It Stick It Brow Mascara. I talk about it all the time. It's in our Hall of Fame. And they really just nailed that accessibility price point.

0:39But also it's like the makeup artist has kind of baked into the product and you know that you're going to be on trend whenever you're using NYX products. Not only that, they have their finger on the pulse of pop culture. They had Cardi be in a Super Bowl commercial this year. They have an epic collaboration coming out with Beetlejuice, the movie next week. Wait till you guys see it. You're going to be gagged. It is so, so good. And they were the first beauty brand to partner with Netflix. And let's not forget all of the viral innovations they've had from the fat oil lip drip to the epic ink liners.

1:12And they're the number one gloss brand in the US. And I believe their gloss is like$6. So run, don't walk. And great news, NYX Cosmetics is generously offering an exclusive 30 % discount for all of our listeners at NYXCosmetics.com with code BEAUTY30. Once again, visit NYXCosmetics.com with code BEAUTY30 to save 30%. Some exclusions apply and the offer expires September 30th. Of course, follow NYX Cosmetics on social media so you don't miss any of their game-changing moves. Now, on to the show.

1:51Welcome to Breaking Beauty, the podcast all about the breakthrough people, products, and moments in beauty. We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins.

2:04Welcome back to Breaking Beauty podcast, everyone. I'm one of your co-hosts, Jill Dunn, and I'm here as always with Carlene Higgins, like we have been every single Wednesday for the past seven years. Hey, Jill. Hello, BBs. Hope everyone is soaking up every last bit of summer. We are two beauty editors turned beauty podcasters. And each week we're sharing what's good in the world of beauty with amazing guests like Anastasia Soiree of Anastasia Beverly Hills. Mario Dadovanovic is another one of my favorite episodes of Makeup by Mario. Joanna Check, the one and only skin guru. I mean, the list goes on, Jill.

2:41Yeah. Tracee Ellis Ross, Victoria Beckham, Hailey Bieber. And of course, given that we're beauty editors, we also test products like It's our JLB because, well, it is. We bring our hashtag damn good episodes. That's where we like try new stuff on the market, let you know what's worth the money and what's not. And those have become some of our most popular style of episodes over the past 300 episodes. And today we're welcoming one of the most inspirational founders we've ever had on the microphone, Basma Hamid. She's the founder of the Basma Hamid Scar Camouflage Clinic. There's one in Beverly Hills and one in Toronto and Basma Beauty.

3:22It truly is an honor to welcome Basma today. And I'm not overstating it when I say that day in and day out, she is changing people's lives with her work. It's a first of its kind dermal procedure that she pioneered known as scar camouflage. Yes. And you're going to find out exactly what that is just ahead. But this treatment that she offered was actually inspired by her own childhood trauma, which resulted in third degree burns to 40 percent of her face. It happened when she was a toddler. And, you know, she's going to share that story with us. Just a bit of a trigger warning, I guess, there I had tears in my eyes.

4:05But the positive in this story is that it set her out on a journey of experimenting with pigmented colors, both procedurally and cosmetically at a really young age. And of course, she's turned this this passion and this drive into what she does today that impacts so many people for the better. I love sharing stories like this because we have encountered so many brands over many years where it's just clearly barfed out of a marketing brief. And that is not the case here. It is true to her experience. It is so much more powerful because she has this really personal connection. So in today's episode, we're going to share just how she pioneered this mind-blowing scar camouflaging technique over the past two decades.

4:50Yeah, Basma treats thousands of patients now through this permanent form of color correction, including for celebrities and royalty, by the way. She develops custom skin tone pigments that she successfully used to make almost any scar on any skin tone imperceptible from head to toe. And we ask her about everything from acne scars to keloid scars, post-operative scars. And we also get the details on like how much her services cost and, you know, who the right candidate is and that kind of thing. And what's interesting, of course, is that all of this work that she's done over the years has actually culminated into a color cosmetics line.

5:32It's called Basma Beauty. And in fact, Basma was part of Sephora Accelerate in 2021. And perhaps it comes as no surprise that the Basma Foundation sticks have gone completely viral on TikTok. 42 shades. And I imagine that her understanding of skin tone and undertones are likely unmatched. Yeah. And also, I would say the texture really sets them apart as well. It's like there's this glide to them and it's travel friendly. And I just love that she's considered skin texture as well, because I think that that's a big thing when you do have a scar or a burn or anything of that nature. It's like the glide is is incredible.

6:12And more recently, she launched cream blush, beautiful, bright pops of color anyone can wear. Of course, we're going to hear all about that. And you may know Basma Beauty already. But big news, Basma Beauty is launching officially in U.S. Sephora stores the first week of September. So So you can consider this your Basma primer. And just before we dive in with Basma, I want to give everyone a heads up that we have a very special bonus episode dropping this Friday. It's all about budget beauty with an epic guest. And trust me when I tell you we have one of the best promos and offers we have ever had on this show.

6:55So be sure to watch your feed for that extra special bonus content coming up real soon. Welcome, Basma Hamid.

7:09This episode is brought to you in part by Victoria Beckham Beauty. I often get asked what my favorite makeup line is. And while there are a handful, Victoria Beckham Beauty has definitely risen to the top. since we first interviewed the woman herself back in 2021. Definitely go back into our archives and have a listen if you haven't already. She's so witty and disarming. And I truly admire the integrity she's brought to her brand. It feels like an extension of her fashion line, which we know is so true to her. This is not just another celebrity line. It will be here in 20 years. Trust. There are so many hits in there.

7:45And I'll just give you a mini damn good rundown. the Reflect Highlighter Stick is a must have. I have the Amber shade and it gives you this glisteny warm glow. I've been wearing it every day since I got it. It's a total game changer for glowing skin. Super easy to use. Also, if you're one who's been looking for a lip tint with a bit of a stain that lasts beyond your first two coffees, I love the Bitten Lip Tints. These are really the most tasteful version of this type of product that I've seen in my 20 years as a beauty editor. I've been wearing the shade Amour. It's a sheer tawny peach color and the texture is really unique.

8:21It's like a gelay that glides on and stays on. It's got squalene to help prevent dry out. Everything in this line is extremely well executed with refined taste, just like Victoria Beckham herself. And we have an exclusive promo code. If you've ever wanted to try Victoria Beckham Beauty for yourself, now's the time. Visit Use code BEAUTY at checkout for 20 % off your first purchase. That's Victoria, B-E-C-K-H-A-M, beauty.com. Use code BEAUTY for 20 % off your first order. Some exclusions apply. This is Gracie Norton from the Wellness Herway podcast, the ultimate sanctuary for a welcoming approach to wellness.

9:05It seems like every day there's a new food we're not supposed to eat, a new cleanse to take part in, or a new workout that claims to give us a flat stomach within a week. Rather than hopping on trends, we're going back to the roots of wellness and making a home of our body, mind, and soul. If you're seeking physical growth, emotional abundance, or simply a more fulfilling life, tune in to the Wellness Herbie podcast on November 6th. Get ready to embrace your body through all its forms and get back to the roots of wellness.

9:46Well, welcome to my condo. Thank you for having me. Normally, if we were in LA, we would have lights, camera, action, but we have today iPhones and we're in the basement of my condo. That's right. Thank you for joining us here. Thank you for having me. Don't worry. The best chats go down in the basement of Jill's condo. I love it. I love it. It's true. It's true. But in all seriousness, we're so excited to have you on the show today, Basma, because because the work that you do is so important. It's a difference maker in people's lives. We've rarely, if ever, had a story like this on the podcast.

10:20So with that, let's talk about what it is that you do. SCAR camouflage procedure is something that you pioneered. Tell us what that is. So I'll walk you through, first of all, like how I even got into all of this. Oh, okay. So I'll take you back a little bit. We're going back. So I was actually when I was two years old, I was playing in the kitchen with my brother and fire started inside the kitchen. So my brother was kind of trying. He was nervous. He was trying to take the pan. It was filled like with boiling oil. He was trying to take the pan over to the sink. He ended up tripping on top of me.

10:59So the hot oil ended up spilling down half of my face. And I just remember like bits and pieces of it, even though being like two years old at that time. But it's like that instant shock. Yes. And literally, I went through all types of surgeries. Like I was I spent so much time in the hospital. There was a point where they literally like the medical team back home was like, she's not really going to make it. It was so severe. So they were doing like skin grafts, but it kept failing. There was like too many complications. And I just, I ended up making it. Yes, you're here. Yay. But what ended up happening, the third degree, because it was the burn, it was so bright and red.

11:49It was very hard. Like when I go outside, it's always the first thing anybody would see. Yes. So the number one thing they always tell me is like, what happened to your face? And the bullying, the making fun of like you think like kids are harsh, but really adults can be just as harsh. And I heard everything that you can imagine. So I came across like being so young, I think around like six years old, I came across makeup and I started playing around with it. And then I started realizing like, oh, my God, like it was giving me that confidence, like that little bit of boost. It's just because it was concealing my redness.

12:32Right. Yeah. So I just started literally playing with it, mixing my own colors. Back then, I didn't know I was actually doing color correcting, like mixing colors that's going to counteract the redness in my skin. I didn't really know that that's what I was doing, but I played around with it for so many years. It's just something that I fell in love with instantly. Can I just ask how your brother's doing? Because that would be very traumatizing for how old was he? He was eight. Okay. I have a son who's 10, so I'm like about to cry right now because I feel like that would be so traumatic for him as well.

13:10It's traumatic. I think he's very okay. We're super, super tight. Right. I know you're getting it's it's hard. I know. I know. And not just I think for that, I think my mother. So I've always been very protective. Yeah. And a part of me like we're both going to tear up. But really, I'm so protective because I've gone through so much pain myself. I want to be like I made this thing to myself like I have to make it because then my mom is never going to forgive herself. Right. My brother, like my whole family, because it's, it's a lot when something happens like that to your baby, to your child, to your sibling.

13:58Yeah. It's, it's a lot. It's a family event. Yeah. Right. It's impacting every single aspect of your life. You know, and you're sitting here today and telling the story. It's like, I'm sure you're so used to telling it at this point, but like, I'm sure, you know us hearing it for the first time or anyone who's hearing it for the first time it's just like unimaginable what you've been through and what your family has been through yeah you know but after like going through so many surgeries yeah that time I think around 14 years old and it was here in Toronto okay so I went to see my doctor and I was like okay like what's next and he was like we literally tried everything there's nothing left that we can do right and so like laser is that what we're talking about laser peels skin grafts anything you can imagine all types of surgeries yeah and I was like what I still have the red discoloration yeah back then he said those were his exact words and I'm not exaggerating he said take your money and go on a vacation because there's nothing left that we can do for you.

15:09And I was like, whoa, that's a lot. Even that, that was a lot to take on. And then I remember like going home that day and I said, that's literally either I give up now or figure out like a purpose for me to move forward. Right. Right. So I started, I went online, I Googled and then I came across permanent makeup. Okay. So eyebrows, like, you know, tattooing eyebrows, eyeliner, lips. I came across that and then I'm like, wait, so that's a thing. You can put pigment in skin. Yeah. So then I had the idea. I'm like, why not we mix like foundation color and then put it into the scar tissue, like into my scar.

15:55That was my biggest insecurity was always the redness. Yeah. So I said, okay, why can't we do that? I went back to the medical community. I consulted with a bunch of doctors and I said, what do you think about that? And then they said, one, it's the worst thing that you can do for yourself. And then two, they're like, it will never work. Scar tissue is like dead skin. It won't pick up pigment. And then when I asked them, I said, well, have you tried? and they're like no so you're telling me that it will never work but no one has ever tried it right it was strictly always for permanent cosmetics and I feel like at that time too probably it was very separate like they would almost consider that like cosmetic you know that was like what your mom and your aunt did was go get their eyebrows done or permanent but like the medical community wasn't really necessarily dabbling in permanent no tattoos or yeah lack of a better word, permanent makeup.

16:52Yes. Yeah. Yes. It was always because even I think I had like three hair transplants to my eyebrow. OK. Yeah. And they all failed. Literally every single hair transplant failed. But we always had the option of permanent cosmetics, but they never gave me that as an option. Right. It's like, OK, we'll do another five more hair transplants, your eyebrow, no problem. And it's like, but there are other options. And sometimes like you have to go and do the research yourself and push yourself like that way you don't feel like you're disappointed or also discouraged that there's absolutely nothing out there.

17:31Yeah. Right. So did you then become a guinea pig? Did you go to a tattoo artist on Queen Street? Like what happened next? So I ended up finding a permanent makeup artist and I got my eyebrows done. And from that, I discussed the idea and everybody, again, they are scared. Like you have a burn. We don't really want to touch it. Yeah. Okay. For me, like I literally had nothing to lose. I've tried everything and I grew up in the hospital. So I'm not afraid of looking at wounds, open wounds, all of that. It's nothing to me like it honestly. So I ended up apprenticing with a permanent makeup artist.

18:14And at the same time, I went to school for aesthetics. Okay. So I already had my background, but it's like I wanted to make it official. So I learned everything I needed to learn. And then while I was during my apprenticeship, I said, okay, I want to give this a try. I would mix my own colors. It was like my foundation shade. I was trying to get it as close as possible to it. And I started playing around. like I would the first area was like a Friday night. I remember this. I started right here on my chin, like closer to my chin area because I'm like, well, it's on the bone and it's far away from my eyes.

18:49So it can't go that bad. OK. And from the first time I tried it, I saw very, very subtle improvement. OK. But it was an improvement. And the reason why I was able to see it because it was like literally right on my face and I was studying it every single day. And at that moment, I'm like, no, this is working. Right. So I continued for a few years to play around, improve the technique, improve the pigments, all of that. And we were getting at that time, we were getting clients that were coming in for permanent cosmetics and they would ask me like, oh, how did you get into this and whatever? And I would share my story and they say, Basma, you know, I have this birthmark.

19:35I've tried everything. Nothing has worked. Can you give it a try? And I was completely honest. I'm like, I've never tried it. I tried it on myself. Third degree burn. I don't know how it is on birthmarks. So it started, we went into birthmarks, accident scars, surgical scars, any type of discoloration. Yeah. So I started going into it, practicing more, perfecting it. And it's like it kept growing and growing. And the word started word of mouth exactly everybody was sharing it and then I think around like 21 I opened up back then my location was on Young and Finch oh yeah I opened up the clinic and and then CNN had reached out back then it was Dr.

20:23Sanjay Gupta okay he heard about it and he's like this is amazing we've never heard anything like this and it just grew from there you called it paramedical micropigmentation specialist. Yes. Okay. So I've never heard of that before. Yes. So is this so when Dr. Sanjay Gupta came calling it, it sounded kind of medical or? Yes. So here's, this is a great question. So let me tell you something. Truthfully, when I started it, I was at that time, 17, 18 years old. Right. And I'm like, I want to be respected by the medical community. So what do I call it? I didn't want to be taken as a joke because of my age.

21:06That was always working against me too. Like you're too young. You don't know what you're talking about. So I'm like, what do I call it? What do I call it? So I look, you know how the paramedics, like you see that and it's like, you see the ambulance truck and whatever. I literally saw that and I said, I'm going to call it paramedical micropigmentation to get the respect from the medical community. Right. Right. And even back then, if you I don't know if you can still find it, my logo was literally similar to the paramedic. I know it was crazy. Really? Because it's like you have a great idea. Yeah.

21:43I was like I proved that it was it was right. But because of my age, then I learned I said, you know what? I have to continue to do this. Then my work will speak for itself. You created your own title, which is how we know you truly pioneered this. Now, is that something that other people can now train for? Is there a certification? Are there more than one of you? Yes. Yes. Okay. So at our locations, we have technicians that provide the treatment. It takes a long training, like a lot, a lot of training. And also you have to just, it has to be done correctly because it is scar tissue. Yeah. You don't want to try to you want to always aim for improving it.

22:26We're not in it to kind of make things, you know, go left. So it does require a lot of training. So you don't you don't need to have like nurses on site or anything like that. It really truly is more like permanent makeup or tattoo artists where it's all just like learning as you go and refining and refining and refining your technique. Exactly. So there's no danger to there are no adverse side effects. I don't think side effects. Okay. It either doesn't work. Okay. Okay. Because it wasn't done correctly. Or if you don't have proper training, you end up like chewing the skin. Okay. So that's why I say like, because scar tissue, like, like a traditional tattoo artist might go really deep into your skin.

23:13They're working on healthy tissue, right? Right. So it will respond different than scar tissue, like something that's keloided, that's thicker, raised, or it could be thicker under your skin. So you really have to understand scars really well to know exactly how deep you're going into it, how it's going to respond, all of that. Yeah.

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24:52And that's because it's formulated with 10 powerful peptides in just one bottle to reduce the look of expression lines and deep set wrinkles. So happy this baby came into my life. My skin feels so nice and quenched. It's definitely my new everyday staple. If you've been curious about Medicaid, we have a really great promo deal. Visit Medicaid.us for 20 % off your first order with code beauty at checkout. That's M-E-D-I-K, the number eight,.us and code beauty to save 20%. We'll link to this offer in our show notes and on our website under episode recaps. And now back to our guest. Shout out to Hero Bread.

25:32They're one of our show partners this week. I love all of the socializing that happens around food in the summer. My friends are big fans of potluck feasts. And I love that moment when you're kind of sinking your teeth into a barbecued grilled chicken burger. I mean, it's just the best. Well, now you can enjoy carbs and not think twice about it. And it's all thanks to Hero Bread. Hero Bread reinvented bread and buns that really make summer great. They have so many options, everything from hearty, seeded, sliced breads to flour tortillas with delicious flavor and texture. Now, one thing that I haven't tried yet that I am dying to try is their fluffy Hawaiian rolls.

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