ANTI AGING PROCEDURES You’ve probably never heard of some of the unorthodox (and effective) treatments your friends are undergoing to look younger. By Liz Krieger.
Harper’s Bazaar May 2016
Catch on to a new wave of possibilities for familiar aesthetic procedures
INSTANT EYEBROW SHAPING “I can give your eyebrows that sought-after arch without so much as plucking a hair,” says Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist in New York. The secret, Wechsler says, is very small amounts of Botox positioned just so, to raise or lower the arch without creating a frozen forehead or a crazy-eyed look. KEEP YOUR “WORK” A SECRET “Using vascular lasers [i.e., those that target blood vessels] a day after filler or Botox injections can zap away any telltale bruising you may want to hide,” says Hale. PORE ERASER “There’s pretty much no topical product that can truly affect pore size, but Botox can,” says Engelman. “On sebaceous areas, such as the nose or cheeks, I use teeny, tiny drops of the neurotoxin. This shrinks the pores but doesn’t compromise movement.” FIVE-MINUTE NOSE JOB “For many people, their nose problems can actually be fixed with filler,” says Norman Rowe, a plastic surgeon in New York. “That may mean adding filler to balance out one side or the other, or using it to smooth out a hump.” It’s also a great way to “try on” a nose job before going for the real thing. SMILE MAKEOVER “To get rid of a gummy smile, I add a bit of Botox into the area just beneath the nostrils, which drops the upper lip just enough to cover up the gummy look,” Hale says. PERFECT DÉCOLLETAGE Smoothing out lines and adding volume to the neck, décolletage, and hands can be tricky to treat with injectables, says Joel Schlessinger, an Omaha dermatologist. That’s where the Aquagold Fine Touch microneedling device comes in. “I fill the reservoir with a hyaluronic acid filler, like Juvéderm, and also with Botox,” says Schlessinger. It’s a fast way to cover a big area with minimal pricking. STOP SCARS “If someone has a cut on their face, I sometimes add a bit of Dysport around the area to reduce movement while the cut is healing,” says Miami dermatologist Jeremy Green. Less tension in the area translates to a less visible scar, he explains. BOOST HAIR GROWTH You can use Latisse (normally prescribed for boosting eyelash growth) on the ends of your eyebrows—to help fill in patchy areas—or to boost growth on a thinning hairline, says David Colbert, a dermatologist in New York. The only downside: Latisse isn’t cheap, and using more than two drops a day can be an expensive hair habit. BANISH JOWLS For people with mild sagging around the jowl area, adding a bit of filler along the jawline can help take away that sagginess and widened look, says New York plastic surgeon Adam Kolker. EARLOBE FIX We don’t often think about our earlobes— until they get stretched out from years of wearing statement earrings. “Restylane can tighten that right up,” says Colbert. A SOFTER JAW If you grind your teeth, chances are you have an enlarged jaw muscle. “Adding Botox into that masseter muscle will stop you from clenching and grinding, and give a subtle slimming look to the face,” says Hale. LIFT & SMOOTH Putting a bit of filler into the hollows that occur around the temple area can actually help lift sagging cheeks, says Engelman, by anchoring the face higher up and giving back a bit of “scaffolding”.
