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To anyone who loves skin care, being a dermatologist might seem a bit like being the proverbial kid in a candy store. You have access to all of the newest and best treatments on the market to erase every little wrinkle and dark spot, giving you the clear and radiant complexion of your dreams. Outside of celebrities, dermatologists tend to have some of the best skin out there, so it stands to reason they’d have a laundry list of in-office procedures they do for routine maintenance.
But dermatologists tend to be pretty selective about what they try on themselves. As Melissa K. Levin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, explains it, “I don’t do all the treatments [on myself] that I offer my patients, otherwise I’d be so busy doing treatments that I’d never be able to see patients.”
That doesn’t mean they aren’t well-versed in the machines, lasers, peels, and injectables they offer. Many “dermatologists do try each and every treatment that they offer to their patients, whether it’s on themselves, staff members, family, or friends,” says Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “In order to give the best care possible, we need to be able to inform patients on what to expect with a treatment.”
During that testing, doctors will sometimes come across a treatment that has results that pique their interest enough to incorporate it into their own regimens. We asked top board-certified dermatologists around the country to tell us which in-office treatments—peels, injectables, resurfacing lasers, and more—they use on the regular to keep their own skin fresh, firm, and glowing.
Laurel Naversen Geraghty, MD, 49, Medford, Oregon
“I’m really careful with sun protection and good skin care, so I don’t feel a crushing need to toss myself under a laser beam every week, chasing some holy grail with no real goal or endpoint. To me, skin treatments are maintenance through time to keep things tuned up—just like with a car. It’s calculated maintenance to keep things humming.
“My very favorite treatment that I do consistently is ’tox to my masseter [chewing] muscles. I'm a grinder and a clencher and I hold my stress in my jawline—I have broken multiple night guards. I inject Botox to my masseter muscles and I get incredible relief of jaw tension and pain for six months at a time. I haven't chomped through my night guard since I started doing this a few years ago. Some people also undergo ’tox to the masseter for the face-slimming effect, which is entirely real. I keep [going back to] this treatment because it reduces stress, releases tension, helps my teeth, and makes me feel so much better.”
“I don’t have a lot of time, so I commit to having one or two laser treatments a year—I have one of my colleagues do it for me. When you walk past rooms full of lasers a hundred times a day, that’s not a lot. I believe that we can change the trajectory of how our skin ages by relying on periodic energy-based treatments that stimulate collagen, even skin tone, reduce inflammation, and keep our skin looking healthy. I am a huge fan of IPL with photofractional resurfacing—I use Lumenis M22 Universal IPL and ResurFX Fractional Laser [right afterwards]. This combo treatment uses a light device to even tone, followed by a non-ablative laser (meaning, no epidermis is removed; the skin stays intact throughout). It’s not invasive, the downtime is easy to hide with tinted moisturizer, and it does so much to keep my skin tone even and keep the collagen pumping.”
“Before a reunion or an event, I always have our advanced aesthetician, Lynn, give me a VI Peel over my face, neck, chest, and especially around my eyes. She’ll whip up the peel like a little cocktail made specially for my skin, blending ingredients for dyspigmentation, fine lines, and overall radiance. That gets my skin glowing.” [Editor’s note: VI Peels are customizable mixes of trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, tretinoin, and vitamin C.]
Melissa K. Levin, MD, 41, New York City
“There are two big categories of non-invasive procedures—injectables and energy-based treatments—and I tend to test out the latter a bit more. There are so many: resurfacing lasers, targeting lasers, IPL, skin-tightening ultrasound, radiofrequency. I’m Asian, and Asian skin types can be a little bit more complicated in terms of the healing process, because of the increased risk of pigmentation from energy-based treatments.”
“Ultherapy is a non-invasive, micro-focused ultrasound treatment that I like for skin tightening (we can never truly lift with non-invasive treatments) and for skin quality. As a physician, I can’t take a lot of downtime. I’m with patients all day long, five days a week, and sometimes I’m doing conferences and lectures. With anything that’s collagen building, you see some results at four to six weeks, but it takes three to four months to see the full results, and I like that slow gratification. I’m not the type of person who needs instant gratification. I had Ultherapy done this past year, and before that it was 18 months prior. [Editor’s note: Some independent studies have found that Ultherapy can have mild tightening effects on facial skin, like raising the brow slightly less than 2mm in one small study, which included 34 women around 44 years old, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.]
Oftentimes I combine it with a bio-stimulator [an injectable that triggers collagen production] like hyper-diluted Radiesse. That’s an injectable that we can use for sculpting and improving the skin quality itself. I started doing Radiesse maybe three years ago after I had a child. I think that because of the weight shift in combination with aging, I just noticed more loss of elasticity. I used to only treat my jawline, but now I treat my mid-face and my neck. I’m quite thin, and when I’m stressed I tend to lose weight, which is a blessing but also a curse—if you are thin to begin with, you’ll lose more volume in the face as you age, and it’s more noticeable.
While I’ve gotten other hyaluronic acid fillers before, I started wanting to do it less, because I wanted to focus more on collagen stimulators. I’ve noticed changes on my undereyes, but I don't want to get under eye filler, so I'll just treat that [with resurfacing lasers] which can help with crepiness, skin thinning, pigmentation, and unwanted blue veins that can cause dark circles.”
“I am someone who has melasma, as many women do. I grew up in California and Bangkok, so I got a lot of sun growing up and definitely have sun damage. But the melasma trigger for me that brought it to the forefront was postpartum breastfeeding. Five or six months after I had my daughter, that was when my symptoms first started.
Resurfacing lasers have been around since 2000, and they are really the gold standard for addressing sun damage and building collagen, and, on a more superficial level, helping with pores, fine lines, and pigment. For me, I have found a light resurfacing treatment with LaseMD Ultra, a fractional resurfacing laser, can be helpful in combination with good topical and oral prescriptions, which is what I do regularly. [Dermatologists might combine treatments because] melasma requires different regimens depending on whether it is in a flare or a maintenance stage. An oral prescription medication that can be used for the appropriate patient is tranexamic acid. And there are many topical prescriptions and over-the-counter products such as retinoids, hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, exfoliants, and some antioxidants [like vitamin C].
LaseMD Ultra ultimately helps with pigment correction, but also my skin looks more glowy and there’s a bit more collagen-building and my pores are tighter. I don’t have a ton of fine lines for it to correct, but it has helped with crepiness under my eyes. I’ve been doing this treatment for 10 years. The addition of more effective prescriptions, both oral and topical, has been in the last two to four years. Sometimes people think that all we do as dermatologists is procedures, but oftentimes we’re doing them in combination with prescription medications and a good, robust skin-care routine. There’s only so many treatments that can help with melasma—it's a very finicky condition that can flare with anything. As with many patients, mine flares with heat. Even this treatment itself can flare melasma. There are many treatments that can help with melasma—microneedling, Fraxel, chemical peels. I think it’s important to know there are risks with everything that we do, and complications can and do happen, even for the best of us. So when people are like ‘Do the risks outweigh the complications?’ for me, yes, because I know how to manage any sort of risk, and I also know how to minimize the risk as much as possible. What I’ve found is LaseMD Ultra has one of the lower risks of flaring melasma, but still gives you improvement of the overall skin quality. It also helps with old acne marks and red marks. People now are so hyper-focused on having great skin. And oftentimes people think that it can only be achieved with topical skin care or with doing lasers every month. But, I think the combination of an appropriate skin-care routine and in-office energy based devices is really the sweet spot, at least for my patients and myself.”
Rebecca Marcus, MD, FAAD, 45, Dallas
“My goal for myself and my patients is a natural, refreshed look—no one wants to look like they have had work done. So I aim to accomplish as much as possible via lasers, and use injectables as the icing on the cake to correct any remaining concerns. I think of energy-based devices as tuning up the body, stimulating collagen and elastin and correcting pigmentary or vascular concerns. Injectables, on the other hand, provide a temporary solution for wrinkling and volume loss, whether it be due to loss of fat or bone.”
“I have been doing CO2—a resurfacing treatment that targets fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage—at varying levels of intensity for about four years. The laser creates a controlled thermal injury that removes part of the top layer of skin, and the intensity can be adjusted. It ultimately results in stimulation of collagen in the skin over a period of three months, so the results continue to improve over this amount of time. In terms of more immediate results, I feel that my skin is more radiant and even-toned starting about two weeks after a treatment.
I try to do one moderate and one or two light treatments per year. I do the more aggressive treatment in the late winter to minimize the risk of UV damage to healing skin, and then one lighter treatment at the end of summer or beginning of fall to correct any damage that may have accumulated during the summer. The CO2 laser we use in our office has very adjustable settings. When I do a lighter treatment, there is no downtime, but my skin will be pink that day and then will have a sandpaper-like texture for about four or five days (it’s easily covered with makeup). For a moderate treatment, swelling and redness are the worst on the day after the treatment, and then gradually go down over about five to seven days. I try to do these on Fridays to allow for the weekend to recover, and by Monday I can cover redness with makeup.
Pain during treatment is minimal to none, as we use topical numbing cream. The night of the treatment, my skin feels very hot, but not painful. In my experience, the whole process is very tolerable. I like to try energy-based devices myself before offering them to my patients—it’s truly the best way to assess the efficacy of a device and counsel my patients on what to expect in terms of results, recovery time, and number of treatments needed.
I treat my face, neck, and sometimes my upper chest, as these are the areas that are exposed to the most UV rays. I have also treated my hands and forearms once or twice, but I tend to not treat these areas as frequently—having peeling skin on my arms and hands can make it challenging for me to work. I wash my hands dozens of times each day, which would not be ideal for skin recovering from a laser procedure such as this.
I love that the CO2 laser is adjustable and if I don’t have time to devote to a longer healing process, I can still do a milder treatment and see results. I am a working mom, which means I never have downtime! Weekdays are busy with caring for patients and kids, and weekends are full of sports practices, dance rehearsals, playdates, and even date nights with my husband. Maybe once my children, and I, are older, a longer downtime type procedure may be more appropriate, but for now, the milder procedures are giving me the results I’m looking for. I love the glow that everyone notices about two weeks after a treatment.”
“EmSculpt Neo is my favorite body treatment. I have been using it for about two or three years—I usually do one series on my abdomen per year, and then one or two maintenance treatments throughout the year. It uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate muscle contractions and radiofrequency energy to melt fat, and has been shown to increase muscle mass by 25 percent and decrease fat by 30 percent in the treated area after four treatments spaced one week apart. It really helped me to tone up after having my babies. But it’s important to supplement with a great exercise routine.
It is a fairly painless treatment. Two paddles are attached to your body; they are warm, which is the radiofrequency energy heating subcutaneous fat, and they cycle through different patterns of energy that cause various types of contractions in your muscles. The intensity of the contractions and the degree of heat can both be adjusted depending on your comfort level. There is no downtime or recovery. People often ask if I’m sore the next day, and the answer is no.”
“Vbeam is a vascular laser—it targets vessels under the surface of the skin [to treat, for example,] rosacea and redness. I use it for tiny capillaries around my nose and redness on my cheeks and chin, and have also used it for cherry angiomas [small red bumps] on my trunk and spider veins on my thighs. I have used it on an ‘as needed’ basis for the past 10 or so years, whenever I see visible capillaries pop up. I have sensitive and combination skin and although I wouldn’t go so far as to say I have rosacea, I do tend to have visible capillaries around my nose and a few scattered across my cheeks. Treating vessels on the face, especially around the nose and cheeks, can make a big difference in evening skin tone.”
Michelle Henry, MD, 43, New York City
“I have so many toys but the things that I do consistently are Botox, Morpheus, and laser hair removal.”
“I stay on top of my Botox—I do my forehead, I do my crow's feet. Sometimes I'll Botox my chin a little bit. It can get a little bit wrinkly. I Botox my neck to soften these little bands. So I'm full of Botox. But not volumizing [fillers]—volumizing I haven't done in a very long time. My face is a little bit round, so I don't do filler anymore. Once upon a time I used filler in my chin, but I look better with my rounded chin than a pointy chin, so that didn’t last long. And I used to do a little bit of filler in my nasolabial folds but as I've gotten older, I've lost some of the volume in my face, and my nasolabial folds don't look as pronounced—when my cheeks were fuller, it made my folds look deeper.”
“I do a lot of Morpheus—maybe every two months—for skin tightening, for reducing any pores, getting rid of fine lines, and taking care of my eyes. I can't do filler anymore around my eyes because they've gotten a little puffy, so I use the laser to kind of tighten the skin around my eyes. The skin around the eyes is really thin, and so as I get older, I start to see the out-pouching of my little fat pads. I start to see more lines. So what I'm doing is thickening up that skin so you don't see that push of the fat pads as much, and those fine lines aren't as pronounced.
Morpheus8 is a treatment that combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy to improve skin texture, tone, and firmness. Each session lasts 30 to 60 minutes. It's not as uncomfortable as everyone says it is—there's all this hoopla about how uncomfortable Morpheus is. I give myself lots of numbing cream for about an hour beforehand. We give patients some laughing gas—that usually helps patients a lot, but obviously I don't do that for myself because I’m the one administering the treatment. I only do things myself—I've never had anyone else treat me in any way. When I was a resident I did, and I learned really quickly that I should do it myself.
After Morpheus, you have a little bit of a glow the next week, but really you're waiting for about three months for that skin-tightening to happen, and then you start to see that improvement—it’s not immediate at all. Most patients see optimal results after three to four sessions, spaced four to six weeks apart, with maintenance treatments recommended every six to 12 months.
“It’s an old-school laser. I've used it for 12 years at this point. It's safe. It can do dark skin. It can do fair skin. It can do hair removal and IPL. It's one of my workhorse lasers. When I see that hair coming, I have to treat it. Laser hair removal usually takes anywhere from six to eight sessions, depending on your skin type, the thickness of the hair, the location—it could be a little bit more, it could be a little bit less. I usually say maybe “laser hair reduction” is a better way to describe it. There are places that I've lasered 10 years ago on myself where I still don't see hair, and there are places that I lasered five years ago where I'm starting to see it again. Those areas that are a little bit more hormonally driven, like the lip and chin, tend to come back faster, as opposed to areas like the legs.”
“I get a fair amount of hyperpigmentation underneath the eyes—it’s just part of aging. I use the Sensi Peel [with trichloroacetic and lactic acids]—I have darker skin and that one's safe for dark skin, but it's still kind of moderate depth. I sometimes also use the Vitalize Peel by SkinMedica. With peels, you see results pretty quickly—within about a week. You see improved glow. You see reduction in pigment. I do two or three a year.”
Shereene Idriss, MD, 40, New York City
“I’ve tested all different types of fillers and neuromodulators on the market to compare best performance in different areas, whether it’s on myself or someone else. However, when it comes to testing out new treatments or devices, I have a slow and steady approach for my practice and this is on purpose. Everything great was once new, but not everything new is great. I don’t believe in jumping on the bandwagon with the ‘latest and greatest’ treatments out there.”
“Ultherapy is one of the most underrated treatments out there, but one of the most impactful. In 2014, at 30, I noticed heaviness beginning in my upper eyelids and my jawline. Every two years since, I’ve done Ultherapy, which utilizes ultrasound energy to stimulate collagen production, and tighten the skin. I’ve actually posted my 10 year before and after on my Instagram where you can see the biggest difference around my eyes and the angle of my jawline. Patients often come in looking for instant results, but when it comes to cosmetic procedures, you have to understand your face is a journey. The goal is not to look like a different person, but to maintain yourself over time and to always be the best version of yourself in the most natural way.”
“Vbeam is another treatment I’ve done over the course of the last decade for my rosacea. It’s a pulsed dye laser that reduces redness by collapsing blood vessels, preventing increased blood flow that causes redness. You start off with four to five treatments, one month apart, and continue with one to two per year for maintenance depending on how bad the rosacea is. The last one I did was around two years ago. When discussing rosacea, it’s important to know that a flare up can occur in the form of blemishes and acne-like breakouts, in addition to underlying redness that results in persistent flushing on your face. The flushing in my face has been kept under control and has not returned in a permanent fashion—at least not yet. But, in terms of blemishes, I actually have a small flare-up happening right now on my left cheek.”
“I do not treat myself more than twice a year and I limit how much filler I inject, usually up to two syringes per session. And I usually inject myself. I rely on Restylane for the lateral aspects of my face including temples, and have occasionally used Radiesse for the jawline. The reason I have stuck to Restylane is because it is the most consistent in terms of performance and outcomes. It diffuses the least in my experience and is the most subtle in my hands when injected. Radiesse has the thickest consistency and allows me to create better jawline definition than I can with hyaluronic acid fillers. I do not inject my under eyes with filler. Instead, I rely on PRP, also known as platelet rich plasma, which is derived from my blood and injected into my undereyes to help strengthen the tissue and minimize any early appearance of fine lines. Regarding neuromodulators, I have tried them all, but again do not treat my forehead more than twice a year. I allow full movement to be restored and to stay in place for a few months before I inject myself again. In terms of performance, they are all more or less the same—there’s not one in particular that I use more than others; in my experience, Daxxify does not last six to nine months as it was originally marketed.”
Mona Gohara, MD, 49, Hamden, Connecticut
“Taking care of the skin is a constant commitment. Not in an onerous way, but in a ‘trying to be as healthy as I can, while seeking the best version of me’ way. Towards that end, I have a consistent skin routine—with efficacious ingredients that are good for overall skin health—that I do not deviate from. My routine includes an antioxidant vitamin C serum from Skinceuticals and the Skinmedica HA5 hyaluronic acid moisturizer. I also like the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene, a topical retinoid, and the Avène Cicalfate+ Hydrating Skin Recovery Emulsion for sensitive skin. Much like one would approach exercise or healthy eating, I approach my daily skin care. I then further focus on things that are unique to me, and do fine tuning with appropriate in office procedures. This is iterative, as my skin changes with age, but I am lucky to have access to a range of technologies.”
“Hydrafacials are like a supercharged car wash for your face—combining cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration, and antioxidant protection—leaving you with an instant glow. I've been enjoying them for nine years and my skin has never been happier. I get [one] every three months, like clockwork. It's my secret weapon for maintaining—or trying to maintain at the age of almost 50—a radiant complexion. For women in middle age, as our estrogen—and hyaluronic acid levels—plummet, our skin dries out. People underestimate how much better your skin can look if it is well watered. Think about a raisin versus a grape—the difference is water. But, people with active rashes, sunburns, or severe acne should wait until their skin heals before getting a Hydrafacial.”
“I’ve been getting Botox for a year now, and I’m hooked. I was a 47-year-old Botox virgin—almost unheard of amongst dermatologists. I held out for a long time, until I noticed more prominent 11s [wrinkles between the brows] and then it was a wrap for me—I went straight for Botox. I get it every three to four months to keep those 11s at bay, and prevent deeper wrinkles from forming. A little maintenance goes a long way. Botox in my opinion is preventative, as much as it is for reversing expression-induced wrinkles. No one can tell I’ve had it done, but I look refreshed. For me, this promoted confidence, especially as things change dramatically in my perimenopause era. Topical treatments can only do so much. Botox goes deeper, quite literally, and delivers more effective results. I still have a very robust skin-care routine but Botox provides more noticeable and immediate results.”
Naana Boakye MD, MPH, FAAD, 46, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
“With any procedure, there is never a one-and-done—maintenance is key. When you get a six-pack, you don’t stop going to the gym. Perhaps you go three times a week instead of six days a week.”
“I really love combining PRP, microneedling, and chemical peels. They work so well together and deliver transformative results without much downtime. As I age, I notice melasma and fine lines becoming more prominent. I wanted to find treatments that would not only address issues such as hyperpigmentation, skin texture, and lines of expression but also help me maintain my skin health long-term. I’ve tried various things over the years, but this combination of PRP, microneedling, and chemical peels has been the most effective for enhancing my overall skin health and natural appearance, and has helped me maintain a smoother, more even complexion. I love it because it helps with so many conditions—like melasma and acne scars—and rejuvenation. Lasers can provide similar outcomes, though their results can be unpredictable across skin types, especially [for me] being melananted with melasma. I also use my own skin-care line, Dr. Naana Boakye, faithfully—for enhancing skin hydration and addressing pigmentation. It’s a core part of my daily regimen.
PRP, also known as platelet-rich plasma injections, is where your blood is drawn and then injected into the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve skin texture, which is crucial for keeping my skin looking youthful. Microneedling treats various skin concerns like wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scars by puncturing the skin with small needles. I’ve found it to be highly effective for my fine lines, acne scars, and general skin texture improvement. After having children, my skin changed, and microneedling has been a game-changer in maintaining its firmness and radiance. Lastly, chemical peels exfoliate the outer layer of the skin, removing dead skin cells. You can expect potential redness and swelling [from the trio] lasting five to seven days.
I perform these three treatments on myself quarterly, all at one time—not just on my face and neck, but also [PRP] along my hairline to stimulate hair growth. From my experience, the key is patience—good skin doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s important to stay consistent with your treatments.
I’ve been doing these treatments for over five years and I’ve seen the impact they have on my skin’s texture, tone, and overall health—consistent sessions throughout the year help maintain and maximize benefits and allow me to address specific concerns as they come up, such as seasonal changes or flare-ups of my melasma. I personally do them during the warmer months, too, but always make sure to wear sunscreen and hats afterward to safeguard my skin. The goal is to receive these treatments four times a year, ideally on a quarterly basis. However, due to time constraints, I sometimes average about two to three sessions annually.
If feasible, it’s ideal to get treatments regularly to sustain long-term results. Predictability is crucial, which is why PRP, microneedling, and peels are great options. I believe it's important for me to know how these treatments feel, how they work, and what to expect afterward to more accurately decide the most suitable treatments for patients that cater to their personal needs. I also think it’s comforting for my patients to know that I’ve been through these treatments myself and can relate to their experiences.
“I like to add toxin [neuromodulators like Botox] to my crow's feet every four to five months—honestly, I can't stand crow's feet! That said, I always make sure not to project my personal feelings when patients come in for their injections. When it comes to the forehead and glabella area [between the brows], I actually prefer a more natural aesthetic and only treat these areas when necessary. My personal goal is to minimize forehead movement to maintain a smoother appearance without overdoing it. Toxin is predictable and easy, especially when you don't overdo it.”
Saranya P. Wyles, MD, PhD, Rochester, Minnesota
“I’m always experimenting as a scientist and I have exciting [treatments] in my toolkit. I’m Southeast Asian and growing up, we used more natural types of skin care like Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric, and coconut oil. Now, after being immersed in dermatology and regenerative medicine specifically, I’ve shifted to looking at active ingredients that focus on regeneration, like peptides and exosomes. I’m a big fan of lasers for skin-tightening. I think, fundamentally, the science is there and it’s solid. I’m an avid researcher, and my background is in exosomes. I look for things to fight extrinsic damage—like dark spots—and intrinsic damage, things that cause injury to DNA.”
“I’m a big fan of Sculptra—a poly-L-lactic acid filler. It’s a biostimulator that targets fibroblasts to produce collagen. I’ve been doing diluted Sculptra for three years, and I get it about once a year. I focus on the cheeks and the jawline for a more structured appearance.
The other reason I like Sculptra is because it often has a glow that’s associated with it. So, in addition to volume, it also helps create a healthier skin micro environment for more radiant skin. If you think about stimulating fibroblasts, it’s not just making collagen and elastin. It’s also making other components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), or the scaffolding of the skin. It’s those other components of the ECM that are creating that glow.
I’m a true believer that if I offer something to my patients, I should know and see how it’s done myself. That’s part of the reason that I got on the Sculptra train. For instance, the ‘Sculptra massage’ you do for five minutes, five times a day [at home for five days after you’re injected]—how did that feel? What do I need to tell them? What am I not remembering?
I think Sculptra allows more freedom with topicals: I started to do skin cycling, where I’m not using my 10-step routine every day. Every night for one week, I use either topical tretinoin (my new favorite is Altreno) or topical glycolic acid and my TheraFace red light mask. Then I have a rest and recovery for three weeks where I’m not using a lot of actives—maybe I’ll use them once a week in that maintenance period. I’m a firm believer in a priming phase with actives, and a maintenance phase—it aligns with how the skin regenerates every month.”
“I tend to hyperpigment after I get an acne breakout, and this is a really good way to reduce that hyperpigmentation. For me, being darker skinned, there are not a lot of friendly lasers, or you just have to be cautious and start at low energies. High energies can overheat the skin and cause darker skin to hyper- or hypopigment [causing dark spots or light spots, respectively] due to the increased melanin content. Because the PICO Genesis delivers really quick energy—it’s named after a picosecond, a really, really fast delivery of high energy—it’s more conducive for darker skin types. I’ve been doing it for about a year sporadically. If I see a hyperpigmented spot that I’m trying to get rid of or a little bit of melasma that I want to get after, then I can do the PICO Genesis. If it’s a little spot and I treat it early, sometimes it’s just one treatment, and sometimes it’s two or three. It does a great job for melasma, but it also just overall corrects pigmentation. The recovery time is usually two to three days—there’s a little redness and a little bit of swelling sometimes, but usually by day two or three my skin is fully recovered.
I always follow Korean skin-care trends and they love the PICO in Korea. They go for PICO every four weeks, sometimes every two. It’s definitely something that, over time, I can see myself using more.”
“I know Dr. Jean Carruthers [the ophthalmologist who pioneered the cosmetic use of Botox with her dermatologist husband Alastair Carruthers] really well and she’s just an amazing individual. I know there are a lot of other neurotoxins that have come onto the market since Botox that are equally fantastic, but I still love doing Botox for myself and for my patients. I’ve been doing Botox for four years, mostly my glabella [between the brows] and a little bit on the forehead. I also have it done on my platysmal bands [the vertical muscle cords on either side of the neck]—it’s super awesome for tech neck. We’re always on our phones, and I’m the worst, constantly writing emails and looking down. This creates a subtle tightness, too, as a reminder to hey, don’t be looking down. The neck is definitely an area that is underrepresented in our toolkit of aesthetics.”
At What Price?
These are the average price ranges for all of the treatments mentioned in this story—the exact cost of any treatment will depend on things like where you live, how many areas you’re treating and how big those areas are, and your provider. (With the exception of the Hydrafacial, Allure recommends going to board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons for these procedures, so these costs are what you can expect to see at these doctors’ offices.)
- Neuromodulators like Botox, $400 - $1,000
- Restylane, $1750 - $2000
- Radiesse and hyper-diluted Radiesse, $750 - $,2000
- Sculptra, $850 - $2,000
- Cutera XEO, $400 - $800
- ResurFX Laser with Lumenis M22 Universal IPL, $500 - $1,500
- Vbeam, $600 - $1,000
- LaseMD Ultra, $500 - $2,500
- PICO Genesis, $300 - $1,000
- CO2 Laser, $600 - $3,500
- Morpheus8, $1500 - $2500
- Ultherapy, $800 - $7,000
- EmSculpt Neo, $3,500
- Platelet rich plasma injections (PRP), starting at $1,700
- Microneedling, $500 - $700
- Chemical peels, $100 - $500
- Vitality Institute VI Peel, $300
- Eye peels, such as PCA Skin Sensi Peel and SkinMedica Vitalize Peel, $300 - $500
$190-$250
To read more about dermatologists' routines and for more on injectables:
- 5 Dermatologists with Acne Share Their Own Skin-Care Routines
- 18 Dermatologists' Skin-Care Routines That Are Surprisingly Achievable
- The Most Surprising New Botox and Filler Trends
Now watch Gwyneth Paltrow give a tour of her beauty space:
