2020 Aged Us All, But Hollywood’s Fighting Back With These New Beauty Go-Tos

In addition to cleaning out closets and sampling a variety of at-home workouts, the safer-at-home order has provided many people the opportunity to indulge in a high dose of self-care. But, if the “Touch Up My Appearance” filter on Zoom just isn’t cutting it, there’s no shame in a little doctor-assisted fine-tuning. “Our office remains extremely busy with stringent COVID-19 safety protocols in place,” says Kay Durairaj, a facial artist and cosmetic surgeon whose clients include TikTok stars who regularly appear in her Instagram stories (@beautybydrkay) while experiencing everything from cheek-contouring fillers to skin-tightening facials. Says Durairaj, “Treating yourself to natural enhancements by a highly skilled medical expert will give you a more refreshed appearance and instill confidence.”

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TO GET RID OF BROWN SPOTS AND PIGMENTATION: BBL HERO

For those plagued by persistent redness, sun damage and brown spots on their face and body, the BBL Hero is the newest, most advanced form of Broad Band Light (BBL) with wavelengths that target melanin to eliminate pigmentation. “This is a superior treatment that delivers comfort, efficacy and speed as it takes just three to five minutes per area and is quite tolerable without any numbing,” says plastic surgeon Sheila S. Nazarian (nazarianplasticsurgery.com). “Some of my clients are even seeing a reduction in wrinkles along with improved elasticity in the skin.” Nazarian recommends two to four sessions of the $850 treatment but is seeing “great improvement even after the first one.”

FOR A SMOOTHER NECK: ‘NECK WASH’ FILLERS

“We are all starting to get necks that look like our grandmothers’ thanks to bending, turning, sun exposure and nonstop tech strain,” says Durairaj (beautybydrkay.com). “For those who prefer to avoid surgery, Neck Wash is my refined technique for turning on collagen regenerative growth and creating new, revitalized skin.” During two sessions spaced six to eight weeks apart, Durairaj injects filler ($775 to $850 per syringe) covering a 100 centimeter area of the neck to treat folds, lines, loss of elasticity, and crepe-like texture. Numbing cream is applied in advance of the 15-minute treatment. Expect a smoother neck to last 12 to 18 months.

A MORE FLAWLESS COMPLEXION: ‘THE ROCKSTAR’ PLASMA DEVICE

Providing a quick pick-me-up, noninvasive plasma energy technology resurfaces the skin without downtime. Coined by dermatologist Tess Mauricio (mbeautyclinic.com) as a nod to her star clients who crave anti-aging rejuvenation before on-camera appearances, the trademarked Rockstar treatment helps improve texture, fine lines and breakouts and promotes a lifting effect around the brows and eyelids. Using a handheld device, Mauricio glides “the magic wand,” as she calls it, over the face for 30 minutes: “By producing millions of controlled microscopic plasma particles on the skin, this activates our natural wound-healing response to help create collagen and make skin look plump and refreshed.” Minor redness and subtle sensitivity subsides shortly after the $700 treatment.

FOR ADVANCED FACIAL CONTOURING: ‘RHA COLLECTION’ FILLER’

“RHA [Resilient Hyaluronic Acid] Collection is filler 3.0,” says Ava Shamban, the doctor who co-founded Skin Five by Ava MD (avamd.com), of this new FDA-approved filler ($800 to $1,500 per syringe). “This hyaluronic acid [HA] is processed at a lower temperature, so the HA chains are longer and more similar to our own native HA, allowing it to integrate more dynamically into the skin.” Shamban is consistently impressed with the natural results: “I’m seeing more beautiful, much softer contours with this next-generation filler.”

1. Macrene Actives High Performance Lip Filler

Created by dermatologist-scientist Macrene Alexiades, this plant-based vegan lip enhancer uses hyaluronic acid and organic oils to hydrate and smooth lips for a natural boost of color and needle-free lusciousness; $125, macreneactives.com

2. LightStim for Wrinkles

First developed by NASA for healing in space, LED light technology is FDA-approved for its anti-aging benefits. Held against areas of the face that one wants to treat for three-minute intervals, this handheld device emits warm, relaxing red wavelengths that are said to reduce wrinkles and help skin look younger; $249, lightstim.com.

3. La Prairie Platinum Rare Haute-Rejuvenation Cream

Skin care leader La Prairie’s newly reimagined cream features its proprietary Platinum Multi-Peptide, a silky concoction designed to smooth, even and strengthen the skin; $1,525, laprairie.com — E.R.

This story first appeared in the Feb. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.