Skip to content
Awards season hasn’t yet started, but I am already working with my celebrity clientele to plan both long-term and last-minute treatments to keep them looking red-carpet ready, from head to toe, for the busy months ahead. If you have a major special event coming up, you can use these same skincare strategies for celebrity-level glowing, vibrant skin.
One of the most important things to remember is that achieving a radiant complexion is an ongoing process, combining daily maintenance with in-clinic treatments. The celebrities I work with know about the awards’ ceremonies, screenings and other events they will be attending months in advance, and as soon they have that information they will book an appointment with me in my Beverly Hills practice so we can work out a multi-phase treatment plan. Most often, my celebrity clientele wants plump, hydrated, glowing and wrinkle-free skin that looks flawless underneath makeup. You should follow this same template so your complexion will be at its glorious peak in time for your big event.
Long-Term Prep
The trend for long-term skin prep and maintenance is to implement minor tweaks here and there on a repetitive, regular schedule for a cumulative maximum result. Rather than just committing to one major treatment every six months, smaller treatments are spaced only weeks apart. You will have minimal downtime, compared to more intense treatments, and the work you have done will look more natural because it’s taking place gradually rather than as a sudden, dramatic change.
That last point is especially important because if facial work is visible, it means the procedure was performed with a lack of artistry and precision. Hollywood doesn’t want a trail of “who done it”—stars want the focus to be on their beautiful skin.
To achieve that, I recommend treatments that will generate firming of the protein/collagen matrix to keep skin bright, supple and youthful looking, as well as a mild melasma peel for any color correction. If needed, there can be additional, non-ablative laser work to reduce pore size and refine crepey skin texture.
I always advise my celebrity clients that they need to treat the skin all over their body, not just their face, especially with the latest trend in “dare to bare” red-carpet fashion featuring thigh-high slits, sheer dresses or plunging v-necks. Usually, celebrities come in every two to three weeks for a full-body, head-to-toe microbuffing to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate the skin so it looks fresh and feels soft. We’ll also schedule out the number of treatments with the Secret RF laser for refining any areas of the skin, mindful of what parts may be exposed by potential fashion choices, such as the arms, elbows, knees or thighs. With the advent of mani-cams that offer up-close looks at manicures, rings and bracelets, hands should also be part of your treatment plan. Body facial protocols, or aesthetic skin treatments, will be applied throughout to complement the above treatments.
Last-Minute Treatments
Don’t wait until the final days immediately before your big event to get Botox or fillers. You need to get them done at least a week in advance, because it takes that long for those injectables to gain full efficacy and get acclimated into the body.
Instead, focus on skin firming and lifting all over the body, which can be done 12 to 48 hours before an event. In the office, I typically use the Venus Legacy with radio frequency because it gives the desired results and the only side effect is a light pinkness on the skin for some people, and that only lasts for about 20 minutes. This is especially helpful if there is an outfit change the morning of the event that requires a need for a different treatment than originally planned—for instance, a celebrity who was going to wear a gown with sleeves decides to switch to a strapless one that bares the arms. Quick, topical, noninvasive radiotherapy can firm the skin. I use the multiprobe Legacy generator that can be implemented on the arms, face, neck and breasts; sometimes, if you want to make the breast shape appear perkier, the Legacy can be used on the upper pole of the breast instead of double-sided tape.
The goal for my celebrity clients is to have them feeling confident and red carpet-and-camera-ready—and that should be your goal as well. If a celebrity patient asks me for a specific procedure and there isn’t enough downtime, I will direct them towards an alternate solution for the results they are looking for. Find a dermatologist who has this same level of expertise and experience in multiple forms of treatment who can help you—and your complexion—be the shining star at your next special event.
All-Over Glamour
This year’s Oscars ceremony features nominated actresses with a wide range of styles—the regal Glenn Close, the fashion-forward glam of Lady Gaga, the timelessly elegant Regina King, the youthful élan of Emma Stone. This means the Oscars red carpet will be a fashion showcase, with gowns that are sure to dazzle.
If you have picked out a special gown for a major event, you’ll want the skin all over your body to look its best, especially those areas that are highlighted by the cut of your dress. For instance, if you are wearing a deep, plunging V-neck or strapless top, the skin in the neck and bust areas should look smooth and bright. My Corrective Lightening Treatment is a highly effective neck and chest cream that can help with hyperpigmentation, dark spots, age spots and discoloration because it contains the maximum 2% Hydroquinone allowed without a prescription; the Hyaluronic Acid in it provides incredible moisturization for luscious-looking and hydrated skin.
Many evening outfits show off your décolleté, so you need a product such as my Contour Décolleté. This chest wrinkle cream helps to diminish the appearance of the lines that can make the skin here look crepey and dry. The skin in your bust area will look and feel firmer, with a smoother, renewed texture.
I always advise my celebrity clients to lavish attention on their skin everywhere, including the arms and legs. To create radiant flawless-looking skin, it is important to exfoliate away dead skin cells and then hydrate. The Method: Body Polish takes my legendary skincare system developed for the face and adapts it for body polishing. Dry and dull surface skin is buffed away to reveal luminosity and softness. Follow that with The Method: Body Cleanse, which uses sumptuous watermelon seed, marula oils and Kigelia fruit extract to clean and hydrate skin so it practically gleams. To maintain that glow, use The Method: Body Nourish, a glycolic body cream formulated for superior moisturizing that creates an improved tone and texture to the appearance of the skin.
Being red-carpet ready means your skin is vibrant from head to toe. By following the advice I give my star clients, you too will look resplendent at any event, with the brilliance that comes from beautiful skin.
