SecretS behind movie-Star Skin

What happens in the run-up to the red carpet? Read on as LA’s and Bollywood’s best skin, hair, and makeup experts reveal the deal behind award-show appearances.

It’s time to get minimally invasive. First up, the facelift. The E-Prime SkinTightening treatment, which is performed under local anesthesia, is popular among many of Hollywood’s best. It takes 90 minutes and requires up to10 days of recovery time from the redness, swelling, and bruising. The device uses radiofrequency to produce heat and tighten skin by stimulating new collagen and elastin tissue. “The results are 37 percent the tightening effect of a facelift, visible two to three months after treatment,” says Dr Wu. And the night before? “I prescribe eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

WEEKS TO GO:

It’s time to exfoliate intensely and have enough downtime to recover. Dr Wu treats her A-listers with the Jessner peel, which is a mix of salicylic acid to unclog pores, lactic acid to gently exfoliate, and resorcinol to erase acne. An even skin tone is the aim. Dr Shamban’s Hollywood favourite? Foto Facials that even out pigments, lighten spots, help eliminate redness, and firm and tone the skin. This facial doesn’t stop at the face but goes down the neck, chest, and hands. Loose necks are tightened with the Ulthera ultrasound that requires zero downtime. “You only feel a little firmer right afterwards, but a month after, the improvement is evident and keeps enhancing up to six months,” says Dr Shamban. Even though one treatment is enough, Dr Shamban prefers two, the first seven months in advance and then the second a month before award season. That, and laser sittings to remove the hair from your neck so you’re beautiful from all angles. “The life of awards means wearing your hair up a lot. You’re going to be looked at from all angles, not just head-on full face the way you look in the mirror.”

FEW MONTHS TO GO:

Hydration, elasticity, and radiance. Dr Sharad takes the gentle route with the Restylane Vital, which is not a filler but a skin booster. It comprises of micro injections of hyaluronic acid and vitamins that are administered all over the face to intensely hydrate and make the skin glow. “One sitting per month is required for a period of three months, but the best part is that the skin glows for a year-and-a-half afterwards.” For older actresses, she prescribes the thread lift, where multiple collagen threads are injected into the face to encourage new collagen, which tightens the skin. Results last six to eight months.

DAYS TO GO:

THREE MONTHS TO GO:

MANY MONTHS TO GO:

Gently exfoliate and soothe the skin. In terms of short-term treatments, the oxygen jet peel is the most popular. A blast of oxygen and sodium chloride clears the skin by exfoliating

AT HOME REGIME:

At home, Dr Wu often recommends using retinol three times a week at night, because daily use may cause redness, flaking, and irritation. For the in-between nights, she recommends a vitamin C serum to generate collagen and soften fine lines. To actresses with oily skin, she recommends La Roche Posay Effaclar Toner (`1,190) starting two weeks before the red carpet, to unclog pores, and reduce oil. For the night before the red carpet she prescribes the Dr Jessica Wu Cosmeceuticals Dew Cream to soften, smooth, and calm irritated areas. Actresses with dry skin use hydrating masks such as SK II Facial Treatment Mask (`5,600 approx) the night before, and then apply the Dew Cream.

DIET MUSTS:

Swap dairy, sugar, and refined carbs for unprocessed foods. “If she starts in November, acne or rashes have time to calm down, and it helps her resist the temptation of holiday sweets.”

WEEKS TO GO:

Injectables to tighten and plump. Dr Shamban recommends fillers and Botox two weeks before an event. “Botox takes a couple of days to release muscle lines. It’s rare that Botox and fillers cause bruising but it does happen, so giving yourself a two-week window is really the best.” And what about the dreaded pimple the size of Mount Vesuvius? The doctor makes a house call with a small injection of a steroid called Kenalog to flatten the blemish overnight.

AT HOME REGIME:

An AHA with sunscreen during the day to lightly exfoliate, and a product with retinol at night to increase collagen production.

DIET MUSTS:

A low-glycemic diet that consists of leafy greens, whole grains, and lean protein. lightly and infuses it with moisture, making it plump and radiant. This is followed up with a seaweed mask, which is full of antioxidants. This treatment is safe enough to get a day before walking the red carpet because it calms the skin down so the makeup can be applied on smoothly.

DIET MUSTS:

Stay away from dairy, caffeine, and too much salt, and gorge on brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables and coconut water. “The night before the red carpet, I ask my them not to drink water after eight in the evening. This is because sometimes when you have a very salty dinner, the extra water can give you bags under the eyes in the morning.”

SAVVY SUPPLEMENTS:

Antioxidant pills three months in advance to add glow by fighting free radicals. Dr Sharad’s favourites: Superoxide dismutase, vitamin C, and beta carotene.