Beyond the Day-to-Day
To get best results from your new routine, take advice from the pros.
Get peeled monthly. "Using a retinoid is like a three-mile run. A deep peel in a doctor's office is the 10-miler," Dr. Lance Brown, of NYU's School of Medicine, says. You're exfoliating regularly with a retinoid; if you supplement that with a professional-strength peel, your skin will become even smoother and more radiant. Not seeing a derm? At home, try Patricia Wexler's Glyco Peel System ($65; bathandbodyworks.com).
Give dry skin a drink. Been skiing -- or sick in bed? A moisturizing mask revives your skin with an extra helping of hyaluronic acid (an ingredient that attracts and holds on to moisture). Try Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque ($20; aveda.com).
Visit a dermatologist yearly. When you go in for your annual mole check, ask your doctor to evaluate your facial skin too. "You may think your complexion's just really dry, when in fact you have seborrheic dermatitis, a condition that often needs to be treated with a prescription strength product," Dr. Lance Brown says.
Splurge on a pro treatment. Your at-home regimen makes the most of your skin as it ages, but if you want to turn back the clock (erasing wrinkles and brown spots), you need Botox, lasers, or fillers like Restylane, says Francesca Fusco, a cosmetic dermatologist in New York City. What delivers the most dramatic change? The verdict of the dermatologists we canvassed: Botox for erasing lines; pigment-targeting lasers (such as Fraxel) for age spots. Both start at $500 per visit.
Originally published in MORE magazine, February 2009.
