Good Housekeeping

LOOK GOOD*
PENELOPE:
I've erased
my forehead
lines
rid
Phot og raphs by SllANNON GREER
Janu ary 2013 GOOD HOU SEKEEP ING
49
*LOOK GOOD
Sun
Smarts
Penelope
Kulko
''My crow'sfeet,forehead lines, and the lip lines that ruin
my lipstick ove1· the cou1·se ofthe day," said Kulko. '?it 50, I began enjoying life more than ever, and I embmced my white shock ofhair. But
I notice my wrinkles more now, and others probably do, too! I've used
serums, but I've never really sensed that any ofthem were doing much."
THE PROBLEM
• THE FIX Fractional laser,
specifically Fraxel Dual,
for three sessions (about
$1,000 each). The laser
heats skin deep down in a
pixelated pattern, stimulating collagen synthesis.
Side effects are minimal: a
sunburn-like redness
for a few days, and flaking
for up to a week.
• HER EXPERIENCE
New York City dermatologist Anne Chapas, M.D.,
treated Kulka's skin. After
numbing the area with a
lidocaine gel, Dr. Chapas
ran the handheld laser
device all over Kulka's
face, targeting spots and
lines. Kulka's skin was a
bit red afterward, but not
WRINKLES
SPOTS
bad enough to prevent
her from attending her
daughter's trumpet recital
that night. Dark spots
flaked off within a few
days (building up collagen to minimize wrinkles
takes at least four weeks).
A month after Kulka's
second treatment, many
of her spots had returned,
though she diligently
used sunscreen and wore
a hat. "She came to the
office for her third treatment, and she was tan!"
says Dr. Chapas. "The
sun's a no-no. I decided
to postpone her last
treatment till after summer was over."
• TESTING TIME 16 weeks
PORES
ROUGHNESS
A LOOK AT LINES The Visia Skin Analyzer marks wrinkles with
green lines. Kulko's "after" shows improvement after 16 weeks.
50
GOOD 1-lOU SEKEEP ING
J anuary2013
l;flf1i!Uj "My crow's feet
disappeared," says Kulko.
"Frankly, I saw a dramatic
difference after just the
first treatment, but after
three, the change is wonderful: My skin is smoother and more even in tone.
It's softer and firmer to
the touch. I am thrilled, in
large part because Fraxel
is based on the skin doing
the repair work itself, without surgery or injections:'
• PRO'S TAKE "Kulko
had the most dramatic
improvements;' says Mary
Clarke, senior product
analyst at the Good
Housekeeping Research
Institute. "Her forehead
lines are practically gone."
The testers who
tried all-over
face treatments
used an Aveeno
daily moisturizer
with SPF 30 ($15,
drugstores) daily,
and a few even
upped coverage to
a La Roche-Posay
Anthelios SPF so
sunscreen ($33,
CVS). Some still
got more spots,
showing the power
of incidental sun
exposure during
the summer (our
testing period).
Renova and Fraxel
were the most
successful at
reversing spots and
evening skin tone.
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LOOK GOOD*
MARIA:
Botox, yes.
Frozen face,
nope!
Maria
. Morningstar
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"My.furrow. I'm a very happy
person, but it makes me look angry," said
MoTningstaT. 'T can be smiling.from eaT to eaT,
and people will ask me ifI'm upset. The only
thing upsetting me is this.furmw!"
THE PROBLEM
• THE FIX Botulinum
toxin A, or Botox (about
$400) is injected into
muscles to block nerve
impulses and impede contractions. Results typically
last three to four months.
• HER EXPERIENCE
Dr. Chapas treated the
"elevens" between Morningstar's eyebrows with
five injections. "They felt
like small pinches;' says
Morningstar. Bruising
is possible, but she had
none. Botox takes a week
to kick in, with a one- to
two-week follow-up to
check results. At Morningstar's second appointment, Dr. Chapas injected
Morningstar's forehead
twice to soften those lines
as well-an extra youthrestoring boost.
• TESTING TIME One week
tlety," says Morningstar.
"I even fooled my 15-yearold daughter's dermatologist, who treats her acne.
My daughter told the doc
she suspected I'd had
Botox. The doc studied me
and said, 'Your mom has
too much facial expression
to have had Botox."'
THE PRO'S TAKE When
Morningstar's face is at
rest, the furrow is gone,
but she can still frown if
she wants to. "I think this
is the ultimate Botoxnot that frozen Hollywood
look;' says Dr. Chapas.
Janu ary 2013 GOOD HOU SEKEEP ING
53
*LOOK GOOD
Natalie
Neusch
'1 grew up in South Florida
and was a sun baby," said Neusch. "The
damage I did in my youth is now making
its gmnd appeamnce, especially in the
crow'sfeet around my eyes."
THE PROBLEM
• THE FIX A prescrip-
tion retinoid- Renova
.02% (by prescription,
up to $300; generic, in
varying concentrations,
costs less than $100).
It's the gold standard of
topical wrinkle fighters,
a vitamin A derivative
proven to build collagen.
It r educes spots, too.
Daily sun protection
is required ; retinoids
increase skin's sun
sensitivity.
• HER EXPERIENCE
It's customary to begin
by using this potentially
irritating treatment
every other night, which
acclimates the skin to it.
Neusch used the lotion
nightly and had no redness or flaking. Applying
a moisturizer on top of
Dolores
Hennessy
'1 have deep-set lines around
my mouth that make my cheeks look like
they are sagging/' said Hennessy. ''My husband calls them laugh lines from 23 years of
blissful marriage-sweet, but not so funny!"
THE PROBLEM
the retinoid helped with
the dryness she felt now
and then. She used sunscreen every morning.
• TESTING TIME 12 weeks
Hennessy's upper cheeks
with Restylane- L. "I call
this the trifecta: It lifts
the lower eyelid, boosts
the jawline, and flattens
the nasolabial fold:'
Since Hennessy's left
one was deeper,
Dr. Brandt injected it
directly with Belotero,
a softer filler. Hennessy
was sore for about
36 hours.
i;j@IIUj "My crow's
feet look less noticeable," says Neusch. "I
hadn't realized how
many sun spots I h ad
until they started fading,
and then the change was
obvious. I got a number
of compliments out of
the blue, including one
from my mom-she said
my skin looked great and
asked what I was using!"
• PRO'S TAKE The
wrinkles around Neusch's
eyes, which the Visia
marked with green lines
below, have softened.
• TESTING TIME
One visit; immediate.
54
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PORES
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ROUGHNESS
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fillers made from hyaluronic acid. They fill out
fine lines and add back
volume to areas like lips.
Results last six to nine
months, depending on
the filler (typically $500
to $700 per syringe).
l;)ilfiiiUj "I thought
• HER EXPERIENCE
is plumped up;' says
Clarke. "Her eyes also
look significantly younger; the fine lines underneath are smoother."
the lines around my
mouth would be entirely
gone;' says Hennessy.
"The treatment's not a
magic wand."
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• PRO'S TAKE "The area
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• THE FIX Inject able
Cheek sagging does contribute to those nose-tomouth creases, explains
New York City dermatologist Fredric
Brandt, M.D.,
who injected
WRINKLES
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For more science·backed tips
on how to turn back the clock, buy
our new book, 7 Years Younger,
a seven·week DIY program of skin
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more at lyearsyounger.com.
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LOOK GOOD*
Sherry
Terrell
'T'd like to work on my craw's
feet," said Terrell, who began the test with
significant wrinkling-she ranked in the
bottom 20%joT heT age group.
THE PROBLEM
Karen
Gershenhorn
'Tn ordeT ofimportance: lip
lines, cmw sfeet and the fine lines under my
eyes, the lines between my eyes, and the lines
acmss my forehead," said Gershenhorn.
THE PROBLEM
• THE FIX A retinol se-
WRINKLES
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SPOTS
• THE FIX SkinMedica
1NS Essential Serum
($260 , skinmedica.com
for physicians' offices
and spas). It contains
growth factors, proteins
taken from cell cultures
that induce collagen
production. The
formula also relies on
peptides and protective
antioxidants to target
skin renewal.
• HER EXPERIENCE
Terrell applied the
treatment twice a day,
morning and evening. In
the A.M., she followed up
with an SPF 30 sunscreen. In the P.M., she
applied a plain moisturizer over the serum.
• TESTING TIME 12 weeks
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of the serum is a bit
PORES
ROUGHNESS
medicinal;' says Terrell.
"It didn't bother me, but
my husband didn't like it.
After 12 weeks, my skin
looks better and more
youthful, and my craw's
feet have improved. My
sister-in-law, who knew I
was trying a new product, observed that my
skin was smoother."
• PRO'S TAKE "The lines
around her eyes are less
prominent;' says Clarke.
The Visia shows this with
fewer- and shortergreen lines (representing
wrinkles) in the "after"
image. In addition, ''her
skin's texture has become
more even. Her spots and
visible pores worsened,
though, the spots likely
from summertime sun;'
Clarke adds.
rum: Peter Thomas Roth
Retinol Fusion PM ($65,
Sephora). Unlike most of
its competitors, this one
specifies the concentration of its main anti-ager,
retinol (1.5%). It's milder
than the Rx, but it, too,
revs up collagen production, reduces spots-and
makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
• HER EXPERIENCE In
the evening, Gershenhorn applied a few drops
all over her face, followed
by a moisturizer. In the
morning, she put on a
moisturizer with SPF 30.
• TESTING TIME 12 weeks
I say younger? A new
acquaintance said, 'No,
you are not 54 !'" More
than one friend told me
I looked well-rested, and
the verdict from my group
of girlfriends was that
I certainly did not need
the chemical peel they all
planned on getting."
• PRO'S TAKE "Gershenhorn really had a
reduction in the fine
lines under her eyes; the
area looks smoother. And
her forehead lines are
fainter;' says Clarke. GH
l;jif111Ui "I tend to get
redness, so I was a bit
wary of using retinol for
this length of time, but
I didn't h ave any problems;' says Gershenhorn.
"The serum felt comfortable, not too oily, and my
skin absorbed it easily.
My skin looks brighter
and fresher-dare
WRINKLES
SPOTS
PORES
ROUGHNESS
Janu ary 2013 GOOD HOU SEKEEPING
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