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BEAUTY LESSONS:
Like real life Snapchat filters, the new customizable, non-invasive “tweakments”—and their at-home boosters—make you look amazing but never overdone.
Written ByKATHERYN ERICKSON
Photography by ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG / TRUNK ARCHIVE
Mae West famously remarked that “too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” but when it comes to dermatological procedures restraint is proving to be one of the more critical ingredients. Perhaps it’s a response to the fact that everyone’s features were starting to look a little too similar (think generously-filled cheekbones, the rise of Instagram contouring, and overly-enthusiastic Botox). Or maybe it’s that our goals have simply changed: “We’ve redefined what beauty means,” says Dr. Laura Devgan, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York City and founder of luxury skin care line Dr. Devgan Scientific Beauty. “It’s less about being handed down an archaic and ill-fitting beauty standard from the cover of a magazine and more of a feeling and being the best version of yourself.”
THE NEXT CREASE RELEASE
THE FINE FINISHER
THE TWEAKMENT: Infusion Microneedling for Glass Skin
THE TARGET: Like so many things that improve our complexions, microneedling is good for skin because it ever so slightly damages it. By creating teensy holes, or trauma, it effectively stimulates collagen production. The latest in needling—using the process to infuse ingredients into skin—adds more benefits. “We used to use a solid needle to make little pricks in the skin and slather stuff on top, hoping it seeped in,” Dr. Devgan explains. “Now we’re using hollow-bore needles and a sterile glass vial to micro-inject a customized cocktail of substances into the dermis.” The “cocktail” can include everything from hyaluronic acid to plump skin, PRP (platelet-rich plasma, which would require a quick blood draw) to rejuvenate, and neuromodulators like Botox to shrink pores (by contracting piloerector muscles at the base of hair follicles, Dr. Devgan explains). “We’re injecting these things 600 microns deep into the dermis and it creates this beautiful, glassy, perfect-looking skin,” she adds. “If you imagine that skin is a fabric like linen, the treatment makes it more tightly woven, like cotton.” Have you made your appointment yet?
THE TIME COMMITMENT: A treatment takes 30 minutes (10 minutes each to numb, prep, and perform), and there’s a few hours of redness after. Plan on skipping makeup for the rest of the day (and maybe the rest of the week; you’ll be luminous).
THE AT-HOME BOOSTER: With Beauty Bio Glopro Microneedling Regeneration Tool you can DIY microneedling at home. Use it a few times a week, then apply a soothing hydrogel sheet mask like 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Lifting and Firming Mask (which contains three separate parts soaked in feature-specific actives for treating face, neck, and chest).
THE LOW-IMPACT LIFT
THE TWEAKMENT: Radiofrequency Microneedling for Non-Invasive Tightening
THE TARGET: Novel uses of microneedling aren’t limited to ingredient delivery. With devices like Vivace, Infini, Profound, and Genius, it is also being used to deliver energy and lift skin. “They basically microinject energy like radiofrequency into skin instead of massaging it from the outside,” Dr. Frank explains. “You’re going to get a lot more tightening, textural, and cosmetic improvements than you would from something totally non-invasive like Tempsure or Thermage.” Because both microneedling and radiofrequency boost collagen production, the benefits include plumping, perking up lax skin, and smoothing out creases. The best part: Unlike lasers, they work on all skin tones.
THE TIME COMMITMENT: Treatments average an hour (plus some additional time for skin numbing) and can be slightly painful. How you’ll look when you leave depends on your goals, your doctor’s plan, and the chosen device: “We can use them in a way that has an hour of downtime or we can use them in a way that has a week of downtime,” Dr. Frank says.
THE AT-HOME BOOSTER: Hanacure’s ability to lift, tighten, and make pores disappear has converted many a loyal user. Use the mask weekly to keep skin firm and bright.
THE TWEAKMENT: The Jet Peel for Dewy, Big Event Skin
THE TARGET: Those occasions when you need skin to look especially perfect? Consider the jet peel, which is not so much a peel as it is an oxygen facial on steroids. “It’s a new device that uses pressure to deliver facial feeding,” Dr. Dennis Gross, the New York City-based dermatologist and skincare brand founder, explains. “A jet-stream of oxygen turns water-based vitamins and ingredients into micro-sized molecules that are then able to penetrate 3mm into the epidermis.” The ingredients are custom to your skin’s needs—options include Vitamins C, A, and B, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and glycolic acid—and the treatment addresses everything from dehydration to acne while leaving skin extremely hydrated, plump, and radiant.
THE TIME COMMITMENT: The facial takes about 40 minutes and the results are immediate skin. Like a facial, a monthly jet peel is ideal, and the results are cumulative.
THE AT-HOME BOOSTER: Cult facialist Melanie Simon’s Serum C is packed with ultra-stabilized Vitamin C to add even more glow to skin. Apply five to ten drops and let it sit for a few minutes before applying your moisturizer to reap the full, free radical-eradicating benefits.
THE TWEAKMENT: HydraFacial Lip Perk for Plumping and Hydration
THE TARGET: You’ve probably heard of the in-office HydraFacial—the express facial that exfoliates, cleanses pores, and hydrates skin. Well, there’s a version exclusively for your pout. The Lip Perk treatment is a quick add-on service that sloughs off flakes and plumps lips with ingredients like aloe, peony, and peppermint.
THE TIME COMMITMENT: Less than ten minutes and lips are thoroughly refreshed.
THE AT-HOME BOOSTER: You’ll take home the extra lip serum used in your Perk treatment (which lasts about 30 days). Also consider the ultra-nourishing Dr. Devgan Platinum Lip Plump, which boosts your natural lip color and leaves lips glossy and full.