Dr. Karyn Grossman treats some of Hollywood’s top talent

Once again, awards season has arrived, bringing with it a flurry of stars prepping for their crimson-carpet strolls. As a result, Dr. Karyn Grossman’s calendar becomes more than a little hectic this time of year. She lets us in on what it takes to get ready for your close-up.

What is one of the most common problems celebrities come to you for during awards season?
DR. KARYN GROSSMAN: While starlets regularly protect and work on their faces, skin-baring dresses often reveal neglected sun-damaged chests, backs, and arms. One former beach bunny-turned-actress came to me wanting to avoid body makeup to cover her sun damage, so I started her on ActiveFX laser treatments, which even pigmentation and improve fine lines and skin texture. This fractionated CO2 laser removes tiny bits of skin, leaving normal skin in between, which results in decreased pigment and improved texture and fine lines. This is an ideal treatment for men and women with sun-damaged or acne-scarred faces or bodies. A little extra TLC was needed during her 10-day healing process, but two treatments later the laser had restored her neck, chest, back, arms, and hands to creamy perfection. The results last for years, provided the patient uses sunscreen regularly.

How do you make sure your patients don’t get the LA “overdone” look?
Before the 2011 awards, one nominee said to me, “I want to look better, but not so Hollywood. I don’t want anyone to know I have done anything.” That’s not an infrequent request. Many actors are concerned about being immortalized in a tabloid “before” and “after.” The solution we came up with was carefully placed fillers. Many in Hollywood look “done” because of fillers placed in the central face; however, filling the periphery of the face restores lost volume, lifts, softens lines, and creates an entirely natural look. The trick here is the combination of fillers in those outer areas that naturally deflate with age, along with tiny doses of Botox that dampen—but don’t remove—expression. As each filler has slightly different characteristics, I often combine them to provide the best result. A combination of Radiesse, Restylane, and Juvéderm XC, with just a hint of Botox, rounded out this actress’s treatment. Afterward, to maintain, I did small touch-ups on the fillers every six months and on the Botox every three to four months.

The big event is approaching, and a star doesn’t feel her best. What can she do last minute that will make her glow on the red carpet?
One Hollywood beauty had a less-than-flattering shot taken by the paparazzi days before a big event, making her paranoid that her face looked tired and a little heavy. She wanted to know what she could do with so little time. My answer was Thermage. The gold standard of tissue tightening, this no-downtime treatment can be done a few days prior to a big event to help lift and tighten the skin instantly. The radio-frequency heat shrinks and tightens collagen coils and stimulates new collagen formation over the next few months, resulting in instant lift along with continued long-term improvement. The treatment works best on those who need a little “snugging” of the face (i.e. lifting the brow and jowls, softening the nasolabial folds, and opening slightly heavy upper lids). And, best of all, it is also “color-blind,” which means it can be used on people of every skin tone. Results last approximately two years, but patients often come in for touchups every year to year and a half in order to stay ahead of the game.

And what if you’re literally out of time? Is there any procedure that is safe to do on the actual day of an event?
Panic often sets in on the day of an event when stars discover late-night preparties have dulled their skin. A well-known Hollywood makeup artist started many actresses on the trick of a light TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel after she noted how glowing, perfectly smooth, and even her skin looked after having one. I personally prefer TCA over the other peels because it is less irritating and can produce widely varied results depending on strength and concentration. When applied, the acid coagulates the proteins in the uppermost layer of the skin, creating a super smooth finish, which flakes off two to three days later. Now, my awards-morning routine includes making several TCA-peel house calls before sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the show. grossmandermatology.com