Primarily intended to tighten sagging facial skin, the Cutera Titan laser (get it?) can also create amazingly glowing plump skin even in younger (read: non wrinkly or saggy) gals too. Here’s how it works: the Titan laser emits light to the skin, and the light reacts with the water in the skin’s deep dermis level. The laser’s light heats up that water, which elevates the skin's temperature to a level that causes immediate collagen contraction within the dermis of the skin, stimulating collagen production and growth. Because collagen is what keeps skin full, plump and supple, a series of treatments with the Titan will result in skin tightening and the development of a more youthful complexion with fewer lines, folds and looseness of the skin. For those without wrinkles or loose skin, the face will appear glowing, refreshed and plump—in a good way. Since the Titan procedure heats tissue under the skin's surface, patients of any skin type can be treated. Additionally, since the procedure is done in-office and requires no downtime, you can absolutely resume your normal activities immediately after receiving it. The cost of the treatment varies depending on the provider and the areas treated, but you can expect to pay between $500 and $1000 per treatment. Costly, yes, but much cheaper than a face lift or a year’s worth of monthly facial peels or plumping injections.

I visited Paul Lorenc, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon in New York City, to have a series of Titan treatments myself and, I must say, was amazed at the results. The treatment procedure is quick and painless—it basically feels like your face is being exposed to very direct sunlight. The post-procedure recovery is akin to having a mild sunburn for about 15 minutes. Dr. Lorenc recommended that I receive three treatments, and thus far I have completed two. Even though I think my skin already looks amazing, he keeps insisting the third will make an even bigger difference, so who am I to argue with the promise of even better, brighter skin? If you’re in the New York area and are interested in receiving a Titan treatment, I definitely recommend making an appointment to see Dr. Lorenc (visit www.lorenc.com for his information). If not, locate a provider in your area by logging onto www.cutera.com.

Whoa, whoa, whoa…slow down there, Francesca. I know Botox has “tox” in the word, but it’s really and truly safe. Just in case my word’s not good enough, I asked some of the country’s top docs for their reassurance. Steven J. Pearlman, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon in New York City and former President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, explains that Botox has been safely used in cosmetic applications for 10 years and in non-cosmetic uses (like to treat facial ticks caused by Tourette’s Syndrome, for example) for over 20 years. Botox isn’t poison—it’s actually a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. This bacterium, when injected into a muscle reduces its activity and blocks it from contracting.  When properly injected into a muscle, Botox does not enter into the bloodstream, explains Hema Sundaram, M.D., a dermatologist in the Washington, DC area. “However, if it did, the amount that enters the bloodstream wouldn’t affect your health, as the recommended dosages are only a fraction of a percent that could cause harm,” she asserts.
Botox is most commonly used to treat facial wrinkles, especially in the forehead and outer eye area (so as to eliminate crow’s feet), around the mouth (to treat frown lines). Botox can also safely and effectively treating hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating in areas such as the underarms, the palms of your hands or the bottoms of your feet. When injected into the problem area, Botox will stop the area’s release of the chemical messenger acetylcholine, which will temporarily block the nerves in the underarm that stimulate sweating, temporarily reducing sweat production in the treated areas. Is blocking sweating safe? Yes, says Dr. Sundaram. “Because you sweat out of virtually every pore in your body, blocking a small fraction’s ability to sweat will not cause any harm,” she says. Being a particularly sweaty gal myself, I visited Dr. Sundaram for the treatment and, I gotta say, the results were incredible. It’s been a couple months now and I haven’t seen so much as a drop of wetness on my armpits. Of course, of course, thrilled (but my dry cleaner, not so much).

There are a number of potential side effects to Botox treatments. Since a needle is used in its administration, you may receive a small bruise at the injection site, and it will likely fade within a week. Dr. Sundaram says that true drooping of the eyelid is rare, and can best be avoided by seeing an experienced practitioner. Dr. Pearlman says that a more likely consequence of Botox is that in relaxing the forehead to smooth lines, the ability to raise your eyebrows may be eliminated. “For patients with heavy eyebrows or eyelids, they may actually need to hold their brows up to relieve heaviness from the eyes,” he explains. “In these patients, the brows may appear to fall from the treatment. This may be avoided by treating only the upper brow lines.”

The cost of Botox injections varies depending on the practitioner, but you can usually expect to be charged around $200-300 per facial area treated, and closer to $500-$100 for a hyperhidrosis treatment, as the areas treated are usually larger. As you should before you receive any cosmetic dermatological treatment, making sure you choose an experienced practitioner is essential. In my opinion, you should only see a cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist for Botox injections.  Prior to receiving a Botox treatment, your practitioner will likely numb the area to be treated with a strong topical anesthetic, usually for at least 15 minutes. The treatment itself involves only minimal discomfort: it feels like a tiny shot, because that’s exactly what it is. After about a week following the treatment, you will notice the typical smoothed-out-skin results, which typically last from three to four months. Assuming you like the way it looks and are interested in having more once you notice the effects wearing off, getting back to the doctor sooner rather than later may be in your best interest, recommends Dr. Pearlman. “If the face is re-treated as soon as the muscles start to move, the facial muscles never regain their memory,”  he says, adding: “After a number of re-treatments the interval you’ll need to go between treatments may become longer”.

Would I get Botox again? Absolutely. I think it’s miraculously effective for treating hyperhidrosis and, when applied judiciously to the face and neck by an experienced professional, it can make you look gorgeous, not scarily frozen. Would I encourage my friends and loved ones to do so? Yes and yes—in fact, I recently marched my own mother up to New York City to see Yael Halaas, M.D. for a Mother’s Day treatment. The results? Amazing.

Just when you thought that only men deal with hair thinning issues, huh? There’s no need to load up on women’s Rogaine just yet, Paige. According to Jeffrey Epstein, M.D., founder of the Foundation for Hair Restoration in Miami, FL, pregnancy can cause some wacky things to happen with your hair, but most of it is temporary. “When pregnant, many women report an increase in the amount of hair, especially on their heads,” he explains.  “This happens because the mother’s metabolic rate increases, which promotes faster hair growth, and also because the hair is not shed at the same rate during pregnancy that it is when not pregnant.” After birth, this additional hair falls out because it has been “artificially” on life support, he says: “Just remember—it’s not that your hair is all falling out, but that extra hair all falling out at more or less one time.”

Dr. Epstein advises realizing that most likely this hair loss is temporary and will usually stops when your newborn is about two months old or if you’re breastfeeding, when you stop. If it’s particularly bothersome, he advises taking a hair growth vitamin complex or vitamins like biotin, zinc, gelatin and silica (horsetail), all of which can be purchased over the counter. If your hair loss seems out of the ordinary, Dr. Epstein recommends visiting a specialist to make sure you do not have a hormonal abnormality or anemia. Your doctor may recommend you go on Rogaine or Monoxidil, the most common side effects of which involve itchy scalp or dandruff. They aren’t a miracle cure, however. “These medicines only work on one third of women, but if they do work on you and you stop using them, whatever hairs the medicine caused to stick around will fall out,” he says.