Elle Magazine consults cosmetic surgeon Dr Lisa Zdinak, one of the first New York City doctors to work with Thermage’s ThermaTip CL.

LEG WORK
The cure for micromini phobia? Turn on (the laser), tune in (to radio waves), and drop some acid (glycolic, of course)
Even if you plan on hiding under opaque tights for most of the winter, bare legs could be a hazard during party season. Beer recommends applying an inexpensive glycolic or lactic acid lotion and Retin-A.
“One of the original Retin-A studies was done on the body, not the face. The skin looked significantly younger and better after nine months,” he says. The skin-thickening effect of retinol can also diminish the appearance of cellulite.
“Estrogen levels drop in the mid-thirties, which causes the fat layer beneath the skin,” says cosmetic surgeon Lisa A. Zdinak, MD, one of the first New York City doctors to work with Thermage‘s ThermaTip CL, a cellulite-blasting version of the popular radio-frequency device. “It increases circulation and repairs the web of collagen that holds back the fat.” For a recent study, Alexiades examined skin biopsies from cellulite-prone areas treated with Accent, another radio-frequency option. “The laser raises the collagen levels between fat and skin,” she says. “So the fat gets pushed back down where it belongs.”

“How many spider veins you get and when they first appear are the result of genetics,” says Tina Alster, MD, founder of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC. Alster blasts broken capillaries with FDA-approved Veinwave, which delivers low-level heat (similar to a microwave’s electric current) through a needle. While other vein-zappers such as the YAG laser are also effective, they can require several, often painful treatments to see results. One Veinwave session does the trick “with less bruising,” Alster says. “It’s totally different than what I’ve used before.”