Think make-up-free stars are born with perfect skin? From laser resurfacing to dermal fillers, there’s more to it than just good genes

• Dermal fillers, Botox, Ultherapy and laser resurfacing are some of the methods Dr Patricia Wexler uses on her high-profile clients

By Erin Clements

Published: 10:03 EDT, 31 July 2014 | Updated: 15:13 EDT, 31 July 2014

A-list celebrities are regularly pictured with flawless make-up-free skin day after day. So for us lesser mortals, it comes as some relief to learn that it's not just good genes causing their healthy glow.

New York dermatologist Patricia Wexler, who counts Iman among her clients, has revealed that there is a whole host of cosmetic treatments that allow stars to embrace the no-make-up look with such confidence.

Dr Wexler tells MailOnline that increased volume (or plumpness), muscle tightness and removal of imperfections are the three key principles to follow in order to give the face a more youthful appearance.

Flawless: Many stars use cosmetic procedures such as Botox to restore their skin without having to go under the knife

And with a combination of dermal fillers, toxins, ultrasound therapy and topical treatments, she can restore tired, lined and blotchy skin without the client having to go under the knife.

DERMAL FILLERS
$558 (average)

Dr Wexler says dermal fillers, such as Restylane, are used to restore fullness to the face.

'If you've lost volume, you want to give the volume back where you lost it,' she explains. Typically this occurs in the upper part of the cheek, around the temples and in the hollow in front of the ear.

‘You fill that hollow, you lift the jowl that occurs at the lower part of the jawline. You’re filling to lift the line, to lift the fold,' she says.

TOXINS
$328 (average)

If the patient’s problem is in the facial muscles, typical of very expressive people, who are prone to squinting or raising their eyebrows, Dr Wexler says Botox and Dysport are ideal for lifting and tightening – though, she adds, she will never administer a toxin to someone too young.

'When we get someone who’s in their twenties who comes in and says they want toxins to prevent lines, it’s too early,' she says.

'When people start doing procedures before they even see problems sometimes that can lead to negative results because you are weakening the muscle with the toxin. And if you’re going to start in your twenties and live to your nineties you’re going to end up with a very thin, tissue paper-like skin. And I think we all know examples of certain celebrities who’ve done that,' she adds.

I woke up like this: Iman (left), Dr Wexler's client, and Jennifer Love Hewitt (right), Jamie Sherrill's client, appear effortlessly glowing

ULTHERAPY

$1,000 and up

For patients seeking results similar to a facelift without having to go under the knife, Dr Wexler recommends Ultherapy, a non-invasive procedure that delivers ultrasound energy at two different layers of the face.

'The first is the layer of the muscle that would be cut if you were having a facelift,’ Dr Wexler says. ‘You’re actually stimulating the production of new collagen, and over several months the face is lifting and that muscle is tightening. It’s like shrink-wrap.'

The second part of the energy, Dr Wexler explains, is delivered to the deep part of the skin, the dermis.

‘If you’re tightening the muscle, you want to make sure the skin is tightening over it,’ she says. ‘In tightening the skin, you see a new tone, a new texture and even improvement in the fine lines and wrinkles.'

About face: Dr Patricia Wexler (left) and nurse Jamie Sherrill (right) help high-profile patients get beautiful skin

PIXEL PERFECT LASER

$675 - $2,000

Jamie Sherrill, a registered nurse and skincare expert who owns the Beauty Park Medical Spa in Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi, uses the Pixel Perfect Laser on her celebrity clients, which she says can shrink the size of pores, clear up acne scars and transform blotchy, spotted skin.

Laser treatment is favored by Dr Wexler too, who says: 'Fractionated resurfacing has almost zero downtime. It just makes microscopic tunnels in the skin that grow new collagen that's not sun-damaged.'

ACELLERATOR ULTRA TONING
$220

For home use, Ms Sherrill, who works with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Maria Menounos, recommends a product she sells on her website, called the ACELLerator Ultra Toning Device.

It uses ultrasonic 1 MHz technology for the face and body to help stimulate new collagen, elastin and cell renewal, resulting in a more contoured appearance.

TOPICAL TREATMENTS
$15 and up

For removing spots and imperfections, Dr Wexler suggests products with glycolic acids, skin lightening products like hydroquinone and even botanicals such as bayberry.

'Hydroquinone with retinol is the gold standard,' she says.

She adds that vitamin C is good for pigmentation, especially when combined with retinol.