10 Beauty Editors Share the In-Office Treatment That Made the Biggest Impact

“I knew they were coming—ages ago, I’d seen a photo of my face under a Wood’s lamp, revealing the sun damage that lurked below, and the brown spots were everywhere. As each one makes its way to the surface, I zap it like an alien enemy in a video game. I had temporary success with the Ruby laser (ouch!), but the same spots would eventually come back. The laser that’s had the biggest impact and that I’ve had the most success with is the Cutera Enlighten. It can toggle between nano- and pico-second pulses, to tackle both dark and light brown spots, the latter of which tend to evade other technologies. Treatment is so quick that it doesn’t have time to hurt, but oof, does it leave a mark. Well, it’s more like a red welt, which scabs over and flakes off in about a week. The spots I’ve treated haven’t come back, but new ones have popped up, so I’ll be back soon for further Enlighten-ment.” —Cheryl Kramer Kaye, beauty writer, editor, consultant, and on-air expert

“Destroying two-years worth of hyperpigmentation in literally two minutes sounds too good to be true, but trying the Cutera Enlighten, even just once, is believing. Being of Asian descent, I’m prone to discoloration, and one particularly pesky and large spot came to the surface at the beginning of my last pregnancy. Since no one is doing any elective cosmetic procedures on a pregnant or postpartum woman, the spot just sat there getting darker for two consecutive summers. I finally went to see Dr. Gabriela Soza, who immediately recommended the Enlighten. ‘This picogenesis laser works by firing at a super-fast rate (in picoseconds, which is one trillionth of a second). This allows the laser to shatter the targeted pigment without causing thermal damage to the tissue that surrounds it,’ she explains. Days after the procedure, the spot scabbed over and fell off (very satisfying), revealing smooth, clear, pre-baby skin. – Carolyn Hsu, RealSelf head of content

 “My favorite cosmetic treatment, without a doubt, is Botox. I started getting it every four to six months when I was 28—I’m 32 now—and it yields results I’m consistently happy with. I’ll admit, it started as an occupational hazard because editors are frequently offered free injectables—and this industry allows for a ton of transparency into exactly how many people you know are doing it. I have been going to Dr. Dara Liotta since the beginning, and she is amazing. I love topical skin care just as much as the next beauty editor, but nothing smooths the fine lines in my forehead and the crow’s-feet like Botox. Afterward, I look exactly the same, just a bit more smooth and lifted.” —Hallie Gould, associate editorial director at Byrdie

“I go to Dr. Jennifer Levine for microneedling once or twice a year, and it helps with sun damage, acne, wrinkles, and fine lines. A post-summer session is key, to eradicate any damage I caused on the beach or at the pool. I’ve had better results with microneedling than with some of the more intense lasers that exacerbated my melasma—Clear & Brilliant excluded. And I love that there’s very little downtime I just look sunburnt for a night and then have a little redness the next day that I can cover with makeup.” —Amber Katz, beauty writer and copywriter

“My favorite cosmetic treatment I’ve ever gotten is jawline filler, because it makes such a big difference and you don’t have to wait weeks for results. The first time I got it was from Lauren Pack at Goodskin Clinic in Los Angeles. I showed up at her office looking puffy and, yes, slightly hung over, and I left looking more sculpted than I’ve ever been in my life. It’s not something I keep up or entrust to just anyone, but Dr. Jessie Cheung is also a pro at adding just the right amount of filler along the jaw and chin, to really transform your face.” —Faith Xue, executive beauty director at Bustle

“I’m newly obsessed with Sofwave, a recently FDA-approved treatment that uses ultrasound to remodel collagen, tightening skin and diminishing wrinkles. Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose turned me on to it when I told her I was interested in firming up my jawline and smoothing neck lines. After allowing numbing gel to do its thing for 30 minutes, Dr. Murphy-Rose targeted my neck, chin, jawline, under-eyes and top lip—a trouble spot, as I’m a purser, not a frowner. What blew my mind was, there is virtually no downtime with this procedure. I was a bit pink right after and had a tiny bit of swelling under my right eye for a couple of days, but I could resume working out and all other activities immediately. While I’ve already noticed some firming and a definite glow, I can’t wait to see the final results in six months!” —Gwen Flamberg, executive beauty & style editor at Us Weekly

“I’d have to say my favorite treatment that I’ve gotten thus far is Sofwave. I got to test out the treatment with Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose in New York City. It’s a noninvasive device that uses ultrasound wave technology to boost your collagen production, improving the look of fine lines and tightening your skin in minutes. You have to do it just once a year, it’s way less painful [than similar treatments], there’s basically no downtime, and I noticed a difference in the plumpness and bounciness of my skin immediately. I got a facial, and the aesthetician complimented me on how elastic my skin was. She couldn’t stop squeezing my face!” —Ama Kwarteng, beauty editor at Coveteur

“The one cosmetic treatment that I get almost every year is the Vbeam laser. I have mild rosacea and broken capillaries on my face, especially around my nose, and I love that it instantly zaps away all the redness. There’s little to no downtime—it depends on how intense your dermatologist sets the laser for your appointment—and I usually see results almost immediately. There isn’t really any other device or skin-care product that can diminish my redness long-term like the Vbeam can.” —Daley Quinn, beauty writer and content strategist

“I’ve tried a lot of cosmetic treatments in my day, but what’s made the biggest impact is a combo of Botox in my jaw and a little bit of filler in my chin. I started getting Botox in my jaw, to help with TMJ—it does that for sure, but the bonus side effect is that it also slims out and sculpts my jawline in a way that I absolutely love. I recently paired that with a small amount—half a syringe—of filler in my chin, and I’m obsessed. No one can tell that I’ve had anything done, but I absolutely love how my lower face looks, especially in photos. The best part? The results last almost a year for me.” —Melanie Rud, RealSelf contributing editor, freelance beauty writer

“I got chin and jawline liposuction a few years ago, and my one regret is not getting a small chin implant put in at the same time. I come from a long line of weak chins, and I thought getting rid of some fat in the area would make more of an impact than it actually did. So now I get chin filler every six months, to build out my side profile, and it makes a noticeable difference. 

Recently, Dr. Jessie Cheung pointed out just how strong my temporalis muscles had gotten from constantly clenching my jaw and gave me masseter Botox. After a month or so, my face looked slimmer and my jaw was no longer sore from my anxiety-clenching, so I’ll also be making that a regular part of my routine.” —Alix Tunell, RealSelf deputy editor