Hollywood Cosmetic ParalysisWatch: Where The Stars Are Getting Pricked For Oscar Night
With the Oscars less than a week away, there is precious little time remaining for actresses to undergo the kind of physical fine-tuning that will allow them to bypass having the marrow sucked from their bones by red carpet vultures like Joan Rivers and Isaac Mizrahi; at this point, those still requiring cosmetic intervention probably have no choice but to head for a combination donkey show/dermatology clinic in Tijuana and hope that hastily performed procedures will spare them the humiliation of being spotted in the unforgivable act of having a flaw on Hollywood's Biggest Night. The Sunday NY Times surveyed a number of celebrity dermatologists, trying to precisely pinpoint what body parts better-prepared attendees have already had paralyzed in preparation for the ceremony:
"Botox for excess perspiration is a must-have for the red carpet, for actresses so they don't stain their dresses and for actors who don't want clammy handshakes," Dr. Wu said.
She recommends that some celebrities undergo what she calls a "Botox neck lift" about two weeks before an awards show. This involves injecting the jaw line and neck to relax muscles underneath the skin, she said.
Up to one week before an event, Dr. Shamban said, she administers injections of temporary fillers like Restylane, a gel made out of hyaluronic acid, to pad lips and invert crow's-feet. This week, she said, she will also give "superamped facials" to a few awards-goers; the facials involve an acid peel or microdermabrasion to exfoliate the top layer of skin cells, followed by an application of a moisturizing serum.
"If skin is hydrated, it plumps up more and looks glowing," Dr. Shamban said. "It should last through a whole night of partying.
Of course, while no one wants unsightly wrinkles and moist pit stains to mar their evening, those planning on hitting the party circuit shouldn't be too overzealous with the injections; it's better to be seen with an untreated forehead furrow than it is to walk around with coke wastefully dripping from one's nostrils after a wayward Botox prick has paralyzed the muscles that make a healthy snort through a tightly rolled hundred-dollar bill possible.
