New Year's resolutions - we all make them! Does your list include things to make you look better? Cosmetic procedures are high on the list for so many of my clients, and why not? If you've resolved to treat yourself well and present your best, most vital appearance in the coming year, the time to start is right now.



That's because many of the top skin rejuvenation and other cosmetic procedures work through a series of treatments. Here are suggestions for treatments by your cosmetic dermatologist to help you look your best for spring, when the heavy winter clothing comes off. Each treatment is brief, but you'll want to plan ahead and schedule a complete series, for maximum results.

If you're looking for wrinkle and crows feet treatments, something to erase discoloration, reduce pore size, tone and tighten your skin - absolutely nothing beats the unparalleled Fraxel laser. This revolutionary, safe, non-invasive cosmetic procedure reverses skin damage and the effects of aging, with next to no downtime. It doesn't destroy your surface skin, the way earlier laser treatments did. Targeting "MicroThermal Zones" in your mid-dermal layer, the laser energy leaves healthy tissue surrounding the zones - and it stimulates this tissue to create your own, new, fresh collagen and elastic tissue in just days, rapidly restoring the healthy youthful tone of your skin.

Along with smoothing wrinkles and improving skin tone, the Fraxel laser is the only procedure that erases melasma, the mask of pregnancy. It is hands-down the best treatment for acne scarring. And you can have Fraxel laser treatment on your neck, chest, arms, and hands, as well as your face. If I sound excited about this - well, I am! The results my clients have achieved are simply astonishing. If you've resolved that you deserve to look as young and vital as you feel, Fraxel laser treatments are for you.

Another laser treatment to get started on now is permanent hair removal. Lasers treat targeted areas with "pulses" of light energy that are absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle, destroying it. Through the treatment series, the technology targets darker and coarser hair - leaving finer, lighter, almost imperceptible hair. Laser hair removal, unlike other methods, is painless, with no unpleasant side effects like scarring and ingrown hairs. And - again unlike other hair removal procedures - laser hair removal is perfect for the bikini and underarm areas, to get you ready for swim season. Just imagine never shaving, plucking, or waxing those unwanted hairs again!

If you cringe every year, looking at your wardrobe of shorts, short skirts, and swimsuits, why not resolve to make this the year you do something about unsightly leg veins? Two kinds of spider vein treatments can give you a cringe-free spring and summer. Sclerotherapy injection has been a successful spider vein treatment since the 1930s. In this process, a sterile saline solution is injected directly into the vein using a very fine needle - so the discomfort is minimal. The solution affects the lining of the blood vessel, which closes and turns into scar tissue, fading away over time.

Or, laser varicose or spider vein treatments may be preferable, depending on your individual needs. Brief, intense emissions of laser light, at the optimal setting for precisely controlled levels of penetration, eliminate the superficial blood vessels. Both sclerotherapy and laser vein treatments are very low-risk procedures. Side effects are extremely rare, and recovery requirements are minimal (just wearing support hose for a while, and keeping your feet up when you sit). Spend some time this winter treating yourself to clear, vein-free skin, and you'll feel more confident about your appearance in shorts weather!

Eating right, getting exercise, quitting smoking - you know how important these are for your health. Well, taking care of your appearance is just as important for your emotional well-being and self-confidence. We're so lucky to live in a time when technology keeps offering newer, better cosmetic procedures and treatments that are non-invasive, pain-free, easy on your busy schedule. So if your New Year's list didn't include caring for your skin, check with your cosmetic dermatologist for the right procedure for your needs. It's not too late to add a new resolution to your list!