Ask Dr. Brandt a Question!

Beauties, do you have any burning skin-care questions you'd love to ask a dermatologist but don't want to pay for a doctor's visit? Luckily for you, New York City and Miami-based dermatologist to the stars (he’s Madonna's go-to guy) Fredric Brandt, M.D. is now open to the public! The waiting list for an appointment at his offices is months long, but on Saturdays at 1pm, Dr. Brandt will be answering any question you have on Sirius XM Stars. Just who is Dr. Brandt? Known as the Baron of Botox, he's injected the most patients (in the world!) with collagen and Botox. He pioneered procedures that help women to achieve younger looking faces (like injecting filler underneath the cheekbones to plump them up) without looking like blown up dolls, and was the first to introduce green tea into his skincare line after discovering its powerful antioxidant powers. We were wondering what everyone else wants to know (remember, nothing you ask is silly!) and asked him a few of our beauty questions. Here's what he had to say:

Q: You wrote a whole book, 10 Minutes 10 Years, about how sugar is bad for you. We all know it can cause weight gain and diabetes, but how does it affect skin?
Dr. Brandt: Sugar induces a phenomenon called glycation. This is when sugar binds to collagen in the skin and makes it become brittle and break down, which then causes skin to lose elasticity.

Q: Let's say I went on a bender last night (cupcakes, champagne, cigarettes, the whole nine yards). What should I do the morning after to repair my skin and body?
Dr. Brandt: You can drink green tea or use one of my Anti-Oxidant Water Boosters to reduce inflammations that have been generated from your night of partying. You can also take a vitamin supplement such as carnosine which prevents glycation in the skin.

Q: What makes a woman look older? Brown spots, wrinkles, or sagging? What's the best way to treat these problems?
Dr. Brandt: All of these contribute to making women look older. I would say number one is sagging, which changes the shape of the face. Number two would be wrinkling, and three would be pigmentation. Sagging can be treated with Ulthera, the best new device in dermatologists’ offices. It generates ultrasonic energy to heat collagen and the muscle layers in the skin to cause them to tighten up. Fillers can also lift the face and decrease sagging. Wrinkling can be treated with a variety of at-home options, including peptide creams and retinol to help regulate your collagen production. In the office, wrinkling can be treated with Botox or fillers such as Restylane. To treat pigmentation, you need to use sunscreen every day. An at home use of a bleaching agent such as arbutin, soy extract, or licorice extract can also help.

Q: After the teenage years, why would an adult woman suddenly start getting zits again?
Dr. Brandt: Adult acne in women is usually hormonally induced, be it a slight abnormality between estrogen and testosterone in their body or increased levels of cortisol or androgen levels due to stress. It can also be caused by stopping the use of the birth-control pill and the re-regulation of their menstrual cycle.

Q: Is it ever okay to pop a pimple yourself? If you can't get to a dermatologist for a cortisol shot, what can you do to make the pimple shrink faster?
Dr. Brandt: No, this is never okay. You should buy an over-the-counter antibacterial agent such as a benzoyl peroxide cream or my Blemishes No More Intensolution.

Q: Is wearing makeup bad for skin?
Dr. Brandt: Not really, as long as you remove it before bed by cleansing properly and applying your night treatment.

Dr. Fredric Brandt has been revolutionizing the field of cosmetic dermatology for over 20 years. He was the first to introduce green tea into skin care and the first to launch at-home treatments that mimic in-office procedures such as microdermabrasion, laser tight, and laser a-peel. The internationally known lecturer, innovative researcher, and sought-after physician is revered by patients, prestigious medical companies, and colleagues alike.