skin color, and that misreading means the wrong device
is chosen,” she explains—a huge drawback of going to places
that take a one-size-fits-all approach. I know this firsthand;
I recently went into one millennial-friendly laser bar to resolve
a broken blood vessel and left with a permanent pockmark.
“The machine is only as good as the expert who’s operating it,”
advises Manhattan dermatologist Robert Anolik, M.D., who
also worries that this rampant need to “laser everything” can
lead to dangerous oversights. “Without a proper professional
evaluation, you might be altering the
appearance of a skin cancer, giving it years
to grow,” he warns.
Lisa Goodman, P.A.—the owner and
physician’s assistant behind GoodSkin,
a popular aesthetics destination in Los
Angeles and now New York—agrees. “It’s
worth it to pay a little more and have lasers
explained and individually tailored for you
versus just walking into a clinic and having someone plug
in a machine.” But a title shouldn’t always trump experience,
she is quick to point out. “A nurse can be just as good a laser
technician as a doctor, depending on the experience they have
and their understanding of the skin,” says Goodman, who
spent years training with Los Angeles cosmetics titans such
as Ava Shamban, M.D., and Harold Lancer, M.D., before
striking out on her own in an effort to “spend more time” with
her clients. “That’s what really sets us apart from most doctors’
offices,” she adds. An inviting atmosphere is another major
differentiator, says Brian Nourian, cofounder of West
Hollywood’s frequently geotagged Le Jolie Medi Spa,
where a who’s who of influencers regularly book sessions
of Lumecca, a supercharged version of IPL (Intense
Pulse Light) that emits between 300 nanometers and
500 nanometers of light to help maintain a no-filter-
necessary face. “We designed the space to be relaxing and
allover good vibes, so clients don’t really want to leave,”
Nourian elaborates of the selfie-friendly destination, where
a neon sign that reads pick me up hangs
over geometric wallpaper in a nod to
the 30-year-old’s eye for brand marketing.
(His aunt, Los Angeles–based cosmetic
surgeon Parvaneh Rafaeloff, M.D., serves
as Le Jolie’s medical director.)
“If you have any concerns, ask your
practitioner—whoever they are—to do a
test spot by your ear, under your jawline,
or on your arm, and wait a few days to see how skin reacts,”
suggests Chapas, outlining additional rules of engagement
when it comes to lasers: Avoid the sun in the weeks before
and after treatment, wear sunblock religiously, and steer
clear of active skin-care ingredients, such as retinoids and
salicylic acid, that might irritate sensitive, newly lasered
skin. Above all, adds Ingleton, be your own best advocate.
“There’s a lot of skepticism because everyone has heard
a laser horror story. But now they know to ask pointed
questions, and that’s a good thing.” —fiorella valdesolo
Leading Ladies
In the first episode of Mrs. America (FX on
Hulu), Phyllis Schlafly (played by a wickedly
composed Cate Blanchett) sits in the guest chair of a
daytime–talk show host. She’s there to discuss the Soviet
nuclear threat, her specialty, but the male host offers her a
condescending little reminder: “Don’t forget to smile.” She gives
him a tepid curl of the mouth, and then verbally eviscerates
him once the lights go up. Schlafly—a failed congressional
candidate and mother of five—proceeds to storm the country,
proselytizing for what she sees as “traditional values” and
becoming America’s foremost anti-feminist. Despise her or
idolize her, she was a force—her ardor
often paradoxically at odds with
the meek vision of womanhood she
espoused. Thankfully, though,
there are no paper-cutout villains or
heroines in this show. Instead,
Mrs.America creates a 360-degree
model of feminist history, with Rose Byrne as the glamorous
Gloria Steinem, Margo Martindale as fast-talking Bella Abzug,
a magnificent Uzo Aduba as the first black female major-party
presidential candidate, Shirley Chisholm, and Tracey Ullman
as Betty Friedan. Nuanced and shot through with righteous
discontent, Mrs. America digs into the divisions between
modern American women, even if we all agree on the indignity
of being told to smile.—HILLARY KELLY
FAMILY MATTERS
CATE BLANCHETT PLAYS
CULTURE WARRIOR
PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY IN
THE NEW HULU SERIES
MRS. AMERICA.
TELEVISION
“There’s a lot of
skepticism because
everyone has heard
a laser horror stor y”
VLIFE
BLANCHETT: SABRINA LANTOS/FX; BACKGROUND: EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO.
