Many of you have written in to inquire about what Megyn does to take care of her skin, and now she is shedding some light on her routine.
On Tuesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Anothony Youn, MD, and board certified plastic surgeon and author of Younger For Life, to discuss the skincare products and minimally invasive in-office treatments she uses to maintain her skin.
The Evolution of ‘Ant-Aging’
As Dr. Youn explained, our understanding of aging and how to care for the skin has changed over time. “I think when we look at the old spectrum of anti-aging it’s like you’re building a house and people come in to see me and say ‘I want a facelift,’ but they haven’t done all this other stuff,” he said. “It’s like you’re thinking about building a house but you’re starting with the spire or the attic when you really need to look at, overall, how do you keep yourself looking younger.”
The fact of the matter is no professional procedure or surgery can take the place of healthy living. “The foundation of that house is the food that you eat, and the next step is going to be skincare,” Dr. Youn said. “The second floor is probably going to be those laser treatments and minimally invasive options, and surgery and invasive stuff is way way up at the top.”
Lasers
With that in mind, Megyn said that she is “happy to tell the audience” what she gets done because she understands that “people want to know what procedures are available to keep them looking younger.”
As someone who has sensitive skin and is in front of a camera for a living, Megyn explained that she and her doctor have a specific approach to in-office treatments. “I’m on the air and I have sensitive skin, so I have to be careful,” she said. “I can’t get like the big old bulldozer laser or one of those crazy C02 laser procedures where you’re terrifying to your children for weeks.”
To get the skin-resurfacing and rejuvenating benefits without downtime, Megyn said she alternates between picosecond lasers and Clear + Brilliant every six to eight weeks. “They’re very gentle – like you don’t need a numbing cream,” she shared. “You don’t even know anything has happened, but it keeps your skin looking really good.”
While Dr. Youn doesn’t treat Megyn, he said that combination makes sense because it can “help to stimulate the collagen in the skin, and create tightening of the skin, and give a smoothing effect without a lot of the inflammation” that accompanies more aggressive lasers.
Injectables
Megyn has shared on the show before that she gets Botox regularly. The neurotoxin injectable – which is typically used to treat forehead lines, crow’s feet, and frown lines – temporarily paralyzes the underlying muscles to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for three to four months at a time.
While Botox is an injectable that smooths wrinkles, hyaluronic acid-based injectable dermal fillers are used to add or restore volume and contour areas of the face like the lips, cheeks, and jawline. While Megyn is a fan of Botox, she said she is “very anti-filler” because it “goes wrong too often.”
You can likely think of some celebrities that appear to have gotten too much filler and end up with a puffy, distorted appearance, but Dr. Youn said the injectable can have a transformative effect in the hands of a skilled injector. “Like anything, it really comes down to a little of something can be a really good thing,” he explained. “But when plastic surgeons go haywire, it becomes a bad thing… And you see Real Housewives and these celebrities out there where it’s just too much.”
Skincare
When it comes to taking care of your skin at home, it requires a multifaceted approach. In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly, sun protection is the best way to keep your skin looking and functioning its best. “I’ve had many moles removed, and I did have a basal cell carcinoma removed from my temple,” Megyn shared. “It was fine and the guy did a great job of stitching it up, but you do have to be so careful.”
As a “very fair person” with Irish roots, Megyn said she has lathered sunscreen on herself for years and makes her kids do the same. For those worried about the ingredients in chemical sunscreens, Dr. Youn recommended mineral sunblocks with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as an alternative.
While sun protection is a must, Dr. Youn said a topical retinol or retinoid may be beneficial for those who are predisposed to skin cancer because they increase cell turnover.
But that’s not all. For those who are also concerned about fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin A derivatives also improve collagen production to smooth the skin. And if you are dealing with acne, they can treat breakouts as well.
Megyn said she initially tried a prescription retinoid but is now using an over-the-counter retinol that is gentler. “I have sensitive skin, and I tried a retinoid and peeled and hated it,” she shared. “Then I found this retinol and I was like okay, I can tolerate this, and I actually do think it’s good at sort of resurfacing.”
And before you put any products on your face, don’t forget to wash it. “The average person is ahead of the game compared to me because I wear so much makeup for the camera, but I do make sure I clean my face religiously,” Megyn concluded. “Every night, you’ve got to wash your face to get off all that makeup and grime.”
At the end of the day, Megyn said caring for the skin is all about looking and feeling your best. “Ladies, listen to me: Get the lasers, get the Botox… but I don’t believe in the filler,” she concluded. “This is what I do, and it allows you to age but age well without looking weird and desperate.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Dr. Youn by tuning in to episode 761 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.