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With our social media inundated with pictures of celebrities having seemingly overnight transformations, it can quickly become easy to believe that surgery is the easiest way to get that coveted 'glow-up'. But that's not the case. 

According to celebrity plastic surgeon and star of E! Entertainment's 'Botched', Dr. Terry Dubrow, consumers should maximise skincare, sun protection and non-invasive options before considering surgical intervention when the issue with their skin is mild. 

We spoke to Dr. Terry Dubrow about the the biggest mistake people make when it comes to skincare, his 'holy grail' product and more

When speaking to someone with an extensive bank of knowledge on all things skincare, you simply have to ask which trends are worth buying into, and which aren't. 

Dr. Dubrow, who has over 1M followers on Instagram, said, 'The trends that usually live up to the hype are sunscreen, retinoids, vitamin C, and some LED devices when they’re used consistently and correctly. The ones that often get oversold are products that promise a “facelift in a jar,” dramatic pore erasure, or true procedural-level lifting without a device or treatment.'

'I do think some newer tightening creams can be impressive cosmetically — for example, Lancôme’s Rénergie Collagen+ Lift-Xtend Cream. is a thread-lift-inspired formula and texture, and reports measured tightening within hours and visible lift over time in company testing.'

He continues: 'In fact, it’s reported that it gives skin 57 per cent tightening in just 4 hours and 15 per cent cheek lifting in 3 months. Amazing!'

Rénergie Collagen+ Lift-Xtend Cream 

With a thread-lift inspired formula, this cream delivers clinic-like anti-aging results, and some results are in just mere hours. 

This contains collagen fractions, peptides and tripeptides to help combat the visible signs of aging that are associated with collagen loss such as sagging skin and a lack of elasticity. 

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For many of us, preventing or reducing the visible signs of ageing is a skincare priority, but like many health-related issues, prevention is far easier than the 'cure'. 

We asked Dr. Dubrow what his 'non-negotiable' way to prevent the visible signs of ageing are, and he stated: 'A daily broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. That is still the best anti-ageing bargain in existence.'

'It protects collagen, helps prevent discolouration, and lowers cumulative UV damage over time. People love shopping for 'repair,' but prevention gives the best return on investment.'

Dr. Dubrow makes it clear that he believes that consistently using suncream is the best possible thing you can do for your skin - as they protect against harmful UV and he claims, 'Patients spend a fortune trying to reverse damage that a good sunscreen helps prevent in the first place. If you use one product consistently for long-term anti-ageing, make it that.'

Even his own 'holy-grail' product is a broad-spectrum suncream, and says those who want clear, smooth skin should religiously apply suncream in the morning, as well as a retinoid at night (should their skin tolerate them). 

And sometimes, it can feel like there's a constant bombardment of new skincare trends and ingredients that all promise to 'fix' our skin, so it can be difficult to know which ones might actually just work. 

We asked Dr. Dubrow what ingredients plastic surgeons are paying the most attention to right now, and he commented, 'The ingredients getting the most serious attention right now are retinoids, vitamin C, peptides, growth-factor-adjacent technologies, and sophisticated barrier-repair ingredients.' 

'There is also a lot of interest in formulas aimed at firmness and collagen support, especially for patients who feel they’ve lost facial support after weight loss or GLP-1 use. That is part of why collagen-focused products and lifting creams are getting so much buzz right now.'

But like so many things when it comes to our general health and wellbeing, consistency really is key, and sometimes less is more. 

Regarding consistency, Dr. Dubrow says, 'Being inconsistent and overcomplicating everything. People buy too many trendy products, use them erratically, irritate their skin barrier, and then assume nothing works. The other huge mistake is chasing lifting and tightening while skipping daily sunscreen. That is like remodelling a house while leaving the roof open.'