Blog Posts by Elle

I've daydreamed about getting felt up by a hot doctor (imagine George Clooney in ER, circa 1994). But as New York City-based dermatologist Eric Schweiger, MD, gently pinches my outer thigh, I find myself wishing I'd gone with a slightly less attractive Anthony Edwards type. There's nothing like having a dashing young doc inspecting your wobbly bits under the unforgiving glare of overhead lights-especially when you're a cosmetic-procedure virgin. (I'm 31 years old, and the most I've gotten "done" is a professional teeth whitening.) As I stand, holding my paper-thin robe to my waist, the only thing that keeps me rooted to the cold floor is knowing that if Schweiger deems me a candidate for Zeltiq CoolSculpting-the fat-blasting device du jour-I might have a shot at reducing my stubborn saddlebags and shimmying into my skinny jeans without toppling over.

MORE: Weight Loss Surgery Without the Knife?

Freezing Your Fat Off
Hailed by renowned dermatologist Frederic Brandt, MD,

That women will stop at nothing to artificially achieve the perfect silhouette is not breaking news. How they do it, however, is ever-changing. In the past, undergarments did the bulk of the work, from whale-bone corsets to Real Housewives-designed faux Spanx; women's waists have been nipped, tucked, and cinched underneath their clothes in every which way. But now, thanks to a slew of optical-illusion dresses hitting red carpets and runways, the dresses are drawing the curves.

MORE: Weight Loss Surgery Without the Knife?

At the Venice Film Festival in early September, Kate Winslet (left) pulled off a seemingly antithetical miracle: Wearing a clever skintight shift dress from Stella McCartney's fall 2011 collection, the Oscar-winning actress appeared to be curvier and thinner. The secret to Winslet's dress was ingenious color blocking-black side panels gave her a high, tiny waist that, when added to the white panel around her bust, gave her an hourglass figure that'd turn Jessica

CANADA
Beauty Ambassador: Rachel McAdams, Actor
Makeup Must-Have: Thanks to its natural, year-round warmth, Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder "flies off the shelves.
Skin Secret: To battle extreme weather from humid summers to icy winters, northern beauties use skin-balancing Elizabeth Arden Prevage Day SPF moisturizer.
Hair Essential: Urbanites in Toronto and Vancouver skip highlights in favor of one-tone blonds and reds, courtesy of Clairol Perfect 10 hair color.

MORE: Ways to Predict How Well Will You Age

KOREA
Beauty Ambassador: Gianna Jun, Actor
Makeup Must-Have: For creamy, crystal-clear skin, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 creates a porcelain-like finish.
Skin Secret: The fountain of youth? ELLE's Korean reader pick, SK-II Skin Signature cream.
Hair Essential: A few refreshing spritzes of L'Occitane Control Mist Dry & Damaged Hair give straight styles a brilliant shine.

BRAZIL
Beauty Ambassador: Gisele Bündchen, Model
Makeup Must-Have: Red lips have caught on like a

ALSO ON ELLE.COM:

• The Best Celebrity Haircuts EVER

• America's Most Beautiful People

• How to Get the Hair You Want

• Celebrity Body Transformations

• Top Beauty & Fitness Secrets from Hot Celebs

How to treat the definitive signs of aging: hair loss, wrinkles, and body flab!


HAIR LOSS

"I used to treat about three patients a month for hair loss, and now it's roughly three per day," says NYC-based dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, who attributes the "astounding increase" of hair loss to stress-induced testosterone production, which causes hair follicles to slow down.

MORE: The Hair You Want and How to Get It

The Treatments
To jump-start growth, Alexiades often suggests combining her "mainstay" treatment, Rogaine (minoxidil), with a topical prescription of testosterone-regulating spironolactone (like many prescription therapies, the combo is not for women trying to get pregnant, or who are pregnant or nursing). Miami- and New York-based dermatologist Fredric Brandt, MD, sends patients home with biotin supplements (which help the body metabolize amino acids and protein, the basic building blocks of hair), plus a prescription for a pharmacist-blended compound

Find out who your famous sorority sisters are!

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks
Based on some of her roles-40-Year-Old Virgin, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Wet Hot American Summer-Elizabeth Banks seems like the kind of actress who appeals to frat guys. And there's a reason for that. At the University of Pennsylvania, Banks was in the Delta Delta Delta sorority and recently joked with Craig Ferguson (who was once married to a Delta himself) about meeting her husband on the lawn of a fraternity. "He was a sophomore, and I was a freshman," Banks told the late-night host. "And I still make fun of him because he was very much trying to take advantage of the 'new girl on the block.'" Other famous Deltas include Today show host Hota Kotb (Virginia Tech) and former Today show host Katie Couric, who attended the University of Virginia, where she was also a cheerleader. In 2008, she even made a surprise visit to the Tri Delta house at the University of Mississippi, where she clearly was impressed.

ALSO ON ELLE.COM:

• 17 Best Skin Tips from Top Models

• Top Beauty & Fitness Secrets from Hot Celebs

• America's Most Beautiful People

• Celebrity Body Transformations

• The Pros and Cons of Breast Implants

The Truth About Adult Acne
Braces and angst are two things most of us can happily leave behind in our adolescence; acne, less so. In fact, breakouts are seemingly becoming more common later in life: Studies published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology note that 50 percent of women will suffer from acne at some point in their adult years, and that the median age of those afflicted has increased from 20.5 to 26.5 years old. All acne is not created equal, however. Younger acne will most always involve T-zone-centric blackheads and whiteheads, while adult acne hits around the jawline and neck, and often shows up as painful cysts and nodules. And grown-up breakouts might be more scarring, because skin becomes less resilient with age.

More: 17 Skincare Tips from Top Models

Good News for Those With Bad Genes
Skin scientists have used genomics, the study of genes, to tailor treatments for wrinkles, and now they're using their gene know-how to tackle oil overload that could