Celebs' Pre-Oscar Beauty Prep: More Botox this year, in more ways than you want to know

The Academy Awards are this weekend, and, in addition to writing acceptance speeches, planning elaborate outfits and coordinating their makeup and hair, the actresses who'll walk Sunday's red carpet (or, possibly, just be seen inside), have also been working on creating camera-ready skin—in some cases, for months.

While most A-list celebs won't cop to indulging in cosmetic procedures, the country's top dermatologists suggest that pre-awards-show work is more common than these women are letting on. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 2009 marks a 25 percent increase in requests for pre-Oscar non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as injectables (like Botox), lasers treatments, and peels. (Interestingly, the trend is not limited to the stars themselves—celeb spouses, and behind-the-scene people like agents, publicists, producers, cinematographers, musicians, and party hosts are also going in for a wrinkle-erasing needle here and there.)

"Actresses have the same problems with their faces that the rest of the world have," says Dr. David Goldberg, a Manhattan dermatologist who has treated top actresses pre-red carpet. "But even fine lines show up really well when you're under lights and in front of cameras."

Goldberg says that while peels and laser treatments are popular skincare services two months out, the most common face rejuvenator is Botox, which patients come in for two to three weeks before the show. And they come in for a lot of Botox, he explains, in places you might not imagine. Celebs now request the injections not only to create their weirdly smooth, waxen foreheads; but for areas like the the tip of the nose (Botox can slightly shorten its length, which makes for a more becoming profile) and in the nose's bridge to correct "bunny lines," the tiny wrinkles that show up when one scrunches the face.

Another sought-after pre-Oscars procedure is armpit Botox, which can keep a recipient from sweating for up to three months. "Awards shows make people incredibly nervous to the point that sometimes they sweat profusely," says Goldberg. "They need to be able to raise their arms in those gowns."

So who* exactly is going under the needle? Goldberg won't reveal his client list (we tried, believe us, we tried), but some dermatologists estimate 99 percent of Hollywood have at least sampled a cosmetic procedure.

"This is a group that is so crazed about wrinkles, so concerned with their profiles. They get nervous and they come in," says Goldberg.

*Last December, the world of tabloids started wondering if Angelina Jolie was "addicted to Botox." We don't know, but her forehead sure looks smooth.

*Nicole Kidman has denied ever having Botox injections. Hmmm.

By yahoo, shine.
oscars, botox, beauty, academy awards