By Amanda Garrigus

Radiant skin. We all want it. Some of us are willing to go to any length to get it. From the vampire facial, made famous by the queen of beauty extremes herself, Kim Kardashian, to the penis facial, made notorious by Sandra Bullock, we’re taking a closer look at three beauty treatments that are hot right now. Caveat: not all medi-spas are created equal, and not all facialists are either, so do your research and proceed with caution before making the leap and trying one of the treatments below.

LightStim

Want beautiful skin but not sure where to turn? Look no further than people who exhibit that covetable radiance you seek. We think Kate Bosworth has gorgeous skin, and it’s clear by her Instagram feed (@katebosworth) that she’s committed to keeping it that way. Her secret weapon? LED light therapy. But, according to the glowy actress, not all LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are created equal. She swears by LightStim, an FDA approved device that promises more of the collagen you want and less of the wrinkles you don’t. The treatment apparatus looks like an open book, and during your time together, it’ll look as though you fell asleep with said book, glowing with intense red light, on your face. Different wavelengths of light are used to address different skin concerns. For example, acne is addressed with a one-two punch of blue and red light. Want to get rid of those fine lines? Amber and red lights are just the ticket. The cost of a professional LightStim treatment, typically combined with a more traditional facial, hovers around the $200 mark, but devotees like Bosworth and a slew of other beauties, including Victoria’s Secret model Josephine Skriver (who gets their glow-on at New York Dermatology Group https://www.nydermatologygroup.com), swear by its addictive results. Want to try this at home? LightStim (https://www.lightstim.com) sells less intense, but still powerful wands for at home usage.

Microneedling

This sounds as awful as it feels. In the early days of this treatment, aestheticians would roll tiny needles over the full surface of your face. Today, most treatment specialists will use a somewhat less painful “stamping pen.” Both options create small puncture wounds that force the body to heal itself, apparently by creating youth-restoring collagen, increasing circulation and product absorption. Microneedling is the companion treatment to that vampire facial made famous by Kim Kardashian. Ask her about it today and the second-born Kardashian will say it was the most painful beauty treatment she’s ever had, and she would never do it again. Caveat: she was newly pregnant at the time of her treatment and as such was unable to take advantage of the highly recommended topical anesthetic. If you do decide to temporarily traumatize your face in the name of increased plumpness and, yes, glow, you’d do well to say yes to whatever numbing option is offered. It’s still no cakewalk, but at least you won’t want to leap out of the treatment chair and run home to the relative safety of your pain-free beauty serums. On the flip side of pain, we hear it works like nothing else, reducing wrinkles, decimating smile lines, and evening skin tone, and it has newly captured the attention of beauties like Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts. Gwyneth’s go-to for microneedling is Mashell Tabe (https://www.mashelltabe.com), who combines the torturous treatment with intuitive insights into your mind, body, and spirit. Microneedling will cost you anywhere from $750 to well over $1,000, which could be the most painful part of the whole experience. Get your glow on at home for a fraction of the price, and none of the pain, with this bestselling option from Sephora (https://rstyle.me/+7WIBIt2Zp0K87k5vmeMhYQ).

Hanacure

Here’s one that doesn’t require a trip to the spa. It’s the Hanacure (https://www.hanacure.com) facial mask, and it’s got the Hollywood set besotted. There is compelling evidence everywhere that this mask rejuvenates your skin. Drew Barrymore exclaimed on Instagram that it “changed my life” to actor Michael C. Hall, who said it made “guys in their 40s look like dewy lads again.” Some call it the “grandma facial” for the way the serum dries and cracks on your skin, while others call it “the most intense mask ever.” It seems that the resulting age-reversal is universal. Hanacure is a product of the South Korean beauty scene, and we all know that Korean skincare is where it’s at. Using a combination of decidedly recognizable ingredients like lotus leaf, green tea, and honeysuckle, the brand claims that the mask “tightens, brightens, contours, and diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, giving you a restored and youthful appearance.” All you have to do is pop the lid off of the Lifting Serum, peel back the seal on the Gelling Solution, combine the two, reseal, shake, then use the pretty enclosed brush to paint the magic stuff all over your face. Over the next thirty minutes, you will experience what they call an “intense tightening” and then that aforementioned grandma effect. As the clock ticks down, the mask will get to work absorbing any impurities trapped in your skin, all the while fighting signs of aging. After the thirty minutes are up, you’ll rinse your face with warm water, then gaze into the mirror and say hello to the younger version of yourself staring back. At just $29 per mask, or $110 for a pack of four, giving it a go poses a relatively low financial risk. Posting Instagram photos of your face contorted by the hardening gel mask is another story.