Dermo Deity

by Riki Altman | Miami magazine | January 27, 2012

Those who see Dr. Fredric Brandt’s face—outside of his Coral Gables or New York dermatology offices or in any number of major magazines and TV appearances—can’t help wondering how he keeps his skin so perfectly translucent and taut. Insiders know it’s partly because he has an unlimited supply of cleansers, serums and ingestibles at his disposal, comprising everything from vitamin C to GABA Complex. But Brandt, who did his dermatology residency at the University of Miami, also cites a few other secrets. “Keeping your weight down is very important [because] it affects your hormone and insulin levels,” he says. “I recommend a healthy diet: lots of water, low sugar. Sugar binds to the collagen and the elastin fibers in the skin and makes it brittle. This causes wrinkling and sagging.”

Surely there must be more. Some exotic DNA? An aristocratic lineage of some sort perhaps? “I’m half German, half Russian-Jewish [from Jersey],” said Brandt to a patient once, to which she curtly replied, “I thought you were so much more… exotic.”

Exotic or not, the man’s a wizard. Anyone who comes to him with uneven skin tone, blemishes, wrinkles, sags or scars can leave his art-adorned clinic with either a potion that’s sure to get the job done or an entirely transformed visage. Even those who can’t get an appointment can still reap the benefit of his knowledge. His eponymous product line is considered one of the best in the market, and his new advice show on SiriusXM is a celeb-favorite, with divas like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa and Naomi Campbell regularly calling in to share their woes and tips.

Getting to gorgeous isn’t an overnight process for any of us, even with mind-blowing technology at our fingertips. But Brandt says getting there should be evolutionary, not revolutionary: “You have to be consistent no matter what you do in life.”

Brandt’s Hots
Gifts to charities, gluten-free crackers, honesty, 1950s swing music

Brandt’s Nots
Prints and loud colors, beef, heavy metal, animal cruelty