Christie Brinkley finally reveals how she looks so young at 61

Christie Brinkley is 61 years old, but you’d be forgiven for thinking she was half that age.

The multitalented model – whose face was seemingly inescapable through the ‘80s – has gotten a whole new dose of fame lately since modelling in a swimsuit at 60.

Writing for The Mail on Sunday to promote her new book, Christie recently shared some of her beauty secrets – and they give a fascinating insight into somebody who works extraordinarily hard and often to maintain her looks.

First and foremost: has she had “work” done?

“That is the big question,” she says. “And here is the answer: only your dermatologist should know for sure”.

Minor adjustments

Christie suggests that tweaking, rather than transformation, is the key to keeping a natural look.

“My attitude is: if something bothers you, it’s OK to tweak it. Don’t like your grey hair? Cover it up (or even make it pink and purple if you choose).

“And the same goes for wrinkles, sagging and discoloured skin. Younger women should try to see keeping their skin beautiful and healthy is a process of maintenance, rather than correction”.

“But hopefully you are not choosing a medical procedure as a way of becoming something or someone you are not”.

The best results are not total transformations but nearly imperceptible changes that just make you look like a slightly younger version of you. This is an area where less really is more.

“I am not a doctor, and I don’t claim to be any sort of expert, so the last thing I would want to do is recommend that you try (or avoid) any one particular treatment. Those decisions should be between you and your doctor”.

Botox in the neck, not in the face

“Having Botox injected into my forehead was a disaster”, she says.

“Looking back, I don’t even know why I bothered. Instead of making me look serene and relaxed, Botox took the arch out of my eyebrows and made me look sad. My face lacked expression and I couldn’t wait for the effects to wear off”.

“But more recently, I noticed vertical bands in my neck that were particularly obvious with side lighting. I didn’t like them, so I enquired about what could be done, and apparently the easiest way to address this issue was to inject small amounts of Botox into the ‘strings’ in my neck”.

“The best part is that you don’t have to worry about any expression being lost or changed”.

Use fillers in moderation

“I have used fillers in super-tiny doses, and just like make-up, the best ones are imperceptible.

“Dermal fillers are gels that are injected beneath the skin surface. As their name implies, they are used to fill in places that have lost volume due to ageing.

“That means they are effective not only for filling up wrinkles and indented scars, but can also restore volume to the cheeks, hands and other areas that have lost their youthful fullness. Results are immediate and can last six to 12 months”.

“If you have a pockmark, a wrinkle that you feel distracts from your look, or a scowl that does not reflect your attitude, fillers can be a good solution”.

Laser treatment

After a nasty brush against poison ivy last year, Christie found laser treatment was effective in getting her skin tone back to normal.

“The process also stimulates your body to produce collagen, the naturally occurring protein in the skin that gives it firmness and elasticity, so I get the added bonus over time of my face looking fuller and more youthful”.

Lifting (without surgery) 

Christie recommends devices that use radio frequency ranges, which “can do amazing things without any surgical lifting”.

“These machines deliver energy deep into the skin to heat it and stimulate collagen production”.

“Injections, lasers, and energy treatments are rarely completely pain-free. But the good news is that any pain involved is usually minimal, rarely lasts much longer than the treatment itself, and can be easily mitigated with the right pain-relief treatments. Your doctor should be able to advise on steps to take before your procedure”.

What do you think about Christie’s beauty regime? Is this a good balance between “getting work done” and “ageing gracefully”? And is it realistic for those of us on a non-supermodel salary?