Quietly mainstream in many other countries, nippy, effective and MINIMALLY INVASIVE TREATMENTS are becoming highly sought by those seeking a subtle, barely detectable uplift in their appearance …
1. THE YOUTHFUL JAWLINE: A recent poll of gals confirmed that saggy jowls were of grave concern, and this writer was speedily dispatched to find out about a highly recommended remedy from Mr Roy of the Excellence Medical Clinic in Donnybrook. For it is he, an experienced surgeon, according to those in the know, who is pioneering a new procedure called Silhouette Soft, to address the slack jaw of middle age. One friend told me that it was undoubtedly the best thing she has ever done and is overflowing with the joys of a decidedly more youthful appearance.
Aimed at the 40-65 age group, it’s described as a “lunchtime” process. Not really believing in the efficacy of these instant improvement procedures, I met with the doctor who explained how it all works. After a local anaesthetic, fine sutures are inserted along the jawline with a micro needle and the jawline is pulled upwards, with sutures, without incisions or telltale scars; even temporary bruises are unusual. Pop a bit of filler into any hollow places to complete the rejuvenation, and you are hot to rock.
After the treatment, you look fresher and the good news is that the skin regenerates with lots of lovely collagen bubbling away, keeping everything luscious. The “better you” lasts about 18-24 months but the effects can seem to go on for longer because of the improvement in skin tone, and compared to a lot of face refurbishment, it’s got a good price point – around the €2,000 mark will see you right.
Seeing my friend before and after, I can hand on heart say she looks absolutely fabulous. I am left with no doubt that I could most definitely vastly improve the youthfulness of my appearance from this procedure and indeed make good use of the many other therapies on offer, however I’m just not on this page … yet. For the time being, I’ll continue to let my facial contours be hollowed and honed by cycling into the wind. TQ Dr Shunil Roy, Excellence Medical, 12 Morehampton Road, Dublin 4, 01 232 5528; www.excellencemedical.ie.
2. THE SUBTLE LIFT A facelift for people who don’t want intervention and are averse to needles, but are less unnerved by machines, Ultherapy is an intense focused ultrasound that works on tissues in the skin, encouraging it to create new collagen. “Ultherapy is the ultimate in subtle treatments,” says Dr Rosemary Coleman, “because the entire face is treated at the same time so that every part of the skin gets a little lift for a totally uniform effect. You look better – it’s almost impossible to analyse how, but everything is a bit tighter and higher.” Coleman rarely takes on new treatments, but is very enthusiastic about the Ulthera machine since starting with it in May, and none of her clients has been disappointed. It’s ideal for the neck: “The neck skin is different from the face and far less forgiving. I find that people start to care for their neck about ten years after their face. I always encourage people to look after their neck and chest at the same time, and wear SPF 365 days a year, from hairline to chest, not forgetting the hands.” It’s effective on arms too, even fine crepey skin.
A lift of 1-2mm around your brow might not sound a lot, but it’s perceptible to the eye without being obvious. With a facelift, Coleman notes, you don’t want something that will last 15 years because it’s not going to look natural. It’s effective in the 40s/50s/60s, though all facial rejuvenation requires a “jigsaw approach”: so if you need volume in the face (Coleman talks of the gaunt “jogger’s face”), Ultherapy won’t replace that, but it will complement other treatments, such as Botox. It’s not for everyone, says Coleman. Patient selection is paramount: “If you need a facelift, your money will be wasted on Ultherapy as it’s too subtle. If you have very heavy jowls, or a thickened neck area, no subtle tissue tightener will affect that.” So you need to be realistic, and take advice from the experts.
The advantage is that just one treatment is required, which will take up to around two and a half hours with Coleman “as we give significant pain relief”. Ultherapy is often marketed as a quick and painless quick fix, but Coleman, having experienced the treatment herself, is honest that “it is uncomfortable unless you use proper pain relief medication – two Nurofen Plus are not adequate.” There is no downtime, though, and “you could walk out of the treatment and appear on TV”. The treatment should not need to be repeated within 18-24 months, depending on a variety of factors that can affect your face, from lifestyle and nutrition to weight gain or loss.
The drawback? It is expensive. Depending on the area being treated, it will set you back from €1,000 to around €3,600. “But I know it works,” says Coleman. “And if you want to age gracefully, you need to do all your face at the same rate: this is an ideal treatment to get that lovely balanced effect.”
SH Dr Rosemary Coleman, Suite 5&6, Blackrock Clinic, Co Dublin, 01 288 5333; www.drrosemarycoleman.com.
3. THE FULLER FACE Jeanette Dunne of Renew starts every consultation by handing her client a mirror and asking her what bothers her most about her face, what she would most like to change. “I know what I’d do,” she says, but “it mightn’t be a priority for her. We will focus on the areas that she wants to address.” One thing is for sure though: Dunne starts with the skin, pointing out that so much can be done to improve the quality, texture and appearance of the skin, with microdermabrasion and peels of varying degrees of intensity, alongside a skincare regime of active ingredients (including retinol), before you go any further down the road of using IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), micro-needling or Viora-Reaction. That’s the clinic’s newest radio frequency machine, which tightens and contours the face by stimulating collagen production with an electric pulse and improving skin elasticity over time.
All these treatments are offered by Renew, with excellent results, if one can judge by the glowing testimonials of some very well-known faces on the walls of the waiting room. (Oh, so that’s her secret …) When Dunne has her client’s skin balanced and evenly textured, she may suggest a hyaluronic filller. Where filler was once injected following a basic, one-size-fits-all pattern, now specific fillers are strategically used in the various folds and hollows to subtly volumise the face. The fat pads on the cheeks require a different filler to fine lines around the mouth, for instance. This strategic approach means you can achieve a youthful but undetectable effect. Which is exactly what we want.
From €360 for one treatment. ^ SMcD Renew Aesthetic Clinic, 30 Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2, 01 661 9261; 7 Basin Street, Naas, Co Kildare, 045 901 1111; www.renewclinic.ie.
This article appeared in a previous issue, for more features like this, don’t miss our February issue, out Thursday February 4.
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