Skincare

What’s a faux face lift?

You can now roll back the years without going under the surgeon’s knife.

Ageing is a simple and unavoidable fact of life. From the age of 25 the collagen that gives our skin its plump, youthful appearance begins to deplete, leading to an increase in fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of firmness.

Our obsession with cheating this genetic fate has spawned a multi-million dollar industry dedicated to developing new ways to turn back the hands of time, from skincare innovations and in-salon treatments all the way to cutting-edge surgical techniques. The happy fact is that today we have more control than ever over how fast we age, or perhaps more crucially, how fast we appear to age.

“The very rapid advances in technology and vast improvement in techniques of non-surgical procedures over the past 20 years means there are increasingly more options for both practitioners and patients to choose from,” says Dr Joanna Romanowska, from Clinic 42 in Auckland. Add to this the fact that non-surgical procedures are lower cost, less invasive and often provide instant results and it’s easy to see why they are rising in popularity.

One such treatment is the Non-Surgical Facelift. It enhances the body’s naturally occurring bio-electric currents to help turn back the years. At Caci clinics the treatment uses these tiny micro-currents to stimulate muscle tone and enhance skin tissue, especially in the face and neck, says Taryn Johnstone, Caci’s national trainer.

During treatment, the skin is first cleansed and toned, then stimulated with two metal handpieces. “Next, we do the ‘reminder stage’ of the treatment – this keeps the muscles in position,” says Johnstone. “The final stage includes a mask to deeply infuse a tailored serum into the skin.”

For optimum results, it’s best to undergo a course of treatments. “Just as if you were using weights to strengthen your muscles at the gym, it doesn’t happen in one session,” says Johnstone. A course typically involves two sessions per week for the first few weeks, then a maintenance session every four to six weeks.

Prices start at $128 for a one-off treatment but reduce when combined with a skin-treatment plan.

*Words: Elise Wilson, Simply You

Photo: 124RF Stock Photo*

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