While the quest for the fountain of youth has been around since almost the dawn of mankind, in today’s world we have a wealth of science and tech in our collective toolkit to help wage the war against ageing.
New discoveries mean the lacklustre facelifts of yesteryear — which required longer recoveries and post-op care — are becoming a thing of the past.
Indeed, Hollywood’s heavy-hitters are increasingly turning their backs on the knife in favour of non-surgical, minimally invasive, treatments to help them stay red-carpet ready.
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And thankfully, these cutting-edge procures are available to us mere mortals too.
But out of the swag of ever-evolving procedures, which ones really work — and what can you expect?
Read on to find out the hot picks from industry insiders on how to shave off the years.
Radio frequency micro needling
Want to know the the secret behind Kim Kardashian’s seemingly age-defying 43-year-old skin?
Look no further than radio frequency and micro needling.
Dubbed a “game changer” by the reality star, the combination of radio frequency and micro needling aims to allow for both deeper penetration and precise targeting of problem areas.
“Radio frequency (RF) and skin needling is more of a ‘heavy lifting’ skin treatment,” says Samantha Appel, founder of The Skin Bar — a chain of clinics dedicated entirely to skin needling and skin needling paired with RF.
“Regular skin needling is a great treatment for anyone concerned with skin texture, anti-ageing, open pores, sun damage, congestion or acne scarring, while RF needling is better suited for someone who wants to elevate their regular skin treatments.”
Both treatments are said to stimulate collagen production more effectively, leading to better skin texture, tightness and reduced wrinkles.
However when needling is combined with RF, it penetrates the skin at a much deeper level.
“In terms of benefits, this treatment is a true all-rounder,” Appel says.
“It can treat the big ticket items like wrinkles, skin tightening, scarring and rejuvenation, but it’s versatile enough to treat more nuanced conditions like open pores, pigment, rosacea. This treatment does it all! “
Longevity depends on lifestyle factors and skin type.
But, typically, three to four sessions spaced between four to six weeks apart are recommended for optimal results.
CO2 fractional laser
Imagine you could take all your skin concerns — hyperpigmentation, sun damage, acne scars and wrinkles — and peel them away to reveal a new layer of blemish-free, glowing, healthy skin.
Well, say hello to the CO2 Fractional Laser.
One of the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedures among celebrities including Courteney Cox, Jennifer Anniston and Jessica Simpson, the CO2 Fractional Laser — also called “Fraxel” — is a non-surgical treatment, which claims to be clinically proven to work on a cellular level to reduce the signs of ageing.
Delivering laser energy into the skin in the form of microscopic columns, creating minuscule wounds that stimulate your skin’s renewal process, the procedure initiates a natural healing process.
In that process, your skin creates new, healthier tissue to replace skin imperfections, remodel the collagen and tighten skin texture.
“Although CO2 lasers had been in existence for some time they were never suitable for skin resurfacing because they emitted a continuous stream of laser light which would have caused horrific scarring to the skin,” explains cosmetic doctor at Sydney Cosmetic Clinic, Dr Brito.
“The new generation of CO2 Laser — a fractionated CO2 laser — which is the one we currently use, instead ablates thousands of microscopic columns of skin but leaves intact skin in between!”
While many clinics offer this service it’s typically at a superficial level.
This means the results will be dramatically less than if you opt to have the procedure done at a hospital under anaesthetic.
“You’ll see many clinics offering ‘laser resurfacing’ in-house,” Dr Brito says.
“However, this can never deliver an effective resurfacing result because they are using extremely low energy settings in order to be able to do it without anaesthesia, and so patients will never achieve the dramatic result they were probably expecting.”
Sydney Cosmetic Clinic is one of the only practices in the country that offers a deep fractionated CO2 laser treatment.
“A really good result requires energy levels that are too painful to be tolerated, even with numbing cream and local anaesthesia,” Dr Brito explains.
“That is why we prefer to have patients have a light general anaesthetic, feel no pain whatsoever, and then go home to recover.
“In a nutshell, this leads to a way more impressive result: clearer, smoother skin, and a reduction of visible ‘open pores’.
“In terms of wrinkle improvement specifically, if the patient has significant wrinkles — for example, under the eyes, or on the upper lip — we will change the end-piece of the laser to one that delivers a narrow beam that we can focus on individual wrinkles for even more improvement.
“That same focused targeting can also be useful in treating acne scars.”
For results this dramatic there is a (small) price to pay in terms of downtime, with around nine days of recovery cited to allow the skin to heal.
But, when it comes to longevity, the results from the treatment are more than worth it.
“If done properly, the improvement should last for years,” Dr Brito says.
“Also, let’s not forget the ongoing collagen and elastin remodelling of the skin that continues for up to six months after the surface healing is complete.
“In fact, patients often report that their skin feels firmer six months after having the procedure.”
Ellanse
Think you know fillers? Think again.
While social media has turned against dermal fillers — with over-filled celebs, including the likes of Madonna, facing increasing amounts of flack — there is a new kind of filler on the market.
It’s one that is said to work with your body’s own collagen production for a more natural, long-lasting result
Part of the range of trendy new “bio stimulator” treatments, Ellanse is the only dermal filler that claims to offer both instant volume and increased longterm production of collagen.
“Ellanse gives instant volume and, over time, increases the body’s collagen production, which tightens and firms the skin,” explains Dr Jing, cosmetic doctor at Contour Clinics — one of the only cosmetic clinics offering the breakthrough treatment.
“It does not cause the swollen and puffy look that HA fillers sometimes can.
“For this reason, it’s the perfect choice for multiple areas of the face, especially the jawline where we want that ‘snatched’ look.”
Made of biomedical polycaprolactone microspheres housed in a gel, when injected into the skin the dual-action filler purports to become immediately “bioresorbable”.
This means the compound will be replaced by the body’s own tissues and then reabsorbed into the body.
With the gel being reabsorbed, the production of new collagen takes place, leading to a greater elasticity in the skin, a reduction in wrinkles and increased “lifting”.
This new breed of filler is part of the industry’s “prevent rather than cure” trend.
“Trends in cosmetics are changing and a more natural results and good skin is the focus now,” Dr Jing says.
“It gives both volume and good skin, but without overfilled ‘puffy’ look.
“We want to age gracefully and naturally, and focus on prevention more than anything now — not just immediate filling and short-lived results.
“We want to focus on reversing or slowing down the ageing process.
“And certainly, for younger, natural, more ‘plump’ skin, I direct all my patients to collagen stimulating injections.”
If you need any more incentive, Ellanse also boasts an increased lifespan that’s infinitely longer than the fillers of old.
“Depending on the products we use, it varies between two and four years,” Dr Jing says.
“For time-poor patients, it’s great and it’s excellent for for patients who exercise a lot or have a fast metabolism, who may find they metabolise fillers too quickly.”
PRP and PRF
It’s an issue often glossed over in beauty magazines and blogs.
Amidst the articles on moisturisers, wrinkle reduction and lipsticks, there’s one topic conspicuously absent — an issue that more than half of all women will have to deal with at some point in their lives: hair loss.
While male hair loss gets all the limelight, in reality anyone can lose hair on their head.
In fact, 55 per cent of the world’s female population will show some signs of hair loss by the age of 50, with female pattern hair loss (FPHL) being the most common cause.
“Female hair loss remains significantly underrepresented in the healthcare landscape,” says hair loss expert — and co-founder of Sydney-based hair restoration clinic, Hair Doctors — Dr Ateka Khan.
“While there has been a notable surge in awareness and services addressing male hair loss in recent years, unfortunately, we still observe a comparative lack of awareness and dedicated services for women grappling with progressive hair loss.”
Female Androgenetic Alopecia or — Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) — stands out as the leading cause of progressive hair loss in women.
And while the main type of hair loss in women is the same as it is in men, the pattern of hair loss differs.
Thankfully, there are now more minimally-invasive procedures on the market that claim to be proven to stimulate hair growth and increase hair thickness.
Two of these treatments that are getting serious hype are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) therapies.
The hair loss equivalent of Kim Kardashian’s famous “vampire facial”, these plasma-rich injections involve drawing the patient’s blood, separating the platelet-rich plasma and then injecting it into the affected areas of the scalp.
“These platelets release growth factors that effectively stimulate hair follicles, thereby promoting hair growth and increased thickness,” explains Dr Ateka, who offers both procedures at her clinic.
“PRP therapy involves injecting a patient’s own blood plasma enriched with platelets into the scalp.
“This platelet-rich plasma is obtained by drawing a blood sample from the patient’s arm and subsequently centrifuging it to isolate the platelet-rich component.
“These platelets release growth factors that effectively stimulate hair follicles, thereby promoting hair growth and increased thickness.”
Dr Ateka says PRF represents the latest advancement in growth factor treatment.
“The process mirrors that of PRP, with a crucial distinction being the absence of anticoagulant medication in PRF,” she says.
“This leads to a substantial increase in the release of growth factors, resulting in a prolonged and enhanced effect on hair growth and thickness.”
Low level light therapy
We’ve all seen celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen and Victoria Beckham posting selfies wearing LED facial devices.
But did you know the same technology can be used to increase hair growth too?
Originally developed by NASA for plant growth experiments, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have since been found to have healing, rejuvenating and stimulating properties for both the skin and your hair.
Karl Morrell is the founder of Grow Laser Cap, which his company says is a clinically-proven device that uses photobiomodulation (PBM) or Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) technology to combat hair loss.
“These calibrated wavelengths of laser light penetrate the scalp to rejuvenate cells and stimulate cellular metabolism at the hair follicle,” Morrell says.
“LLT combats hair loss by extending the growth phase of the hair growth cycle while reactivating miniaturising follicles back to their growth potential.
“It increases nutrient and oxygen-rich blood flow to the hair follicles ensuring the hair follicle matrix has the nourishment for the hair shaft to grow at its thickest and fullest.”
The Grow Laser Cap is the strongest home-use device on the market and claims to allow users to combat hair loss effectively and safely.
But, as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, and taking action early is key.
“The best time to start your hair maintenance routine is as soon as you notice any change with your hair,” Morrell says.
“It’s far easier to hang on to your hair while you have it, rather than trying to grow it again later.
“You will start to see results in as early as four to five months, but the best regrowth is achieved after a 12 to 15 month period.”
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