Liz Dwyer, co-founder of Future Beauty, reveals her most trusted tweakments and the best places to get them.
If a fear of looking overdone or not like yourself has stopped you from dipping your toe into the world of non-surgical ‘tweakments’, you needn’t be concerned. Modern-day treatments tend to take what Liz Dwyer – co-founder of Future Beauty – calls a ‘just enough but not too much’ approach.
Still curious? Here are five services worth considering…
SecretPro Radiofrequency Micro-needling skin rejuvenation
If NASA had been tasked to reinvent micro-needling, it’s likely they would have come up with something akin to the SecretPro. This two-in-one type of technology blew up Instagram last August after Kim Kardashian posted about its age-reversing prowess. This double-duty tweakment layers the benefits of the skin resurfacing powers of CO2 fractional laser with the rejuvenating power of radiofrequency micro-needling.
Essentially the heat from the CO2 laser resurfaces the skin’s top layer and sends collagen production into overdrive, whilst radiofrequency energy is simultaneously delivered to multiple depths in the skin via the tiny needles that pierce the skin, for a deeper level of renewal than the CO2 fractional laser resurfacing alone. This means the full thickness from the epidermis to the deeper dermal layers of the face are targeted and renewed. A spongier, clearer, tighter and more radiant complexion will emerge a few days to a week post-treatment.
Three sessions are advised for ultimate results, €550 per session at South William Clinic & Spa. southwilliamspa.com
FaceTite neck and jowl lift
We can thank tennis ace Any Murray’s mum, Judy, for enlightening the masses on the miracles FaceTite this year, which has earned the moniker 'Shrink Wrapping' in aesthetic circles. It works well on the face but it’s an especially effective non-invasive treatment for shrinking jowls and tightening necks.
Again, FaceTite harnesses the power of radiofrequency (RF) energy but this time the RF is delivered with a long slim probe inserted underneath the skin via small incisions. The RF causes the skin to heat up and contract, emulsifying fat cells (that are later flushed out by the body’s natural drainage processes) and shortening the collagen fibres that cause jowls and a double chin, while simultaneously tightening and toning the skin. The treatment is often finished off with a few passes of Morpheus 8 (another laser from the FaceTite family) for extra tightening and skin resurfacing.
Results are immediate and will improve over time. Expect to be swollen though for up to five days post-treatment. It’s a punchy tweakment starting from €2,000 and can veer up to €4,000 depending on the patient, but one session generally is adequate and results last up to five years. Available from venusmedical.ie, cosmeticclinic.ie
BTL Exilis RF Eye Treatment
A quick and surprisingly relaxing fix to help reverse all eye woes, from crow’s feet to lined lids, sunken sockets to drooping brows. Exilis relies on RF energy to work its magic, but is enhanced by ultrasound energy emitted at the same time and has FDA approval for use all over the eye socket zone. Both energies are delivered via a probe that is rotated gently around the orbital area, which stimulates new collagen and elastin formation to produce visibly tighter skin and less tired-looking eyes.
Results are almost instant (ask your therapist to treat one eye at a time and show you the difference before they treat the other if you like visual proof) and will improve over a few weeks. Eye area treatments start from €250, three sessions are advised for optimum results.
Available at instituteofdermatologists.ie and laserandskin.ie
Skin boosters with micro-Botox
Skin boosters, i.e. semi permeant skin hydrators, (brand names include Profhilo, Sunekos, Boletoro Revive) are magic solutions injected just under the surface of the skin, which then collectively spreads out into a cushiony, hydrating layer that props up and nourishes the skin from within. Alas, the beautiful results only last between a few weeks to months, depending on the client but when you need to shine for a special event it’s worth the splurge.
While most clinics market them as a face treatment, they actually work wonders when used on crepey necks, chest, and back of hands and can take a decade off these areas in minutes. Profhilo is about to launch a Profhlilo Body version of their cult injectable, which will no doubt proliferate its use below the face too. For even more impressive results on chests and hands and indeed the face too, an advanced aesthetic doctor can add a few hits of micro Botox to the area being treated. This is a technique when Botox is only injected superficially just below the dermis to tighten the skin and lift the given area like no one’s business (traditional toxins are injected deep into the skin to paralyze neuromodulators and prevent muscle movement).
Minimal downtime bar raised red bumps injection sites for up to 24 hours after. Skin boosters average €300 per treatment and micro-Botox is priced per area.
Available at Beacon Face & Dermatology, beaconfaceanddermatology.ie
HydraFacial
The perfect pre or indeed post-party 30-minute skin pick-me-up is the last word in instant gratification. A six-step treatment, which begins with an application of a mix of glycolic and salicylic acids, which rapidly mimic the resurfacing benefits of a chemical peel without any post-peel scaling or redness. After all the dead cells are peeled away as such, the extraction part ensues and a vortex suction (like a mini face hoover) sucks up all the gunk and dirt stuck in pores or on the surface – seeing all the dirt extracted from your face in what they call the ‘gunk tube’ is strangely satisfying. Finally, the skin is infused with the brand’s exclusive Beta-HD™ and Antiox serum which drenches the complexion with antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. The result is fresh dewy skin, that will belie any excess of the season.
Widely available in salons from around €150, hydrafacial.com
Liz Dwyer is co-founder at Future Beauty Show, an immersive beauty event taking place at the RDS on Saturday 5 March and Sunday 6 March. futurebeautyshow.com
