BLENDED FAMILY

“Technology has developed so well that we can achieve surgical-like results,” says Chantal Ward, a registered nurse and clinical director at Toronto’s Clarity Spa, of non-invasive treatments. And with the newest treatments requiring less downtime, there’s more potential for combination therapies that reach skin at various layers, netting a more natural finish. A typical example of an anti-aging program that targets everything from skin texture to sagging would start with Ultherapy, which Ward says is the foundation of a younger, fresher face. The once-yearly treatment “taps ultrasonic energy to lift and tighten deep layers of skin” while prompting a collagen response and can improve fine lines and wrinkles on the face and neck. From there, Ultherapy can be—and often is—combined with Intracel micro-needling, a process in which a wand with dozens of tiny needles is placed into the skin’s dermal (second from top) layer before a radio frequency is transmitted; this is then repeated across the face. It can be used on all skin types and treats large pores, scars and photoaging as well as crepey and lax skin. It’s considered comfortable compared to its painful predecessor, the Fraxel laser. (And downtime is up to two hours versus Fraxel’s week or two.) Ward says she commonly combines these therapies with fillers, neurotoxins (like Xeomin or Botox) and intense pulsed light.