TO FIRM AND PLUMP: TRY LASER AND RADIOFREQUENCY TREATMENT
Good for? Breaking down freckles, excess pigmentation and age spots. How effective? Pigmented skin should be clear after seven days. How often? Up to three treatments are necessary for best results, usually a month apart. Disadvantages? May cause pigmented Asian skin to scar. Brief stinging and burning pain during treatment. Skin may be red and sensitive for a few hours afterwards. 1 Non-ablative fractionated laser (Sellas Evo) resurfacing What is it? A minimally invasive laser light is beamed in a polka-dot fashion to stimulate skin cells to regenerate. Good for? Wrinkles and patchy skin. How effective? 50 per cent improvement after three treatments. How often? You’ll need five treatments, one to three months apart. Disadvantages? The procedure can be painful; anaesthetic cream, laughing gas or sedatives may be used during treatment. Skin may burn mildly for several hours afterwards. Olive or darker skins may have an increased risk of uneven darkening.
2 Fractional radiofrequency (RF) therapy What is it? Radiofrequency (non-laser) energy is injected or delivered by nodes into the middle layer of skin. Good for? Improving wrinkles and sagging as the collagen is remodelled and tightened. How effective? 25 per cent to 50 per cent improvement after five treatments. The main advantage compared to light or laser treatments is reduced healing time as there is minimal damage to the top layer of skin. How often? Up to five treatments two months apart, then annual maintenance treatments. Disadvantages? The procedure can be uncomfortable, so anaesthetic cream, laughing gas or sedatives may be used.
3 Thermal-rf What is it? Radiofrequency is used to heat the middle to lower layers of skin to about 65 degrees centigrade. Similar to fractional RF therapy, except heat rather than energy is used to stimulate collagen, and it penetrates deeper. Good for? Subtle tightening of skin. How effective? 70 per cent of treated patients would recommend it to a friend. No anaesthetic is needed and there is no discomfort afterwards. How often? Up to six treatments, usually two to four weeks apart. Results should last at least six to 12 months. Disadvantages? is extremely rare.
Potential scarring, although this