Winnie the glam gogo reclaims the wow factor

She is celebrating 80 in head-turning style

SUNSCREEN helps, so do good genes and not going to bed with make-up on. But when Winnie Madikizela-Mandela revealed her “Awesome at 80” look on Thursday, it had many South Africans wondering how to get a little help turning back the clock.

Madikizela-Mandela arrived in Cape Town for her birthday celebrations at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel with baby-smooth, glowing skin.

She wasn’t wearing her signature glasses, and her flawless, glowing skin looked lifted, rejuvenated and renewed. She also sported immaculate make-up and a stylish Afro wig.

She has been recognised as a natural beauty. As the story goes, she was 21 when Nelson Mandela saw her at a bus stop, stopped his car and made his move. The rest is history.

Madikizela-Mandela was admitted to hospital for back surgery earlier this year and looked tired and drawn, often hiding behind oversized dark glasses.

But this week, as the celebrations began for her birthday on September 26, she looked every bit the glam gogo, not like someone battling illness.

Her new look could be thanks to a slew of new surgical and non-surgical procedures that have transformed skincare.

Among the most popular non-invasive treatments for signs of ageing are Botox and fillers.

Most experts say a combination of treatment products, procedures and maintenance regimes is needed to fight gravity, wrinkles and age-related pigmentation problems.

Dr Alek Nikolic, from Aesthetic Facial Enhancement in Cape Town, says his most popular treatments alongside Botox are superficial chemical peels, laser resurfacing, and the Dermapen treatment, which involves micro-needling the face. All the treatments require several applications and a maintenance regime.

“Ideally, we would like to see people with little ageing changes – the skin treatments we have today have the ability to prevent and even stop a number of changes,” says Nikolic.