Big beauty questions
We all want to look youthful, but why have surgery when softer options can be just as effective – and much cheaper? Husband-and-wife team Dr Aamer Khan and skin care specialist Lesley Reynolds argue it out in the pages of best…
Q
My face looks pale and tired. What treatments can help me look perkier? And what make-up will give me an instant lift?
Cheryl,Fife
ADR AAMER SAYS: Lynton’s Excelight Photo Rejuvenation (IPL) is the latest go-to tweakment. The speed at which we age is related to an enzyme called ‘collagenase’. This enzyme slowly breaks up collagen, leaving skin dull. However, this enzyme almost disappears after one session. During the treatment, a hand-held device fires intense pulsed light over the skin. It’s not painful, but feels a bit like being pinged with an elastic band. It’s fast, safe and a good allrounder, stimulating collagen production, improving skin tone, reducing pore size and targeting pigmentation. Afterwards, you must stay out of the sun and wear a minimum SPF 30. Three treatments, six weeks apart, can give the best results. From £120 a treatment, but if you go for a course it works out cheaper.
LESLEY SAYS: Show your face some TLC and it will thank you! A monthly facial will restore glowing, plump, youthful skin. Use brightening corrector serum under your moisturiser to help make your skin look more radiant, naturally – try Vichy Liftactiv Supreme Brightening Skin Corrector, £28, with 15 per cent pure Vitamin C, which promises to deliver brighter skin in 10 days. The right foundation can liven up the face. Avoid powdered or matte formulations, which will prevent light reflection and magnify wrinkles. Anything too thick is another one-way ticket to looking older, so opt for sheer, light-reflecting make-up. NYX Professional Born to Glow Foundation, £10, will deliver instant radiance. Blusher and bronzer will also bring life and lift to your complexion. Take care applying it, sweeping up towards cheekbones for a lifted effect. Soft and sheer shades like peach, coral and bronze will have the best effect. I like CYO All Eyes &
Cheek Cream Shadow & Blush, £1.35.
QMy arms look slack, untoned and bumpy. I’m dreading showing them off when the warmer weather comes. Is there a treatment to try without resorting to invasive measures? Susan,Southport
ADR AAMER SAYS: Viora Reaction is a non-invasive treatment combining multiple radio-frequency technology and vacuum therapy to tighten and tone upper arms. A small handpiece is fired from your elbow up to your armpit and back down again, repeated around eight times, sending radio frequency waves deep into the dermis to tone and tighten. It takes about 20 minutes per arm, the intensity being upped each time. It targets all three skin layers – the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis (normally radio frequency can only treat one skin layer). You’ll need around six to eight 40-minute treatments for maximum effect, taken a fortnight apart, and results should last at least two to three years – as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle. From £999 for a course.
LESLEY SAYS: Regular exercise will burn fat and build muscle. Yoga or Pilates will also increase flexibility and help lengthen and strengthen the muscles in the arms. Swimming is brilliant, too. Focus on powering your body with your arms more than your legs. Skin care will also make arms look softer, smoother and more toned, but be prepared to work at it. Dry body brushing boosts microcirculation, helping to clear the build-up of waste and toxins under the skin. Use a longhandled bristle brush and, starting at the wrists, use long upward strokes and work up the arms. Then take Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Body Scrub, £8, rub it between your palms, then scrub in circles on to damp skin. After, use a cream containing l-carnitine and caffeine, which will help temporarily tighten the skin. Try Prai Ageless Upper Arm Crème, £19.99. A self-tan can give the illusion of slimmer, trimmer arms, too. Isle of Paradise Happy Tan Everyday Natural Glow, £14.95, also nourishes skin with coconut and avocado oils.
Q
I hate my wide nose. It’s the first thing I see when I look in the mirror. Are there any non-invasive options? I’m too scared to have a nose job. Margaret,Lowesoft
ADR AAMER SAYS: Hyaluronic acid injectables are perfect for those who want to tweak without surgery, helping it appear smaller. Most patients need around three to six injections. First, a topical anaesthetic is applied before the fillers are injected into the areas to be contoured. It’s just 30 minutes with instant results, and it’s pretty painless (you may be minimally swollen and your nose may feel a bit strange as it adjusts to the filler). However, injectables are only capable of disguising the imperfection, not correcting it. The results can last a year or longer. Expect to pay around £650.
LESLEY SAYS: When done right, contouring can almost mimic the effects of surgery. Sleek Makeup Cream Contour Kit, £10.99, includes a range of blendable shades. Try dotting a thin line of a highlighting concealer down the centre of the bridge of your nose. Then, use a darker shade to draw lines down both sides of your nose – the closer they are to the centre, the thinner it will look – then blend. Don’t forget blusher and lipstick can help detract away from other areas of your face. I also love NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick, £11.50.