AMANDA’S TOP ANTI-AGEING SECRET

THE key aim of most anti-ageing treatments is to kickstart the production of collagen — a protein that gives skin cells their structure, its scaffolding, if you like — because we stop making as much of it as we age. With less support from inside, our skin collapses more easily into folds and wrinkles.

To increase collagen production, you need to make the skin think it has been hurt. It will then make collagen to repair the damage. This damage can be inflicted in many ways — with laser light, needles, ultrasound energy or, in the case of collagen wave therapy, radiofrequency (RF) energy.

RF energy heats the deeper layers of the skin to 41c without breaking the surface (think how a microwave heats food from within). As well as inciting collagen growth, the heat shrinks existing collagen, giving an instant lift.

Collagen wave therapy costs £150-£200 a go, but you need multiple treatments to get the best results. It is done using a pen-like device which is skated around the face over a layer of gel.

The huge attraction for celebrities is that it is not painful, takes half an hour and gives instant results without down-time. It’s a modern facial with tightening benefits.