Find your fix

Been to a skin clinic recently? The menu might require interpretation, given the extensive options now on offer. The good thing is, looking like the best version of you without undergoing anything too invasive is now easily achievable — often in your lu

ACNE

Lifestyle factors, hormonal changes, congested pores and surface bacteria trigger acne that can be difficult to eliminate. Gentle peels to increase cell turnover, blue LED light treatment to nix bacteria, soothing and deep cleansing facials and microdermabrasion to lessen scarring are all options that skin experts are now using with success to treat the stubborn condition.

BOTOX

Long lauded for its ability to immobilise facial muscles to minimise wrinkles on the face, Botox is now being used in increasingly varied ways. Lifting the brow line, ending excessive sweating, migraines and teeth grinding, slimming the jawline and relaxing an overly gummy smile are all treatments carried out in NZ. Allergan, the company that owns the Botox brand, reportedly has close to 800 patents for other uses, though they haven’t all been thoroughly tested yet. Photo Finish, a treatment now offered by Clinic 42, aims to smooth skin and diminish pores by depositing a tiny amount of Botox combined with natural moisturiser hyaluronic acid just beneath skin with a dermal injector gun that delivers five tiny needle pricks at once. Administered over a wider area and with less concentration, it doesn’t affect the underlying muscles, only softens superficial lines leaving skin deeply hydrated, taut and luminous. It can also reduce oil production.

CRYOTHERAPY

Originally referring to the tools used to freeze off minor skin lesions, full-body cryotherapy chambers where skin is subjected to extreme low temperatures are being lauded overseas for their anti-ageing benefits. Though they are yet to launch for that use here, another freezing option has been in use for a couple of years. Cryolipolysis is a noninvasive fat reduction option to target stubborn ‘pouchy’ areas, usually around the stomach and hips.

DERMAL NEEDLING,

Also known as dermal rolling or collagen induction therapy, the treatment works by harnessing the skin’s natural ability to repair itself. A roller or small pen-like device with a number of tiny needles inside is used to gently make a series of tiny pricks (micro injuries) into the dermis, or secondary layer of skin. This causes cells to spring into action producing more collagen and elastin, the foundation of smoother, firmer and brighter skin. It can also help minimise acne scarring and is handy for fixing small fine lines around the lips.

FILLERS

It used to be that plumping out significant facial lines around the forehead, eyes and mouth was the only approach for using hyaluronic acid-based gel that dissolves naturally over 6-12 months. These days, injectable dermal fillers are equally as likely to be used to increase or restore natural volume and contours to the face, something that can lessen with age. Enhancing the lips has been popularised by celebrities overseas but experts here prefer a more subtle application based on increasing symmetry. Caci uses the filler brand Juvederm for its lip treatments, touting its much smoother consistency than other options in the market, which results in a more natural finish. Filler to sculpt cheekbones, soften hollows under the eyes, strengthen the bridge of the nose and firm the jawline is also popular.

GUYS

With a smorgasbord of appearance options available it’s only fair guys get their share. Increasingly open to facial treatments, they’re wanting to freshen skin, define the jawline and get rid of deep furrow lines to appear healthy, well-rested and ageing well.

HANDS

The rest of you looks bright and tight but without careful care and sun protection, hands can be a dead giveaway of age. Patchy pigmentation, UV damage and brown spots can be treated with IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), a treatment that can also be used for the same on the face and décolletage. Treatments must be performed over autumn and winter, when it’s easier to avoid sun exposure. Crinkly skin on the hands also reacts well to PRP and fillers can replace the natural fat loss that leaves veins prominent.

JAWLINE

Slackening skin around the jaw and jowls is one of the issues receiving increasing attention as nonsurgical alternative remedies are developed. Allergan, creators of Botox, have recently launched Kybella, the first injectable treatment to permanently destroy fat cells using an ingredient called deoxycholic acid. It’s been marketed as ideal for treating a double chin and involves a number of small injections into the area. Used in the US for the past two years, it’s expected to be available in NZ sometime in the near future.

LASER

The option that excites skin experts the most because of its ability to achieve more youthful skin on the whole. That means smoother, stronger and more evenly coloured skin, with a reduction of the lines you already have. The key to good results is a quality laser operated by an expert with knowledge of the depths the laser needs to work at. Like dermal needling, the results happen beneath the surface as the skin is stimulated to repair the microscopic treatment zones created by the laser. Skin looks better in the short and long term as more collagen is produced. Traditional lasers directly target the upper layer of the skin while more advanced fractional lasers, considered ‘the gold standard’ in the industry, diffuse the burst of energy into a grid of much smaller ‘pin pricks’ that work on a far deeper level for more effective results.

MICRODERMABRASION

Fast and effective, microdermabrasion is one of the easiest ways to achieve a brighter, clearer complexion. It involves removing the gunked up top-layer of dead skin with a vacuum hand piece that uses small crystals to exfoliate, revealing newer, fresher looking skin beneath. It’s especially good for thick, oily, blackheadprone skin but isn’t ideal for more sensitive types as it is abrasive, so increasingly peels are being used for resurfacing instead.

NON-SURGICAL FACE LIFT

Rather than lifting and tightening the skin via older surgical techniques, the non-surgical facelift offered by Caci uses tiny micro currents to stimulate muscle tone so it has a firmer base structure for skin, as well as enhancing and revitalising facial tissue.

OXYGEN FACIAL

A pre-event pick-me-up favoured by celebrities internationally, reviving tired-looking skin with a pressurised stream of oxygen administered via an airbrush. It’s the speciality of Elizabeth Arden’s Queen Street salon in Auckland. Their service delivers an O2 infusion of 16 trace minerals, stabilised oxygen and hyaluronic acid into the skin with a refreshing mist, and can be administered over makeup if you’re in a hurry.

PEELS

While they sound intense, topically applied treatment peels help your skin do what it does naturally, but better. That means remove the dead, dull top layer of skin to reveal bright new skin beneath and bring healthy cells to the surface — a natural process that slows as we age. There are many different types that vary in intensity from gentle fruit acids — The Skin Institute offers a popular one using pumpkin because of its a high level of vitamin A

— to more severe chemical compositions. As well as aiding in increased collagen production, they can reduce acne, signs of ageing, and visible pores, and improve the efficacy of your current skincare routine.