The 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 skincare specialist Lesley Reynolds argue it out in the pages of best…
QI’m 46 and have very wide-set breasts. Would implants help their shape? Also, the skin on my bust looks crêpey and older than on my face. Jayne,Kent
ADR AAMER SAYS: It sounds as though you have sun damage on the chest area. This is very common, as people often forget to apply sunscreen to the neck and chest. For fresher, younger-looking skin, try the Vampire Bust Smoother. This 60-minute cleavage treatment is a combination of laser therapy and Angel Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. The laser superficially burns the skin in pinprick-like dots, which improves skin texture by ‘resurfacing’ it, as well as stimulating collagen production. Next, PRP involves drawing blood from the arm, isolating the platelets, then injecting them into the chest area. Platelets release chemicals that help regeneration, so skin looks rejuvenated and less crinkly. From £750. As for wide-set breasts, you may find a fat transfer instead of implants would help to reduce the space between them and give a very natural look. From £4,500.
LESLEY SAYS: My advice would be to book a professional bra-fitting at your local department store. There are plenty of styles designed for wide-set breasts that will push them up and together to create the illusion of a fuller cleavage. Go for a style of bra with a side panel and cups that temporarily push you inwards. Dead skin cells build up, making your cleavage look older as well as blocking the effectiveness of any product, so start a gentle weekly exfoliation. You don’t have to buy expensive products; a handful of sugar mixed with olive oil or honey will make a good, gentle scrub. Don’t overdo it, though, as the skin in that area is very delicate. A light, fake tan will also help make skin instantly look healthier. St Tropez Gradual Tan Watermelon Infusion Moisture Miracle Lotion, £14.50, boosts moisture and builds to a natural-looking, streak-free tan. Try an overnight breast mask, too: Nip+Fab Bust Fix Night, £16.25, plumps fine lines and restores suppleness to the cleavage area.
Q I’m nearly 70 and hate the way my jowls have dropped. Am I too old for a facelift? I just want to look as young as I feel. Sheila, Aberdeen
ADR AAMER SAYS: When declaring a patient suitable for surgery, health is the deciding factor, not necessarily age. Just because a patient is older, doesn’t mean that they can’t get a good, safe result. But regardless of age, some health conditions can’t be controlled in the operating room, which is why your doctor needs to know of any issues. It’s always advisable to have a full medical consultation and assessment before embarking on any treatment. As long as your doctor has deemed you healthy, surgery can be performed. Improving your health beforehand – being a healthy weight, quitting cigarettes and avoiding alcohol – will also make the procedure safer, minimise the chance of any complications and speed up the recovery process. But despite this, healing may take longer than for someone a decade younger. Why not consider less invasive treatments? A good alternative to a facelift is a thread lift using dissolvable threads. It may still deliver the improvement you want (lasting 18-24 months) and involves little downtime and no scarring. From £900.
LESLEY SAYS: Skincare aimed at firming can help smooth and plump. Apply The Body Shop Roots Of Strength Firming Shaping Serum, £32, in an upwards motion. Before considering surgery, update your look. Jowls may be your focus, but professionally shaped brows can take off years. Shading and contouring the lower face and cheeks can give a facelift effect. Simply Glamorous by Gary Cockerill, £25, is my go-to for a brilliant guide to contouring. Remember, looking younger really has to be the whole package. If you’ve still got a perm from 20 years ago, brittle, colourless hair and outdated make-up, surgery won’t make such a difference. A more youthful hairstyle and a new lipstick and blusher will make a big change.
Q I want fillers in my lips, but I’m worried about getting a ‘trout pout’. What do you recommend? Aimee,Essex
ADR AAMER SAYS: Lip fillers have had very bad press in the past. The danger of over-filling the lips is that it can look unattractive. Subtle and harmonious filling of the lips can rejuvenate, balance and beautify the face. Find an experienced practitioner, and discuss your expectations and concerns with them. Less is definitely more! We use very fine PDO sutures – a dissolvable stitch – to define the lip line. This gives better definition to the lip border, can tip the top lip up slightly (rather than add volume to the body of the lips), and looks natural. Costs £600. LESLEY SAYS: I have absolutely nothing against lip filler, but go for the non-invasive option first to see if it fulfils your needs. If you have filler and don’t like it, it can takes months to be absorbed by your body. There are some wonderful lip plumpers available in the shops. Indeed Labs Hydraluron + Volumising Lip Treatment, £14.99, hydrates and plumps at the same time, and e.l.f. Plumper Primer Duo, £4.50, enhances with a subtle plumping, tingling effect. Apply lipstick after. Keep away from dark shades as these can make the area look smaller: nudes close to your own lip colour will work best, such as Revlon SuperLustrous Lipstick in Bare Affair, £7.99, along with Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk, £16.