WHAT IT IS: Fun fact from a Seoul mate: The dewy K-Beauty look everyone and their mother’s so K-razy about these days hails from a K-oncept known as Mul-guang, or “water glow” in Korean. Now you know!
That neat tidbit makes for a nice segue into the beauty world’s next big thing. Said to steep your skin with a thirst-quenching torrent of moisture, Dew Drop Hydrating Skinboosters are delivered via multiple micro-injections of Restylane, a patented hyaluronic acid – yes, that mighty moisture magnet found in everything from silky serums to standard-issue fillers.
As versatile a treatment as any, opt to have your full face fixed, or spot-correct regions requiring a little smoothing and softening: The haggard hollows encircling your eyes; dimpling around the décolletage; or the back of your hands, if you’re a woman of the well, Madonna persuasion.
The result? Privé Clinic says this novel form of filler placement promises a beguiling boost that’s incredibly subtle and well-nigh undetectable – like your skin, only better, with the sort of lit-from-within dewiness that’s the very definition of Mul-guang.
WHY I LOVE IT: Crucial caveat cum disclaimer: This doesn’t sub for a proper sit-down with a qualified aesthetician, and whatever you do with your face and body is well, entirely your business. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s time for the fun stuff – needles and bloodshed!
I’ll be upfront here: You’ll be better off with traditional filler techniques if you’re looking for instant gratification. What’s the difference? Old-school fillers puncture your skin at one or two targeted sites; this next-gen method bores microscopic holes into multiple points of entry.
As such, Dew Drop Hydrating Skinboosters are most decidedly not the sort of low-key lunchtime fix you can excuse yourself from the office for. I should know, because when I crept back into my cubbyhole post-treatment, all my colleagues could do was balk at my beat-up face. Takeaway? Apportion a couple of days off for bruising, bleeding and such.
What did I have done? Dr. Karen Soh, medical director of Privé Clinic, suggested some pumping and plumping under my eyes and cheeks: “You want Fann Wong-worthy cheekbones, yes?” And by golly, did I!
My face was prepped with a liberal smearing of a topical numbing cream, and the reassuringly maternal Dr. Soh took pains (pun!) to pause every so often to size up my face and ask after my discomfort level.
So, does Pretty Hurt? I’m no wuss when it comes to needles, so this rates pretty okay on the pain-o-meter. I’m told the particular form of Restylane used is shot through with a mild anaesthetic, so that coupled with the numbing cream makes for a tolerable treatment.
All told, the “ordeal” takes 15 to 20 minutes tops to complete, so you’ll be in and out in a jiffy. As mentioned, some swelling and bruising is par for the course; in my instance, it took about a week and a half for the black-and-blues to dissipate.
Results-wise, Dr Soh says you’ll enjoy the best beauty benefits after three sessions spaced a month apart, but I noticed better skin after just one treatment. How to describe the effect? I’m blessed with relatively trouble-free complexion, but with the Dew Drop Hydrating Skinbooster my skin looked like it was on perpetual “post-mask” mode: Soft, supple and beautifully bouncy, like that of a Korean starlet on a Seoul billboard.
Final thoughts? On the minus side, the week-or-so downtime can be a deterrent; on the plus side, you can expect firmer skin that’s glistening and glowy 24/7, with none of that telltale tautness that’s a mark of “over-filling.” Dr Soh puts it best, methinks: “This subtle effect is the future of fillers, because even tai-tais themselves don’t want the 'tai-tai face' these days!”
GET IT AT: Dew Drop Hydrating Skinboosters, $1,000 per session, is available at Privé Clinic. For more information, visit www.priveclinic.com and follow Privé Clinic on Facebook.