IMAGE: AStock/Corbis
When creams and lotions don’t work, you know you need something that will really give you a “face lift”. The team sacrificed our faces to undergo some of the best aesthetic treatments on the market, to find out what will really help to give you a Christmas glow.
THERMAGE
Reviewed by Phoenix Leow
One of the most popular anti-ageing aesthetic treatments, Thermage is a non invasive treatment that uses radiofrequency waves to stimulate your skin’s own collagen production. Approved by the FDA to reduce wrinkles, the aesthetic treatment is administered by doctors in Singapore.
I had the opportunity to undergo this beauty treatment at TLC Lifestyle Clinic. Dr Georgia Lee said that although I do not need any anti-ageing products just yet, Thermage will supposedly give me radiant skin while also slimming my face over time. If you do have mature skin, clinical trials have shown that this product is very effective in tightening the skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
The treatment itself is pretty fuss-free, taking less than an hour for my entire face. With the help of numbing cream, the pain was pretty bearable. After the treatment, the first thing I noticed was that the results were not exactly immediate. My chubby face did appear leaner, but I didn’t notice any other change. Dr Lee said that Thermage is supposed to be able to stimulate the collagen in your skin itself. So unlike treatments that “infuse” your skin with collagen, Thermage is said to “activate” your skin to produce it’s own collagen. As this takes some time, the results are only visible after two to three months. When that happens, I am supposed to have a slimmer and radiant visage that will last for months.
ULTHERA
Reviewed by Phoenix Leow
Similar to Thermage, Ulthera is a treatment that is said to stimulate collagen growth in your facial skin – but through the use of ultrasound waves. Unlike Thermage which is often described as being painful (depending on your threshold), Ulthera actually isn’t as pain inducing since the ultrasound waves hit very deeply into the skin. This means you technically don’t actually need any numbing cream, whatsoever.
Dr David Loh, who administered the treatment, said the treatment’s apparent lifting and slimming properties are said enhanced over time. The results are said to be the most visible two to three months after, as the ultrasound waves target “the fibrous tissue around the cheek's fat pads”, supposedly lifting and sculpting your face cell by cell. Which is why for people aiming for a slimmer visage, Ulthera might be your cup of tea.
RADIOFREQUENCY TIGHTENING PROGRAMME DLT (DUAL LIFT TIGHTENING)
Reviewed by Shi Tianyun
Being one of the older writers on the herworldPLUS team, I was “tasked” to try out the Radiofrequency (RF) Tightening Programme Dual Lift Tightening (DLT) treatment at IDS Clinic. Enhanced RF technology is said to boost skin tightening and firming – and even though I like to think my face is not bad for a 30-something, I can’t deny that age and gravity has had an effect on the elasticity of my skin.
But it seems that besides sagging skin, I also have to worry about wrinkles! “Your laugh lines will be less noticeable after the treatment,” Dr Heng pointed out in my consultation. The non-invasive treatment took 45 minutes and was performed by a therapist. A warm flat probe was used to massage my face and the experience was actually quite relaxing. After the treatment, my face did feel “tighter” (although I wasn’t sure whether it was just psychological) and my laugh lines were definitely less obvious.
The treatment is said to be preventive in nature by circulating high frequency currents through tissue to stimulate collagen production, improve blood circulation and revitalise skin cells. The clinic recommends the treatment for women in their late 20s and early 30s. I was told that I would be able to see more distinctly plumped up skin with frequent treatments due to the apparent effect of stimulated collagen production.
ATTACHE LIFT THERAPY FACIAL
Reviewed by Eugene Quek
Looking for a no-needles, no-downtime, no-nonsense facial? I’m all for Attache’s Lift Therapy Facial, a superbly soothing intensive treatment.
Your therapist will kick off with a thorough skin cleanse, before smoothing and stroking signs of facial fatigue into submission. The ritual also makes use of silky serums and energising emulsions from Spanish-based prestige beauty brand Attache.
Key ingredients? Something dubbed “dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate”, a potent peptide said to simulate the “numbing” effects of viper venom – sort of like Botox in a bottle; as well as moisture magnets like hyaluronic acid; all of which are said to work in tandem with the massage movements to lift your spirits and your jowls. One session was all it took for me to notice smoother skin and a subtle re-contouring of my jawline – nothing too crazy, but good for last-minute party prep.
DEW DROP HYDRATING SKINBOOSTERS
Reviewed by Eugene Quek
Dr. Karen Soh, medical director of Privé Clinic, says this novel form of Restylane facial filler placement promises a facial boost that’s incredibly subtle and well-nigh undetectable – like your own skin, only better.
My face was first prepped with a liberal smearing of a topical numbing cream. Dr. Soh paused every so often to size up my face and ask after my discomfort level. All told, the “ordeal” takes 15 to 20 minutes tops to complete, so you’ll be in and out in a jiffy. 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 apparently see the 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.
Attache Lift Therapy, $480 per session, is available at all BeauLab-affiliated aesthetic chains. For location and other information, call 6316 3168.
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.
IDS RF Tightening Programme DLT treatment is $350 for 45 minutes (for face), $450 for 60 minutes (for face and neck). IDS Clinic is at #05-07 to 10, Novena Specialist Centre. For more information, go to www.idsclinic.com
Thermage is available at TLC Lifestyle clinic at 27 Lorong Liput Singapore 277738. For more information, visit www.drgl.com and follow the brand on Facebook.
Ulthera, $3,800 for a full face session, is available at David Loh Surgery at 501 Orchard Road #05-16 Wheelock Place Singapore 238880. For more information, visit www.davidloh.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.