I have found my Fairy Godmother and she definitely doesn’t look anything like the characters in modern animated movies. ‘She’ is in fact, a serene, pale green and white oasis where those of us that were born ‘once upon a time, long long ago’ can go for a miraculous transformation and have our youthful looks restored. I am talking about those wonderful Skin Renewal clinics that invite us in and offer professional, medical advice and treatments to take care of those visible signs of ageing that invade our lives when we least expect it.
It starts with one looking slightly tired but still being able to hide it by clever make-up application. However, soon it gets to the stage where you know you need more help than sleeping eight hours and slapping on some cream at night, especially around the delicate eye area.
Depending on your particular problem area, they will offer various treatments and solutions at the Skin Renewal clinic to help restore your youthful looks and more importantly, your self-esteem.
Crow’s Feet and Wrinkles
Fine lines around the eyes and dark circles underneath can age one unnecessarily, add to that a deep frown between the eyebrows and people could think you are always in a bad mood!
Our facial muscles are always in motion; as we age, our skin cell turnover slows down and those folds created by smiling and talking becomes more permanent. This results in crow’s feet, frown lines between the eyebrows and additional wrinkle formation.
To soften these wrinkles and treat volume loss, Botox®/Dysport®, some dermal fillers and additional rejuvenation is needed. Laser Genesis™, injectable Mesotherapy, Carboxytherapy™ and various other combination treatments will address these problems more effectively in the long term and is only possible if the underlying muscle relaxation is controlled with Botulinum toxin. Since the eyelids and the surrounding skin are quite thin, this is an area that is particularly responsive to Laser Genesis™ which uses a light to moderate depth laser. The crow's feet area is pre-treated with Botox/Dysport followed by Laser Genesis™ Rejuvenation two weeks later.
Dark Circles and Volume Loss
As if that is not bad enough, the delicate area under the eyes also loses volume and often dark circles become more prominent. If there is a hollow between the eye area and the top of your cheek where the youthful plumpness of the skin is lost, you need Carboxytherapy and dermal fillers to take care of this problem.
Carboxytherapy
When these microinjections of carbon dioxide are injected under the skin, the body interprets it as an oxygen deficit area and responds by increasing blood flow and circulation, resulting in cell restoration and increased collagen production. Increased oxygen in this area also improves water retention to plump up the area. The following results can be expected, after a course of treatments, depending on how your skin reacts:
- A lightening of dark circles due to better oxygen provision to this area;
- Bags under the eyes are reduced by skin tightening and modest fat reduction;
- Crow’s feet and sleep lines are reduced due to collagen stimulation;
- Skin texture around the eye area improves due to collagen stimulation.
For the hollow circles under the eyes, carefully placed dermal filler injections, done by an appropriately trained Medical Doctor, will restore that plumpness and the eye area will appear fresher and younger and the effect can last between 2 and 3 years!
Dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid. Once injected into the area under the skin, it attracts water and stimulates the body to produce its own collagen. As one gets older, the body produces less hyaluronic acid and hence the skin becomes dehydrated. By increasing the content of skin hyaluronic acid, the hydration and thickness of the skin will improve. Where wrinkles have been filled with the dermal filler, collagen production is stimulated and this prolongs the filling effects and wrinkle improvement.
It is clear that it’s not just a quick jab of Botox®/Dysport® that is needed, but a combination of treatments to give a longer- lasting and more youthful appearance. Maintenance treatments will also be necessary periodically to ensure that all the good work remains in place and that the ageing effect is kept at bay for many more years...but that’s why we have a Fairy Godmother who will always take care of us.