I
’m lying on a hi-spec treatment bed
at the D Thomas Clinic in Chelsea,
staring down the barrel of a laser.
Despite being a beauty editor with
access to the best anti-ageing skincare
products, the impact of a frenetic life has
started to show on my 37-year-old face.
Thank goodness, then, for lasers, which
are one option in the ever-growing sector
of “technical tweakments” – cosmetic
procedures that don’t require a scalpel,
nor the associated lengthy downtime,
to get noticeable results. For further
affirmation, the British Association of
Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recently
revealed that women’s facelifts were
down 44 per cent in a year. Olivia Falcon,
founder of The Editor’s List (Editors
list.co.uk), a little black book of the
world’s best cosmetic procedures and
practitioners, concurs, saying that 70 per
cent of her clients (aged 27 to 70) now
come to her specifically for advice on
non-invasive procedures.
“Tweakments help address the
emotional aspect of the way you feel
about yourself in a more subtle way
than a facelift,” agrees Alice Hart-Davis,
author of The Tweakments Guide: Fresher
Face (Thetweakmentsguide.com).
“I know first-hand they can make such
a difference to your confidence.”
Upgrading your usual facial to a medi-
facial will likely include some hi-tech
laser or suits-all LED. Laura Ferguson,
co-founder of The Light Salon, explains:
“LED stimulates cellular repair,
encouraging the production of collagen,
elastin and hyaluronic acid to improve
skin health and support ageing.” WithLASER
FOCUS
What to do when
skincare alone is no
longer enough but you’re
not thinking of surgery?
Georgia Day investigates
the non-invasive invasionzero downtime, it’s a great first step, as
it encourages cells to use the ingredients
of your skincare more efficiently. While
red light stimulates collagen production
for all-round plumping, blue light
has potent anti-bacterial properties,
making it a good option for decongesting
problem skin.
For improved texture and overall
ageing management, choose laser.
“Lasers help give skin a wake-up call.
They offer a little bit of everything –
improving tone, reducing redness and
promoting its overall health,” says
Debbie Thomas. Her tiered DNA
treatments are bespoke to your needs
(and time), and can include a combination
of the clinic’s seven different lasers,
which treat everything from melasma
to slackened contours and thread veins.
“I love Laser Genesis to boost collagen
production, and Lumenis CO2 for scarsand deeper lines and wrinkles,” says
Dr Maryam Zamani, one of London’s
leading aesthetic doctors. For darker
skin tones with hard-to-treat
pigmentation, look out for the Nd:YAG
1064nm, a new-generation machine
that’s more powerful and less painful
than previous iterations. And with all
“technical tweakments” the use of a high
SPF is recommended – try SkinCeuticals
Sheer Mineral UV Defense SPF 50.
As for what’s exciting the experts for
the future? Procedures that work harder,
better and faster to treat common – and
often chronic – skin conditions. “Rosacea
is a big concern for a lot of my clients,
myself included,” says Falcon. “I’m
excited by the Vbeam Prima, a super-fast
laser that treats vascular irregularities
but without the reactivity of previous
treatments. Some women need only one
session to make a big difference.” n“Lasers help
give skin a
wake-up call,
improving
tone and
promoting
its overall
BEN HASSETT/AUGUST health”BEAUTY
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