Anti ageing is big business in the UK. The majority of aesthetic treatments on the market are aimed at recapturing that elusive thing called youth. But it’s not just one thing that reveals our age, it’s many things.
Anti Ageing: What’s the treatment like?
Anti ageing treatments can be separated into different categories in terms of what results they produce – most practitioners will advise you to have a combination of anti ageing treatments to get the optimum outcome.
Dynamic lines; these are caused by movement (think of the vertical lines between the eyebrows or crow’s feet). Botox is used to smooth these wrinkles by relaxing the nerves that cause the contractions.
Dull or uneven toned skin; a less than even-toned skin can be a sign of many years of sun worshipping. Also, as we age, our skin cell renewal slows down causing a dull and tired complexion that can make you look older than you are. There are a number of different anti ageing methods of skin resurfacing – they all work by removing the top layer of the skin so collagen production is stimulated to create a fresher complexion – and they include skin peels, laser and IPL skin rejuvenation and microdermabrasion.
Loss of volume; we start to lose volume from our 20s onwards, although it is only in our 40s and 50s that this results in a drawn and sunken-cheeked appearance. This can be treated by dermal fillers, volumising treatments such as Sculptra and by fat transfer.
Skin tightening treatments; loss of elasticity in the skin can cause it to sag – on the brow, the cheeks and the jowls. It might be that surgery is the best option, but if there is still a degree of skin elasticity, then this can be tackled with thread lifts or skin tightening treatments such as Thermage.
Lines and wrinkles; dermal fillers can treat the deeper folds and lines caused by collagen depletion. Their appearance can also be improved by skin peels, laser and IPL skin rejuvenation and microdermabrasion.
Click on the individual treatments to learn more about what they involve.
Anti Ageing: What will it cost me?
The costs of anti ageing treatments can range from a couple of hundred pounds for a Botox injection or skin peel, up to a couple of thousand for a skin tightening treatment.
