An Aesthetic Doctor On The Tweakments To Try

While fillers are often used to sculpt and define contours of the face, 2023 could be the year that thread lifts really compete. Offering plenty of versatility threads can sharpen the jawline and reduce that annoying wobble underneath the chin, as well as tackling other niggles including vertical lip lines and eye bags. “Threads under the eye will improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of bags and hollowing,” says Sarah. If you’re not au fait with how it all works, put simply, threads are surgical sutures with tiny anchors either side which pull and hold the skin when tightened. Made from absorbable materials which have similar structures to sugar, once the threads have been put in place, they trigger collagen production before gradually dissolving into the body. “A lot of people are getting more worried about dermal filler migration and about it hanging around longer than the manufacturer suggests, so threads are the perfect antidote to this,” says Sarah. “There’s also no risk of migration and they dissolve when they say they do.” While there are lots of different threads available, those made of poly-L-lactic acid (PLACL) tend to have superior longevity and collagen stimulation.

Even if you haven’t tried it, you’re likely to have heard about Profhilo, the hyaluronic acid-based injectable moisturiser that boosts skin hydration from the inside out. For 2023 though, Belotero’s Revive is the alternative to watch, says Sarah. As well as improving hydration, firmness and skin texture, Revive also targets damage caused by UV and blue light; and unlike other skin boosters, it can be injected into the specific dermal areas of tissue that are destroyed by these aggressors. Revive also contains glycerol, a powerful humectant that works to attract and lock in moisture on its own, and also enhances the potency of the hyaluronic acid in the product.

For some it’s the banana rolls visible in gym leggings, for others its persistent bra fat poking out of your top. If your bug bear is ageing knees that make wearing skirts unthinkable, and you want to do something about it, make this the year that you do. While combination treatments continue to transform skin, the pairing of non-invasive skin-tightening procedures with injectables is especially popular. Sarah’s own ‘Kneed It’ treatment can be tailored to each patient, the combination of Ultracel Q+ for skin tightening and Belotero Revive for hydration and collagen formation is a game-changer. Although elements of the treatment will be visible in just a few days, it does take a few months to see the full effect, so if you’re interested, the advice is to start now in time for summer.

If you’re looking to improve elasticity, soften fine lines and reduce hollowness in certain areas of the face, you might want to consider a new breed of filler that’s quickly gaining traction and is already used by Sarah in her clinic. Polynucleotide filler or PDRN (made of DNA extracted from salmon sperm cells) activates different receptors in the skin to traditional dermal fillers, essentially instructing the skin to make cellular changes on its own, rather than simply doing the job for it. Not only do polynucleotides have wound healing capacity which means they encourage rapid skin healing and improved texture but they’re also anti-inflammatory and so promote optimum cell renewal. Unlike other hyaluronic acid-based fillers, the results aren’t as immediate because change must happen at a cellular level, but they can work well in conjunction with other HA fillers, meaning you’ll get both an instant and long-term boost.

Although anti-wrinkle injections like Botox are most commonly used for smoothing out lines and wrinkles, they’re being increasingly utilised in other, newer ways, including to slim down the face. When injected into enlarged salivary or parotid glands that sit just in front of the ears, they can recontour the face, adjusting the natural width and giving a more slimline shape without resorting to surgical methods. If you are tempted, don’t be alarmed if your practitioner incorporates other tech to help understand your particular facial anatomy. “I do some of these under ultrasound guidance,” confirms Sarah, a practice which can also help manage and mitigate any potential complications.

Forget microneedling – micro-coring is the latest tweakment to know about. Increasingly popular in the US, it’s touted as sitting somewhere between skin-firming treatments like laser and microneedling and a face lift, and is said to be a scar-free way to reshape the face. It does so by using tiny hollow needles under local anaesthetic to create micro cores (think miniscule punch holes less than half a millimetre in diameter) in targeted areas of excess skin. These tiny biopsies effectively remove tiny portions of the skin which, when they start to heal, naturally tighten and promote collagen production. “It looks exciting,” says Sarah, “because if it’s possible to remove tissue safely then it’s a great way to get tightening without scarring.” Watch this space.

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