Ingeborg Van Lotringen On The Tweakments That Turn Back Time

As someone who writes about non-surgical procedures for a living, it may be a surprise to know that I’m more than a little wary of them. That’s because the world of tweakments, while producing some amazing technology and results, is rife with over-inflated promises and under-reported risks. Without wanting to burst anyone’s beauty bubble, it’s easy to pay a lot of money for a disappointing or, in some cases, a disfiguring outcome. The latter is rare and mostly temporary in the hands of reputable doctors but, yes, I’ve had some!

Overall, I think neurotoxins (like Botox), skin boosters and bespoke (I emphasise bespoke) laser treatments can be great for everyone, provided you see a highly experienced expert in each field. Heat-based devices such as radiofrequency microneedling (Morpheus 8 et al) and plasma therapy should be approached with great caution, especially if you have thin and dry skin like mine . And as for anything that’s ‘trending’, I’d rather have a few years of solid proof and data before I submit my face to something experimental. 

People always ask what are the best treatments of all? Of course, these things are personal. But it so happens that, in the past year, I’ve had a number of procedures that made a great difference without turning me into a waxwork. You might even say, in the immortal words of that great philosopher Cher, that they successfully ‘turned back time’ – a very rare achievement. 

What if you could spread a substance just under the skin of your lower cheeks that gives an instant boost of plumping hydration then, for the next 18 months, gets the dermis in the area to produce collagen as if it was in its twenties, plumping out vertical ‘accordion’ smile lines and filling out gaunt, lax cheeks? It could never be achieved with filler (you’d go lumpy) but it can be done with bio-stimulating hybrid injectables, of which HArmonyCa, as far as I’m concerned, is the bee’s knees.

HArmonyCa is classed as a bio-stimulating filler, but it acts more like a skin booster. The extremely fluid cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel is introduced and distributed under the skin via cannula (local anaesthetic is involved) and gives barely perceptible instant density; it’s really more like a hydrated juiciness. But the HA is spiked with calcium hydroxyapatite, a molecule that gets the skin to produce collagen and elastin until the gel is fully broken down by the body, which takes up to two years.

I had a treatment about three years ago and loved the added firmness and enduring smoothness it gave my cheeks. But it wasn’t until another session 18 months later, and only when I saw pictures taken before and after, that I noticed a transformation had occurred. My lower face, which I had long felt was too gaunt, had filled out but in a way that was entirely natural: this was my own collagen returning to places it had vacated as I aged. 

My doctor, Apul Parikh, is now pioneering the treatment to smooth and firm the neck, with crepiness-busting results from my one treatment; I’m looking forward to the second giving my thinning skin noticeably more substance, as it did on my face.

Prices will differ, but I think the £1,200 Dr Parikh charges is an amazing return on investment for a treatment that yields such long-term results that are as visible as they are undetectable.

I feel exactly the same about the £6,000 I was charged for an upper eyelid lift with oculoplastic surgeons Rachna Murthy and Jonathan Roos at FaceRestoration. Given what I know about the minimal results eye creams and even eye tweakments yield in this area (the latter often coming with considerable downtime and price tags), having actual surgery seemed like the only option to get back the round and wide-open eyes I sorely missed since my lids collapsed with age. And when I was told how minimal the downtime would be (a week!) and that results would last a decade or so, my mind was made up.

While being serious surgery, in the scheme of things, with no pain at all, very little discomfort and such quick healing, it actually did feel like a breeze. That was, of course, also to do with choosing a pair of highly experienced and specialised surgeons who’ve made it their mission to limit trauma and maximise the healing process. Take risks by going for cut-price options or unreliable doctors and you could end up with disfiguring results you can never turn back.

And my eyes? At 54, they’re back to how I remember them in my thirties. Nobody seems to notice a thing and friends say I look like ‘me’ – because I do. That, to me, is a perfect result.

I once had to interview Paris Hilton (and her retinue of lapdogs) who told me she’d had weekly massages since she was a child. It made me realise why the rich tend to be wrapped in supple, toned, blotch and dimple-free body skin: they can afford to be manually manipulated on a regular basis. While, in the face of so much body-toning and contouring tech, the idea of massage seems quite retro and basic, it is actually one of the best ways not just to aid muscle recovery, but to stimulate blood flow, lymph function, fat metabolism and even collagen production: it’s all-round rejuvenating. 

If I had the funds (and the time), I’d do a Paris and have a top masseur come round to my mansion (tiny flat) weekly, preferably in the shape of Alphonsus Modebe. He is intuitive, powerful and multi-disciplinary, and he can bespoke each treatment depending on whether you need lymphatic, deep tissue, sports massage or even cupping depending on what kind of healing and recovery you require, at £130 for an hour.

There is, however, a nationwide alternative that is slightly more accessible. LPG Endermologie is a mechanical massage machine that, while unable to emulate the many added benefits of actual human touch, has many clinically proven strings to its bow. Originally created as a medical device to loosen scar tissue and improve skin regeneration in burns victims, it gained great traction as a slimming and anti-cellulite machine, owing to its combo of suction, vibration and massage rollers tackling the many pathways of cellulite and bloat. A body and face-toning staple in clinics and salons around Europe, it’s also used by surgeons to prepare skin before going under the knife.

But its increasingly noted and studied systematic ‘wellness’ benefits were what made me decide to have a course of treatments 25 years after a single, excruciatingly painful cellulite session (the technology has since been refined so as to be painless, I was assured).

The Vitality-Stress-Sleep (VSS) protocol boasts impressive stats: it’s proven to make stress hormone levels plummet and reduce anxiety, promote relaxation and improve sleep quality by about 50%. A plethora of massage sensations (alongside pummelling, suction, squeezing and rolling, there are pulses and massage ‘flaps’ – all of it painless) reaches your skin, lymph, fascia, muscles and even organs for a noticeable effect on all the body’s systems. 

As a great believer in lymphatic drainage for long-term health and deep tissue massage as a proven sleep-promoter, it’s been no surprise to find that the recommended ten bi-weekly, instantly soothing VSS sessions have left me feeling calmer and more in control of the daily stress-fest. It’s one of those treatments that, in a perfect world, should probably be prescribed on the NHS for anyone grappling with the chaos that is modern life.

For more inspiration, follow Inge at @TheOgBeautyBoss.

DISCLAIMER: Features published by SheerLuxe are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.