In this regular series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph’s beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the conundrums they’ve been searching for answers to, and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss tweakments. Ask them your questions below...
As usual, my Pilates teacher asked how my body was. “Tight upper back”, I replied (a lot of travel for work). “Thought so. You look a little stooped,” she said. That was a sobering moment. Looking youthful is almost never about getting rid of lines or having lip filler — it’s about good posture, good teeth, good haircuts, good nutrition and skin care; clothes that suit and, corny as it sounds; that positive energy and curiosity that comes from within.
But let’s not be coy about this — some tweakments can turbo boost all of the above. So I think it’s important to know what’s possible. People see heavy handed pillow faces, stretched skin and inflated lips and run a mile. But there are subtle tweaks that can be helpful.
For me it’s about looking your best — categorically, not about looking as though you’ve had anything done. I’m not fussed about wrinkles, but sag bugs me. A couple of years ago, I had Profound RF (radio frequency) on my jawline. It was alarming at the time — my face swelled up and I bruised. Apparently I was a rare case. The downtime was longer than advertised — three weeks or so. But the tauter jawline is worth it — to me. It’s crucial to go to someone you trust.
If your upper eyelids droop to the point where you look permanently sleepy, or it’s impacting your vision, dots of well placed Botox around the brows can defer the need for blepharoplasty (perhaps indefinitely!) and act like an upper face lift. The biostimulator HarmoniCa can help with marionette lines — again, done well, it’s invisible.
Don’t use any of this to eradicate your wrinkles — who wants an expressionless face? Make sure your doctor is on the same page as you aesthetically. And leave gaps between visits to gauge whether it’s making the right kind of difference.
For three months earlier this year, I trialled Lyma’s Laser Pro, religiously – one hour every day on my face, hands and thighs while I watched TV or was in the car (in the passenger seat I should add, not driving).
Laser Pro, £4,995, Lyma
Reviews of this cold laser tech differ wildly. Negligible progress on my cellulite, alas. But my face is notably lifted in the after pictures, my skin has never looked better (except when I tried Profhilo, but that can be a faff and hurt) and the pain in my finger joints is much less. It’s £5,000 though — and won’t work if it sits in a drawer.
Which brings me to my favourite low fi, low cost, wouldn’t-be-without youth boosters — facial exercise and massage. EmFace does it all for you, while you lie on your back (4,000 muscle twitches per minute, for which, obviously, you pay handsomely). Gua sha stones, this facial roller and organic oils are infinitely cheaper but require more effort. Use them daily and keep your face out of the sun — your skin and facial muscle tone will reap the rewards.
Jade beauty restorer, £20, Hayo’U; Rejuvenating frankincense facial oil, £37, Neal’s Yard
I am going through a phase of introspection when it comes to aesthetic treatments. When I turned 50 last year I hit a roadblock — the realisation that I’m more than half way through my life made me contemplate my looks in a new light. Do I want to ‘age gracefully’ as they say? Or throw everything at the lines and drooping contours that are sure to come — if not now, then certainly within the next five to ten years.
Acceptance is the word that’s swilling around in my head and the thing I’m keen to hold close. Ageing is a privilege, not a war to be fought — and yet a healthy amount of vanity helps to keep oneself in tip top health, externally and internally. It’s a tricky line to walk and one I’m currently weighing up.
My job puts me in a fortunate position. I’m invited to try out whatever new injectable, laser or sag-busting machine that comes onto the market. But being a kid in a candy shop is rarely a good thing — there is a risk of over-indulging. And there is nothing worse than someone who’s lost sight of themself.
So, where does this leave me? If it’s done correctly, I’m all for Botox — it’s got decades of medical credibility behind it. In the right hands, the muscle relaxing toxin is a subtle refresher, making it ideal at the brink of a new season, as we are now. A sprinkle around the eyes and brow area hikes everything up just enough to feel better. Whereas, an injection of toxin in the chin helps to prevent it from curling upwards — something that happens when the bone and fat pads on the chin resorb, causing the facial structure to square off at the bottom.
On occasion, I’ve also had Botox in the neck to minimise sleep lines. Wherever the placement, the doctor wielding the syringe is all important (‘doctor’ being the operative word).
If a friend asked for my advice on Botox, I’d tell her to never freeze wrinkles altogether. A face without expression lines can’t be trusted — little and far between is my thesis and it’s yet to steer me wrong.
Sticking with injectables, a few months ago I tried Polynucleotides under my eyes to soften dark circles. A certain amount of shadow prevents eyes from dissapearing (I’ve begun wearing less concealer for this reason) but too much and I look tired. I hate to look unrested, so I intervene when that’s the case.
Polynucleotides are a chain of nucleotides that are crucial in DNA repair, helping the skin to de-age naturally. It worked a treat at first but does need topping up every few months — it is a marriage not a fling you’re signing up for here, hence why I haven’t gone back.
Filler, despite my reservations, is good at plumping up deflated areas of the face but I wouldn’t allow it anywhere near my nose-to-mouth lines, or any lines in general. It can however lend structure if it’s injected close to the bone. Yet, it’s so frequently overdone it’s gotten a bad rap. Let’s just say, if you’re contemplating filler, proceed with caution. I’m on the fence, so for now I’m opting out.
Dr. Sophie Shotter, an aesthetic practitioner who I trust wholeheartedly, tells me that if a patient is on a fixed budget, she’ll spend it on skincare. After all, a vital juicy complexion looks as good in your 90s as it does in your 20s. The same can’t be said for injectables, by the way.
I’m sensitive to strong active ingredients in skincare, but I do use Vitamin C to brighten — and a gentle retinol serum at night. Along with a good moisturiser and SPF, all year round. Having tried the new Aura skin diagnostic machine at Shotter’s clinic, the results unequivocally showed I had pigmentation and redness that needs to be addressed. Therefore, I’ll be trying a vascular laser for my rosacea and for the pigmentation IPL. I’ve yet to book in, but should the results be worth sharing you have my assurance I’ll report back.
Product wise, Dr. David Jack’s Yellow Peel Pigment Correcting Mask has been my one post-summer investment. Containing a triple-action Vitamin C complex, mandelic acid, retinol and glutathione, I’m using it on my sun mottled decolletage weekly. When I remember to do so, I incorporate a daily blast of red light before bed, which studies have shown stimulates collagen.
Yellow Peel Pigment Correcting Mask, £149, Dr. David Jack
If I had the budget I would have regular sculpting facials with Su-Man, a former ballerina and shiatsu trained therapist, who is currently in residence at the Sofitel Hotel St. James. She lifts your facial contours with deep and fast massage movements, in between drenching your skin with her algae based skincare, ensuring you’ll leave with dewy skin and sharper jowls.
The results may not last as long as injectables, but longevity comes to those who commit to the cause. Su-Man is 60, with a forehead as tight as my teenage daughter’s — and she’s never had a shot of Botox in her life. Food for thought.
A1 Vitamin A Power 1 Serum, £90, Sarah Chapman; Anti-Ageing Led Light Therapy Mask, £348, Omnilux Contour
Ask Annabel and Lisa
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