Winter 2019Facing up to ageing

Ageing is a biological norm, but this natural process is challenging for some to accept.

We want to age well and appear youthful, but the majority of us want it to appear to have been achieved naturally (without anyone knowing we have had help).

Fortunately, there is a pioneering non-surgical face lifting treatment called Silhouette Soft which can help to discretely rejuvenate and achieve a completely natural-looking face. Although the treatment is carried out in a clinical setting, it requires no general anaesthetic or scalpel.

Silhouette Soft is designed to redefine the face for those looking for restored volume and reduced wrinkles, but unlike other popular anti-ageing treatments, it doesn’t unnaturally plump out or freeze facial movements. Its effects are two pronged: combatting the signs of ageing requires the restoration of sagging skin, so it is lifted, smoother and more toned, but treatment also needs to redefine the shape to combat the gravitational pull and fat slipping around the lower half of the face, neck and jawline. To meet this dual requirement, Silhouette Soft combines two effects: lifting and regenerating.

The lifting effect is immediate – brought about by elevating the skin at the time of treatment. The tension of the inserted thread lifts the sagging tissues.

The regenerative effect is gradual and natural. After insertion, re-absorbable cones on the threads anchor themselves into the tissues and stimulate the body to produce fresh new collagen. This action, which continues over time, helps increase the volume of hollow and saggy areas and restores shape to the face gradually to achieve a natural-looking result.

Both the threads and bidirectional cones are made from a polymer which is completely biodegradable and is absorbed by the body over time, but not before it has stimulated the body’s production of flexible collagen.

The minimally-invasive treatment is performed by specially trained clinicians. Local anaesthetic is applied to the face. Once numb, Silhouette Soft threads, dotted with tiny cones, are introduced just under the skin, which is then lifted. The whole procedure takes less than an hour and patients can resume their daily routines after treatment. Sometimes there is a small amount of bruising around the thread entry points, however these can be covered with mineral make-up.

Many prospective patients say they would consider an anti-ageing treatment if no one knew they had had it, and if there was no recovery time. It appears that a Silhouette Soft treatment provides a way to achieve this. Treatment typically suits someone aged 40+ who can push lax skin on their face upwards by a centimetre.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Deborah Vines is a Registered General Nurse, Nurse Prescriber and the Medical Director of Face Medical Clinic based in Heywood. She has been a full time Aesthetic Nurse for eighteen years, owns one of the longest established Medical Aesthetic Clinics in the North West and has recently gained her Care Quality Commission Registration for medical treatments.