What if I told you to ignore all the fancy creams with claims of a miracle cure for aging…? That all you really need is a good quality moisturiser, a good cleansing routine, an effective exfoliant, a sunscreen and the occasional visit to a good skin clinic for a treatment…?

When I say a ‘treatment’ I mean the real deal, not just a relaxing facials that feels great but actually doesn’t change your skin at all. I’m talking about skin treatments that actually do something. Sure, the relaxing facials are a great luxury if you have the time, but in terms of actually changing the look of your skin and rectifying problems, you’re much better off spending your money on an active treatment like a peel, fraxel, Thermage or IPL. Depending on the concern injectables could also be an option.

I’m not going to lie, usually the better the treatment the more it will cost, but the results will be real and well worth the outlay. And the reality is that you will probably only need to have the treatment 1, 2 or 3 times per year.

I spoke to skin specialist Kaye Scott from The Clinic, Bondi Junction to give you a list of the best treatments which will get you real results for your particular concern.

CONCERN- Pigmentation and fine lines

TREATMENT- IPL or Fraxel, depending on pigmentation and skin type.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a rejuvenating treatment for your skin, and will gradually and naturally smooth away areas of uneven pigmentation, spotting, and redness. IPL photo-rejuvenation allows you to treat and reverse sun damage, plump up the skin and treat discolouration including pigmentation and broken facial red veins.

Fraxel treatments target the surface and deeper layers of the skin for a smoother, fresher and younger appearance. Fraxel treats a fraction of tissue at a time targeting damaged skin with microscopic laser columns that penetrate deep. This promotes rapid healing and promotes the body’s natural immune system to replace the old damaged cells with fresh, glowing, healthy skin. Most effective in treating pigmentation, fine lines, sun damage, scars and for improving tone and texture.

A couple of years ago Kaye gave me my first Fraxel treatment, and without a doubt it was the best thing I’ve ever done for my skin. I’ve done it twice again since then. It stripped away my pigmentation, it dramatically improved the look of my skin (it looked less dry, pores were smaller and it looked more radiant) and it reduced my lines. I feel like fraxel wipes the slate clean and leaves you with perfect clear skin. And because it leaves my skin tone looking so good I don’t need to wear much make-up.

CONCERN- Saggy skin and loss of firmness.

TREATMENT- Two options, Pelleve or Thermage.

Pellevé precisely heats the deep layers of your skin using advanced radio wave technology without damaging the epidermis, or top layer. The heat causes your skin to contract and tighten. After the treatment and over coming months, you will continue to experience an improvement in skin quality, firmness and tightness that you can see and feel. Treats sagging skin, nasal labial folds, wrinkles and tired or unhappy expressions. Pelleve is a radiofrequency device, and not a laser, that is used for skin tightening. It uses a wavelength that is similar to marine radio, and focuses it into the skin. This gradually heats the skin, causes collagen fibres to contract, and tightens the skin. It is primarily used on the face and neck to reverse the effects of ageing and gravity by reducing skin laxity and tightening skin. It is a non-invasive, painless treatment with no downtime, designed for those who want to delay or avoid surgery.  The cost for Pelleve is $400 per treatment, three treatments are recommended 1 month apart.

Thermage is completely non-invasive and has no down time. A single treatment tightens your existing collagen and stimulates new collagen growth which in turn lifts sagging skin, contours and improves skin texture. Improvements are both immediately visible and continue up to six months after. Thermage can be used on both the face and body and results last for years. Thermage treatments are all about energy – focusing radiofrequency energy to kick start the body’s own natural renewal process. Like most smart technologies, the process is relatively simple – it’s a combination of heat energy to treat deep tissue, and cooling effects, to protect the skin surface and deliver better patient comfort. At The Clinic use the Thermage CPT machine. Thermage works in just one treatment with little down time and delivers a natural looking result. The cost of the treatment is $3000 per treatment.

Just last week I had my second Thermage treatment. Thermage is the ultimate skin tightening treatment. Yes, it is pricey but it’s a godsend to anyone concerned with loose or saggy skin. Your skin is instantly thicker and firmer after the treatment and continues to get even firmer over the next few months. Thermage is a favourite of Hollywood celebs like Kim Kardashian, Iggy Azalea and J-Lo.

These are both radio frequency skin tightening, but the Thermage will also give better jaw definition, contouring and lift. Experts usually find the younger clients prefer the Pelleve, aged between 25-30 (e.g. Brides and for a special occasion coming up. Ages 35-50 prefer Thermage, and Pelleve 50+.

CONCERN- Enlarged Pores.

TREATMENT- Cosmedix peels and homecare ( take home skincare products).

Peels are a must as far I’m concerned! They are one of the more gentle treatments and cost around $100. A peel is a form of deep exfoliation (deeper than a regular scrub will achieve at home). Dead skin build up on the surface of the skin makes your skin appear dry, rough, patchy and uneven in tone. It will also clog pores and make them appear larger. Regular peels help to clear away dead skin build up, clear out pores and reduce pigmentation leaving you with glowing, naturally dewy skin which is more even in tone. My favourite peel is the Blueberry peel which is 10% lactic acid. The Clinic are also well known for their Benefactor peels, Vitamin A peels ans Salicylic peels. These are a great way of addressing pigmentation, acne, breakouts, and enlarged pores.

I have the Cosmdix Enzyme Mask at home which I do once a week to maintain great looking skin in between visits to the clinic.

CONCERN- Fine Lines around Lips/Mouth.

TREATMENT- Pelleve, Fraxel or Juvederm. Pelleve for skin lifting, Fraxel for skin resurfacing or injectable fillers like Juvederm to smooth and plump out the effected area.

Using injectable fillers  like Juvederm are a great way to plump out and smooth away fine lines. It’s essential to feel comfortable with your clinician and trust that they will administer the product in a way that is going to suit you and give you great, natural looking results. We’ve all seen shocking examples of people going overboard with fillers, but this is usually a result of the person in question wanting an unnatural look, a cheaper product being used (Juvederm is the preferred choice for most doctors) or a bad technique from the person administering it. However, with the right advice and in expert hands you can achieve really natural looking results, and no one will ever know you’ve had it done!

CONCERN- Crows feet. 

TREATMENT- Pelleve or Botox. Pelleve is a great option for skin lifting around the eye area while Botox is an injectable option to relax muscles around the area to prevent further lines developing. (See above descriptions of Pelleve)

CONCERN- Chest wrinkles.

TREATMENT- Fraxel or IPL. Fraxel is a great option to resurface the skin on the chest, it is well known to be a great treatment for successfully restoring the appearance of skin on the chest. While Fraxel will improve the appearance of fine lines it will also significantly improve an uneven skin tone on the chest. IPL is also another good option for the chest. (See above descriptions of treatments)

The bottom line when it comes to anti-aging is to be informed about what will actually work for you. Try to find a great skin specialist who you can rely on to be honest in telling you what you do and do not need.

I highly recommend getting acquainted with your local skin specialist, go in for a consultation and they will get you on the right path to your skin looking it’s best. And if you’re in Sydney there is no one better than The Clinic Bondi Junction. Click HERE OR call Tel: 02 9386 1533.

Bonnie xx