Can cosmetic treatments really make you look younger? ROISIN INGLEtries out the Pelleve 'facelift' to see if it worth the time and money
SOMETIMES I feel grateful for the fact that when it comes to medical matters I am a bit of a wuss. It means that when the conversation turns, as it sometimes does among women of a certain age, to Botox, laser resurfacing and other youth-enhancing cosmetic procedures, I don’t even have to think about whether or not I would try them. I’d rather look like Methuselah’s granny than have injections in my face or laser peels that leave my skin raw and weeping.
Generally, when I look in the mirror I accept what I see as a natural part of the ageing process.
I know people who swear by Botox injections and good luck to them, but I’ve always felt happy to let nature and the ravages of time take their course.
So when I am offered a go at a new “non-invasive” facelift, my first reaction is to doubt that such a thing exists. I do a little more digging and learn that Pelleve (from the French for “lift” and “skin”) uses radio frequencies to heat up the skin through a hand piece which causes it to tighten and regenerate fresh collagen supplies, enhancing the complexion. It is approved for wrinkle reduction by the US Food and Drug Administration which is notoriously rigorous about the products it approves.
I don’t make up my mind straight away because, apart from the pain element, I have a bit of a philosophical dilemma. My wrinkles don’t really bother me now, but will they and other signs of ageing start to bother me if I undergo a treatment aimed at eradicating them? Where, I wonder, will it all end?
A week later having wrestled with this dilemma (I decided one treatment was unlikely to lead to a cosmetic surgery addiction), I am lying on a treatment bed in a private members’ club in Dublin and Dr Kambiz Golchin is explaining how it all works.
The doctor works out of London and at the About Face Clinic in the Beacon Hospital. He is holding the Pelleve “magic wand”, a small metal device the size of a pen, which is attached to a radio frequency machine that generates a mild electric current that travels from the wand deep into the collagen without damaging the top layers of the skin.
There is an “earthing pad” between my shoulder pads allowing the current to pass through me.
“What it does is heat up the skin and that heat will contract the collagen. That’s how the treatment works. There is an immediate tightening of the skin and the response to the contraction is that more collagen is produced . . . the results will continue over months,” he says.
His assistant applies gel to my face and keeps a constant eye on my temperature as the doctor massages my skin in a circular motion with the wand. It’s not an unpleasant sensation. It feels as though he is going over my face with a miniature iron. Sometimes the heat becomes a little too much, especially on the thin area underneath the eyes, and I wince to let him know. The area is cooled and the process starts again.
When I’ve got used to the sensation of having my face ironed, I begin to enjoy it the way you might a relaxing facial. He is doing only half my face at first, so that I can compare the “done” side to the side that’s been left alone.
Halfway through I sit up to look in the mirror. I can definitely see that the right side of my face has tightened slightly, leaving a barely perceptible lopsided effect. I lie back so he can do the rest.
When I look in the mirror after my half-hour session, I can see a visible difference. There is noticeably less flesh around the chin area and I seem to have developed a very slight but noticeable (to me anyway) pout. The real test will be at home, but when I ask if he thinks I look different, my boyfriend makes a lame guess that I’ve had my hair done.
In the days and weeks afterwards, I do notice an increase in compliments – “You look very fresh”, “Your skin is glowing”, “You look well” – from people who don’t know I’ve had a Pelleve session. I find myself staring at my face in the mirror for longer than I ever have before, scrutinising the fine lines on my forehead which are still there.
A couple of weeks after the treatment, I notice that my skin is smoother. I feel less need to wear foundation. The vague compliments (“There’s something different about you”) keep coming. The collagen will apparently continue regenerating for about six months.
Dr Golchin expects that a lot of people who are afraid of needles or more invasive procedures will choose Pelleve. “Why wouldn’t you?” he says.
Well, the price for one thing. It’s €650 a session and two are recommended at first, with top-ups every six months. I will admit to enjoying the subtle improvements to my looks, but it’s unlikely that I’d be forking out for more treatments. But that’s just me. I am sure many other Botox-wary women will see it as a worthwhile investment in themselves.
See aboutface.ie or tel: 01-2135650
