The most talked-about non-invasive tweakments

Sunekos: to treat crepey skin and hollow eye area

Think of this as an injectable facial, which uses a patented formula of hyaluronic acid and amino acids injected very lightly just under the skin’s surface all over the face and/or eye area. Not to be confused with fillers or neurotoxins, this bio-stimulating mixture makes skin cells repair and reboot themselves (thanks to the exact protein combination), while the hyaluronic acid adds a thick cushion over the underlying tissues, creating plumper and smoother skin. Making it brilliant for improving the texture and appearance of crepey cheeks, necks and décolletage and for plumping out hollow eye zones.

The formula also has long-term skin benefits as it stimulates fibroblasts and in turn the production of collagen and elastin. It can be used on all skin types and has been proven very safe, with no contraindications. Three treatments, spread seven-10 days apart, are advised for optimum results. Each treatment takes about 25 minutes and mild swelling and puffiness can be expected for a few hours afterwards. Results last between six to nine months.

Average cost, €300 per treatment.

Volux: to sharpen and define jawline and chin contours

Made in Ireland by Allergan, the same pharma company that produces Botox and Viagra, Juvéderm Volux is a new generation filler used by practitioners to subtly sculpt and sharpen up the chin and jaw area. Although hyaluronic acid-based like most facial fillers on the market, Volux is a much denser filler, which allows injectors to sharpen and sculpt the jawline (in both men and women). This action can also work to lift the neck, minimise jowls and restore better symmetry and definition to the face.

This non-invasive treatment usually takes about 30 minutes and the practitioner will insert small doses of filler into various injection sites along the jaw, moulding it into the desired shape with their fingers until they achieve the optimum result. Minor bruising and swelling may occur but most patients can resume their normal daily routines straight away. According to Allergan, results can last for up to 24 months.

Average costs from €400 upwards depending on how much filler is required.

Silhouette Soft: to lift the lower face and jowls

An evolution of previous thread technologies for lifting the lower face and jaw, Silhouette Soft threads are made from Poly L-lactic acid (PLLA, the same substance used in surgical stitches) and have the addition of micro cones at each end of the thread so they can anchor into the underlying tissue. This non-invasive treatment is done using local anaesthesia and takes about an hour, with minimal downtime afterwards.

The threads are inserted via micro incisions in the midface, jowls or neck (not unlike a long stitch from one part of the face to another) and once placed are pulled gently to lift the underlying tissue and skin on top of it. The PLLA also stimulates the skin to produce its collagen, which over time helps to increase skin volume and restores shape to the face gradually. The results last up to 24 months and the body will naturally reabsorb the threads over time.

Average costs from €2,000

Tickle Lipo: to target stubborn fatty deposits

A minimally invasive fat cell removal procedure that utilises a gentle, high-speed vibration-assisted energy to break down fat cells. Performed under local anaesthetic, it helps melt fat deposits in specific areas that do not respond to diet and exercise, including the neck and jawline, arms, legs, buttocks, hips and abdomen.

After a local anaesthetic is used to numb the area (a light anti-anxiety medication may be prescribed), a long narrow cannula is inserted via a small incision into the treatment site. The cannula is then vibrated at 10 Hz, causing a gentle whirling motion, which breaks up the fat. These vibrations often cause a tickling sensation in patients, hence the treatment’s name. The fat is then suctioned out via the same cannula. The procedure takes a few hours or more depending on the amount of fat being removed. There is usually no need for sutures and patients are typically able to leave shortly after the procedure is over and can resume normal activities within a few days. Results take about three weeks, with optimal results within a few months.

Average cost from €2,295.

Slim Chin: to minimise a double chin

Double chins traditionally were very difficult to treat or minimise without extreme measures. But there have been two breakthrough medical aesthetic treatments recently. The first is to inject deoxycholic acid, (industry names for this include Kybella, Deso, The Kylie jab, Slim Chin) into fatty deposits. This acid is naturally produced by your body to aid in the breakdown of dietary fat. And here, a synthetic version is injected into the submental fat layer beneath your chin. Within minutes, the acid kills the cells through a process known as lysis; in the weeks that follow, the immune system will naturally dispose of the cellular debris. (Deoxycholic acid injections are also being used successfully to minimise other stubborn fatty pockets like the bra bulge, neck rolls or bingo wings).

Another option for the chin area is SculpSure laser, which has been long used and FDA approved for eliminating pockets of fat on stubborn parts of the body but is only just available to treat fat under the chin. A cap-like device is worn to which a specific laser applicator is attached, designed to sit just under the chin. Targeted laser energy then heats fat cells under the chin – the laser raises the temperature of fat cells, damaging their structural integrity. Over three months, the damaged fat cells are swept away by the body’s lymphatic system. The fat cells destroyed do not plump back up or regenerate and multiple treatments (which are advised for optimum results) result in a slimmer and tauter appearance of the chin and neck.

Average cost of deoxycholic acid injections from €400, SculpSure from €650.