I turned 36 in June and not that my age has anything to do with my starting a series on anti ageing, it’s more that it’s a hot topic. You can buy lotions and potions to help combat the signs of ageing, but what are the best ones, and what kind of procedures can we try to get results? I did a poll of my followers on Instagram to see were there aspects of the beauty industry they wanted to know more about, and hence, here I am writing a weekly series on anti ageing skincare and procedures. To start off, I want to share a little about my own point of view.
I have a few lines, mostly expression marks, but all the same I see them. I also have on one eye, skin turns down slightly. Not that anyone would notice, but I see it, and have seen it my whole life. As my skin matures, I noticed it more. And with the heat we have been experiencing (and despite wearing SPF every day) I have some pigmentation which has darkened the area around my eyes as well. This tends to go away after the summer, but still, it’s not ideal and will speed up the ageing process if it continues.
I’ve been a long term fan of peels and IPL (which you can read about here), so next on the agenda thanks to my curious followers was to see what the deal is with injectables. I’ve listened to many a great beauty editor speak honestly at conferences and skin events explaining how much they love some botox, along with a suitable skincare routine. I’ve always been terrified even of the name and it was never on my agenda. But my curiosity has the same veracity as my followers so I wanted to give it a go.
Above, slightly red after treatment
Now I am no expert in its delivery or workings, but I put myself in the hands of the experts at Renew to determine if its effects are worth it. Botox is delivered by a Doctor (medical professionals only!) who firstly explained what would happen, and the possible side effects (these include headaches, I didn’t experience any thank goodness). Then it was time to mark out my lines with a pencil. My doctor marked three lines on one side and two on the other. Lying down, the botox is administered via injection and it was painless for me bar a little prick on contact with my skin. Five minutes and that’s it. I was slightly red afterwards but within an hour it had gone.
Above, three days post treatment
Within two weeks, you see a clear result, but within three days I could start to see the lines fade. Now, three weeks later they are totally smooth. So in terms of results, yes, it works.
(Above, three weeks after treatment)
As my follow up skincare, I made sure I moisturised the area well and ensured I cleaned my skin twice a day to keep it nice and fresh. Speaking of fresh, it definitely made my skin look clean and glow-y. The results last up to 3 months, and as to whether I keep it up, I don’t know. But what I do know, is that it is a fast process both to deliver and produce results.
If you are interested in finding out more, you can check out all the information on www.renewclinic.ie
