Popular cosmetic procedures put to the test

 

Procedure: Lunchtime non-surgical eyebrow lift.

 

Time investment: 15-20 minutes.

 

Recovery time: None, but face “settles” best after three weeks.

Pain factor: This involves roughly five to ten units of Botox injections in the brow. Carefully administered with the thinnest of needles, the injections feel like tiny pinpricks.

 

Result: Overall refreshed look. In essence, the Botox injections appear to work by hoisting the eyebrows up, and this does give the eyes a brighter, more open appearance.

Results last 3-6 months.

 

Cost: $400.

 

Practitioner: Cosmetic physician Dr Liane Robinson, Sydney Cosmetic Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Procedure: Dermal fillers to the lower half of the face around the marionette lines.

 

Time investment: 20–30 minutes.

Recovery time: None.

 

Pain factor: Slight discomfort as gel is injected beneath the skin about half a dozen times on each side of the mouth.

 

Result: My face lines disappeared, my face emerged plumper and fresher, and my jawline silhouette smoothed out. I look a rejuvenated me. I feel mildly more confident and elicit more comments about looking “well”. These results should last anywhere from 6-9 months.

 

Cost: $1600 ($800 for each side of the mouth).

 

Practitioner: Dr Robinson.

 

 

 

 

Procedure: IPL (intense pulsed light) skin rejuvenation to treat freckles, age spots, sun damage and spider veins.

 

Time investment: 20-30 minutes.

Recovery time: From two to 24 hours.

 

Pain factor: It hurts, but it’s bearable and is only painful for the 20 minutes your skin is actually being treated. You can opt to use “happy gas” (nitrous oxide), which acts as an anaesthetic and really does help to cut down on pain.

 

Side effects: It feels instantly hot, like bad sunburn. But, thankfully in my case, this sensation greatly subsided two hours or so post-treatment. I could go out that night (after applying some make-up and taking some aspirin). As expected, a day after treatment small dark marks appeared on my face. Where freckles once were there were now dark marks, which looked like thin black texta lines smattered over my face. These “dropped” off completely a few days later.

 

Result: My boyfriend says my skin looks clearer and a friend tells me my skin is “dewy”, while another tells me I look younger. (Love that!) I see results after two treatments; but depending on an individual’s skin, three to five is optimal. In theory these results are permanent, but if you’re a heavy sunbaker, you’ll be needing a top-up inside of a year.

 

Cost: Starts from $200, depending on the area treated. Face is $450 per treatment.

 

Practitioner: Paramedical aesthetician Maureen Cole, a beauty therapist trained in cosmetic treatments, Silkwood Medical.