Fullness is the new frontier of anti-ageing, brought to you by the letter X
One of the major beauty benefits of being young is having a full face. Those chubby cheeks maybe a curse in youth, but fast forward 20 years and a bony, hollowed face looks tired and old. It’s the fullness of youth that you desperately miss once you age.
There are all kinds of treatments, including Botox, for those looking for line erasing in their 20s and 30s; peels can regenerate a dull, sun-baked complexion and nothing gives skin that lit-from-within glow like skincare that contains ingredients such as vitamin A, peptides and growth factors.
But when it comes to filling deep wrinkles and creases, hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Perlane are the answer. Administered well, they can address the look of bone shrinkage and sagging that comes with the loss of volume through the cheek and jawline.
When a face goes from an ageing square with hollows and jowls to a fresh—looking youthful triangle with sharp definition in the chin it can take 1O years off in just one lunchtime treatment.
Dr Ellen Selkon from Clinic 42 in Auckland designed this new technique known as the X factor, and has been asked to present a medical paper on results. She believes it‘s the fastest and most successful way to keep that youthful shape. “We replace lost volume with hyaluronic acid by filling the hollows with Perlane or Restylane in an imaginary X shape‘ From just under the cheekbone, close to the ear, and then opposite at the edge of the jawline, in line with the ear and on both sides of the face, to give back that youthful shape.”
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According to Selkon it only takes a small pad of filler at each point to put back volume, softening any angles or hollows, giving the instant appearance of a youthful frame. “Even if you have high cheekbones, and your face still has some natural padding, this technique glamorises instantly”
And this treatment is ageless. Some women notice changes with ageing, but stress or dramatic weight loss can also cause hollows and sharp unflattering angles. “Ageing happens slowly and often what people notice most is the change in their face frame. We all look at people in the eye, and then our stare is naturally drawn downward. When jowls and sagging begin to occur this only exaggerates ageing. ”
Selkon says that for some, the presence of lines, wrinkles and pigmentation can be overlooked if the face has some natural-looking fullness. “The X factor has two benefits: re-draping and reframing. That extra volume gives an instant lift, and a defined jaw gives the illusion of youthfulness. ”
And there is more good news; because the cheekbones and jaw are not highly mobile areas of the face such as the eyes and lips, Selkon says this treatment can last for up to one year, with subsequent treatments lasting up to 18 months. A consultation is essential;
expect to pay from NZD$1500. 00.
