Non-Invasive Cosmetic Procedures: Everything You Need To Know About “Tweakments”
The global market for non-invasive cosmetic treatments is set to be worth $18.65 billion by 2026, with Dubai fast becoming the Beverly Hills of the Middle East. Here’s how you can expect to look fresher for 2022 without a scalpel or the associated downtime…
Micro-treatments are the new vogue. Where once erasing the last vestiges of age with a facelift was the goal, now it’s all about stealth aesthetic treatments that ensure you look like you – just a fresher, more contoured and more airbrushed version. Thanks to scientific advances, and a more restrained approach by practitioners, the next generation of non-invasive cosmetic treatments – futuristic fillers, cutting-edge lasers and growth factors from your own blood – solve problems that once required a scalpel, a surgeon and six weeks shunning the outside world. So it’s hardly surprising that the appetite for non-invasive aesthetic treatments, which many see as a Goldilocks middle ground, is on the rise.
“Part of their allure is the fact that they are precisely that – non-invasive,” said Dr Marwa Ali, resident aesthetic doctor at The Wellness Clinic at Harrods in London, who has treated Middle Eastern royalty. “Non-surgical options present a significantly lower risk with less downtime required. They are quick and simple to perform, with some being carried out in a lunch hour, and many patients see instant results.”
As for what’s next in aesthetics in 2022? Zero-detection work is a trajectory that Dr Ali is already witnessing, alongside carefully choreographed treatments that involve using one technology in tandem with another for bonus benefits. “Demand for non-surgical procedures that offer natural-looking results continues to rise, in particular, combination treatments that target skin conditions such as wrinkles, loss of firmness and uneven skin tone using a blend of technologies,” she said.
Non-Invasive Cosmetic Procedures: The Tweakments Rivalling Surgery
An upgrade to the usual Profhilo is testament to this. Famous for favouring hydration over volume, this injectable moisture treatment contains un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid that spreads beneath the skin’s surface like honey and on a cellular level has been shown to stimulate the fibroblasts to produce more collagen. Now the Dr. Dray Clinic in Kensington has launched The Youth Boost treatment, which mixes Profhilo serum in the same syringe as a calcium gel and PRP (platelet-rich plasma with high levels of growth factors) drawn from your own blood for improved skin elasticity and even greater glow-galvanising effects. “When the mixture is injected into areas of the face or neck where the skin is tired, dull and thin, it stimulates the production of collagen, making the skin thicker and plumper with improved texture,” explained aesthetic doctor Dr Maurice Dray.
Similarly, the Lumenis Photofractional skin rejuvenation treatment, which is available at both the OCP Medical Center in Dubai and The Wellness Clinic at Harrods, combines two transformative laser light technologies so that both hyper-pigmentation and slack skin can be treated in one session. “IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treats uneven skin tone and redness, while the non-ablative skin-resurfacing laser stimulates the production of fresh collagen and elastin fibres over a series of treatments for smoother, more luminous skin,” said Dr Ali.
Practitioners are also using existing technology to even better effect when it comes to elevating skin that is losing its fight with gravity. Fillers are no longer about adding a ton of volume. Based at the Taktouk Clinic in London’s Knightsbridge, aesthetic doctor Dr Wassim Taktouk is a fan of injecting filler into one part of the face in order to create a bit of tension and lift elsewhere. Rather than inject directly into the nasolabial folds (the grooves on either side of the mouth), he prefers “injecting into the cheeks or temples if there has been age-related volume loss, as this extra volume can pull the skin up and lift the lower face tissues for more natural results.” Likewise, Dr Benjamin Kauffholz, co-founder of the Dr Dray Clinic, has started performing a brow lift that relies purely on a hard hyaluronic gel filler rather than a thread lift (where temporary sutures lift the skin). “Injecting into the brow bone, while pushing the eyebrow up, really opens up the eye area,” he added.
Tumescent-lipped faces are now on the wane, too, with the advent of lip lasers. “I’ve recently started using the Alma no-needle lip treatment and the results are impressive,” recounts cosmetic doctor Dr Tijion Esho, who splits his time between London and the Nova Clinic in Dubai. While Dr Esho is a master of injecting, the needle[1]free lip lift takes just 10 minutes for those who want subtle plumpness and to smooth the barcode lines around the mouth. “It resurfaces, treats perioral lines, stimulates collagen and creates micro-channels in the lips, allowing deeper penetration of hydrating products,” he explained.
Even Botox is now being used in a novel, off-label way. “These days we use Botulinum toxin much more for improving the look of skin,” said Dr Taktouk. “Traditionally Botulinum toxin was for wrinkle-erasing or softening crow’s feet, but if you micro-dilute it and spread it out, you can use it to improve everything from oily skin to the flushing of rosacea. Tiny doses temporarily stop the oil glands from over-secreting sebum and prevent blood vessels dilating so we can reduce the characteristic red skin.”
Welcome to the future of your face.
Photography: Thomas Von Aagh. Styling: Stephan Kallaus.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s February 2022 issue