HEALTH The beauty buzz & Catherine Varney rounds up the latest news and innovations in the hair and beauty industry this month.
Tackle fat with two unique treatments Now, if I told you there was a treatment that could reduce fat without the need for hitting the gym or dieting, would you be interested? I visited Lesley Spencer at the Chaelis Clinic to find out about the unique fat-busting treatments she offers…
Cavitation treatment
Lesley explained this was excellent for getting rid of stubborn areas of fat that don’t respond to diet and exercise (perfect for my mummy tummy). Whilst this treatment can cover a wide area at a time, it would be too costly and time consuming to cover the whole body, so if you are very overweight, this isn’t the treatment for you (although it’s absolutely perfect for getting rid of excess inches after a diet). Lesley fired up the cavitation machine and showed me how she was going to shock my fat into disappearing with a handpiece that had four transducers on it – these send a light vibration through all of the skin layers and hit the adipose (fatty) tissue underneath. The vibrations hit the membrane surrounding the fat cells, causing them to burst, and the lipids (or fats) are then carried away by the body’s excretory system. So far, so simple. Lesley applied ultrasound gel across the whole of my abdomen (the treatment can cover the whole of the diaphragm area in one session) and then set about firmly kneading my skin to ensure the ultrasound waves were able to penetrate to the correct depth. Whilst it felt like my tummy was being given a good workout, it wasn’t painful (just slightly uncomfortable when it got to my ribs and hip bones!), but she managed to cover a large surface area in just 45 minutes, so it’s easy to see how this would also be very effective on back fat, thighs and buttocks too. This was followed by a quick burst of shockwave therapy to aid the process, increasing blood circulation and collagen production to improve the tone and texture of my skin and reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite. I was told that my regular diet of predominantly tea and coffee would need a little overhaul for a few days, as I should drink at least 3 litres of water a day to alleviate the stress on my kidneys as they flushed the fats away. Whilst results are immediate and visible after the first session (I lost 2–3cm on both my waist and hips), this is an 8-week treatment schedule, which includes the cavitation and shockwave therapy, at a cost of £995. It may sound expensive, but this is minimal when compared to the cost of surgery in which I think very similar results can be achieved – after all, the 8-week photos (right, top) speak for themselves…
Cryolipolysis
Try saying that after you’ve had your chin frozen! This treatment requires a much smaller area than cavitation, and, having given me a cursory once-over, Lesley decided that the pouch under my chin was the ideal candidate for some contouring. Cryolipolysis is essentially “fat freezing”, in which a cryo cup is placed on the area to be treated, the air flow is activated, and the fatty tissue is pulled into the cup with a vacuum action. Lesley prepared my skin with an anti-freeze membrane that would protect my skin from any damage. Once she activated the machine, I could feel my chin being sucked into the cup and she began the freezing process. The area got cold very rapidly, but not uncomfortably so, and as the treatment lasts for only approximately 20 minutes, it was perfectly bearable. Again, this treatment is very carefully controlled: the machine only freezes down to -6ºC, the temperature at which fat cells are destroyed (blood and tissue freeze at -12ºC, so there is no danger of any damage to them at all). This is a one-off treatment, which starts from £175 per area, in which you will see 20 to 40% of fat cells permanently destroyed. Immediately afterwards and for the first few days, there was very slight pinprick bruising, but, by day 3, you wouldn’t have known I’d had it done. Lesley said it takes until week 8 to show the results off to their full effect.
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RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING MAY 2018
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
However, I have noticed a difference straight away – my profile is much smoother and more contoured, and the pouch underneath my chin that had really started to bother me (but which I’d accepted as an inevitable part of ageing) has gone!
A big move for Beauty Defined Beauty Defined owner Natalie Godefroy is delighted to announce that the salon has recently relocated to the Settling Rooms, which is the iconic Grade II-listed building in the centre of Market Harborough. “Being in this prime location will really put us on the map,” she told me. Natalie has completely redesigned the interior, so it has a Harley Street feel to it, which is in keeping with the high-end aesthetics and non-invasive skin rejuvenation treatments the team will continue to offer. One of the newest treatments are the PRP (Plasma Rich Platelet) therapy facials – or vampire facials, as they are more commonly known. These harness the growth factors in your own platelets to aid rejuvenation and treat pigmentation and scarring. The treatment starts with Natalie taking a small sample of your blood and using a centrifuge to separate out the platelets. The platelets are then administered to your skin using one of a choice of methods: Mytoxin™ PRP, which uses Derma Roller to reintroduce the platelets; Liquid Gold PRP Therapy, in which platelets are reintroduced to the face using injections; or Plasma Blast technology. It is a natural and safe way to stimulate collagen, rejuvenate the skin and repair age-related damage for a more youthful and radiant complexion.