When I hear the word facial, it’s fair to say that inside I do a little ‘happy dance!’. As a self-confessed beauty-o’holic, I’ve been having facials on a regular basis since I was 27 (to be precise) and whilst I’m not one to shout my age from the rooftops – let’s just say that was quite a number of years ago!
It was way back when, at a little hair salon in sunny Queensland, Australia, I gleefully discovered a low-key beauty room tucked away at the back of the salon. It was here that I was introduced into a magical world of divine smelling lotions, potions and motions! All of which help to put that certain zing back into my skin. These days, the older I get, the more zing my skin is in need of!
I was told to put aside two hours for the treatment; so arriving at the Wyndham Street, Central location (on a hot, Hong Kong summer’s day) I almost dived into the cool, air-conditioned spa, eager for my two hours of bliss! Now I love a good spa, especially one with tranquil surroundings, the smell of burning oils and the fancy products that line the shelves beckoning you to try them (I know, I’m every marketer’s dream, right?). But most of all, I love the pampering… what girl doesn’t?
So, let me start by saying, Ultherapy does NOT involve pampering. Smelling the essential oils and lying back in the lazy boy chair is about as indulging as it gets. Ladies (and gents) this is all about enduring for the cause. The long-term results!
First things first, it’s the only USDA approved non-invasive, skin tightening treatment in the world. It sounds good, but why is that important? Well for starters, it means it’s safe. USDA will, no way, never, run the risk of being sued, so goes to extreme lengths to make sure the product is not harmful, in any way. It’s for these same reasons (as shallow as they sound) it’s also effective! A lot of papers are required for submission and tests carried out to make sure it works and works well.
How does it work? Using ultrasound. And we know ultrasounds are 100 per cent safe for a foetus, so you can’t deny it gets brownie points, on that alone. No evil toxins or fillers. If you’ve ever had an ultrasound, you’ll know all about the gel they place on you beforehand, well, the same thing is done on your face. The machine then gets to work gliding over the areas requiring attention.
It took about half an hour and I won’t lie and say it was pain-free! It felt like a lot of tiny little pricks in my skin. Some areas hurt a little more than others, but in all honesty, it’s nothing you can’t handle. Like they say, no pain no gain! And if it is too much for you to tolerate, Dr Chen will happily turn down the intensity. The best thing about this (besides the results) is there’s no down time. A tiny bit of redness, but you can put makeup on straight away and head right back to the office or out to dinner in LKF!
The idea is it looks natural because it’s your skin’s natural way of being stimulated. Not a bad way to stand firm in the face of gravity, ladies and gents!
It’s not cheap, but comparatively it’s not bad, costing between $18,000 and $48,000 for a full face.
There are two other types of non-invasive skin tightening procedures you may have heard of – Thermage (which is a similar technique, only using radio frequency). According to Dr Chen the results are comparable, but the technology is older, meaning it’s less accurate and more painful. Sculptra is the third option but involves injections and more risk, so it pays to make sure you’ve got a very experienced doctor. Ultherapy is definitely the superior sister here.
To prove its worth even further, Ultherapy was largely responsible for Sense of Touch winning “Medi Spa Treatment of the Year” at the 2013 Asia Spa Awards. With their Ultimate Skin Tightening and Lifting Program, which combines Ultherapy and Alma Laser’s ‘Super Skin Tightening,’ the treatment received a glowing appraisal. Try it out if you’re looking for a lift!
Sense of Touch Medi Spa, Suite 206-207, 2/F, Yu Yuet Lai Building (Between Koh Thai and 6◦), 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong,2861 1800, www.sotmedi.com