How To Get A Facelift Without Going Under The Knife

Gone are the days when everyone could tell which celebrity made a visit to the plastic surgeon’s office under the guise of a holiday – the side-by-side comparison of the before and after photos is like a game of Spot the Difference for kindergarteners. But with rapid advancements in technology, more lifted facial contours, firmer-looking skin and that desirable V-shaped face which makes you look more youthful are actually achievable without you having to go under the knife. Sure, it’s unlikely you are going to achieve the kind of next-level de-ageing seen in Robert Downey Jr and Samuel L Jackson in the Marvel movies, but hey, anything that makes us look remotely younger is welcome, right?

Here are the products and treatments to help you get that non-surgical facelift and subtly lifted facial contours, depending on how much difference you want to see.

1. For a subtle lift

Your face is not sagging, but you sometimes experience puffy cheeks due to late nights or experience a little water retention or just have a rounder face in general. To achieve that subtle lifting effect on your facial contours to help you get a more V-shaped face, try the new reformulated Clarins V Shaping Facial Lift. The fifth and latest iteration of this firming and lifting serum has organic agropyron extract and organic oat sugar which are said to provide an immediate lifting effect, and zerumbet ginger extract to help reduce puffiness. The agropyron extract also works with caffeine to reduce fatty tissue.

$122, from Clarins

Another product on our list is Lancer’s Lift Serum Intense: Stem Cell Recovery Complex, which has a, well, stem cell complex derived from sea plants and grape stem cells, combined with cassava root extract to provide a firming and lifting effect. It is also infused with 24K gold that is said to help combat free radicals from environmental aggressors to prevent premature skin ageing.

Approx. US$254.73 (S$350), from Net-a-Porter

2. For more visible lifting effects

While serums are considered one of the most efficacious and targeted skincare products to use, you may find yourself looking for more intensive firming or lifting action if you have an important upcoming event, such as a good friend’s wedding or your company’s D&D – especially if you are in your mid-30s and seeing a little more sagging in your facial contours due to loss of fats, collagen and elastin brought on by age. In any case, penning an intensive medispa facial or a monthly maintenance aesthetic treatment into your calendar may be the way to go.

DrSpa’s Needleless Threadlift is a medispa facial that “injects” a serum infused with hyaluronic acid and peptides into skin’s deeper layers using high pressure. This non-invasive treatment helps to intensely hydrate skin and plump it up, diminishing the appearance of fine lines and giving you instantly lifted and firmer facial contours, and that desired V-shaped face. The good thing about this treatment is that because it is so intensive, with proper skincare, the hydration and lifting effect can last up to a month with proper post-treatment skincare.

$688 for two hours, at DrSpa.

Another facial you can try is The Total V Face Shaper facial from Clarins. It utilises the brand’s special massage techniques to help reduce puffiness by stimulating lymphatic drainage. At the end of the soothing 75-minute facial, your facial contours look visibly slimmer, more lifted and defined.

$250 for 75 minutes, at Clarins Skin Spa.

It’s not just the cheeks that sag as you get older. Your eyelids do too. And since the skin around the eyes is much more delicate (as we all know), ageing signs such as the appearance of fine lines and hooded eyelids make you look older than you are. Browhaus’ Plasma Eye Lift is a non-invasive treatment that delivers pulses of energy to the entire eye area – including the lower and upper eyelids. It combats crow’s feet by lifting and tightening the skin there, by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. One thing to note is that the plasma energies work like Hifu (high-intensity focused ultrasound) and RF (radiofrequency) treatments, although this treatment is 100 per cent pain free (yes, we’ve tried it). Therefore, you won’t see as immediate an effect as compared to the other two facials above – results are more apparent two to four weeks post-treatment when your skin starts to produce more collagen and elastin. Plus, a course of six to eight sessions two weeks apart is recommended for best results. After which, you may need to go for maintenance sessions six months to a year apart.

$600 for 60 minutes, at Browhaus.

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