Some say 50 is the new 40. Some even say life begins at 50. But when Hannah first made an appointment to see me in 2015 aged 54, she wasn’t happy. She lived a full life, she was known for her lively, spirited and vibrant personality, but her face didn’t reflect any of this. Instead, when she looked in the mirror she saw a face that was tired and sad looking. Her skin was saggy, strong lined and lifeless, and it was getting her down. So, she reached out to me for help. She wanted to reverse the signs of ageing but most importantly she still wanted to look natural. She wanted to feel like her true self again.
I know so many of you will relate to Hannah. I see it every day at the clinic – women who hit the menopause when we age quicker than expected. So, I’m sharing Hannah’s story with you to give you hope. Because yes, it is perfectly possible to reverse skin ageing. Here’s how…
Why is your skin ageing?
Your skin ageing is a natural process influenced by both intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors:
- Intrinsic ageing – This occurs naturally as you get older especially due to the drop in hormones as we enter menopause and is characterised by thinning of the skin, loss of elasticity, and decreased production of collagen and elastin which are essential proteins for skin structure and firmness. This leads to the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin.
- Extrinsic ageing – This is largely influenced by external factors such as sun exposure, smoking, pollution, stress, poor nutrition, and certain lifestyle choices. These factors can accelerate the ageing process and cause additional damage to the skin. UVA and UVB rays from the sun, in particular, are major contributors to skin ageing, leading to the formation of age spots, uneven skin tone, and damage to the skin's DNA.
How to slow and minimise the signs of skin ageing.
Tackling skin ageing involves adopting a comprehensive approach. For starters, you need to protect the skin from sun exposure by using sunscreen, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy diet with a focus on antioxidants and vitamins, manage stress levels, and practice a regular skincare routine that includes products that promote collagen production and repair the skin.
These lifestyle changes will help you to protect your skin to a certain extent. However, in Hannah’s case, she needed extra help to rejuvenate the youthful look she wanted. She needed a bio-stimulating treatment that would actively reverse the ageing process by increasing her precious collagen and elastin.
After a thorough consultation in which we discussed various options, Hannah opted for the HOT VAMP™ facial. This combines Endymed Intensif radiofrequency microneedling with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
What is Endymed Intensif radiofrequency microneedling?
Endymed Intensif radiofrequency microneedling is a non-invasive procedure that helps to address skin ageing concerns such as sagging, wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven skin texture. It does so by stimulating collagen production and promoting skin tightening. The treatment involves the use of a handheld device that delivers controlled radiofrequency energy to the targeted areas of the skin, causing microscopic injuries to stimulate the body's natural healing response. This leads to the production of new collagen, resulting in smoother, tighter, and younger-looking skin.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?
PRP is a medical treatment used in various fields including orthopaedics, dermatology, and sports medicine to effectively accelerate the healing process of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. PRP is derived from your own blood and contains a concentrated number of platelets and growth factors, as well as some stem cells.
The process involves drawing a small amount of your blood and then spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the plasma, platelets, and other components of the blood. The concentrated platelet-rich plasma is then micro-needled back into your skin at the desired treatment depth.
The platelets in PRP release growth factors that help promote tissue healing and regeneration. The treatment stimulates the body's natural healing process, enhances tissue repair, and reduces inflammation. This results in skin looking fresher, brighter and rejuvenated.
Why radiofrequency microneedling and PRP make the perfect combination.
By treating the face with Endymed Intensif radiofrequency microneedling first, we create microchannels that enable the PRP to penetrate deeper into the skin. Penetration of the skin with microneedling plus the heat generated from the radiofrequency gives powerful results, especially when combined with the key healing factors from PRP that address multi-factorial ageing. Even the recovery is quick because the skin heals rapidly thanks to the golden elixir of your own plasma!
How soon did Hannah see results?
Hannah had three treatments to begin with, each spaced six weeks apart. She also had some dermal filler to give her better shape initially as the results of the Hot Vamp™ usually take around 6 months to show. Since then, Hannah has been committed to attending her six-monthly single treatments.
Fast-forward to today and her skin ageing has reversed, her face is now tighter, softer, fuller, with far fewer lines. She has very little dermal filler these days and she definitely does not need surgery. Her skin is alive and radiant – just as she had hoped.
At 61, Hannah needed a new passport photo. With sheer delight she came positively skipping into the clinic holding her old and new photos to compare, declaring that I had given her, her face back!
Could new advances in biotechnology be your passport to the future?
For anyone in their 30s and 40s, it is so important to look after yourself, get into a good skincare routine, and opt for treatments that will give you the best chance in the fight against skin ageing further down the line. Because as Hannah’s case proves, if you don’t invest in your skin and build a strong foundation during your 30s and 40s, you’ll notice a rapid deterioration in your skin’s condition when you hit the perimenopause.
What’s really exciting is that in the years since Hannah started her facial rejuvenation journey, biotechnology has progressed even further. If you want to keep signs of skin ageing at bay but you don’t quite feel ready for a PRP treatment, there is a brand new treatment option I am launching at the DRVICTORIA™ Clinic.
Introducing our new Bioactive Serum treatments.
Bioactive serums contain actives designed to reach skin cells and target specific skin concerns such as fine lines and sagging skin resulting from collagen and elastin degradation.
Biotechnology is used to enhance the efficacy of the active ingredients. For example, microencapsulation systems that protect the active ingredients from degradation and improve their delivery to the target skin cells, or to create peptides that are the same structure of natural peptides found in the skin that can help stimulate collagen production and improve skin elasticity.
Two biotechnology developments that are currently at the forefront of skincare are:
- Exosomes – These are nano-sized messengers that deliver growth factors and whilst enhancing cellular communication to help increase the production of collagen and elastin.
- Polynucleotides – These are natural, highly purified RNA molecules, extracted from fish, which have been shown to help increase the production of collagen.
These advances are enabling us to provide treatment options that are shorter, less expensive and more comfortable than previous treatments.
I am delighted to introduce four powerful new Bioactive Serum treatments:
- Exosomes – Featuring super concentrated skin messengers equivalent to a 20 year old’s skin. Exosomes reduce the first signs of ageing to develop smoother, plumper, firmer and brighter skin. It is ideal for women and men of all skin types, typically aged 30 to 45, who are starting to notice fine lines around the eyes, upper lip, forehead or wrinkly eyelids.
- Polynucleotides – Featuring those powerful polynucleotides, this treatment reduces the first signs of ageing to develop smoother, plumper, firmer and brighter skin. It is ideal for women and men of all skin types, typically aged 30 to 45, who are starting to notice fine lines around the eyes, upper lip, forehead or wrinkly eyelids.
- Melasma – Arbutin liquorice, combined with vitamins A, C and E in a hyaluronic acid base. This reduces and inhibits hormone induced melasma that typically appears on the forehead, cheeks, chin and upper lips. This is most suitable for females aged between 20 to 45 who have melasma induced from sun exposure combined with use of the contraceptive pill, pregnancy or perimenopause.
- Rosacea – This treatment uses a mushroom extract, antioxidants in a hyaluronic acid base that reduces skin irritation by strengthening skin barrier functions and thus reduces inflammation and the appearance of redness for a more even skin tone. This is particularly good for perimenopausal women suffering with a decrease in progesterone leading to higher skin inflammation.
Which Bioactive Serum treatment is right for you?
Everyone is different so a personal consultation and skin analysis is the best way for our team to recommend a treatment that will address your individual concerns. That said, if you are over 25 years old then as a general rule it is a good idea to kickstart your skin’s ability to stay young with an exosome or polynucleotides facial once a month. Ideally, this should be microneedled into your skin to ensure microchannels maximise the effectiveness of the Bioactive Serum. There may be slight redness for a few hours, but you won’t get the bruising that can occur with injections.
If you are over 50 then I would still recommend the best solution for your skin rejuvenation is our Hot Vamp™ combination of radiofrequency microneedling with PRP treatment performed by our medical professionals.
Have we reached the point that we don’t need to look older?
Yes, I believe these new Bioactive Serums will tip the dynamics of skin ageing in our favour and we will be able to choose. Whether you’re worried about fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, melasma, inflammation or redness, book an appointment with my team. In 6 months you will notice a major difference in your skin health and looks.
Dr Victoria
Authors experience
With two decades of experience in medical aesthetics, Dr Victoria has performed thousands of facial rejuvenation treatments and supports hundreds with menopausal changes to their skin, health and wellbeing. She was the first to introduce medical needling as a professional service in Scotland and has spoken about PRP rejuvenation at the UK’s most scientific FACE conference. As a trainer and Key Opinion Leader for several aesthetic medicine solutions she has an in-depth understanding of skin rejuvenation.
Resource links
- The American Journal of Pathology, The Pathobiology of Skin Aging, Russell-Goldman & Murphy, 2020
- Harvard Health Publishing, Why Your Face Ages and What You Can Do, 2023
- National Library of Medicine, Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review, Michalak, Pierzak, Kręcisz & Suliga, 2021
- Endymed Intensif
